Backyard Breeders - the problem

Dear Backyard Breeder,

450,000 animals die annually in the DFW metroplex. 30% are purebreds. With the little one you'll be taking to the pound, unfortunately it is 450,001. We have no use for greedy, selfish humans who capitalize on helpless, innocent animals. Consider how many of the puppies you have sold to people who didn't spay or neuter and "backyard" bred. Or worse yet, accidentally had a litter of mixed breeds. Where do you think they ended up? If you are lucky, with us or someone like us. But the cold hard truth of the matter, the chances were slim to none. They died a very lonely useless death and it is on your soul. Every animal you have contributed to bringing into this world and their offspring is your responsibility. No, we are not sympathetic to breeders. And we have every right not to be. We cry for the poor little babies that die needlessly every 60 seconds because of you. And we are very, very tired of cleaning up after you. We deal with the general public every day and as hard as it is, they normally don't know any better. You do. Some of the information below may enlighten you. If you were responsible, you'd already know it.

SHOULD I BREED MY DOG??

Will all your puppies find good, permanent homes? According to the Humane Society of the United States and the government Census Bureau, 2,000 puppies and 450 humans are born every hour in our country. Right from the start, only 1 out of 4 puppies has a chance at a home. Finding a permanent home is even harder - only 1 out of 10 dogs will stay with its original buyer for its whole life. 5 out of 10 will change owners before they're a year old. The remainder of these dogs will end up in animal shelters, abandoned and unwanted. Even if your dog is an expensive purebred, your puppies are subject to the same statistics. At least 3 million dogs will be killed in animal shelters this year alone because there just aren't enough homes for all of them There are so many unwanted pets that cities all over the country are considering passing laws that will ban all breeding.

Your responsibilities as a breeder:

As a breeder you're personally responsible for each and every puppy for the rest of its life. Your responsibility doesn't end with selling the puppy - it only starts there! It will be up to you to know where those puppies are six months, a year, five years from now and whether or not they're being taken care of. It will be up to you to keep any unsold puppies or to take back puppies you've sold after they're grown if their owners can't keep them anymore. Since only 1 out of 10 puppies stays with its original buyer for life, you can expect to have to take back most of your litter sooner or later. The time to prepare for this is now - before you bring puppies into the world, not after. Will you have facilities to house these dogs? Will you have time to care for them? If you're offering your dog for stud service, you have as much responsibility for the welfare of his puppies as do the owners of the bitches bred to him.

As a breeder, you have the responsibility of controlling the reproductive future of the puppies you sell. It might seem like having just one litter doesn't add much to the dog population but - if your dog or bitch produces just one litter of four pups who in turn each produce just one litter themselves and so forth, in only 7 years your dog will have 4000 descendants! "Just one litter" has serious consequences! You'll need to learn how to write and enforce a contract requiring the new owners to spay or neuter their puppies.

You have a responsibility to your puppies and their buyers to produce the healthiest and most mentally sound dogs possible. All breeds have genetic health and temperament problems that can be passed on to their puppies. It takes experience and knowledge to learn how to recognize these problems. Many inherited defects are "hidden" - although your dog may not seem to have a problem, it could be genetically programmed to pass trouble along to its pups. Without expensive medical testing and a thorough understanding of genetics and pedigrees, you could easily produce puppies that will be a heartache to their owners and a financial burden to you. Reputable breeders check their adult stock for evidence of hip and elbow dysplasia, eye diseases, thyroid and hormone trouble, skin problems and allergies, bleeding disorders and other problems before even thinking of breeding.

As a breeder, you must be prepared to guarantee your puppies against inherited health problems that may not appear until adulthood. This can mean refunding money or replacing a dog years later. Many states are now passing "puppy lemon laws" that would require a breeder to refund up to three times the purchase price of a defective puppy or pay for its medical bills. Temperament is also subject to guarantees. You could be sued if a dog you produce bites someone! You need to be there to give buyers advice on training, behavioral and medical problems. You are the "on- line" support for your puppies' owners for the next 10-15 years!

AKC Registration Requirements

If you plan to register your litter with the AKC, you need to become familiar with their rules and recordkeeping requirements. You should be aware that they have the right to inspect your premises and breeding records at any time. If your recordkeeping doesn't meet their standards, they can refuse to register your puppies, impose a fine and suspend you from registration privileges for life.

Learning how to breed responsibly

Breeding dogs today is a serious matter. Before going any further, visit your local pound or animal shelter to see what happens to the dogs that were raised by people who thought it would be "fun" to have a litter. "The miracle of death" by euthanasia is just as educational as the "miracle of birth"! If you intend to breed your dog, then you should be fully aware of what the consequences may be.

Will it be worth it? The answer is no. The decision NOT to breed your pet is one of the most intelligent, educated and loving decisions you can make.