Am I considered a Backyard breeder if I breed my dogs more than twice a year? Read more for details please :)?

Question

Ok, a lot of people are telling me that I am a backyard breeder - is this true if.. (here is my info.)

I currently have 2 male, Miniature-Poodles (3 year old Charlie, colour - black, and 4 year old Olive, colour - pure white ) who I breed with either my Chinese Crested (5 years old, black and white, Amber) and my Chihuahua (3 years old, caramel colour, Coca). I usually breed Amber and Coca two or three times a year with either Olive or Charlie.

I get 3 litters of Chi-Poo and 3 litters of Chinese Creste-Poos.

I do this for money, yes, but also because I love it. I do not have my own business. I can usually sell the Chi-Poos for $1000 - $1200 depending on who I breed Coca with.
I can sell my Ch. Creste-Poos for anywhere from $1300-$1600.

I sometimes even have waiting lists on either breed! I started breeding Coca at 2 years and Amber at 1 year 8 months old. I have donesome testing with the Chihuahua and Poodle but not much.
Am I still a backyard breeder or am I a breeder?

I sometimes stud either of my Poodles, Charlie or Olive to make Daisy Dogs but that is rare because I can find them hard to sell and they do not give many pups per litter.

I have bred my Poodles to make other Poodle mixes (for example some are: Malti-Poo, Goldendoodle, Papi-Poo, Cockapoo, Yorkipoo, Poogle, Bich-poo, Westiepoo and MANY more).

Am I over-breeding my MALE dogs? I do not do this a lot, once or twice a year.
I am also CONSIDERING buying another male Poodle and maybe a Maltese or Bichon-Frise to breed.

Would this be a good idea?

I do not breed MY females 3 times a year. I stud my males.
I am not producing MUTTS, they are not recognised breed but people do know most of the Poodle crosses are not MUTTS. People buy my dogs because I care for them and they are GREAT for allergy sufferes.
I vaccinate, worm, MICRO-CHIP, vet check and give them flea treatment everytime I have pups.
People who pay $1200-$1600 are not just going to dump these dogs in the pound.
I scan all of my potential buyers and visit their homes, SOMETIMES.
I do not sell any of my pups to people under the age of 24 or people that do not have astable job (have no been working there for atleast 2 yrs).
I do do tests on SOME of my dogs - not all.
Yes, I make a profit, but not much.
I am obviously not trying to improve the cross breeds because this is impossible but I do make sure all my pups are HEALTHY and are going to good homes.
I even give a 2 year health guarantee which is more than what other people, without a breeding business give!

I give guarantees for any hereditary diseases, any problems with the vet that was caused by ME breeding them. I also make sure that they understand that if they can not care for the dog, I can take it back before it is 7 years old. For ANY reason they can't look after him/her.
They may not put the dog down unless the vet says otherwise. I do not mind wether they want their money back or they would like another pup - I do not give any refunds or any 'free' pups away if they put their dog down unless I have a statement from the vet saying that it was a hereditary problem or a problem that I caused, as the breeder.
Any genetic diseases. I buy all of MY dogs from professional breeders. I do not make a profit as is thousands, or even hundreds of dollars. I make a profit maybe $100 or $75. I do not show my dogs... I do not believe that a dog has to be shown to prove that they are worthy of being bred. The sire of Coca (Chihuahua) was not a show dog, neither was the sire of Olive (Poodle).

All my CC are tear tested... I check all of the pups as well. I do not sell ANY of my pups before 10 weeks of age. I do not breed my dogs EVERY single heat. Yes, sometimes I do, but not all the time. I have bred Amber once, twice a year and Coca twice, twice a year. That's it. Olive and Charlie mate with dogs twice, maybe three times a year. And yes, I do visit the animal shelters often. The only designer dogs I have seen there are (many) Poms and one or two purebred Chihuahuas. Some poodle crosses, not many but some. I have got 6 dogs, the Chihuahua, Chinese Crested, 2 Poodles and an 8 year old Beagel, Milly, who I adopted from the pound age 3 years and Zack the German Shepherd x Labrador Retriever, now 6 years, adopted him at 5 years. I understand how many dogs are put down each year, don't talk to me as if I do not KNOW or CARE about the dogs I breed and the pups that are a result of my breeding my dogs.

" And if you are also using the name "rocco and carmellas mom" (sure sounds like you are..not too many people post that they have chihuahuas and cresteds) and your crested has skin problems..you should not be breeding the thing in the first place "

The only username I have on answers.yahoo.com is this one. Don't tell me my Crested has skin problems. Just because I have the same two breeds as whoever this person is, that does NOT mean I am that person. My Chihuahua and my Crested mean everything to me, (of course so do my Poodles), if she DID have ANY type of problem, I would NOT breed her. I am not stupid.

