The Petzine

The growing concern for puppy mills and “back yard breeders” is at a high point right now. With so many new dog owners and the growing awareness of pet overpopulation, it is very easy to be fooled by claims of health checks, so-called “pedigrees”, registration papers, and many other enticing perks that back yard breeders can lure you in with. But for anyone that truly loves the canine species and honestly wants to help prevent the astronomical amount of abandoned and unwanted pets being euthanized in shelters every day, it’s crucial to educate yourself on the difference between an ethical, responsible breeder and someone who just wants to make a few bucks or have a couple of cute litters running around.

Many people have a misunderstanding about what defines a back yard breeder. When they hear the term, they usually think of puppy mills that you see on TV — hundreds of filthy cages stacked on top of one another, sick puppies and deplorable conditions. This is a whole different ballgame. Back yard breeders usually operate out of their home, advertise online or in the local paper, and will often let you come to their facility to meet the puppies and their parents. Puppy mills generally supply pet stores and never allow anyone to see the conditions the dogs are kept in, while back yard breeders usually start out with good intentions to breed what they consider to be a good example of their breed of choice. In order to understand why they are doing much more harm than good, you will need to understand what makes a reputable breeder.

One area of confusion is “health testing” and what it really means. Every breed of dog will inherit very specific health concerns that must be screened for and continually monitored throughout the dog’s life to ensure a dangerous genetic trait is not perpetuated. For instance, a very common disorder called hip dysplasia can affect a large number of breeds. Part of the testing for this is to have all potential breeding stock cleared by hip x-rays, which are sent to an organization such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) where they will be evaluated for any problems. The OFA will grade the condition of the hips and register each animal in their database, providing the breeder with full documentation of the results. This is just one example of the many disorders — such as thyroid issues, eye diseases, blood disorders, epilepsy, and the list goes on — that will often need screening. These tests are often expensive, but absolutely necessary if there is any hope of improving the health standard in your breed of choice. They can save you hundreds and thousands of dollars down the road when undetected problems arise. A reputable breeder will be able to provide you with a lifetime health guarantee, as well as copies of all health screenings from board certified veterinarians and surgeons. A back yard breeder will simply offer a vaccine record and occasionally documentation of a “health check” (a 20-minute external physical exam).

Another way that a back yard breeder can fool you is with registration papers from the American Kennel Club (AKC), Continental Kennel Club (CKC), or various other canine registries. Basically, all this tells you is that the parents were more than likely pure bred. Having a dog registered does not make it more valuable, does not guarantee health, and definitely does not guarantee that you have anything even close to a good representation of the breed standard. The Continental Kennel Club even supports and will advertise the breeders of various “designer dogs” and mixed-breeds. AKC registration is not a bad thing, but AKC papers alone should not tell you anything. A reputable breeder will provide the registration papers, but they will back it up with a very detailed pedigree, where you should see many championed and titled dogs in the line. A champion will have “Ch.” before their registration name and is a representation of how well that dog did in canine conformation shows, where they are judged against other dogs of the same breed to find the best depiction of the standard. This is vitally important — a responsible breeder must actively show all of their dogs to ensure they are using only the best examples of the breed to use as breeding stock. If there is no such pedigree provided to you, you are more than likely dealing with a back yard breeder. Most of the time, reputable breeders are so proud of their pedigree (and they should be!) that they will gladly give you as much information about the line as possible without much prompting on your part.

Other important factors include the age of puppies for adoption. Reputable breeders should keep litters until at least 12 weeks of age, but 16 weeks or older is preferable. This allows the puppies to remain with their parents and siblings long enough to learn vital socialization skills. A puppy that is let go any earlier is subject to a host of behavioral problems down the line as they were never able to learn the rules of puppyhood from their canine family. Another cause for concern would be number of litters per year — more than one or two is a red flag. It takes an enormous amount of time and planning to raise a litter of puppies, and anyone who is churning out litter after litter is clearly cutting corners where it really matters. Finally, keeping an eye on how a breeder advertises can tell you a lot. A reputable breeder with an excellent breeding stock will likely need to do little or no advertising, and often has a waiting list and deposits for litters planned months into the future. Lots of responsible breeders won’t even plan a litter until they have enough potential homes lined up for the puppies they aren’t planning to keep. If a breeder is advertising in the local paper or — and I shudder to even say this — in a box at church / at Wal-Mart / on the side of the road, it would be wise to run screaming in the opposite direction.

There are many factors that go into buying a puppy, and for most families I would strongly recommend adoption from a rescue organization or shelter vs. purchasing from a breeder. However, if a breeder ends up as the right choice for your family, I hope you will take the time to seek out a kennel that is truly improving a breed standard and not just adding to the ever growing overpopulation of dogs in shelters. With all of these guidelines in place, you have a good chance of finding what you’re looking for, but as with anything else it’s important to go with your gut. Check out the facilities thoroughly, meet all the dogs in the kennel, ask for references from a veterinarian and from previous customers. If something just doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to take a step back. You’re making a commitment for 10-15 years, sometimes longer, and you should always feel comfortable with your final decision.

Tagged as back yard breeders, breeding, Ethical, OFA, puppy mills + Categorized as Ethical