Our companion is a dog we got as a puppy from the local shelter, she's a great dog! But putting an end to dog breeding, if that were even possible, wouldn't get people to adopt a dog from the shelter. People are always going to want dogs that are bred for specific purposes, I am around a lot of these folks now that I have gotten involved with dog agility. They aren't bad folks, they want specific traits in the animal companion they intend to spend the next decade and a half with. The vast majority of these people spay and neuter their pets unless they are experienced breeders or show for confirmation along with dog sports.
I concur that not taking pet ownership seriously is the worst problem we have, along with backyard breeders who are just looking for the almighty dollar. Hearts get broken by these bad breeders when the Whatever-doodle becomes sick and maybe doesn't make it, worse than the money lost by far, I'm sure. It makes me sick to see people throw their animal companions to the wayside because a baby was born, or even new carpet was purchased. I talk to people regularly who will remark on my dog being well trained and obedient but when I try to tell them about the trainer I worked with and how to get in touch with her their eyes glaze over and they repeat phrases like "but my dog won't....." and those aren't the worst pet owners at all, since their untrained dog is still in their home! People expect pets to train themselves somehow, and the worst offenders take the 6 month old pup or kitten to the nearest kill shelter and walk away.
Then there are the people who breed pit bulls for obscene purposes. And also from what I read pits are overflowing a lot of shelters because their owners, for whatever reason, are the least likely to spay or neuter. Sad. They don't deserve to just be born to die. And everyone isn't prepared to fill the needs of a large, strong Terrier. It isn't always prejudice or fear of "the breed", every type of dog just isn't for every type of home, and having a huge overabundance of one land-race of dogs in shelters is very bad news for the dogs. Not everyone would want my Border Collie mix either, but she's right for me and my husband.
There are so many parts that make up this problem. I wish there would be a huge push to take pet ownership seriously, accompanied by federal laws against animal abuse that have TEETH. And the AKC needs to get real and admit that a number of breeds have been physically destroyed through breeding to extremes. Maybe do like the British are doing and make each dog entering dog shows get cleared by a Vet at the show. Weed out some of the extremes when extremes don't lead to coveted championships.
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