Who are the people that are doing the asking, luvdogs? Are they social friends or are they other owners of the breed or otherwise involved with the sport? We have 3 pedigreed cats and people are always asking where we got them and who bred them. I think, at least in our case, it is curiousity. Surprisingly most folks don't realize all the different pedigreed cats that are out there, especially ours since they are all different colors and have different markings, they are Maine Coons.

Could it just be interest and natural curiosity?

I think you may just be being defensive. People always ask where I got my dog and I tell them with no problems. Alot of times it is because she is so cute they want to know where they can get one too. I prefer to tell people rather than let them walk into a pet shop. I actually go out of my way to recommend get a bulldog from a rescue or from a breeder as opposed to pet shops. Even though the pet shops are cheaper....I let people know why they are cheaper and that the quality of the dogs are suspect. I also don't care if people know how much I paid for my dog. In fact when they ask I willingly tell them and then proceed to point out how expensive the breed is because of all their medical problems. Basically I use any question people ask me to shoot down pet stores and let people know what they are going to get if they consider a bully. I inform them that they fart, drool and snore. That their medical bills can be high, that you have to clean their face at least once a day, as they get older their eyes usually give problems. Not to mention their hips and shoulders. I tell people how great the dog herself is but how stubborn they are to train. I want people who are interested in my breed to be as knowledgeable about them as possible before they consider buying one.Especially when people are driving by and they stop to look at her, those people I stress how expensive the breed is to maintain, so they will think a little more before making an impulse purchase. I think when people question you they are curious, I myself have asked people where they have gotten their dogs. its natural curiosity. Plus you never know when you might learn something.

it's people who are involved in the sport and so some bloodlines/pedigrees are considered desirable. it wouldn't be like an english bulldog or like purebred cats because they aren't "performing" really. Although, with an english bulldog it would be like if you were around people with "show bulldogs" and they asked you what breeder you got your dog from, some would turn up their noses at where you got your dog from because it would be from a "backyard breeder." Know what i mean? So they would think the quality was less. But again, these are not performing dogs.

I have purebred cats (Rex, munchkin, manx) and i wouldn't be senstive about telling people about their breeders because it's just not the same thing as what i'm asking about.

Sure, it's curiousity but i think that the main reason they're asking is to evaluate and judge based on bloodlines. This is the "working dog" world (in case you know what that is - many don't) and there is snobbery based on bloodlines.

A better example would be if you bought a dog to do schutzhund with. People would want to know what the dogs' bloodlines were so they could evaluate if the dog has potential for the sport. I think it would be impolite to ask someone about their dogs' pedigree.

To me - they want the information so they can judge.

Yes, of course they want the information so they can judge. That's what breeding and competition is all about. If the dog is a fine example of the breed and performs well in the sport that shows that the breeders are doing a good job.

You seem to feel that people are pre-judging based on the breeding. That may be true based on what they already know about that breeder. Or they may not be prejudging at all but simply want to know who is breeding such a great dog.

Personally I think it's very important for serious breeders to know what other kennels dogs look like and how they are performing and what their health and temperament are like. Yes they will form opinions about breeders or bloodlines but most likely those opinions are based on what they have seen from that breeder in the past.

You said: Dogs should be judged on what they do and not who their "family" is. But if people are knowledgeable in the breed, as you say these curious acquaintances are, then they are judging exactly on that - what previous dogs produced by this "family" have done.

So, I don't think it's rude at all and I am surprised that you feel so strongly about it.

Tootsies breeder does show dogs and has quite a few champions. I also don't like backyard breeders that have no idea what they are doing and tend to breed their pets because of course they are biased and think their animal is the best. I wanted to scream at this woman at the last bulldog event we went to. Her dog was a very poor specimen and she was looking in our group for someone to breed him with...poor thing could barely breath and he was so out of proportion. I'm sure hes a great dog but definitely not sire worthy. That was besides the point and I know you weren't suggesting I got my baby from a backyard breeder but I had to clarify that I did not just in case.

In show dogs and work dogs parent lines are important....are you maybe a little sensitive as to where you got your dog from? From the defects if any in the parents you know what to expect from your pup. In bulldogs which is all i can speak to, if the mom or dad had bad hips, shoulder, eyes, nose...you can expect it in the pups. Toots is perfect (of course) she has perfect eyes, and hardly any breathing problems...we dont even hear her snore which is again unusual for a bully. Of course according to the vet her marshmallow tail is a defect(it has some fat in it so its puffy). I assume the same goes for working, sporting dogs. If the parents had a good temperament and excelled at something chances are the pups will too. On discovery channel or NGC I saw where a couple were taking the two goldens that had jumped the furthest in some competition and bred them together in hopes the pups will outshine the parents. The pups were showing very good potential. I think that if you are taking your dogs to shows and competitions you can expect almost everyone to ask where you got your dog from...its only natural. So you have two choices, either don't show your dog, or just accept it as a part of owning a purebred.

