Saint and Mal Mom has just posed the question on the Message Board of “Who is exactly a backyard breeder?”
I have some questions about backyard breeders. I’d heard the term only occasionally before I came to BPO, but not as much as I do now. So I want to know, what exactly is a back yard breeder and who determines when someone is or not? What exactly do they do that is so bad? I’m not trying to stick up for them or anything. I’m sincerely asking. I know what things I think good breeders should do. Such as worm their pups and give them shots until they go to new homes. Make sure they are healthy by taking them to the vet for a checkup. Make sure they go to good homes and keep in contact with them after selling the pup to them. And take care of the puppies and parents of the pups. And if they can’t find homes for the pups or can’t care for them, then of course they shouldn’t breed their dogs. If a breeder doesn’t do that, then yes, I agree that they’re not a good breeder. But other than that, what defines a “backyard breeder” exactly?
There are some really good answers but what about all of the breeders that make that their life? They too started somewhere, with their first litter of puppies - were they at that time considered a backyard breeder? At what time did that title no longer apply to them? When do their peers shift from calling them Backyard Breeders and other names, as they often do, to finally recognizing them as a true breeder with the best of intentions?
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Anonymous Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 6:39 am
Backyard breeders don’t do rigorous testing of background health of the parents, don’t take care to find the best mate for their dogs, and produce puppies that often end up with health problems after a few years.
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Anonymous Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 6:41 am
Good breeders are registered and in good standing with the AKC breed clubs of their state/region and America.
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Tom Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 8:06 am
This is pretty simple really. If you arent in it for the “betterment” of the breed, than you are a backyard breeder.
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Amy Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 8:31 am
A BYB cares more about the profit that can be gained than from the health and well being of the dogs, cats, or other aniamls. Frequently this can be seen by unhealthy and undersocilized pup or kittens being sold for higher than expected amounts. However, that being said even someone who does not make money off thier aniamls breeding but allows them to produce litter after litter unchecked, again with no thought of the welfaire of the animal, is also a back yard breeder in that they have no concern for the animals themselves. Haveing or not having affiliation with groups like the AKC, CKC, or what ever other group really does not mean anything. Thoes organizations do NOT do inpections of the home, they do NOT check through the records for accuracy and in reality orgs like the AKC give rewards to people for breeding puppies such as free dog food. If a person spends a great deal of time researching thier pets geneticly, going through all the propper health screanings, having homes lined up PRIOR to the breeding, and make sure that they socilize and train the off spring from birth tend not to be back yard breeders regardless of how much they ‘charge’ for the puppys or kittens. So how do you tell? Go to the home and see for yourself. Typcialy you will know right away.
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doggylover Says:
August 5th, 2006 at 9:04 am
I don’t think everyone really starts out as a BYB. Responsible breeders start out under the wing of a responsible breeder. They show their dogs or work their dogs in recognized arenas and through that process learn all about confirmation and proper breeding.
I don’t really think proper responsible breeding is something that ever starts out in someone’s backyard with ‘beautiful dogs’ that later become wonderful. Some outside standard needs to have been applied to the dog being considered for breeding.
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Tamara Says:
August 8th, 2006 at 5:09 am
A backyard breeder is someone in the profit of breeding animals for sale, with little to no regard for the animals well being. Don’t even go there with oh but they’re AKC registered. Give me a break. AKC registered means little more than the paper it’s written on. AKC doesn’t really care who they admit to their program. They’re in it for the money too.
Breeders are breeders. Unnecessarily adding to the overpopulation of domesticated animals.
UNTIL THERE ARE NO MORE IN SHELTERS - DON’T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER DOGS DIE.
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MJH Says:
August 28th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
IN REGARDS TO THIS STATEMENT:Haveing or not having affiliation with groups like the AKC, CKC, or what ever other group really does not mean anything. Thoes organizations do NOT do inpections of the home, they do NOT check through the records for accuracy.
