No puppy mills or backyard breeders?

The problem isn't that the "majority" of breeders are bad, quite the contrary.... the problem is the media - good commercial breeders, with quality dogs and clean conditions don't make the evening news - and propaganda by the likes of PETA.

There is literally a book of regulations that USDA inspected breeders must follow or lose their license.

I wanted address some of the comments by the animal control officer below me.... Why would you want a pure breed dog? Generally speaking, you know what to expect. You know pretty much how big the dog will be, what he will look like as an adult and in a more general sense, his temperment. I happen to love Chihuahuas and German Shepherds, both have some very unique qualities. I do agree that mixed breed dogs can make fantastic pets, but not everyone wants a "pig in a poke" so to speak.

The second point I wanted to address is about the (I forget which two breeds you mentioned) lab x collie mix. Just because someone at a shelter looks at a dog and says it is a lab x collie, doesn't mean it's parents are pure bred. It only means that an employee of the shelter looked at the animal and pointed out some traits that are particular to a certain breed. Unless they have actually seen both parents, they are doing nothing more than making a guess, an educated guess, but a guess none the less.

I also find comparing euthanasia of animals to Hitler's genocide of the Jewish people disgusting and theatrical. As much as I love my animals they are not the same as people. If it came down to my dog and my son being in peril, I would assuredly rescue my son first. While I am a strong believer in animal welfare, I do not believe that animals have rights equal or above the rights of humans.

I would have no problem with backyard breeders IF they had the knowledge and commitment to breed healthy dogs and avoid genetic issues. The risk of genetic issues in a dog bred by a backyard breeder is no better than a puppy mill dog. In fact, it may be higher. Some puppy mill owners actually remove dogs with genetic issues from their breeding stock. A backyard breeder generally has no clue what genetic issues they need to be aware of. For example, in my breed there is a genetic eye condition that causes a dog to go blind. Symptoms can begin to appear when the dog is six years old or so. Old enough that the dog may have produced several litters. This gene is also X-linked, meaning it is on the part of the X-chromosome not matched up by the Y chromosome in males. This means that an affected male can be safely bred to a clear female, but a carrier female can never ethically be bred. I could exlain why, but it would take too long. Would a backyard breeder be aware that the female needs to be genetically screened by Optigen before breeding? No. Another example in my breed. Puppies that have retinal folds at eight weeks of age may be a carrier for a dwarfism gene. Those puppies should be genetically tested. There are all sorts of complicated issues like this that a responsible breeder will know about and act on. Where would a breeder get the kind of education so they would know about this? Where would a breeder get the information about what bloodlines tend to have what issues? Where would they learn that a certain prolific stud dog should not be doubled up on in a pedigree? Only by hanging out with other educated breeders, talking with them and learning. Where does this happen? Only among people who are breeding dogs for show. They also are avoiding structural problems that cause arthritis in their dogs. I don't know how many poorly bred dogs, purebred and mixed, that I have seen lately with front feet turned so far out the dog can hardly walk. Many backyard breeders say their dogs don't have problems and they have never produced problems. That is generally because they don't check. They say each human carries the genetic material for about 7-9 serious genetic medical conditions. Dogs probably have more because they have more chromosomes. (Humans have 23 pairs, dogs have 39 pairs) The real value in going with a breeder who is also showing dogs is the tremendous amount of knowledge they and their fellow breeders have. They also aren't making money breeding dogs. I know many show breeders and none of them are making a profit off their dogs. Showing is a very expensive sport. And a good breeder will spend several thousand dollars directly on each litter. The only people making money showing dogs are professional handlers. That's because they are not breeding and showing, they are being paid by breeders to show the dogs.

Does it really matter whether your dog is a purebred or not? Will you love him any less if he isn't a purebred? No matter what kind of dog you have, they all require the same things - a wonderful home, adequate care, and a family that loves them. And you're wrong...shelter dogs most certainly do come from purebred breeders...if you have a collie/shepherd mix at a shelter, then the parents were obviously somebody's purebred collie and somebody's purebred german shepherd. And just for the information of anyone who reads this, there are rescue groups for EVERY breed (which means that there too many purebred animals already, so why add to the statistics?) If you're looking for a purebred animal you can seek out a rescue group for that breed and give another chance of life to a dog that needs one. Giving a shelter pup a death sentence simply because he is not purebred is comparable to Hitler giving a death sentence to the Jews just because they were...prejudice extends in all directions so question your motive when you decide that only a purebred pet is right for you. And before you decide to defend the breeding of dogs, donate some of your time to your local shelter and assist in the euthansia process of those "indiscriminately bred pupppies" and then search your soul for some justification of killing a dog.