Personally I don't really care if someone knows what I paid for a dog. Some are mutts or purebred rescues, some purebred but were still given to me and some are show prospects that I paid quit a bit for but not always from well known breeders. I'm always curious about a dogs pedigree from the standpoint that I may be interested in a puppy from them at some point if I see enough of their breedings that I like but also from the standpoint of genetic problems they may be producing. Dobes have a lot of very serious health problems, the biggie being cardiomyopathy and I want to know how prevalent it is in a breeders dogs. There are plenty of people producing sound working dogs that are not well known names. Sure breeding has a lot to do with a dogs potential for a given activity but his training and environment contibute a lot too. Most of the pedigree snobs I've met usually turn out to be people I don't want to waste any time on anyway because I KNOW what my dog is capable of and they are going to find out.

Lisa

You know I actually feel bad sometimes that I paid for my dog when there are so many rescues in need of help. The reason I opted to purchase was because I knew that if I went to a reputable breeder I would have less problems. We had just lost our furbaby and I did not want to deal with medical problems so soon. My old baby did not develop serious medical problems until she was 10...the same year she died. I wanted to make sure our new baby would also be healthy for a long time. Even the young rescue bullies have problems, probably the result of puppy mills and backyard breeders. I also could care less about pedigree, for me it was medical history.

It sounds like they do want to judge your dog. By knowing its breeder and parents, they will have a preconceived idea of how much to expect from your dog.

If you prefer to keep this private, maybe you can come up with a set answer to use.

"Our Jack is from a professional breeder, but since we wanted a pet-quality dog and not a dog for national competition, I prefer to keep his heritage private."

"He is our family member/pet and he says he doesn't want the pressure of people thinking he is wasting his time on us, when he should be out on the road in competition."

"He likes the sport for the challenge and social opportunities and is afraid folks will expect more of him if they know where he comes from"

"Our Jack told us he hates to brag about his family ties. He just wants to be known for the sweet fellow he is."

Yeah, people do judge us based on what we spend on things, so I understand why you don't want it known what you paid. I am a mutt mommy, but some breeds do look interesting and the cost of the dogs is a real factor. I might feel guilty myself for "turning to the dark side" and not getting another pound puppy, so I would not want it generally known what I paid if I got a purebred dog. But that is me and my issues. Your situation is different, and there could be something about the situation that challenges your view of yourself, too. Whatever the reason, a cute joking remark can distract folks from being so nosey.

Actually the introduction of the internet has nothing to do with it at all. Breeders can be found and contected via many many sources (shows, veterinarians, other breeders, most any previous buyer, advertisments etc)
Of course people are going to judge your purebred dog, it is what purebreds are all about and it is one of the biggest aspects of owning a pure bred dog, showing it off. Judging pure breds is done by other breeders, by show dog officials, judges, other same breed owners and potential buyers. If your dog becomes a champion then people genuinely interested in the sport and the breed will be interested in the lines of your dog. Much like gardeners who like to grow new plants, it is something to be proud of. I think you might want to question why it offends you so much. Most dogs were bred for a specific job and have specific lines (ie: length of jaw, eye set etc) and atributes that people have spent years trying to enhance or to reduce. Even my mutt gets alot of attention, he is a beautiful animal has a great personality and is very intelligent and I have had offers ever year of his life for stud services (he was fixed years ago - or I would be a wealthy woman) the point being people want him in their life, the next best thing is a part of him....of course there is no accounting for the sons of Seabiscuit which turned out to be much ado about nothing. Good luck with your new pup.

You are too sensitive. Why should you care about how other people judge you or your dog or even how much you paid...
I love a particular sporting breed and always had them growing up. I don't hunt or show them which allows me the freedom accept a less than perfect specimen as a pet. The last one I bought from a breeder has an underbite and a heart murmur and shouldn't be bred anyway.

$1,500 is about average for a good puppy. And I freely tell people how much my dog was if they ask. One of my dogs cost $3,750.

Thats depends what breed I think. A good bulldog puppy not from a puppy mill or back yard breeder sell for around $3,000. The pet stores sell them for around $1500. Which explains why so many people go that route...they don't think long term the amount they will be spending on vet bills.

I would never be ashamed to talk about what I spent to buy my dog or which breeder/bloodlines it came from. She is a granddaughter of a top 10 dog (in her breed) inthe country and if someone makes the mistake of asking her bloodline I can tell them every single champion going back 4 generations (which is a LOT of dogs LOL).

Why would you be hesitant to share that info? It is something to be proud of!

Alexa