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

Then maybe if the price was increased on the pups, the rehoming would not have to take place and the dog could retire in the place it is most used to. 

Personally DPU, I think you're anthropomorphizing the dogs too much.  Dogs bond with their people, yes, but they also adjust.  In the long run, the dog doesn't care so much where it is, as it cares that it's being treated well.
 
They want somebody to bond with, and if a breeder can find a home for them instead of them having to stay in a kennel or have nothing for them to do while they (the breeder/handler) are on the road, there's nothing wrong with that.
 
For my next showdog I want to purchase something OLDER, something that may already be pointed, and that I can finish.  Breeders have these dogs often times.  They're nice dogs, and finishable, but may not be right for their breeding program, so they sell them to a newbie as a starter dog or foundation dog.
 

She typically has from five to eight dogs, and they all spend time in the house with her every day. Generally two or three are in training for tracking or herding, and so they go to training sessions on a regular basis, and they attend dog shows maybe six to eight weekends a year. She generally breeds one litter per year, and generally keeps a puppy from each litter. But if you figure a dog typically lives about 12 to 14 years, and add a puppy once per year, if you do the math, you realize that some of the adult dogs go to new homes so that she can keep her number of dogs down to around a half dozen so that she can keep them as house dogs, and so that she can give them all individual attention on a regular basis.

 
This is what my dog's foster mother does. I personally couldn't do this, but I have  no objection to it and think it is a great way to get a dog. The dogs are called "extended family" and have great homes. Not everyone is up to dealing with a puppy or with a rescue of unknown history. Particularly people with children or small animals.

ORIGINAL: DPU

ORIGINAL: Liesje

Isn't the handler of the police dog given first option to take in a retired dog. And why is that? Because the dog is bonded to the human and the human is bonded with the dog.

My understanding is that this is correct, but it's not automatically what every officer does.  If their dog retires and they are a K9 unit, they need another working dog.  If they get another working dog, they may not have time to give the right attention to the retired dog.  I watched a documentary on this once and an officer's dog had been injured or something - don't remember exactly - but the dog could no longer work and was very, very unhappy being a pet in the man's home.  He tried for a long time but the dog just wasn't happy so he re-homed it to a place where it was happy.

Brings up another point.  The dog has not only bonded with the handler but has a job to do and wants to do it.  Rehoming may not satisfy that need and behavioral problems arise. 

A good example is my avatar, Lady a Field Pointer.  Served her usefullness and then was discarded.  After being discarded and losing her human bonds, her pack bonds, and her job, the dog was a mess.  Only after months of rehab and reacquainting the dog with its job, did Lady finally turn.  She was rehomed into a hunting family and a fellow pointer.

 
I understand that I am jumping into this discussion late, but I have a question as well.  If a retired working dog (k-9 unit) is unhappy with it's new living situation, what do you recomend?  Is this the time when euthanasia is called for?
 
I have no issue with breeders rehoming dogs.  My simple mind tells me that if the dog is going to a loving home that can meet the dog's needs, then it will probably be better served there, as opposed to living out it's life with a larger number of dogs at the breeders. JMHO

IMO, this is so unncessary and it seems to want to compare to the nobility of rescuing, rehabing, and then rehoming dogs...just like my volunteer work.

No one's trying to create a hierarchy of people who care about dogs but you.  I do volunteer work all the time and I've done cat rescues/fostering in the past.  As soon as I have the time and space, I will start doing rescues/fosters again.  It's not true that you are one or the other, sorry.  Honestly I think it's slightly ridiculous you're out to compare everyone else's intentions against your own, since no one can really be sure of someone else's intentions except themself and the people closest to them.

ORIGINAL: BEVOLASVEGAS

I have no issue with breeders rehoming dogs.  My simple mind tells me that if the dog is going to a loving home that can meet the dog's needs, then it will probably be better served there, as opposed to living out it's life with a larger number of dogs at the breeders. JMHO

 
Why doesn't anyone refer to the dog as I do, a dog that has lived out its usefullness to the owner.
 
Bevolasvegas, you and I are opposites, respectfully.

ORIGINAL: Dog_ma

Stop changing my mind.  STOP IT! Darn all you sensible people, bringing facts and perspective. 

Hee Hee. It was a slip-up on my part. I'll do my best not to let it happen again. We will now return to my regularly scheduled irrational ranting and raving ;-}

Why doesn't anyone refer to the dog as I do, a dog that has lived out its usefullness to the owner.

Isn't that the same as a dog that's dumped at a shelter or rescue?  It's lived out its usefulness to the owner? 

