Writer Jan Hoadly responded to yesterday’s post with a story called “Dog Breeding — Associations and Opinions” on the Associated Content site, adding some definitions to the mix.
One thing I’d like to clarify about Hoadly’s characterization of my position: I only said I preferred professional breeders in my original Twitter post because of ignorance, because I had a definition in mind that has proved to be different than the one that many dog people commonly accept. As Hoadly puts it in her piece:
“Backyard” or “hobby” or “professional” is an image in our own heads. People criticize or praise the image in their heads.
Another response that I got to my call for information was from a self-described hobby breeder, who submitted the following definitions — anonymously. I don’t blame her for not wanting her name to be made public. As I’ve discovered, this is a topic on which few people are neutral.
Professional breeder
Professional to me means that you are making a living exclusively from breeding dogs. This not an inexpensive venture. Figure a middle class income is roughly $52,000 a year. At $1000 per puppy, with an average litter of six, calculate that two puppies would just about cover expenses. So you would need to breed 13 litters per year or over one a month to make a profit. Dogs only cycle twice a year, so you are looking at multiple litters on the ground at the same time. These are what the American Kennel Club calls high volume breeders. Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to keep the puppies clean and socialized to people and to home noises. The dogs live in kennels for the most part, and the breeder offers no post-sale support.
Hobby breeder or fancier
These people are involved with the breed, joining dog clubs and organizations. They prove the quality of their dogs and suitability for breeding by competing for titles and certificates. They know the depth and breadth of the breed lines and they consider health issues within the breed. They offer lots of post-sale support.
Backyard breeder
These are people looking for some supplemental income. They are not particularly educated about breeds, and are often unaware of their breed’s genetic defects. They breed only for convenience, often mixing breeds. There is no post-sale support. A typical example of this category is someone who recently confided to me at a farmers market that they bred their girl to a dog down the street to “calm her down.” Because of the economy, they could not sell all the puppies, so they took half of them to the Humane Society.
My anonymous source — I feel like Woodward or Bernstein — directed me to the Woodhaven Lab Breeders for a comparison between hobby breeders and backyard breeders.
She also sent me a personal statement about her breeding philosophy that I’ll post soon.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from someone who considers herself or himself to be a professional breeder.
How to recognize a good dog breeder
I’m going to set semantics aside for the moment — not to mention, again, the issue of whether or not rescue would be preferable to getting a dog from a breeder. People are going to get dogs from breeders, whether you approve or not. They should be able to recognize the good ones.
Whatever a breeder calls herself, whether professional, hobbyist, or fancier, these are the things you should look for once you’ve decided on a breed and come up with some possible breeder candidates (see Dog Breeding and Its Discontents, Part 1).
Phase 1: Weeding out the seedy breeders
Before making a trip to visit the premises, ask the following questions:
This is a trick question. An affirmative answer suggests that mama dog is kept bare-pawed and pregnant more frequently than is good for her health. Once-a-year breeding is ideal; more than twice borders on abuse. Good breeders keep a list of interested buyers to contact when the next litter is available.
A corollary of this question is “How soon after he’s born can I get the puppy?” Be suspicious of any breeder willing to separate a puppy from dam and siblings before eight weeks.
There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to make the mother’s acquaintance. If the father can’t be present — and you’re within your rights to ask why not — request to see documents proving that poppa has been registered with the AKC or UKC. (Beware someone who says that they’ve got documentation from, say, the Siberian Kennel Club–even if you’re looking at Siberian Huskies.)
Be sure to follow up with them all if for no other reason than that it’s fun to chat with fellow admirers of the breed to hear about the joys — and travails — of bringing up the pups.
This is another trick question. If the breeder answers “none,” that’s a sign of either ignorance or dishonesty. All breeds are predisposed toward certain health problems; good breeders work diligently to avoid them. You need to know how severe any inherited condition might be and — more important — whether a puppy from a litter you’re contemplating has in fact inherited it.
If you decide to get a puppy from a breeder, it’s completely kosher to request documentation from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals — an organization devoted to reducing the incidence of a wide range of genetic diseases — that the parents and grandparents have been tested and shown to be defect free.
Phase 2: Peering around the premises
Assuming a breeder has passed these preliminary pup quizzes, it’s time to head out to see how the dogs are kept. If a breeder has a problem with your visiting when no puppies are available (see “Assessing the Litter,” below) then you have a problem with the breeder.
Look for the following:
If they slink off or bark frantically, you might consider slinking off, too.
Or, in short, is this a place you wouldn’t wish on a dog.
A well-behaved dog doesn’t necessarily mean a happy dog, just one that’s toed the line. I have no idea if stress hormones have an impact on the development of puppies (though why wouldn’t they?); I just wouldn’t want to buy a dog from a mean breeder. Shock collars, prong collars, invisible fences… to me, all are signs that the breeder doesn’t know dogs very well. Those who do should be able to keep them in line with humane methods.
Phase 3: Getting to know me
A breeder should be interested in you, too, not just in your money. Some signs that the well-being of the dog is foremost to the breeder include:
Phase 4: Assessing the litter
This is perhaps the toughest phase because actually viewing puppies is bound to cloud your ability to think clearly. Nevertheless, try not to be swayed by their overwhelming cuteness and consider the following:
Duking it out for position with other dogs, being handled by humans, and being introduced to a variety of stimuli–all part of the process known as socialization–are essential to a well-balanced dog.
I gather that not all breeders agree that potential dog buyers be allowed to see the puppies in their early stages because of the risk of infection. I’m assuming that by this point in the negotiations breeder and potential owner know each other very well and the breeder knows how to avoid that risk.
Phase 5: Bringing home baby
When you’re ready to take your new puppy home you should expect
No, a breeder isn’t required to be on call at all hours like a pediatrician, but one who cares about dogs will want to help you succeed in your new responsibilities, which can be overwhelming initially.
Adapted from Am I Boring My Dog.