[gingerlynn]

My husband and I are getting a female GSD puppy soon and my nosy dog/animal hording sister in law is already saying we should breed her I am against breeding dogs unless I am breeding the very best because of the overpopulation of pets. I don't think I need to do this. What do others think of breeding a female just because.....

[GoForAGallop]

Why is this an issue? Is SIL going to sneak a stud dog over in the middle of the night?

No is a complete sentence. If you feel like you owe her additional explanation, just say "Sorry, we bought her as a family pet and she will be spayed as soon as its appropriate."

And then spay her.

[JanM]

How do you keep from punching your beloved SIL out? Just what the world needs is more (and I don't think GSDs usually have just one puppy), puppies, and then what happens? I think your SIL deserves exactly the answer you want to tell her, without tact, and then spay the puppy when you want to. And don't let that woman near your dog, including an afternoon of dog sitting or you'll have a knocked up dog and her running around denying she had anything to do with it. And it would be a cold day in hell that an animal hoarder would get an animal from me to live in that hellish place.

[IdahoRider]

Tell your SIL that you totally agree with her, and to prove that this dog should be bred you're going to do appropriate health testing at appropriate ages (hips and elbows, etc.). You are also going to compete in some venue that allows for subjective judging of your dog's ability/quality, too. Either conformation or schutzhund, or obedience or agility or herding. Something.

Then, once the dog has tested clear for health problems, and titled in some competitive activity, you're going to bred her. Once you have her tested and titled, she'll be about 3 years old.

If your SIL makes fun of you for wanting to do all that to breed a "pet", tell her that any potential litter would be mostly/entirely pet quality anyway, so you are actually producing pets.

Ignoring her from the get go would also be an option. Assuming that the SIL isn't holding you hostage at gun point, and able to FORCE you to do something you don't want to do, ignoring her and spaying the dog would be the easiest, cheapest response from you.
Sheilah

[Emryss]

I wouldn't breed "just because".

I had a sister in law of a sister in law tell me that I should breed my particolor poodle pup...and this from a woman who showed poodles! This puppy was a terrible example of a poodle - downhill, long backed, no angles to speak of - there was no reason to breed him at all! Nope, Bingo is happily neutered and no puppies from him at all.

[S1969]

My husband and I are getting a female GSD puppy soon and my nosy dog/animal hording sister in law is already saying we should breed her I am against breeding dogs unless I am breeding the very best because of the overpopulation of pets. I don't think I need to do this. What do others think of breeding a female just because.....

Tell her you think it's a fabulous idea. She can pay for the shows and the handlers (Jimmy Moses will probably do it for a few bucks), the health checks and the stud fee. Tell her she can even buy a puppy when you're done. It probably won't cost more than....oh....a few thousand dollars to get your bitch ready for breeding. IF she's show quality. Otherwise, then I'd say no thanks, we'll just spay her and enjoy her as a pet.

[jetsmom]

Print out the list of GSD at Rescues, and on Petfinder and give her the list. There are a bunch. Ask her why you would add to it if you have no desire to show to get her titled, do all of the testing (OFA/Pennhip), and try to find a suitable male to breed to, when you have no desire to breed to better the breed.

[vacation1]

Assume she's a nice person who loves animals but is just a little pushy, and tell her you don't want to breed your dog. "I don't want to" is a surprisingly powerful statement when made with the right amount of decision. If she persists, repeat with a faint air of surprise and amusement.

This strategy works amazingly for one of my sisters. I myself fall into the "omg, I have to explain myself to this random heckler - whatever shall I say" category, and curse myself later. I don't advise getting into an "I shall educate this fool" lecture, because that's just prolonging the conversation, and few people are really swayed by being lectured.

[Casey09]

I definitely would not recommend breeding just because. Breeding is somewhat risky for your bitch (obviously good vet care makes a difference). I would just tell her that even if the bitch was good enough to breed, I didn't want to risk my bitch by doing it. (And that is the truth)

[carp]

I couldn't have registered a litter from my dogs if I'd wanted to breed them. My breeder, not wanting her pups bred, made it clear from the outset that she wasn't going to provide me the necessary paperwork. No tears on my part; cleaning up an entire litter's worth of runny weanling puppy poop isn't my idea of a good time.

[SquishTheBunny]

If you have an outstanding Ch. Puppy, with excellent PennHip scores, and you WANT to breed her - find a suitable stuf with the same qualifications. If you have a quality dog, nothing wrong with breeding. GSD's are very difficult to find with good hips, personality, drive etc. Good puppies will always be in demand.

