Puppy Mill / Commercial Breeders

We hear the phrases back yard breeder and Puppy Mill bandied about without the slightest idea what those terms mean.  Most people in the general public and even in the breeding world are unaware there are breeders and I use that term very loosely, that are sanctioned by the federal government to have and breed 2000 dogs. YES I said 2000 dogs. This is the main resource for pet store puppies. These places are USDA approved and inspected ( they are generally not raising dogs in deplorably filthy conditions) . The dogs in these facilities are not socialized however (who could give that many dogs attention?) They generally are treated as livestock (no different than a cattle ranch). These places hold regular auctions called Kennel Auctions. At these auctions, other people with the same type of cattle mentality bid on these babies so they can bring them back to their puppy Ranch to continue these poor babies in the same kind of life.  We have a wonderful network of reputable people out there that go to these auctions disguised as Puppy Millers that bid (most times out of their own pockets) on these babies just to get them out of the system. They get them spayed or neutered( again out of their own pocket) rehabilitate them, show them love, and find them a great home with a family that is suited for them. These true Puppy Mills are not going to go away until we make it a joy to get a dog from a reputable breeder. We pride ourselves on the fact that we have great dogs and why would anyone with all of the information out there buy from a Pet Store? Well when we are rude, mean,  high and mighty and overly judgmental to someone that is not in OUR league, how do we expect to stop the buying of a Pet Store Puppy. 

Backyard Breeders /Puppy Mills

We have all seen the news reports of Backyard breeders being raided and shut down. These are the worst kind of situations that our beloved breeds can fall into. These places are dirty, run by people who don't care what kind of dog (healthy or not) they are breeding. ALL they care about is the money. They generally have no facilities to speak of for their dogs (except a make shift pen or small cage), They are filthy, their dogs and puppies are un-socialized, and their dogs haven't seen a vet in their lifetime. These are places where deformities can run rampant and are bred anyway, where you see behaviors like spinning, chewing, self mutilation and neurosis because the dogs have nothing else to do and no room to do it in. Where bigger dogs can be chained to a conduit pipe or a post and wrap themselves up with no cover from summer heat or winter cold. These types of breeders are motivated by money and only money and their dogs come last on their list of expenses.

Hobby Breeders

Now this is where some of us will disagree! Hobby breeders are considered by many Show breeders to be puppy mills or kitchen breeders. However a true hobby breeder IS trying to breed a high quality dog. Now there are always exceptions to the rule, some hobby breeders are just as deplorable as Backyard breeders. However on the whole the hobby breeder is clean, their dogs are part of their family and money is not a driving force in the breeding of their dogs. They may or may not show their dogs which gets them in trouble with a lot of show breeders. They may or may not be genetically testing their breeding dogs (which is necessary )which also gets them in trouble. With education these types of breeders can and do try to do the right thing by their dogs because the driving force behind most of them is they do LOVE their dogs. The trouble is that no one is trying to educate them to the fact that they need to have genetic tests done on their dogs. No one is taking the time to help them learn the things they need to know to be successful with their breed. They are snubbed, called names and in general mistreated by the upper echelon of the dog world.

Pet Owners

Now we come to the class of "breeder" I personally have a problem with. This is the neighbor that wants to recoup the purchase price of their dog. This type of "breeder" asks no question about temperament, does not have a clue about confirmation, never has been to a dog show, purchased their dog from a newspaper ad or worse yet a pet store, would not get a genetic test if it were free, just wants to settle their dog down, get their male dog laid, make a bundle on Christmas puppies, and the clincher is they really love their dog. Education from a caring breeder would go a long way to help the ignorance. Unfortunately there are a lot more dogs in the general pet population than is in the hands of breeders, so in MY opinion this is the biggest opportunity for destruction of our breeds than any other class of "breeders".

Show Breeders

Show breeders come in all varieties. Just because they have multiple champions to their credit does not make them ethical. There are show breeders that are a member of their local AKC club, a member of their national breed club, and they breed their dogs as early as 8 months old, breed every heat, keep their dogs in deplorable conditions and breed in volume, all to get those few champions they are so proud of. This type of breeder will inflate the price of a puppy, if they give a health guarantee on the baby you buy, they may or may not stand by it. They will sell any dog on their place for a price to anyone. Yet these same breeders are the ones that are so quick to judge any of the other types of breeders.

Then there are ethical show breeders who really care about the quality they are breeding and the welfare of their dogs. These breeders are to be commended! They work very hard to keep up on the newest information for their breed, they are willing to take the time to educate people to their breed and dogs in general. These breeders very rarely make a profit on their dogs because everything that is needed by their dogs is supplied for them, i.e. quality food, vet checks, genetic testing, toys, treats and so on. These breeders care more about their dogs than the prestige their dogs can give them by winning in the ring. Breeders such as this will always stand by their guarantee on a baby purchased from them. They do not judge others, they try to help newcomers to their breed.