I have a friend who is a breeder who did have an inspestion done by a rep. from AKC. They made sure that all the dogs had tags w/name and AKC # on it. And they also made sure that there was a file or records being keeped for every dog.
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Shellie Says:
September 5th, 2006 at 8:25 am
A backyard breeder, I think, is someone who gets a dog (be it purebred or mutt) and just want to have a litter (or more than a litter) of pups out of that dog. They give no thought to anything like “is their dog worthy of reproducing”?, “is their dog an exceptional specimen of that breed”?, “is their dog free of genetic defects that could pass on to the pups”?, “does their dog have an exceptional temperment”?….all they think about is 1) they love that dog soooo much they just have to have a pup out of him/her. 2) “he is pure blooded with papers, so he MUST be ok to breed” (thinking that “papers” mean quality) 3) they want their children to experience the miracle of birth 4) trying to recoop some of the cost of their dog by selling it’s pups-you know the cost of feeding, vet care, and trouble of owning a dog *rolling eyes*….
A backyard breeder is someone who never does any kind of research on how to better the breed, never extends any thought to feeding a top quality food and gives minimal vet care to the “parent” dogs. Also backyard breeders tend to let pups go as early as possible 5 or 6 weeks old.
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Greg Johnson Says:
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:34 pm
Unfortunately, a breeder is either responsible or not. The majority of dog available today are not registered AKC showdogs, but a dog needn’t be registered to be sound of temperament and health.
Anyone who breeds without a care as to health/temperament whether registered or not is not responsible.
As for that glib saying “not to breed or buy while shelter animals die”, I have news for you. With population of people up and shelter intakes/killing down 50% in CA, you are looking at an open market for puppies which will be filled by millers,3rd world dogs,imported dogs and internet scams if you don’t allow responsible breeding; outside of that, there is the constitutional issue of animal control “controlling” the breeding of animals (for which they are not qualified) and the issue of the state telling people where is the “only source” from which they may obtain a dog.
Shelters do little/nothing to stave off owners bringng back dogs. No safety training for kids is ever offered. When big dogs go wild they blame the DOGS. NOT the owners. Responsibility is all with the owner, whether you like it or not. Extremists have taken 2 disparate subjects (shelter euthanasia and breeding) and decided that breeders are the cause of everything. This is far from the truth.
84% of owners want a young small dog. Of course the shelters have just the opposite, mixed breed juveniles of 1-2yr/up. Shelters are not pet stores. Spay/neuter only stops production, it doesn’t stop people from throwing away dogs. Most shelter dogs are not highly desirable by the majority, but may be a good fit in some cases. The key is to find a good fit, not just push the dog out, only to be recycled. The County Supervisors recognized this and did not pass the “Overpopulation” ordinance.
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BoxerLover2 Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Agreed, but I want to add that just because someone does not join the highly political world of dog-showing does not mean they will not be responsible breeders. If they get their breeding pair checked for all the necessary defects, love, feed and care for their animals properly, and their animals are beautiful specimens of the breed, there is no reason they should be put down for breeding. I see too much bashing of people who don’t show their dogs. I do agree with the fact the animals should be registered - even if it only means that someone is tracking their pedigree. It’s necessary as well later on if someone needs to track the ancestors of their pup for health reasons or otherwise and it just plain shows some level of commitment to the breed.
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sc.trojans Says:
January 12th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Showing is one important component to being a respectable breeder. This is not to say that they must be so into breeding that they become one of those obsessed with earning titles and showing constantly. What it does mean however is that the breeder recognizes the importance of only breeding those dogs that truly meet the breed standard - if they aren’t doing this, then they aren’t breeding for the betterment of the breed. The vast majority of people do not understand how to evaluate the structure of their breed and since everyone thinks their dog is cute, are not objective either. The best way to evaluate a dog’s adherence to the standard and therefore his breeding quality, is to obtain some objective evaluation from outside experts. This is the intent of showing (forget the titles et al.) - to get objective assessment of the dog and to learn the faults of the dog. Depending on the results of this exercise, a good breeder recognizes that the dog may not be breeding quality. A good breeder needs to show just enough to ensure that she has obtained meaningful evaluation of the dog from highly experienced judges, and if breeding quality, understands her dog’s faults to know how to best seek a proper mate that truly complements and does not “double up” on known faults.
