Why do owners who retire their show dog rehome them???

Moderator speaking, yet again...
Folks....the icon that caused such a furor is about to make an appearance.

Keep in mind the other folks who might read this thread someday and talk to them...pointing good material at someone uninterested in processing it is info wasted. Couch it for those folks who may come here and want that info...like the OP. []
 
Allowing this thread to be focused on someone other than the OP and their questions, is IMO not the best use of this thread.
 
I suggest instead of circling along, we all make a new pattern []

  What is wrong with taking one of the fosters in my home, instead.  Please explain this desire to have that one of kind unique breed.  I used to feel that way with the Great Dane but after have the large breed mixed fosters, I have changed. 

 
So, because you no longer feel that way everyone should?  Let me ask you, how many people who apply for one of your dogs is turned down? What is the ratio? Do you ever wonder how many people that you turn down turns to either a breeder or a shelter? The bottom line is, what does it really matter in the end, a dog gets a loving home, a person gets the dog of their dreams and everyone is happy?
 
In the end, how is it really any different than what your doing DPU? It isn't, you take in abandoned animals, help them, love them and find them forever homes.
 
For the original poster, the benifits of having a rehomed show/working dog are:
 
You know the history of the dog in question, temperment, health, abilities.
For those that are not sure a puppy is for them, this is a perfect choice, a trained adult.
If you should decide that you do want a puppy, you now have an established relationship with a breeder, someone you can trust.
 
Xeph, your last post was fantastic!
 
Truley 
 
 
 

Trying Gina!
 
I suggest a new thread?
 
Truley

ORIGINAL: Liesje

Which one of the re-homes?

Post #120, top of the page (if your pages have the same number of posts as mine).

Now you are playing with me.  []  There were 2 rehomes of Chopper.  One, where the family that adopted the dog as a puppy and then after keeping the dog to adulthood, gave it back to the breeder.  The 2nd rehoming is the breeder to you. 

This is a very good thing for you and you definitely are rescuing this dog and I commend you for it.

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

Moderator speaking, yet again...
Folks....the icon that caused such a furor is about to make an appearance.

Keep in mind the other folks who might read this thread someday and talk to them...pointing good material at someone uninterested in processing it is info wasted. Couch it for those folks who may come here and want that info...like the OP. []

Allowing this thread to be focused on someone other than the OP and their questions, is IMO not the best use of this thread.
 
I suggest instead of circling along, we all make a new pattern []

 
Moderator, I wonder why that icon you mention keeps following me.  []
 
I think the thread appears to be going circular because many posters are addressing or directing comment at one or two other posters.  I do believe Xerxes will provide a polite coherant response to my comment.  That should probably be it.

Right the, back to topic...

For the original poster, the benifits of having a rehomed show/working dog are:

You know the history of the dog in question, temperment, health, abilities.
For those that are not sure a puppy is for them, this is a perfect choice, a trained adult.
If you should decide that you do want a puppy, you now have an established relationship with a breeder, someone you can trust.

These are excellent points. 

In my case, I'm not interested in a puppy, and like I told DPU, my top priority is a healthy dog that will NOT cause any issues for my three cats.  Most shelters will put a dog in an office with a cat for 30 seconds and tell you how it is "with cats" at best.  It's nothing against shelters, but their dogs are in very unnatural, stressful environments.  At my shelter, dogs are often returned b/c it turns out they are not in fact "good with cats" like their paperwork said. 

Also, I'm not full of myself and I know that I'm pretty inexperienced, thus I was looking for a dog of a certain very mild, obedient temperament that was already cured of any behavioral annoyances like nipping, barking, whining in the crate, and lunging - things I don't have as much experience dealing with.  All of our shelter dogs do these things and in a shelter environment, it's almost impossible to train out of them, especially for volunteers.  I wanted a dog that would be a really positive first experience. 

