Tough Decision

I have been faced with a rather difficult decision during the last month in regards to Duke...

I've been working towards getting all Sophie's health clearances completed. She has passed both her hips and elbows with OVC and her hips have been rated excellent with OFA which is pretty exciting. She also has a strong and healthy pedigree to back her positive test results as well.

Along this road full of testing that I've been travelling I've learned an awful lot... a lot of things I wish I had known before.

I've learned that "fair" is an American standard and here in Canada (OVC) that is not acceptable. I've also learned how the testing in Europe works. If you test your dog and it passes you can bred it and if it fails you can't (I know obvious stuff) BUT if you don't test it you can bred all you want but keep in mind pretty doesn't always mean healthy.

I live in Canada and thus feel their standards are pretty important in terms of quality and life expectancy. Duke's mother has "fair" hips and his sire has "good" hips.. I'm confident he'll test to a Canadian pass but he has one too many "fairs" in his pedigree for me to feel comfortable leaving him a breeding dog. I don't believe a completely flawless Newfoundland pedigree exists but I certainly am going to do my best to produce quality.

With all this said... I've decided to place Duke in a pet home. He's scheduled to be neutered on Tuesday and will recover with me and then leave for his new home. It has been a very difficult decision. My husband buys and trains horses for a living and I think by the time he is done training I like/enjoy/appreciate every single horse but I know they're for sale and I very much enjoy watching their new owners with them... dogs seem to be totally different - they're pets and companions and maybe it is because they're close in physical proximity... I guess I had better not start letting the horses into the house or I'll have a breakdown every time one leaves.

On a slightly more positive note Sophie will be bred AI this spring to a dog from Saskatchewan. He is a stunning male who has shown and done exceptionally well. He has pups on the ground and they are awesome quality. Both myself and his breeder are very excited about the potential offspring of this cross.

Good on you!! D-Cutch - I admire you so much! If more people would be responsible animal breeders we would not have so many health problems with our modern animal breeds.....he is a absolutely love of a dog that will make someone a wonderful pet...(hmmm, if only!).....:-)

I agree with EM. So often "breeders" are in such a rush to produce litters that the quality suffers and eventually the dogs suffer in the long run. It's very comforting knowing that you are there to do the best for the breed.

And for goodness sake, DON'T let the horses into the house. You're right in that once they become a part of our "indoor" life it's very hard to part with them. Not that we don't love and appreciate your horses but having your animal inside seems to make the feelings run deeper. I'm envious of the family that is blessed with Duke. Before he gets neutered make sure you have a chatt with him and let him know it's nothing personal. That's what I had to do with Lord Gord. For the life of me I don't know why the male gender (of ANY species) places so much value in their family jewels!

D, that is a perfect decission to make, I agree with all the above .. to bad more people couldn't make that same decission when breeding their dogs.. Duke will have a great life I'm sure, he's a cutie.. not my breed but a great breed indeed.. hugs for Duke and you too for being so unselfish!

Great job!

Have to admit, I was sad and I STILL am, about you spaying your aussies because you were the one I was eventually going to but another one from...(It was my master plan! lol)
However, I understood your reasons and I even talk about how commendable that was of you.

I obvisouly feel the same way about your Newfs. You will look after them in just the same way, in quality and build your reputation as a breeder. A breed I love, but can't afford to feed! lol Or I would buy one from you as well... ;)

Very proud of the decision you made!! There are so many BAD breeders out there that breed their dogs just because they have the proper parts to be bred *rolls eyes* I see the results all the time at the Vet Clinic, you get dogs that at a year old have severe hip issues or shoulder issues, when they should be running around and playing they have to be confined to a crate or worse - euthanised because there is no hope for a good quality of life. I think it is amazing that you decided to do what you did - hard yes, but very responsible of you! Thanks for not breeding more dogs with more issues!!

I am sure this has been a huge decision for you and one that you pondered for a long while. Duke is a beautiful dog and already is a wonderful pet but with this decision you are making sure that potential weaknesses are not passed on into the breed which is the most responsible thing you can do. Good luck with Sophie's planned litter.