But, this requires a LOT of dedication. Puppy should be titled, and must have extensive medical testing before breeding (and same with stud). Its never a guarantee that puppies will turn out like parents, but a better chance with good genetics.

Often getting a dog titled costs several thousand dollars, with a professional handler.

GOOD Dog breeding is not for the weak of heart. But, breeding good dogs is also very rewarding.

[Bacardi1]

My husband and I are getting a female GSD puppy soon and my nosy dog/animal hording sister in law is already saying we should breed her I am against breeding dogs unless I am breeding the very best because of the overpopulation of pets. I don't think I need to do this. What do others think of breeding a female just because.....

Uh. . . I'm confused here. Do you REALLY need validation from COTH for your strong, reasonable, & already validated feelings about breeding unwanted & quite possibly sub-standard dogs "just because"? Really? And because your SIL says so? Really? And you "don't think you need to do this"? Really? You don't think so? Really? Don't you "know so" that you don't need to do this? I'm sorely tempted to ask how old you are. Know your married but still, you sound a bit wishy-washy about something that is entirely in YOUR hands, NOT your SIL's.

[ReSomething]

Assume she's a nice person who loves animals but is just a little pushy, and tell her you don't want to breed your dog. "I don't want to" is a surprisingly powerful statement when made with the right amount of decision. If she persists, repeat with a faint air of surprise and amusement.

This strategy works amazingly for one of my sisters. I myself fall into the "omg, I have to explain myself to this random heckler - whatever shall I say" category, and curse myself later. I don't advise getting into an "I shall educate this fool" lecture, because that's just prolonging the conversation, and few people are really swayed by being lectured.

I too have the problem of having to explain myself to death - and you know what? "I don't want to" is right up there with "No" as a complete sentence.

[LauraKY]

I work with a collie rescue. I suggest you and your SIL volunteer for a GSD rescue. I guarantee you will be cured of wanting to breed.

[AKB]

Add up the costs of xraying hips and elbows and certifying eyes, as well as doing a few shows or obedience work. Breeding should be done correctly, or not at all. Then, tell her you can't afford to breed, and wouldn't think of breeding unless you could do it right.

[Kat the Horse]

WHAT JANM SAID. OVER AND OVER.

(why don't we have a head/desk smilie????)

[gingerlynn]

Great answers! Clearly I can say no to my bully SIL but my husband has trouble saying no to his senior sister. There are some family issues that are very hard to figure out in this family My SIL just breeds all her females and doesn't even bother to teach them to walk on a leash let alone titling them
She has convinced my husband that breeding puppies is totally simple.

[Bacardi1]

SIL sounds like an irresponsible backyard breeder - one step up (or sideways) from a puppy mill.

Stick to your guns & tell your poor husband to grow a set. Geesh. Again - how old are you guys? If you're old enough to get married, you're clearly old enough to have your own morals & standards & stick by them. (One can only hope.)

I feel really sorry for you & your husband if he can be swayed by his sister re: something like this. God help you if he can be swayed by her for other more important life issues.

[gingerlynn]

SIL sounds like an irresponsible backyard breeder - one step up (or sideways) from a puppy mill.

Stick to your guns & tell your poor husband to grow a set. Geesh. Again - how old are you guys? If you're old enough to get married, you're clearly old enough to have your own morals & standards & stick by them. (One can only hope.)

I feel really sorry for you & your husband if he can be swayed by his sister re: something like this. God help you if he can be swayed by her for other more important life issues.

Yup! We are both old enough to know better and I do. I just don't want the family fight if I can avoid it and I want good answers. My SIL is somewhat of an animal hoarder with over 16 animals in her home at all times....wacked family issues, but, that is an off topic day I believe.

[cowboymom]

If this post is for real, and I both hope that it is and it is not, then you really can avoid the fight by saying no. Apparently hubbers is used to following female influence so tell him that it's too expensive and messy to deal with (and it is) and tell everyone else "nope, don't want to" (as suggested above) and then change the dang subject.

Google whelping problems, fading puppy, still born puppy, water puppies, stuck puppies and any other complication you can think of including doggie diapers for the first few heats that you really should endure before breeding and then print out the results and leave them sitting around. Call for ultrasound, puppy worming/shot/dewclaw estimates and leave the estimate sitting around where hubbers can see them. offer to bring all 16 of her critters to your house to pet-sit while she takes a much needed vaca.

This should be a short conversation and frankly a longer conversation in my house would be more along the lines of "why are you listening to your sister and not to your wife?"