I also need a dog that is house trained and crate trained and comes from a foster family that can tell me everything about her temperament.  This is because I live in rentals and landlords will not put up with any animals soiling inside the house or disturbing other tenants.  Sure, I'd love to save a shelter dog with tons of problems, but for my life right now, that is just unfair to me, the dog, my husband, and my neighbors.  That would be a stupid idea for me.  We'd get kicked out of our house, and then what?

Shelters offer one option for people looking for either a puppy or a dog.  All breed rescues offer an additional option, especially when fostering is involved.  Breed specific rescues offer another option.  Breeder rehomes offer an option, and breeder puppies offer an option as well.  All these options occur on a continum from the best of the best to the worst of the worst.  It is up to the person looking for a dog to make their own choice.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with people choosing a variety of options for their lives.  Folks get dogs for any number of reasons.  There is nothing wrong with wanted to participate in dog sport nor is there anything wrong with having a general buddy and companion.
 
To pass judgement on any effort that results in a dog getting a good home is value based and suggests an "elitist" mentality of only my way is right. 

Out of the three and half million dogs in shelters, none is to your liking. Item#2 rules out a lot. I respect that you want to get the kind of dog you desire and I understand that you have found one of those good rehoming situation. After fostering so many dogs in my home, my fosters only limitation is showings. They are just as good or maybe even better. Can I tell you the stories...

 
 
DPU, you warm my heart, and I see you speak with such passion.....it can only be understood by a person who rescues[]
 
I know you have stories, and so have I.....like my last rescue.......just a night away from being gassed.........did I get a pedigree, did I get health guarantees,or hip x-rays......no......but, I , just like you save lives.........[]

Just so the OP does not misunderstand, rescue and purebreds are not mutually exclusive.  As I said earlier, I've also done rescue work.  I would have two more right now, but they found a home "in time".  A local rescue is staffed and run by a breeder's facility and staff.  Most of the rescuers I know are involved in both rescue and other dog sports and own a variety of dogs as pets (as it appears you have a mixture of mixes and purebreds). 

Comments that assume that one person's rescue work is more noble than another's are downright offensive and hurtful, not to mention misleading to newbies who are still weighing the options.  It's sad when rescuers can't even stick together for the good of animals but have to try to elevate their work above someone else's for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the rescue work being done.

I have no issue with a responsible breeder pairing his dogs into responsible homes -whether that means at puppyhood, or somewhere in adulthood after a show/work career has ended.  The dogs that end up in breed-specific rescue are NOT from responsible breeders.  Exceedingly few dogs come from even a short-straight-line to the breeder.  Most often they're acquisitions from one set of hands to another to another to another, whereby origination of the pup is obscured and nobody knows who the breeder originally was - and if so, often circles back to BYB.  If not, then a pet store.  From my experience in breed-specific rescue, every person who turns in a dog is interviewed if a contract existed with the breeder, and whether the breeder was contacted before considering rescue.  Regardless of the answer, the rescue STILL contacts the breeder to explain where their own dog is about to end up.  About 30% of the time, the breeder will take the dog back (often not knowing the situation before our call).  About 10% cannot due to reasons that have previously been accepted as reasonable to consider allowing the rescue to rehome, instead of the breeder.  The others refuse or never respond and are not to be categorized as responsible breeders - you can read it in the health of their dogs, their contracts, their communication and support of the dog's owner, etc.
 
In a world where no dogs/puppies are re-homed (after show career or not), a breeder would keep all of their own dogs and none of us would have anything to talk about in 15-20 years after all the dogs currently in rescue/shelters have been adopted and eventually crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  Unless of course we all became breeders (??)  At which point, I'd be keeping, roughly, 11-14 dogs at a time (because Dobe litters are about 9-11, then add the parents)?  But 3-5 dogs is the max, right?  What do I do with the rest?  Editorially, this smacks of PETA/HSUS-esque view that in all reality, none of us are good enough to own dogs - evidenced simply by the number of dogs in rescue.  That is flat out false, imo.
Sorry, I'm probably off-topic again...

