Why are family breeders sometimes referred to as 'backyard breeders' in a derogatory manner?

Question

Many family breeders have lovely, healthy purebred puppies. Most family breeders only breed one type of dog, a breed that they enjoy themselves and the pups are raised with the family.

Answer 1

A few bad apples have given the whole industry a bad name because unrestricted, uncontrolled breeding DID occur in the "backyard"...and often the inbred pups were sold at high prices to stupid people who buy while shelter animals die. The unpurchased pups were then sold to crappy, ill-equiped pet stores where they were/are stuffed into cages too small for them to gain exercise, and were often not socialized early enough in life.

Unfortunately, "backyard breeders" and "puppy mills" often DESERVE their bad rap. I love the idea of familys breeding dogs that they genuinely love and enjoy, so long as they have respect for the animal as a pet, not just a bi$ch to use for over-breeding/inbreeding purposes.

However, the very best policy would be for someone wanting a pet to go to their local animal shelter and adopt one THERE, before those pets are killed.

Answer 2

Some of these types of breeders are very good and they do what they can in terms of testing to ensure the health and standards of the animals they breed, it is just that others are worry some and they do not care about health or standards, only money. They have just enough info to appear knowledgeable and unfortunately some people do not know the difference. What happens then is they buy an inferior animal from a byb that gets sick or dies and it could have been prevented if a little forethought had went into their breeding goals. Most of the so called family breeders are nothing more than backyard breeders that breed out of greed. Research into the breed of choice is needed before buying a pup so people can tell the difference between a good breeder and a bad breeder.
It is great that you have found a good hobby breeder and as long as they are doing what is right in the ways of health testing and certification for the breed they chose you will get a great pet.

Answer 3

Just because the dogs are 'lovely' and in turn have 'healthy purebred puppies' doesn't mean the dog should be bred. Anyone with 2 dogs of the opposite sex and same breed can have healthy puppies that are purebred, but people who put forth the effort into thinking about what this should entail usually decide not to breed. There should be numerous health tests done on both dogs, there shuld be titles won by both dogs (whether in the ring or for working), dogs should be bred until at least 2, preferably 3 yrs of age for the larger breeds (since this is when dogs are fully physically mature and their temperments are stable enough to be tested). I enjoy lots of dogs, but I wouldn't try to breed any, I know the risks involved, and even though I've researched my breed for many years, I still don't know enough to be able to pick out a great example. Good breeders study blood lines and conformation on dogs before ever putting them together. Dams are only bred a few times before being retired. And puppies that aren't a great example are given limited registration and required to be altered. "Family Breeders" is just a term that backyard breeders call themselves to make them sound less like what they really are, uneducated breeders trying to breed for money or because they think their dog is cute with the best personality and wouldn't everyone want a puppy just like their dog. This mentality is total crap, temperments can be a total wild card unless you do the correct background and lineage checks that reputable breeders do. You are never gauranteed to have puppies turn out with the same personalities as the parents. That's kinda stupid to think that way, even in humans, the nicest couples can have some of the brattiest kids.

Answer 4

You are right that many are fine breeders and conscientious, but I have a JRT bought from a family breeder. I think any other person would have put him to sleep. He is so nervous that he still has accidents at 5+ years old when he gets excited, along other problems. If someone wants to breed dogs, they will hopefully do the health screenings of the parents to prevent inherited diseases, feed the pregnant dog properly, worm and vaccinate the mother and pups at the right time, etc. Temperament should be a huge consideration when picking parents too. No crazy, aggressive or neurotic dogs should be bred.

I love dogs and always have three or four. There are always vet bills with dogs, but the healthier the pup and the more careful planning that has gone into the breeding which it came from, the healthier and longer lived it will be, except for accidents.

I also am thinking this is so important, since I tried to call a friend who does agility with her dog and found the the dog, a mini schnauzer, has had a bad stroke at just 7 years old. They are in another state at a veterinary college trying to save the dog. It was a rescue, so probably not a costly or carefully bred dog.

We took in a rescue cocker who had strokes at 5 years old. He died of cancer last October at age 16, after lots of struggles. For those of us who love our dogs and run the to the vet everytime they need it, it is costly. Even the healthiest dog will get old, have more problems and need more care.

I feel lucky I have been able to afford the necessary care for my animals. Many people here on Answers seem like they don't go to the vet even when the animal has severe sounding problems sometimes. That troubles me.