Well I think you know how I feel about it! I made those difficult decisions as well with Bria.. Bria may have passed with flying colors which I can almost bet she would have passed excellent but I didn't even bother to test her when something came up in one of her siblings. It's a choice my breeder and I made as I do NOT want to add more problems into the Newfies. I want to better them in any way and that's what breeders SHOULD be doing. If every breeder did everything they COULD do then it would really decline all the problems. But sad thing is most breeders breed for QUANTITY and not QUALITY and they think they are going to make money. And they dont' send any gaurentees with their dogs which I think is AWEFUL.. Like my breeder has said, if people think they are going to make money at this GOOD LUCK to them. You can't make moneyafter the breeding, then the xrays to check everything with the pregnant female, all your vet bills, all the expensives of the pups, plus all the TIME you have to spend with them. It's VERY VERY difficult to breed dogs, especially large breeds.

It really really drives me when people just breed to breed and keep adding to all the diseases. Sure makes it hard for the good breeders. My breeder has homed many of her newfies WHY, because they were not to her standards or she's found faults in their breedings etc etc.. If she finds ANYTHING that's it, she calls it quits for breeding and fixes them and finds them awesome homes... So you cannot make money doing that. by the time you put all the money into testing, that alone gets up to almost $1000 and then what if you buy one and have to home him in a home as a pet. It's VERY difficult for sure as they become part of your family.

And with Newfies, so many people think they are cute little teddies, Ha, till they get BIG!

So I honestly have to say THANKS for doing the RIGHT thing! You really are doing the right thing Dominque! HONESTLY! I give you a major PET on the back!!!! :)

Dominica I commend you on your very difficult decision. I know plenty of people who would still breed with a "fair" - that being one of the reasons we end up with dogs with so many problems.

I could go on and on here but I won't. Just know that I respect you very much for your decision. I as well always had it in the back of my mind that I would get an Aussie from you. :)

{{{{{Hugs}}}} you are doing the right thing (no one said doing it right was easy though).

I know exactly how you feel. I paid a pile of money for a new male a couple of years ago and just neutered him and placed him in a pet home. I still miss him - he was such a sweetie but he is now making a little special needs boy very happy and for the first time in his life he is an "only" dog not one of a pack.

No health issues luckily but as he matured he was no longer show or breeding quality. He did come close to finishing his championship - only needed 2 points but I would never have been able to finish him and I did not want to have to breed around his physical deficiencies.

Just know that you are doing the right thing as hard as it is and that the perfect home will come along and he will love his new family.

Well Duke has been at his new home for a little over a week now - I'm always hesitant to visit/contact immediately to check in because after all the convincing myself that I made the right decision I know seeing or hearing one little thing would likely provoke me to do something foolish. I find giving myself a little time always makes me more rational and less impulsive/emotional.

Anyhoo, I just got an email and a fabulous picture of him playing in the woods! He has adjusted very well to having a cat in his life (we don't have any cats) and they are so pleased with him! They are able to offer him a lifestyle very similar to the one he was living. We rarely had him in his kennel (in fact, really only at night) and because they are self-employed they take him to work with them so he still has lots of attention all day!

It is wonderful to hear that Duke has settled in well in his new situation. When we were raising dogs and I had to place an older dog , I always tried to hold back visiting for a while as well....and it isn't an easy thing to do, as you know. I always thought it was better to give that extra time for the bond to form with the new family and you're right, to rationalize that it was the best thing to do...and that sometimes isn't an easy thing either!!!! An email out of the blue must put a lot of your fears at ease. It sure sounds as though you have chosen the perfect forever home for him.

well as usual Dominica you did your research both analytically and heartfelt.......summed up all the pros and cons and made the right choices for him and yourself as an owner and a breeder...........I bet that's how you chose Glenn too......kidding........too bad you are not running for Political office

Nice to hear that he's doing well. I must say though that I was pretty darned confident that you would only let him go to the BEST home.

And what do you mean you don't have any cats?!