It is very normal for show people to rehome finished dogs. If they want to keep on playing the game they must make room for new dogs. Also the ones that are beeing shown are getting the most attention so it is better for the retired dog to get a new home where it will be the light of someone's life. My Powderpuff Chinese Crested is a retired Champion that needed a pet home. What a deal I got. a beautifully trained,and socialized dog that was a snap to teach anything. I got her CGC and she is a registered therapy dog. I would highly recommend getting a retired show dog, they can be a little older though, mine was 6 when I got her she is 9 now, looks young tho. I will probably get another crested in the future the same way, if one becomes available.

As someone who came into this thread knowing nothing about rehoming show dogs but having a negative feeling about it all, I want to say thank you to the people who have taken the time to explain the reasons and the reality.  I can see how finding older dogs good homes isn't "abandonment."  You guys have opened my eyes.  [sm=floating.gif]

i have been reading a lot of posts about dogs being rehomed because they are used up or outlived their usefulness.

a co-worker, at a former job, adopted a seeing eye dog training facility. this organization either bred dogs or bought dogs from breeders (not sure which) and trained them as seeing eye dogs. occassionally, one of their dogs would not perform as needed. these dogs were rehomed by the organization that did the training. these were dogs that, in terms of being a seeing eye dog, had outlived their usefulness.

the organization could not logistically keep every dog that did not make it through the training. to think that they could is an absurd idea. logically, the sought homes where the dogs could have a family and be loved.

i can see some of the points of the people who think it is wrong for a breeder to rehome a retired dog (whether it be a show dog or performance dog). i also think that, similarly to my example, it is an absurd idea to think that a breeder keep every dog he/she shows or competes with. how many years would they have to cease competitions if they did keep all their retired dogs? would this do justice to the advancement of the breed?

You know, the mention of re-homed service dogs (form programs) is interesting. One of the big issues we have in the owner-trainer community is people using inappropriate dogs (dogs who have a health or temperament issue, in particular) because they've been told they're a 'bad person' for rehoming ever, for any reason, and they aren't in a position to keep the dog as a pet. 

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

i have been reading a lot of posts about dogs being rehomed because they are used up or outlived their usefulness. ....

I think this phrase "outlived their usefulness" is at the crux of much of the difference of opinion here. It isn't that the dog has outlived his usefulness, any more than the fact that once I lost interest in being a life guard at the local park meant that I had outlived my usefulness. I went on to become a park naturalist for a while. Then I "outlived my usefulness" at that and went on to become a teacher. I hope to live long enough to outlive my usefulness at that and retire to become a full time gardener, photographer, wool grower and dog trainer. Each time I outlived my usefulness in one capacity I left friends behind, and went on to make new friends. Dogs can be loved and valued family members, and then go on to another career with another loving family too. Just because the breeder rehomes the dog doesn't mean that they consider that the dog has no value or is useless or isn't sufficiently ego-gratifying. On the contrary, they recognize that just like their carefully bred puppies, their adults can provide great companionship and in some case be great working partners in homes other than their own.

I have rescued dogs from shelters, fostered them, trained them, and rehomed them. I have contributed money to other rescues. I have volunteered at shelters. I'm not indifferent to the plight of homeless dogs. But I'm also not going to apologize for the fact that when I choose a dog as a life long companion and working partner, I want to know as much as I can about the dog's genetic background, and I want to maximize my chances that the dog will remain healthy enough and have the drive and temperament to enjoy the work and hobbies that I enjoy. And I'm not willing to let breeders who have assisted me in this be characterized as cold-heartedly dumping dogs that they consider to be useless because of some supposed insatiable need for ego gratification. I'm grateful that they have had the dedication to breed for the type of dog that best fits my lifestyle, and I consider myself very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to share my life and my work and my hobbies with the dogs that they entrusted to me.