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Dog Breeders Says:
February 13th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Excellent post, Greg, I think you summed up everyone’s sentiments, and perhaps a bit more, very nicely.
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toscana Says:
April 15th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
E grande io ha trovato il vostro luogo! Le info importanti ottenute! ))
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dbypjhryor Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! xxhlzbactoau
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another breeder Says:
August 20th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
I agree and disagree, I have been in the business of breeding for many years. All of my dogs have been health checked. I show only 2 of my 4 dogs. Not all 4 dogs. Because to me it is to much on the dogs to take them to places where there are hundreds of dogs. The last dog show that I went to there was over 250 dogs being showed. My male dog still is having problems after his last showing. I will never show my dogs again due to this. Some people do not control there animals at the shows, and that is what happend at the last show my Husky was attacked by a great dane and when I get out the brush to start grooming him now he cowers.
Now on the other hand I happened to see a lady whom I know showing her Shetie. Well Yes she is a registered breeder, and she has registered dogs yet the last that I knew having dogs in pet carriers in an old barn and taking them out just to breed and to show, was called animal abuse yet this woman sells tons of puppies becouse she goes to the buyers homes instead of them coming to her home. She was closed down 2 months ago after I once again Reported her for animal abuse, she also had all 5 children taken away when they saw what type of surroundings they were living in. Yet this is what most people call a true breeder???? I have to laugh. I am sorry but my Siberians Are much more healthy and well taken care of then her dogs ever were. Please buy puppies from people whom love there dogs,and take care of the, not people who keep them in the barn in a carrier. Alot of breeders have nice looking dogs they will show you in photos yet if you saw the real dog in person the dog would most likely be just like Sherries were. Which once again sent more dogs to the kill shelter. My dogs sit with me in front of the air when its hot, they also are treated like a part of the family. true breeders dont do that because show dogs have to be treated different then a family dog. Rent the movie big red it may help you to learn about the old ways and still ways of breeding and raising showdogs. My mom wouldnt even allow us kids to play with her precious show dogs. So how do you know those dogs will be good around kids? You dont.
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What profit Says:
August 20th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
There is no profit in breeding. Unless if someone breeds there dogs more then once a year. Mine is every 2 years. I think that should be plenty. yes I also agree that some reputable breeders should be investigated I have seen many breeders with dogs hooked out and they are just fed and watered. They take them off the chain for a bath and brushing once a week, then they go back to the chain, until they need them for showing or breeding. No one loves these dogs yet they are getting $800 a puppy unlike me who gets $400 a puppy and I make sure that my dogs go to good homes. I also bring the puppies in from the time they are 2 weeks old for a few minutes to a time and allow kids to touch them. From the age of 6 weeks to 8 weeks old my kids are allowed to play with them daily so they are use to people and kids. This is not done with most reputable breeders.
You want a breeder that loves there dogs not shows them then sends them back to breeder hell as we so much call it.Believe me 50% of reputable breeders make there dogs live like that.
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TxBoxerLovers Says:
September 14th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
In my humble opinion, education, education and education to anyone you meet or comments on the beauty of your dog (mutt or pedigree). My wife and I are Boxer lovers since our first Boxer 16 years ago we found on the side of the road. We now have two new Boxers we chose to rescue. We both did much research on Boxers and their standards and also on rescue organizations. We have choose to spend time talking to people who take interest in our dogs when we go for walks or on trips. We share information, work hard to not judge and simply provide the best possible information from: “What questions to ask of a breeder…” to “Where to rescue a Boxer….” It is amazing how receptive people are to learning and my wife and I hope we just helped a dog or puppy find a forever home reduced the risk of someone buying a Boxer from a bad breeder and maybe even rescued a Boxer!
