I've been hearing a lotta junk about backyard breeders..?

Question

What's a backyard breeder? Someone who breeds pets in their backyard?? I breed Terrier Spaniels (Terrier's and Cocker Spaniels), Akita Inu's, Terrier's and Chihuahua's. All my dogs are approved for breeding from my vet, and they're all wonderfully kept pets as well as mama's. And my dogs are well taken care of. My puppies are health-checked and approved before being sold. I don't breed any dogs without having studied every aspect of their personalities, and know what i'm getting into. I am a longtime (but now retired) yorkie breeder.. i have had several Cocker Spaniels, with me until death. I am a big fan of Akitas, and know everything practically about them. Terrier's are my prized showdogs for two years. And Chihuahuas...They've been my breed for years. I'm very careful to explain all the responsibilities when selling my dogs, and I don't just ship 'em off anyplace without knowing the who. And this is just me, my friends are all much more experienced breeders, and much better than I. After eight breeding, I'm still learning. I'm twenty seven., I'm currently living in Chicago Illinois but I travel several places around Illionis, and I meet lots of breeders. Almost all breeders I've met take such good precautions, and are all loving to their pets. Wonderful breeders if you ask me. So what's this junk about bybs

about bybs being so "awful"????Oh, and all the money I raise I donate to shelters. Same with my friends.

Answer 1

Here's guidelines for a responsible breeder.. Though, most people, myself included, don't think you can be a responsible breeder if you don't show and verify that your dogs are worthy of breeding..
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_puppymills_statement
ASPCA Position
"The ASPCA advocates the following best practices for responsible breeders:

- Never sells puppies to a dealer or pet shop.

- Screens breeding stock for heritable diseases and removes affected animals from breeding program. Affected animals are altered; may be placed as pets as long as health issues are disclosed to buyers/adopters.

- Removes aggressive animals from breeding program; alters or euthanizes them.

- Keeps breeding stock healthy and well socialized.

- Never keeps more dogs than they can provide with the highest level of care, including quality food, clean water, proper shelter from heat or cold, exercise, socialization and professional veterinary care.

- Has working knowledge of genetics and generally avoids inbreeding.

- Bases breeding frequency on mother’s health, age, condition and recuperative abilities.

- Does not breed extremely young or old animals.

- Often breeds and rears dogs in the home, where they are considered part of the family.

- Ensures neonates are kept clean, warm, fed, vetted and with the mother until weaned; begins socialization of neonates at three weeks of age.

- Screens potential guardians; discusses positive and negative aspects of animal/breed.

- Ensures animals are weaned (eight to ten weeks of age for dogs and cats) before placement.

- Offers guidance and support to new guardians.

- Provides an adoption/purchase contract in plain English that spells out breeder’s responsibilities, adopter’s responsibilities, health guarantees and return policy.

- Provides accurate and reliable health, vaccination and pedigree information.

- Makes sure pet-quality animals are sold on a limited registration (dogs only), spay/neuter contract, or are altered before placement.

- Will take back any animal of their breeding, at any time and for any reason."

If you don't fit those criteria, you're a BYB'er... It's not about where you breed, but how you breed... It's another way for saying, irresponsible breeder, but, not quite a puppymill. I could manage to breed rabbits ethically as a 13 year old.. A grown adult has absolutely no excuse not to follow such basic standards... If you can't breed responsibly, DON'T breed..

Answer 2

A backyard breeder is somebody who just breeds two dogs together without having first evaluated them as breeding quality (that means championing them in conformation, as well as comprehensive health tests that mean more than

Four things make you sound like a BYB to me:

Firstly, the fact that you breed mutts ("Terrier Spaniels"), which no responsible breeder would do, with mutts filling up our shelters these days.

Secondly, the fact that you breed more than one breed of dog.

Thirdly, the fact that you make money, which barely any good breeders do. And why don't good breeders make money? Because they spend thousands of bucks getting every relevant health test done on their sires and dams that their costs are so high; they count themselves lucky to break even.

Fourthly, the kind of language you use. Your vet is medically trained to pronounce your dog as physically fine, but that does not count as an evaluation. If you want to know whether your dogs are breeding-quality, get an evaluation from three responsible and well-known breeders of your breed, or better yet, finish them in conformation. You also describe your dogs as "prized showdogs" and "health-checked and approved" without providing any real information - hallmark of a BYB. What are your terriers' titles, which shows did they win, which exact tests did you run them through?