You can strain at the facts all you want and you can warp them into excuses that may temporarily distort them in the eyes of the ignorant, but the facts are that there are entirely too many animals available that NEED homes which makes it clear that we do not NEED breeders of any kind adding to the statistics.

Puppy mills are not just breeders who leave their dogs in filth, they are breeders who produce far too many dogs to give them individualized attention. Pups should not grow up in isolated cages with nothing but their littermates to provide them with stimulation and new experiences for the first eight weeks of their lives. Pups raised in these sterile conditions often do not have the emotional foundation to cope with new experiences as they get older. Additionally, puppy mill pups are typically hard to house train due to the fact that they get accostomed to sitting in their own filth. If someone can breed 40 litters a year AND socialize the dogs AND keep them clean as heck during those messy, messy early weeks, then more power to them. They must be independantly wealthy to afford the staff of people they need to help them accomplish this, and they certainly aren't going to make a profit.

No reputable breeder I have ever met is willing to turn their puppies over to the first buyer to sign a check for the required amount. When there are 7 puppies born for every human, there is really no "need" to make purebred pups just so that people can feel special.

Sadly, the anti-breeder laws I've seen tend to hit the small-time breeders much harder than the large-scale commercial breeders, and that's a damn shame.

there are people out there that are referred to as hobby breeders. they breed their dogs for the love of the breed and selectively breed to enhance the breed, never to bring down the quality of the breed, in most cases, they deal with only one or two specific breeds. their main goal is to produce best pet-quality dogs with a rare occurence of show quality cropping up here and there in litters.

these people's dogs are generally house dogs, wherein they are kept in the house with outside play time, most have doggie doors so that their dogs can come and go at will. any breeding is done with care and consideration for both the sire and the dam's health, with the dam getting rested for a year between litters.

these people do not let unhealthy or genetically defective dogs breed. they will spend thousands of dollars a year in vet costs for their dogs and their pups; often going without healthcare for themselves, because their dogs really are like their children. most of these people see absolutely no profit from breeding their dogs as the money made in the sale of the pups goes to support the dogs, i.e. food, toys, vet care, larger yards, etc.

the biggest point here is to NOT buy from either puppy mills, brokers, or pet stores. beware of a breeder that will not allow you to come and choose your pup, but insist on picking a pup out for you and meeting you somewhere or delivering the pup to you door; these people generally have something that they want to hide.

the problem with "commercial breeders" is for the most part the only human interaction that dogs receive is when someone comes in daily to feed and clean. these dogs are not socialized and consequently neither are the pups. unsocialized dogs are even more traumatized when going to a new owner than a pup that has been handled every day by humans and taught to trust humans. a pup leaving it's mother and siblings is very scared and nervous, if the poor little thing has never had any exposure to humans or very little exposure to humans, the adjustment time will be very lengthy and the dog may never get over the trauma; which creates its own set of problems for both the dog and the new owner.

Most backyard breeders are just in it for the extra income. They have no care or concern for the dogs they are breeding. They will run a dog to death trying to get as many puppies out as possible breeding them to soon after they give birth. There are many reputable breeders that are licensed for just that. The laws cut out a lot of animal abuse because the people can't do as stated above. Granted there are a few that don't do just that, but most do. Unfortunately when a majority is doing it wrongly then the minority suffer.

I raise Chihuahuas and they are all in my home. It is not right for the government to step in and tell me that my dogs should be put outside in a kennel. These dogs are all my pets. My pups are in my home and handled and loved from the day they are born. Pups that are raised in a kennel have different temperaments than pups raised in the home. I hope the laws do not get passed. They are not right. I am not a show breeder, just someone who raises the dogs for the love of the breed and to pass along healthy, happy puppies to wonderful families.

Many don't want purebreds. The popularity and expense of mutts show this - show and working breeders have nothing to do with this. The mutts sell for more. The yorkipoos, bichonpoos, labradoodles, goldendoodles and myriad of other crossbred mutts that sell for more than many purebred pets sell for are under the radar. They aren't registered. They aren't, really, regulated. The focus is on the evil purebred breeder. Several people tried to get breeders to see the CA situation before it happened - and got the "that doesn't affect ME".

What is the question here?

Puppy mills and backyard breeders tend to breed badly, which means the pups end up with a miserable life.....hope that is the answer, since there is really no question here.