Breeding dogs for money,why do some people think its so wrong when you do it right.?

Question

As a breeder of 6 different breeds standerd poodles,beagles,english bull dogs and french pugs,bostons,
I love and enjoy my job making people happy with the joy of a new pet.
But it seems like every time I turn around someone asks are you a puppy mill or a back yard breeder....
I'm state amd usda .
I just want to make a point to all the peta/caps people out there not everyone wants a shelter dog.

Answer 1

You can't even spell the breed names properly. USDA and State Ag. Dept. means absolutely nothing. Nice to know that there's yet another puppymiller on YA. Too bad you are so ignorant you can't get honest work, like a hooker. You have to resort on breeding animals to death for your living.

http://www.prisonersofgreed.org

Answer 2

This is very true. Breeding that many breeds of dogs is a huge responsibility so im assuming that that is your full time job. You cant really blame people for asking though. With all the petstores out there now that are selling puppies and true backyard breeders people are a little weary of where they get their puppies from. But also not all shelter dogs are mutts. Many shelter dogs came from breeders just like you that just ended up in the wrong family. But if you are true to your work then you can help people to see the true breeder and what to tell and recommend to others on where to get a good pup.

Answer 3

Well... Since you brought it up... I have to ask.. How can one person learn EVERYTHING there is to know about 6 different breeds?
You say ' JOB ' So I am assuming that you run a kennel and are making a profit?
What do you give up on, or neglect, in order to make a profit?
State and USDA licensing don't mean anything.. Why do you find it necessary to mention that you are regulated by them?

Not everyone wants a shelter dog, but not everyone wants a dog that was bred solely for profit. If you aren't a puppymill... Why are you breeding to provide pets for people?

I hear no mention of you trying to better any of your 6 breeds.. If you breed for 1 thing, well... You know what the answer is.. You have to be breeding for more than pets, or you are a puppymill. At very best, you are a backyard breeder.

Are you aware that most puppymills that are busted are USDA and State licensed?

I have to wonder.. if people keep asking you if you are a puppymill.. There must be a lot of things that are making people think that. Kind of like those websites that specifically point out ' we are not a puppymill ' as tho they have reason to stand up and try to convince everyone of that...

Breeders do enjoy putting the right puppy in the right home. Do enjoy the stories from families who adore their new pet, watching the kids knowing that they have a new friend for life.. getting christmas cards with their new dog on santa's lap... Who doesn't like putting a good dog in a good home.. But I can't help but to wonder, why you are breeding solely for pets?

Hey you are the one that brought it up..

Answer 4

Being USDA licensed means absolutely nothing nor does being state licensed...most puppy mills are.
IF you are breeding correctly (responsibly) you wil lnot be making any money..whatever is made is put right back into the dogs. By the time you attend shows, get genetic health testing done, feed quality foods, make sure all adult dogs are UTD on vaccinations, dewormings, yearly exams, prenatal and postnatal exams, get puppies exams, deworm at 2, 4, 6 & 8 weeks of age, get first vaccinations, do registration paperwork, feed a litter(s) for at least 8 weeks, find a suitable male that compliments the female being bred, pay a stud fee, etc you have a lot of time and money invested.
Also breeding more then 1-2 breeds is most usually considered irresponsible and in many cases considered a mill..while not impossible it is highly unlikely that someone who breeds several different breeds is up on all things pertinent to the breeds, does all the health testing needed by those breeds, does adequet pedigree research, etc.

Answer 5

Ok a few things here. While I'm not usually one to be a "typo" police like some people on Answers.com.....I do agree with the person who said that a reputable breeder should know how to spell the breed they represent such as Standard Poodles....and Bull Dogs (the term "English" Bull Dog is not recognized, but is rather a laymens term) (sorry, I am probably having typo's all over the place, lol)

Second. There is nothing wrong with breeding IF your goal is to improve on the breed. But there is more to improving a breed then simply thinking a dog looks good or has a good temperment.