Answer 3

I've probably had as many Dogs as you claim to have had and most did reach old age as they were old when I 'Rescued' them! The big difference is I'm 30 years older than you! Sorry, claim what you like but as you haven't been an adult yourself even ten years yet I can't see how you could call yourself experienced!!!!
All my dogs have been the products of Backyard breeding except the first and the one I have now, who poor thing was a Puppy farm bred female, then forced to have puppies before she had even reached Adult-hood herself. Almost all my dogs have been cross breeds, all two different types of dog breeds that should never have been mixed together too, A retriever crossed with a guard breed, a sheepdog with a hunting dog, a toy with a working terrier! As long as the parents were healthy why should it be wrong? Because if you knew anything about the dogs you would know that WHAT a Breed was bred for determines what the natural instincts of the breed are. My Collie cross wanted to round up the sheep but what would have happened if I'd tried to teach him and the Hunter side of his nature came out too????? Several of my dogs have been FULL BRED but because the Breeders didn't know anything about checking Blood lines, health and temperament, were dumped when the people who bought them discovered their various problems.
That is what Back yard breeding is, just breeding dogs to sell puppies, without caring whether the parents are compatible breeds, in good health themselves, have as few hereditory conditions in the last few generations of their blood-lines as possible, and that the pups are going to people who know what keeping a Dog of THAT BREED entails.
I'm not saying you are a back yard breeder though mixing an un-named Terrier and a Spaniel makes no sense to me. Plus you are the first 'dog' person I've ever known use the general term Terrier without specifying which you mean, A little Yorkie is a Terrier but so is the large Airedale Also from Yorkshire by the way!
No the term doesn't mean breeding in Backyards, it means irresponsible breeding of Pet dogs! If the breeder has several breeds or several females of one breed and is mixing them irresponsibly that is normally given the Puppy Mill label! I could give you a very long list of the reasons my own dog, as much as I love her, and think she's the most Beautiful dog ever, should never have been bred!
Responsible breeders breed good quality pups from well matched parents, have a knowledge and understanding of their chosen breed or breeds (though rarely as diverse a group as you claim) and usually have 'show' or 'working' lines!
So are you a responsible breeder, a Back Yard Breeder or a Puppy miller?? I know which category I'd put you in!
As they say in Yorkshire "If the Cap fits, wear it".

Answer 4

Well, at least one person on here is a ready made customer of these back yard breeders - read on - Anyone who breeds carefully and puts time,love and a lot of money into their dogs is a "snobby breeder who charges a lot" - don't you love that one?? Nobody, but nobody who breeds for the good of the breed and to pass on champion genes makes money selling pups. It is extremely expensive and time consuming to show your dogs and the vetting is also very expensive - for the breeding ***** and for the pups. Only way to make money is to use cheap dogs, breed any line without testing, stint on the vetting of the pups. That's your typical back yard breeder or puppy mill, anybody who buys from one of those choices is sadly misinformed, contributes to the suffering of animals, and will likely get a poor quality, if not downright sick, pup. Very sad - there should be laws, but there aren't.

Answer 5

When people say on here about 'back-yard breeders' they mean someone who breeds dogs without a licence, with out any back-up for the buyer, no insurance etc etc etc. I personally don't agree with the term they use, i think its derogatory to people like your good self who actually care about their dogs and pups and will see them through the first few months of their lives, give them their innoculations and good food and plenty of loving care, how can that be wrong? I think by using that turn of phrase they also include people who allow their females to mate then sell the pups on when they are not a specific breed, ie:- a yorkie or a cocker spaniel but again, accidents happen and not everyone on the planet wants a pedigree dog so why are they villified for it? Doesn't make much sense - the pups, regardless of their breed or lack of it are well kept and well loved and fed, wheres the harm? You are quite young to be a breeder i must say but you are also successful in your chosen field, may that long be the case for you, good luck.

Answer 6

Gee, how unusual. I live in Illinois, and my state is one of the largest producers of byb and mill dogs in the country.
Just because your vet says your dogs are healthy means absolutely nothing. I have three healthy dogs who have genetic issues-but they ARE healthy, according to my vet. If you are doing no genetic testing to make sure you are not passing on defects, you are a byb. You haven't mentioned any kind of guarantee for taking back your pups anytime during their lives if things don't work out, and I would love to know the names of the places you donate all your profits to, as I also donate in Illinois. My group takes in tons of dogs from central and southern Illinois, and tons more from animal control in the city of Chicago and north.
I am very glad you aren't breeding the dog I rescue, or I would be getting your dogs, too.

Answer 7

A backyard breeder is someone who has a dog and thinks, "Oh, wouldn't it be fun to have puppies just like him/her? I'm going to breed him/her. I bet I'll make lots of money, too!"

They breed their dogs without knowing the first thing about it. They have no idea how long gestation is. They don't know breed standards, health screening, temperament, etc. They send the puppies to their new homes too soon, don't care who buys them, and don't provide any educational material.

Answer 8

No one sets out to breed homeless dogs, yet shelters are full to bursting.

How do you think they get there?

Are you comfortable with knowing that millions of animals die in shelters for no other reason that there are not enough homes?
Donations, while great, don't excuse the fact that you are contributing to the cause, not the solution.

When a family buys from you, they AREN'T going to a shelter. That means a shelter dog dies for every puppy you breed and sell.

The easiest, cheapest, most humane way to stop the pet over population problem is to reduce the number of births.

What I really want to know is how did you retire at 27? That's something to talk about! LOL!

Answer 9

Backyard breeders are those that have poor facilities and breed loads of pups each year just to make a profit. A reputable breeder is one that breeds a limited number of litters in a year, gives health guarantees and medical records, and is breeding for the sole purpose of breeding that particular breed to better the breed line.

Honestly, based on the information you gave in your question, you are not breeding for the line as you do not have one breed speciality. You also didnt meantion anything about health guarantees and how your place your pups. Based on the information you gave, I would be highly on guard purchasing a pup from you. It is nothing personal but a reputable breeder would be more concerned about a specific dog breed line, screen families before placing, and offer guarantees on any health conditions that can occur in that specific dog breed.

I have included a link below to the breeder of both of my female chocolate Labs. She is a reputable breeder and her site may provide you with information to help you move from the "backyard" breeder status to "reputable" breeds if you wish to continue breeding in a better manner.

Answer 10

#1 there is no Akita Inu there is a Shiba Inu or an Akita. Shame on you for adding to the world of unwanted dogs to make a buck. If you care so much start entering your dogs conformation competitions or obedience competitions to show that the dogs you are breeding are worthy of breeding. Just because they CAN have puppies doesn't mean they SHOULD.