Might I just point out that those who RESPONSIBLY breed large dogs with some black or ALL black are extremely careful in their placement of said dogs, just as ANY responsible breeder will be. The local all breed rescues are careful, but not as careful as the gsd rescues that I work with are. In the past three years those rescues have something like a 98.5% rate of permanate placements.....only 1.5% of the dogs placed, and they are in the hundreds, have come back. And those include dogs who couldn't be kept because of the death of owners, etc.
When I was breeding, I did NOT show. However, I had confirmation from other breeders, from members of my breed club, including a couple AKC judges, that my dogs were indeed worthy of being bred and would further the breed.
By some definitions, I would have been a backyard breeder. By MY definition, nope. I didn't just decide to breed Fluffy to Cujo and then do testing to be sure they were *ok* and go for it. I did ALL the genetic testing, and actively sought confirmation that my dogs should be bred. I offered health guarentees, forever return policy, placed on limited registration with a spay/nueter contract, etc, etc, etc.
However, as has been repeatedly stated, the best breeder is going to have pet quality pups, and just because someone wants a show quality pup, there is no obligation to SHOW that pup, if that's not what they want to do. Some breeders DO expect the pups to be shown, if they develop as expected, but not all do.
In my experience, shelter dogs are loving and wonderful additions to the family, same for rescues, and yep, same for purebreds FROM RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS.
The one thing that seems to be missing from all the "ifs" (dogs are healthy, good temperment, etc) is the history of their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, predisposition to genetic conditions, etc. Lacking that is an excellent reason for the nice folks down the street not to breed FiFi to Pepe and hope for the best.
A house without fur is not a home.
Glenda