In Defense of "Backyard Breeders"

[elegy]

Originally Posted by Sapphire-Light

And this was from some very famous breeders

famous does not equal responsible.

there are LOTS of big name breeders that i'd never want a dog from, and would never want to deal with.

a responsible breeder, imo, will welcome requests for more information about their lines, about their puppies, about their contracts.

[mjb]

I think somewhere in the thread you asked what we think about having to pass parameters such as owning your home, having a fence, not having children before you're considered as a potential dog owner. Shelters and breeders might ask these things.

I don't understand where it even has any bearing because you might own your house today and lose your job and have to sell tomorrow. Then, wherever you move may not have a fenced-in yard or a yard at all. And unless you're past child-bearing years, that's not absolute either.

We didn't have a fenced-in yard and did not even fill out applications with some rescues because they stated up front that you had to have a fence. The shelter we adopted from didn't ask.

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by mjb

I think somewhere in the thread you asked what we think about having to pass parameters such as owning your home, having a fence, not having children before you're considered as a potential dog owner. Shelters and breeders might ask these things.

I don't understand where it even has any bearing because you might own your house today and lose your job and have to sell tomorrow. Then, wherever you move may not have a fenced-in yard or a yard at all. And unless you're past child-bearing years, that's not absolute either.

We didn't have a fenced-in yard and did not even fill out applications with some rescues because they stated up front that you had to have a fence. The shelter we adopted from didn't ask.

It never made much sense to me either . . . but I've seen it on lists not only of requirements from shelters/rescues and from breeders, but on lists saying a breeder is a BYB if they don't demand these things. Thus, this thread.

[adojrts]

Originally Posted by Sapphire-Light

I agree with this.

Is good to be picky with the potential dog owners.

But some things they want of the buyers can be too over the top,

I got trashed by some breeders only because I asked for the waranty of the pups or because I asked for a scan of the pedigrees of the parents and the puppy.

And this was from some very famous breeders, they just shurely got offended when I asked for the pedigree because they thinked that I was calling them liars of the dogs titles, pureness of the dog or that they are goin to sell me a sick dog ñ or something bad thing

I wouldn't give that kind of breeder the time of day, once that crap started.
It is the prospective purchasers RIGHT to ask these questions and to get honest educated answers that are back up with PROOF. And it doesn't matter if your purchasing a 'pet or show/breeding quality' puppy either, the questions should be the same and answered.
When ANYONE tells me their lines are clean, thats BS, no dog or breed is Clean and it tells one of two things, either the breeder is lying even by omission or they don't know, both are dangerous.
I had a big breeder tell me once that 'It wasn't her job to educate people'. I was floored, needless to say I walked away from ever breeding to her stud dogs or ever purchasing a pup. And this is someone that I know, not a stranger by any means.
Once I bred one of my girls to a well known and nice stud. I asked all the questions and I reseached the lines etc. I was not a novice at this point.
Decided to breed to him, the week AFTER my girl was bred, I was at a show.
Told another breeding about my up and coming litter and they asked me if I knew about the PLL in the line that was coming up in spades.
I arrived home from the show very late on Sunday, very early on Monday morning I get a call from the stud dog's breeder/owner. She was furious (she hadn't been at the show) and she demanded to know who had told me!!!!!!!!
I told her it didn't matter who told me......that by her reaction that I suspected it was true, it confirmed it was true, but still wanted to know who tattled. I told her she was missing the point, SHE should have told me, so I could have made an educated choice.
Litter born........I decided to sell all the pups as pets with a solid s/n contract. I told every people who inquired about the pups about the PLL, most ran away. Funny thing about that is, they probably ended up purchasing from a breeder that had a very closed mouth about what was in their lines if they knew. Where as I was being honest and I had a devil of a time finding great homes for those pups.......which btw have been fine even years later. But one of the things that I did require for the dogs wellfare and for my info, was that they all be CERF'd every couple of years, so far so good.

My point, finding a good breeder is just as hard as finding a good home for the pups. Gezzz I hate breeding.