I have every right to breed my dogs, I test them and give guarantees which not a lot of people do, unless they have a business.
Again, my Crested, Amber and my Chihuahua, Coca, are NOT the dogs of whoever you said. They are my dogs.

GSDoxie: I am very aware that the dog is not guaranteed not to shed, especially if my Poodle is mated with a Golden Retriever. I make sure all my potentiol buyers are aware of this. I make sure the ***** my stud is mated to, has all certificates that they have been checked for ALL heriediatry diseases. Mostly with dogs that have known to have hip/elbow dysplasia. If they do not, I do not let my stud mate with that *****.

Answer 1

I would consider you a backyard breeder. But you sound like you are almost a puppy mill.

Puppy mills are not just places that keep dogs in filthy conditions. They are places who breed dogs (purebred or mixes) over and over to make a profit. Giving no consideration to the health of the dogs or who or what they breed the dog with.

Real breeders do not make a profit off their dogs!! And they do it to better the breed. What are you doing to better these breeds? Nothing!

If you are breeding your females twice a year..you are breeding them back to back (each time they come in heat) That is not healthy for the dog!

And by the way..people who pay a grand for a dog WILL dump them off at a pound. Have you gone to your local shelter lately? I go there on a regular basis and believe me..I have seen many "designer breeds" in the shelters. Besides..people pay thousands of dollars for purebred dogs..and purebreds are in the shelters too.
Here are a few Crested Poodle mixes I found on just the first couple pages of the shelter ads on Petfinder...So don't sit there and say that people won't dump them off. Once that puppy leaves your breeding facility you don't know what will happen to it! People don't care how much they have spent on a dog..if the dog becomes a problem..they kick it to the curb. Heck..maybe one of these is even one of your pups!

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7151410
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7259566
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=5637313
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=5074640

Why don't you get a real job and give your poor dogs a break? Better yet..give them to someone who will have them spayed/neutered and let them have a good life!

And if you are also using the name "rocco and carmellas mom" (sure sounds like you are..not too many people post that they have chihuahuas and cresteds) and your crested has skin problems..you should not be breeding the thing in the first place.

Answer 2

Well that is just great, there is such a shortage of mutts in this country.

Not a breeder, not even a backyard breeder, you are a MUTT breeder.

Poodle crosses are not a breed. Where is the standard? Besides, you (and all the other mutt breeders) are not even past an F1 breeding! You are NO CLOSER to being a breed than you were 10 years ago. Moving beyond an F1 is the FIRST STEP!!! And you could not possibly have good stock unless you lied to the breeder, as NO good breeder will sell a dog to be used in this way.

If you want to be a breeder, then fine, but DO IT RIGHT!!!



Beloyemor says - "the dog business (as in) breeding, showing, training & even pet supplies is highly profitable. Every one of them is in it for money and if they say otherwise they are in denial or being dishonest."

LOL!!! And where do YOU live! I (and all of the show breeders I know) WORK so that we can AFFORD to show/breed. Do you have any idea how much it costs to finish a dog? To breed the right way? Obviously not, or you wouldn't make such a foolish statement!

Answer 3

There was a 10 month old housebroken lab/poodle mix on our local pound's website last week. I know you don't breed Puggles, but they are showing up in shelters everywhere. This is a passing fad. When crossing these breeds becomes less popular, there will be a lot of them in the shelter. There are too many pets in shelters now to keep breeding them. To those people who don't know, crossing a poodle with another breed does not guarantee they will not shed. They make take after the labrador or golden retriever parent. The larger breeds also have the same problems with hips and elbows that the purebreds do.

Answer 4

Yes, you are the worst kind of backyard breeder. You raise mutts and charge outrageous prices for them. You breed your dogs over and over again so you will have more pups to sell and more money. You said in the first part of the question/info that you bred your dogs 2 or 3 times a year, which frankly is hard to breed them 3 times, since they usually only come in heat every 6 months. I guess maybe one year one came in heat January, then maybe June or July, and again in December. You are killing your dogs, but hey you don't care, if they die you will just turn around and buy more.Breeding a female 3 times in one year is unconscionable!!! How would you like it if you were forced to have a baby every 9 months?? Same thing! Do you have the pups checked by a vet? Do you give them their shots, so you keep these dogs in your house or out in a kennel? I pity those poor dogs in your care!

Answer 5

I don't consider you a breeder as you are intentially breeding these crosses. The purpose of dog breeding is to improve the breed of the dog you are breeding. I.E. in relation to the breed standard of that breed. Why aren't you breeding pure bred dogs?? I breed, because I love my breed (German Shepherd) . I breed to better the breed. I also show my dogs.

What does your health guarantee read? What are you guaranteeing for? Do you make them return the first dog before you will honor the guarantee? Is it a money back guarantee or a replacement? What kind of genetic problems do you guarantee for? You are making a profit if you are not putting the money back into the dogs. Like dog shows for one, and genetic testing on all your breeding stock. Your crested, does it have normal eyes? Or do you have a crested with dry eyes? Are you testing the eyes on the crested mix puppies by having tear tests done on them? Yes, you are a backyard breeder or even a puppy miller. It does not have to be dirty to be considered a puppy miller.