That is really an apples and oranges kind of comparision,,, maybe even apples and brocolli.

A breeder who gives away dogs after showing them is clearly more interested in thier hobby (dog shows) then they are in the dog.  It is nice that the dog gets a good home after it has been used up by the breeder.  It would be better if the dog was at a good home to begin with.  

ORIGINAL: mrv

That is really an apples and oranges kind of comparision,,, maybe even apples and brocolli.

 
From your angle, I can see you saying that.  The fact is the dog that has become useless to his owner is given up.  How do you dispute that fact!

I've read this entire thread and I have to say that there are excellent points made by both sides. Here is my (cheap) two cents:

In a perfect world, where money and time were irrelevent, yes, it would be nice/ideal if responsible breeders would keep all of their adult dogs until they died. However, we all know that this is not the case; there are only 24 hours in the day and X amount of dollars in the bank account. I see a difference between breeders and people who dump dogs at shelters because it comes down to what is in the best interest of the dog.

The difference between people who dump dogs at shelters and responsible breeders who rehome dogs is that the latter cares about the welfare of the dog. I would think that for most breeders, it is a very hard and emotional decision to rehome a dog you have had for a certain number of years, but in the best interest of the dog, they rehome the dog to a place where he/she will get the attention/love that they deserve. They still care about these dogs, and, in an attempt to fulfill the dog's needs (emotional, physical, mental), the dog is placed in a home that can do more for the dog than the breeder can. I am sure that the dog is confused and perhaps sad for the initial adjustment period, but once it is showered with more attention and individualized time that it has had before, I am sure that these dogs bounce back quickly and are actually happier in their new surroundings. I will also (perhaps stupidly) assume that these responsible breeders would take these dogs back at any point in time, should something go wrong in the new home, rather than give a "Out of my house - out of my mind" answer.

People that dump dogs at shelters 1.) are usually not doing it in the best interests of the dog - they are doing it because they don't want the inconvenience of a dog anymore, there is a new baby, they are moving, etc.; and 2.) do not care about what happens to the dog in the long run - they do not want to take the dog back, even if the other option was PTS.

Now if breeders started dumping their dogs at shelters as routine practice...well, I'd have alot more to say about that!

Why doesn't anyone refer to the dog as I do, a dog that has lived out its usefullness to the owner.

I don't see that. I see a breeder thinking about what's best for that dog. And if it means going and living with a family that will love it till the end of days then im on their side.

DPU, would you rather see a dog that has won its ribbons, had a couple of litters go to a home where it can live and lead a happy life, or would you rather they stay with the breeder, watching life go by? or worse, be discarded in such a way that a person of your standing would have to step in and save it?

I guess this thread is frusterating for me b/c of some criticisms specific to GSD owners/breeders.  I've read a lot of posts lately about how "working dogs" like GSDs should all be doing SchH, herding, tracking, etc. and be titled in these sports moreso than conformation because that is what they are for...and then I come in here and read that everyone who does all these things all day and every weekend with their dogs and then dares to find a better post-competition home for retired dogs is now a bad, unethical breeder who is spending too much time with their working stock.  Which one is it?  So far the kennels I've found that are super experienced and uncomprehensibly devoted to working sports with their dogs are also the ones that will rehome retired dogs to live out their days as family companions because no one wants to leave the dog penned up in a house all day, alone and bored, while everyone else is out competing or working.

In breeds in which I participate, rehoming is an honored pursuit.  Dogs returned to breeders, dogs who have finished competition in any venue, dogs who were considered for breeding but just didnt quite cut it.  These dogs are cared for while an active search goes on to find them a home....Some of these dogs need rehab, some dont,  some are young, some are old. 
 
I suggest that rehome dogs, especially those with social skills associated with the world of dog sport,  are wonderful companions.  For families with young children who may not have the resources of time and attention to devote to a puppy in the desired breed;  for older people who just dont want to go through all the puppy stuff and want a dog that can just jump in the motor home and start traveling.
 
Rehomes are just as valid as rescue,,, in fact more so economically,,, because they allow rescue dollars to be spent on dogs who have no other resources or support.

People that dump dogs at shelters 1.) are usually not doing it in the best interests of the dog - they are doing it because they don't want the inconvenience of a dog anymore, there is a new baby, they are moving, etc.;

This is exactly what the breeder is doing they do not want the dog anymore because they can not use it for dog shows.  Maybe it is a little worse since it is not like something unexpected happened.  They knew it would be to old to show in the first place.