How To Know If A Breeder Is A Backyard Breeder

Backyard breeding is typically viewed as being synonymous with puppy mills and hilbillies. People breeding dogs to make a buck without regard for the animals health and wellbeing. These people are generally viewed as criminals with objectively bad intentions and people who buy from these ‘breeders’ are judged as complicit.

However, this is far from the standard case. Ethics and intention, on behalf of both the breeder and owner, need to become a larger focus of this conversation.

I have seen breeders who keep their dogs in near sterile conditions, invite them into their homes, feed the dogs the best food, and still would be considered unethical. I’ve also seen the opposite.

I’ve also seen the most well-intentioned prospective owners seek out unethically bred purebreds.

So what do we need to look for in a breeder?

Have the breeders took inbreeding into consideration? Do they consider defining characteristics outside of physical appearance when choosing breeding candidates, such as: general temperament, energy regulation, biddability, aggression, anxiety, and drive.

Have their dogs been tested - structurally and internally, for any health complications?

Have you met their adult dogs and enjoyed them?

Have they retired dogs due to either amount of times bred or because they were no longer deemed a great fit to better the breed’s future?

Do they give input into which dog would be best for a household and withhold dogs if the home is not best suited to meet the dog’s needs?

Will they take dogs back, no questions asked?

Is their intention to better the breed long-term?

Do they have a puppy curriculum? Does it include early neurological stimulation and proper socialization?

How willingly and truthfully do they answer questions and how open do they keep the line of communication?

Is this their main source of income? How long have they been doing this? What business model do they have?

How can prospective owners be more informed?

What are you looking for in a dog? (Ask this question before getting attached to a specific breed)

Are you able to meet that breed’s needs both mentally and physically? Should there come a time you can not meet the dog’s needs will you look to rehome appropriately?

Have you done your research and gotten the above information from the breeder?

Ultimately, as with any choices we make for ourselves, our family, and our dogs, we get to determine what we feel is ‘correct’. However, ignorance is almost never bliss when choosing a new dog, so making sure the choices we make are informed, will lead us to the best possible outcome for a happy and fulfilling life for owner and dog, alike.