My first dog as an adult was a puppy hubs brought home when he had to haul some cattle. I had my sights set on a purebred Bassett Hound and he brings me home this thing of unknown origin that stunk of cow manure. She was underfed and wormy. Think a solid colored Wile E. Coyote (even with the quirky bent ear) and that's what this dog looked like.
I named her Gilda, after Gilda Radner, because she never failed to make me laugh. I adored her.
Getting my darling spayed was on my to do list, but not a top priority. The first few times she came into heat were no big deal, so it got put off.
One day I get home from work to find what must have been every intact ugly ass male dog within a 2 mile radius inside my back yard. Obviously, my fence wasn't as secure as I thought. And the star of this gang bang was Gilda. My darling was a big ho bag!
Rather than spring even more funky looking dogs on the world, I had her spayed the next day. Crisis averted. But it should have never happened, I should have taken care of it long before that.
I have nothing against mixed breed dogs. I always have at least one of unknown origin. Still, I don't think they should be bred unless you have something that's a pretty spectacular example of the breed. And as most professional breeders will tell you, even two spectacular parents don't necessarily guarantee that you'll get anything spectacular in the litter.
Having an AKC registered dog is not a guarantee of quality; it simply means that both parents were AKC registered. Unlike some animal registries, the AKC doesn't require any genetic testing for breed purity. Sure, papers are nice, but it's not a guarantee that your dog is a shining example of its breed standards. Breeding dogs and selling puppies doesn't guarantee every buyer will give that dog a forever home. Not all dogs in kill shelters are mutts; there's a high percentage of purebreds who have papers somewhere.
"If you can't feed them, don't breed them."
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