To me.....a good breeder is someone who takes great pride in the work, gives quality attention, exercise, health care, training, etc. to the parents. Makes sure to the very best of their ability that the parents & pups are sound physically & temperment wise and are breeding to continue or improve qualities & traits of a specific breed they speicalize in. They are also someone who makes sure that ALL pups find responsible homes, puppies going to pet homes (not show homes) are fixed. Someone that offers ongoing assistance for the new puppy parents and makes sure that first time puppy owners are aware of the pros & cons of owning a puppy of a specific breed, and what they can expect from it as it matures. And most importantly, someone who is willing at any time to take back a puppy should it no longer be welcome in it's current home....rather then to allow it to end up a sad statistic in a shelter or neglectful home. And also....a good breeder is NOT someone who dumps their "low quality" puppies into a shelter or rescue because it will hurt their reputation (many neglectful breeders do this, and this is how I came to adopt one of my akita's years ago from a rescue that had yet another run in with such a breeder).

I also fostered a German Shepherd who ended up in a rescue after spending her first 2 years of life in a dog pen. Since she had been raised in it, and paced so much of the time.....even when you took her out of the cage, she would walk so far and turn (the length of the cage in her mind, even when she was "free") I mention her...because she came from many many many generations of show champion GSDs. When I contacted her breeder, she was shocked one of her dogs was in rescue (and also didn't offer to take it back I might add).

I think the majority of people do not have a problem with breeders IF your intent is to better the breed. They DO have problems with people who simply do it for money or other selfish reasons.

Why do they feel this way....well as a volunteer...I can tell you most people don't "get it" unless their the ones looking into a dogs (mixed or purebred) loving eyes, with it's tail quietly thumping away as it's life also quietly slips away in your arms.

Answer 6

I don't think dogs should ever be bred for the money. It is wrong to see tham as a source of income because they are living creatures and not just a peice property to be thrown around. Breeding should be done to better the breed, not to just fill ones pocket. The breedings should be done with the dogs best interest in mind, and with confidence that the future litter will show prime examples of the breed, and future dogs that could excel at the tasks they were bred for, whether it be work or show. I am sorry, but if you are in it for the money, then YOU ARE a BYB. Breeding Pet quality dogs is not bettering the breed in any way I can think of? Are you breeding for improved health, longevity, or work ability, or even superb conformation? Because from what you wrote, it very much sounds like you are only breeding pet quality dogs, which can be found anywhere and everywhere, many of which are waiting in the shelter for their death day.

How exactly are you breeding right? How can you justify what you are doing? I would really like to know, because you sound like you have no idea what you are talking about. You say that "not everyone wants a shelter dog" but I bet that more likely than not, many of these puppies that you sell WILL end up shelter dogs.

Answer 7

Are you breeding to the standard of that pure bred dog? Are your dogs registered with AKC? Do you show your dogs and test your breedings against other dogs that have been bred to the standard of that breed? If you personally don't take your dogs to dog shows, do you send them out with a handler to have your breeding stock judged against the standard and other breeders stock out there?

When someone pays for a purebreed dog through a breeder they expect it to grow up and look like, act like, behave like and really be the PUREbreed they paid for. When you purchase something that is not what you expect it to be - especially at the dollar value that most dogs are going for these days, there will naturally be a part of you that is disappointed that you didn't get what you were expecting.

If you aren't doing any of that, then that might be why people are asking you if you are a puppy mill or back yard breeder.


Are you mixing your breeds.. like a beagle and a pug to create a "Bug"? (For those who don't know, a "Bug" is a recently emerged "designer dog" which is just a mixed breed but sold for $1000 and over).

To mix a hound dog (a dog that puts their nose to the ground and follows the scents) with a Pug who already has breathing problems, snores, and generally has no muzzle which causes them to overheat easily.

So now you have a dog that puts it nose to the ground, with it's shortened muzzle, chokes on the dirt it is inhaling trying to follow a scent and can't pant enough to cool off its stocky body. Doesn't make much sense right?

Also, shelters are full of mixed breeds that come from these very types of breeding situations.. people just doing it to make money, or didn't get their pet spayed or neutered, etc.

If you are mixing any of your many breeds, then that also might be why people are asking you if you are a puppy mill or backyard breeder.

I find that most of the dogs that come into our rescue were purchased from "backyard breeders" or a pet stores that was buying their stock from a backyard breeder or puppy mill.

The story is usually the same.. they buy this cute adorable little puppy - and IF that puppy turns out to be healthy (many times they have genetic defects, bad knees, temperament issues), then it may grow up to be not what they expected.. like 15 pound Chihuahua's, or 20 pound Pomeranians. Pomeranians should be 4 - 7 pounds and Chihuahua's are the smallest breed.. so definitely should not weigh more than Pom standard.