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Robbbin Barkley Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
A backyard breeder is one who just breeds for the money and doesnt care about the breed.
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Candice small Says:
December 8th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
A backyard breeder is a breeder who breeds for money.
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Idetrorce Says:
December 14th, 2007 at 10:50 am
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
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December 19th, 2007 at 4:31 am
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sick and tired Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
thank you( another breeder). I have been on both sides of the fence. I will say all this name calling is harming our dogs. what (another breeder) wrote is true there is garbage breeders on both sides of the fence. Just because one claims to go through all the motions a repeatable breeder is suppose to go through. Does not mean they do it, nor does it mean their dog are better. Actually Show dogs are more likely to be inbred then BYB dogs. Most novices would not even dream of breeding half siblings or father to daughter. I am sure new bees that have no care for the dogs may for monitory gain inbreed. But this is a person with obviously no heart.
Most of the people labeled BYB are regular people who are new, who love dogs. With no one to help them.
If they go into a chat room on the net or ask questions they usually get flamed. Even if they ask a vet or someone who works with animals. They usually get told the dangers and told not to do it. So most the time if they have their heart set on breeding they just wing it. If they have a good eye, and have healthy dogs to start with. The outcome is not always as bad as those lead it to be. I knew another groomer who bought a Maltese from a pet store. He bred her a few generations to show stock. This is a true story this novice produced a dog that won a class at the Westminster. Most of the people on this list would have called him a BYB when he did the first breeding to a pet store bought dog. As for all the testing’s. Most of your breed hereditary and congenital defects are recessive genes which have come about from inbreeding. If a dog clears this condition on physical exams this does not ensure his prodigy will be clear of the condition ressesive can stay hidden for many generations. all it takes if for two parents to carry this recessive gene, for the condition to be present in a pup. Ressesive genes are how old colors come back after many generations of being hidden. Yes it does help to test , but it does not ensure healthier pups especially when the breeders continue to line breed ( inbreed). All the secrets in the canine pet industry, associated with the name calling is more harmfully then any so called BYB or puppy mill can be. As for the dog over population Why are the shelters in larger cities importing thousands of diseased dogs off the streets of third world countries? We are in a shortage not an over population and because of the spay neutering ( which I agree had to be done ) Our pure bred dogs gene pools are becoming way too small.
The Breeders of this age can not even come close to competing to the originators of old. Science has proven the ills of inbreeding. Farmers have learned the down falls of it. yet you can not stop these canine breeders. If you ever heard of the term cookie cutter dogs. This is from the fact that AKC show breeders will in fact line breed ( Inbreed) off of a popular sire so badly that they will put the entire breed into a genetic drift. Inbreeding done on dogs who have won visual beauty contest. This is wrong . On the same not. Breeders breeding working dogs that line breed have a much better track record. Why because when they line breed off of a dog they are doing it for performance. So their markers are numerous compared to what show breeders breed for which they can only see. Most show dogs are finished their championship before they are 1 years old. They are not even mature enough to show who they really are. By 2 years old they can grow bigger, have a coarser body, toe in, toe out, develop a bad personality trait, Yes I have seen dogs change at the age of 2. devlop hip dysplasia , this list goes on and on. Once all the money and time was put in that show pup. How many do you think neuter that champion? very few. Now saying this some breed clubs after they have damaged the breed do step up to the plate and improve. DNA testing is a dgod send and is the real teller of what you have. But the main problem in these times is small gene pools. For if we are to have the breeds we have today survive to our great grand children This name calling has got to stop. egos need to be left at the door. and breeders need to share information freely. What are you breeding for folks?? your EGO? or do you really want to better your breed?
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sick and tired Says:
April 7th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
One more thing. The funniest statement is a BYB is someone who breeds for money. So basically unless the breeder is in the red they are a bad breeder? How does this poor breeder stand up to thier garenteees? If they can not make a profit? Are they saying this is a rich mans venture?