Answer 6

Yes You are a BYB for a couple of reasons..1) you breed for profit 2) you delibrately breed mixes 3) you breed your dogs more then one a year.
You are NOT breeding any breed, you do NOT do health testing (not just simple vet exams), you aren't taking pedigrees or temperament into consideration, you aren't breeding to improve any breed you do nOT meet any criteria for a responsible breeder nor do you adher to any part of the breeders code of ethics...not to be mean but you are an irresponsible BYB and actually are bordering on being a "mill". You are over breeding your dogs. I would also doubt you are claiming your income on your federal and/or state income tax.

You also aren't getting the dogs you buy from responsible breeders since a responsible breeder will not sell any puppy to someone that will be mixing breeds/breeding indiscrimanantly.

Also please note that just because someone pays a high (ridiculously for a mix) doesn't mean the dog won't be dumped beside the road, left at a shelter/rescue, abused, neglected...it happens all the time..having been involved in rescueing for years and also being a vet tech and dog trainer for many years I will tell you it happens all the time.

Answer 7

HOLY GUACAMOLE you got to be kidding me.... $1000.00-$1600.00 for each?? Where do you live?? Don't have to be specific, a general location would do. Those are some serious numbers and should be a concern, especially since people are paying that amount for a mixed breed.
First, I'd like to say that the dog business (as in) breeding, showing, training & even pet supplies is highly profitable. Every one of them is in it for money and if they say otherwise they are in denial or being dishonest. Second, people in the breeding and showing dog business are generally a different breed of people themselves. It is highly competitive & extremely clickie. Difference is the successful breeders of longevity have the breed’s integrity foremost due to their love & devotion of the breed. They only breed animals that have the best chance of producing finest qualities, producing Champions. Champions & their offspring can be extremely profitable. So the two go hand in hand so to speak. You will never get acceptance and will get nothing but (harsh) criticism because you are intentionally cross breeding animals (which considered inferior) and selling them.

To answer your question with the choices given, backyard breeder. I say this because of the quantity. 2-3 times a year for more then one year is, in my opinion, a puppy mill. It’d be like you giving birth Every 10-14 months. What ever people label you with is not important. What is important is for you to suppress the money factor, keep the greed that kicks in subconsciously at bay. I truly understand the how & why of what your doing and appreciate your honesty here. I’d even be willing to bet that a lot of these people bashing you are not beyond doing it themselves, especially at those numbers.
For the females’ sake, breed them every other year. Not more then once a year.
God Bless.

Answer 8

congratulations!! You have been voted "Backyard Breeder of the Year" Really think about it. Each time you breed one of your females you are taking a year away from their life. The dog needs time to recoup after a litter. You shouldnt breed your dog more than once a year. Really you need to think about this. If you want pups so bad adopt them from a shelter and sell them. Dont put your dogs through this. Have them fixed asap. This is just contributing to the over population problem of dogs and cats. Do some research.
Im sure you knew this question was going to get alot of bad critisizim.

Answer 9

I'm not wasting anymore time reading your post.

Consider your dogs ages now and when you started breeding them and figure what those ages are in human years.Then imagine you're breeding your daughter at those ages!
3times a year!What's wrong with you?
You say you're doing this because you love it and not for the money.Do you love your dogs at all?Apparently not cos you're wearing them out real fast.In another couple of years they'll start developing medical problems so I hope you're saving all that money for the vet bills.
To hell with the waiting list.Your dogs should be bred every other year ONCE and no more.
You're doing nothing more than using those poor animals.Their little bodies need time to replenish themselves with all the essentials they need to survive and stay healthy.By continually depriving them of the nutrients and vitamins and fatty acids and protein THEY need which is now going to the pups growing inside and on making milk to feed them you'll soon have poor quality,unhealthy pups to sell because you're not giving the mothers time they need to replenish whats stored before you breed them again.
Backyard breeder?Don't flatter yourself!You're running a puppy mill.Who cares how much testing you've had done before you started.You're breeding nothing more than high priced mutts.And you're destroying your dogs.
If you care about them at all you'll have them spayed and neutered NOW.
Tell us please-Do you keep them in cages with chicken wire floors so you don't have to clean the poop too?Or maybe in a metal shed with no windows for air and no shade?

Answer 10

Hi you must be the only one in the world that can have a female breed 3 times a year when they only come into season 2 times a year & then are pregnant for 9 weeks followed by the 6 weeks or so to rear a litter & then there's that minimal time to waite for the next season that can be from 4 & a half month to 6 months....

What part of the world do you live in? & how many months are there in a year where you live?...

Cloud cuckoo land maybe?

REALITY CHECK HELLOOOOO
Regards Jake