They have training issues, temperament issues, aggression issues, are aloof, or afraid all the time. They grow up to have heart conditions, bad knees, bad backs, etc. So now the dog that they researched, that they wanted, that they paid for.. isn't what they got and doesn't fit into their lifestyle b/c it is not the temperament or size that they expected to get. Now.. it ends up in rescue.

So.. if you are breeding to the standard for your many breeds, if you are having your breeding stock judged against the standard for the breed, if your dogs are registered so you could prove through DNA that each of your dogs are pure breeds themselves.. by all means.. continue on and feel confident in your response to them that you are not a puppy mill or a backyard breeder and you are providing these pet homes with exactly what they are paying for.

I hope this sheds some light on why people may think what you are doing is wrong and ask you the questions that they do.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

I understand your point, not everyone wants a shelter dog. But the problem is, in many places these dogs and cats (for that matter) will be put down if not adopted. I know people want what they want, be it a poodle or a russian blue cat... but the thing is there's so many animals in shelters already, why not rescue one from a sad life in the shelter or a worser fate?

What's more terrible is the fact that some of these shelter animals have been abused, because some people just do not deserve to have an animal because they can not care for them. Is that fair? Wouldn't you rather save an animal and give them the nurture they need, then create more? Sure it may be hard to find exactly what you're looking for, but "you can't always get what you want".

That's the way I see it... I'm not stepping all over what you're doing there, I just don't see the need for it is all. (Personally, if I was breeding my cats for example, I would be the proverbial crazy cat lady because I wouldn't be able to let any of them go!)

As long as you know they're going to safe and happy homes, that's kudos enough for me.

Answer 9

what is your rate of litter turn around?if your breeding everytime the females come into heat then i would say your a puppy farmer.if you have several females of each breed but only breed 1 litter each a year,have standards and stick too them, then i'll say your a breeder.i don't know much about the american breeders since i learned early on to ONLY purchase GSD's from longtime GSD breeders in Germany because the German bred have less chance of having the hip problems compared to the american" lack of control and bribery"system that is the laughing joke in europe.if a half dane/half lab can be registered then something is wrong!!!over there it's uncommon for a breeder to breed more than 1 breed at a time,they might deal with more than 1 but they have 1 breed they themselves breed.
1. the mating of the dogs are monitored by a breed vet to insure pure bloodlines.like the DSHV.(in english it's the "German Sheppard Dog Assosiation"
2.at the birth another vet is there.
3.after a set time frame(the time frame i foget how long it is after birth,sorry)another vet checks the pups,only the 8 healthiest live,the rest are put to sleep.
4.1 litter a year and no more is allowed.
5.a female can only have 5 litters in her lifetime,after that she is either sold to someone not into breeding(with a binding contract about the buyer not being able to breed her if she isn't fixxed),or she's put to sleep(the number of those ex-breeders getting put to sleep is almost next to none,they have a high resale rate for the police and private security since most are at least Schultzhund2 qualified.since the female is a number for the most part(time and attention is given,just not allowed a actual bond to be formed) and trained so that the value of the pups are higher they don't really form a bond most times.all of my females(GSD) i've owned have been ex-breeders,and i have nothing but loving stories about each and every one of them!!!
does it sound cruel or harsh?some might think so,but if the system works why throw a fit?they have less unwanted pets per capital than we do in a shelter.Plus,the "hip problems didn't start in Germany,but right here in the U.S.A.

Don't get me wrong,I'm not passing a judgement on you,nor am I trying too upset you,just pointing out what I've seen here and my 9 years in europe is all.

Answer 10

There are millions of dogs put to death each year. Do you make sure that your dogs always have a good home? Will you take them back at any stage? Do you enforce a spay/nueter contract with your puppies? Do you have all of your dogs hips certified? Do you do track to ensure there aren't problems with your lines and the litters? Do you breed every cycle or give your dogs a break that they need? Do your dogs live with you or are they caged?

There are a million reasons why. Being a good breeder is about more than being licensed by the state of usda.

Answer 11

What is a French Pug?

I hate to burst your bubble, but being state and USDA certified does not make you a reputable breeder. If you are serious about breeding healthy good quality dogs, do yourself a favor and join your local breed clubs for ALL the dogs you breed. Familiarize yourself with their code of ethics (and subsequently abide by them) the breed standards and generally become involved with bettering the breed.