Answer 5

Sit on this list a while - the ignorance of some of those "family breeders is terrifying! Besides possibly making a hideous breeding error (such as a merle to merle mating) this ignorance can produce pups with lifetime health or temperament problems due to mismanagement.....Yes many do produce lovely pups but its luck rather than otherwise. As has already been pointed out - if they become educated and carefully take precautions to insure health pups and good homes they are NOT backyard breeders.
PS: most show breeders have their pups in the house with family too

Answer 6

The people who are referred to (disparagingly) as 'Backyard breeders' are the ones who breed two dogs of the same breed (or sometimes different breeds) and produce puppies, without doing some necessary things, such as:

1. Having all the proper and necessary health checks done to their dogs, including heart, hips, joints, thyroid, eyes, etc.
2. Taking the time to educate themselves about the basics of dog behavior and basic training.
3. Taking the time to find a mentor for breeding and learn the most effective way of assuring a healthy litter.
4. Checking out the potential breeding dogs for sound temperament.
5. Making sure the litter stays together for a minimum of 8 weeks to help assure good bite inhibition
6. Making sure the litter is exposed to lots of different sights, sounds, people, textures, shapes, smells, etc. before they are sent to their forever homes at 8 weeks or older.
7. Making sure all puppy recipients sign contracts for assuring good care and return of puppy to its breeder for the entire life of the puppy should the owner not be able to take care of it.
8. Carefully screening all potential owners, going so far as to visit the house before allowing the puppy to go there to be sure it is a good environment.
9. Being sure all offspring are spayed and neutered unless the offspring is the most wonderful example of the breed ever and has the admiration of everyone in the fancy to prove it.
10. Put in lots of time working with and/or training breeding pair of dogs to be sure they are the epitome of what the breed is supposed to be. If they are worked doing what they were bred to do, at least an approximation. Example: golden retrievers. If they aren't working hunting dogs, there are things they do, like Agility, or Obedience.

11. Lots of other things I forget because it is just to late.

If "Family" breeders do that, they aren't backyard breeders.

If they don't do that, well, by definition, they ARE backyard breeders and part of the pet overpopulation problem.

Answer 7

"Family" breeders who start with top quality breeding stock and who health test the dogs before breeding them and who make sure the puppies are vaccinated and healthy before selling them at an appropriate age, and who make sure their dogs have nice big areas to exercise in are rarely referred to in a derogatory manner. It's the family breeders who breed what they bought for 50 dollars because its purebred, then don't vaccinate, sell unhealthy puppies, let some of them get run over by cars, and are desperate to give puppies away if they aren't all sold by 7 weeks old that are referred to in derogatory manners, and should be.

Answer 8

Certainly there are a few family breeders who care deeply for their breed, and only breed for the betterment of that breed. But most BYB's are governed strictly by greed, turning out substandard dogs with no health checks and no testing, only for the amount of money they can make.

Ask an SPCA inspector how many of these places produce lovely healthy puppies in ideal conditions.

Answer 9

We bought our first gsd from an old couple who had been breeding dogs for 25 yrs.They claimed to enjoy having the pups around but great care went into their breeding as they only wished to better the breed.They wanted $850.00 for a pup.Claiming they had championship bloodlines.
Luckily,my husband used to breed these dogs and knew what questions to ask.The mother had won a couple of ribbons in local dog shows.Hips were not certified in either dog nor any other testing done.And they had bred a black and tan female to a sable male resulting in black and tan pups that had small patches of white on them.Enough to disqualify the pups from shows.The one we bought for 250.00 had a locked testicle which forced us to neuter him to insure his health and as it turned out his hips were bad as well.
Most family breeders breed only one type of dog.The family pet.And they do it to pay for the extras for their kids or themselves.Little of the money they get for the pups goes into their dogs to make it's life better or more comfortable.These people do little research on breed standards or past generations of their dogs bloodlines.That's too much work.They can't afford hip x-rays or other tests to help insure healthy sound pups to put on the market when one of the kids needs braces.
Certainly,there are people out there who breed on a very small scale who do so to better the breed by doing the research and the testing and they ask the questions and do follow-ups to insure their pups are not being abused or neglected.But far too many just take your money and run giving that select few a bad name.

Answer 10

Most of my dogs come from so-called backyard breeders. These people do not have a hufe breeding facility, they do not breed 30 litters a year and they do keep their dogs in kennels. If you stay here long enough you will see that everyone on this list, with a few exceptions, thinks that if the dog does not live the kind of life you do, is a scumbag. The people that I get my dogs from differ from the "backyard" breeder in the fact that a lot of work goes into their planning and breeding of their dogs. They strive to produce a certain quality in their animals and will go to extensive lengths to do that. They have been breeding for over 20 years and some for over 30 and know for a fact what they want to produce. These are not show dogs as someone else here mentioned, but working dogs. They do make money by selling their dogs and everyone in our small community of working dog lovers knows them, so, it beehoves them to put out a great product, otherwise their rep as breeders and trainers is done. That is the difference between backyard breeders and the breeders that I am talking about. There are, of course, large breeding facilities that do produce bigger quantities of dogs, but, the ones I know and deal with produce some of the most outstanding specimens in the world today. There is too much reputation at stake to produce and put out crap dogs for these people to have been doing it for so long. And yes, responsible breeders do put down dogs that are not good representatives of the breed, it's called culling. You do not want to pollute the world with crap dogs. Of course if you listen to some people here they will tell you that all dogs deserve a chance and all that crap. I hope this helps.