BYB contribute to animals in animal shelters (backyard breeders) a reputable and ethical breeder requires a spay/neuter contract for dogs who don’t fit the breed standard and have a return only contract. so the dog will never end up in a shelter no matter how old it is it is returned to the breeder. Breeders like this charge top dollar for there dogs and if a person is going to pay that for a dog then they really want that breed and are most likely not going to adopt from a shelter anyways. Not all breeders are bad its the ones who are doing it for the money that are. People who do it for the breed by being very praticular in what dogs they breed and nowing the genetic flaws are the good breeders. Breeders who are dedicated to the breed standard and eliminating breed problems for instance in cocker spaniels hip dysplasia has been reduced dramatically due to good breeding however they still have 15 hereditary eye disorders and proness to deafness. A reputable breeder woudl breed sound dogs. Pure breed shelter dogs are a result of BYB

There are plenty of reasons people breed dogs.

Many breed out of ignorance, like those who breed to let their kids witness “the miracle of birth,” or those who breed because they don’t know that it’s not necessary for a female to produce one litter of pups to be healthy. Some breed because they want to make a quick buck. If you buy excellent breeding stock and vet them and their pups properly you’re very lucky to break even, but an ignorant general public will buy sloppily bred purebreds that haven’t been properly cared for because they don’t give a crap about what they own as long as they can say it is “such-and-such-of-a-breed.”

Some breed because they want a dog that does a specific thing well and want to improve the breed. You could probably search two dog pounds full of mutts before you would find one who could learn to herd as well as the well bred Border Collie. Years ago I bred American Foxhounds for show and hunting and I never saw a single mutt that could match one of my foxhounds at trailing a fox. And it’s no wonder–an outstanding sense of smell, strength, tracking instinct, and endurance have been selected over many generations to produce a dog who can hunt fox far more effectively than the average dog. No home was “taken” from some animal shelter resident by my foxhounds because those shelter dogs could never have done the job my dogs did. It would have been like hiring an unemployed guy with no skills or talent to perform brain surgery because he needed a job.

As far as making money goes, I figure that I spent about a thousand per litter over and above what I made selling pups when I bred foxhounds. Since I wasn’t breeding to make money I spent what was needed to produce the best foxhounds I possibly could, including paying for all vet care that the dogs required and spending a small fortune on good breeding stock, testing for genetic defects, buying excellent quality food and supplements, and providing good quality training and conditioning. I bred about one litter a year, so that’s a thousand out of pocket, plus about two or three thousand a year to collect all of those little blue and purple fancy bows and gold and silver plated trophies. I thoroughly enjoyed showing and hunting. And my foxhounds also lived in my home as my pets.

If you are solely looking for a pet, most dogs that are purebred or mixed can make great pets. But if you need a specialist, be it a retriever or a rabbit hunter or a working herding dog, then purebred dogs consistantly bred for these traits are the best choice. Not all dogs are pets alone. Mine were pets that were also showdogs and hunters. The mutt from the pound or the thoughtlessly produced purebred are not the universal fit for every person’s needs.

You can choose to toss all breeders into a bag and say that they’re selfish people out to make a buck at the expense of our country’s homeless animals–you’re entitled to your opinion. It’s like saying that all women who stay home and raise kids are gold diggers looking for someone to support them. It isn’t accurate but it’s a free country–think what you like.

Yes, fianlly, someone else who shares my concern!

They don’t care about the animal, they just care about what kind of money the animal will rake in. It is selfish and greedy. They should be using thier knowledge to help out copmanies like the ASPCA.

Profit and ignorance.

There are some breeders who breed alot of dogs at once and don’t care about the mother’s health. They just worry about getting the best pups to slap a $500 add in the paper for purebreds. Other breeders take good care of their dogs or even breed one or two family dogs - they just happen to be ignorant of pet overpopulation.

Although this really makes me sad, seeing your question and all of the answers makes me glad to see the awareness of this growing problem. I’ve adopted 3 dogs from shelters and fostered 1, and that’s where I will adopt all of my dogs in the future.

You know, that is a very excellent questoin, and is one I’ve asked myself and others many times..
I don’t think people should be allowed to breed them. We need homes for the ones in shelters, and the ones being offered by families who can’t keep them, etc.
There need to be more regulations in place, and there should also be government assistance with spay/neuter services.

People breed because they want to show. The people that breed dogs breed responsibly. It’s not the breeders that are contributing to the population it’s other people that let their dogs loose to do whatever they want. Don’t attack the breeders until you’ve attacked the irresponsible people.

The only types of breeders that are really in it for the money are puppy mills, and they are wrong! But don’t confuse them with breeders. Sure adopted pets are fun, but some people like to show their dogs, and just like with rabbits and cavy’s they are striving for perfection. It’s a goal that someone has.

I understand what you are saying, and I agree with your opinion when it comes to puppymills. However, what about the really good reputable breeders? There are people out there that breed the dogs to maintain the integrity of the breed itself. Most dogs were originally bred for a purpose, and have specific traits/characteristics that are expected when choosing that breed. Yes, they sell some of their dogs, and they do make money, but they also take tons of time showing the dogs, training them, and raising them to be the type of pets we want in our homes. If the breeders stop breeding the dogs, then we will all eventually own a pit bull mix as that is what most of the dogs are at the shelters.

I totally agree that the shelter situation is extremely sad, and I encourage everyone to adopt a pet from the shelters. I have one dog from a shelter, but also a purebred Powderpuff that I got from a breeder.

A reputable breeder will screen adoptive family, have a contract that requires spay/neuter of pets that are not intended to be bred by a licensed breeder, and will make sure that only the best dogs are sold to be bred, thus to ensure the highest quality health, characteristics, temperament, etc.

Instead of bashing the breeders, why not direct your anger at the irresponsible pet owners that refuse to spay/neuter their pets and let them run wild. Or the people that abuse and neglect their pets after they get them, so they can eventually end up back at the shelters.

I agree with you 120% I got my dog at an animal rescue place she is a pitbull mix and she is the sweetest thing in the world!!! I think ppl think of pitbulls as killers but they aren’t!!!! They are born sweet and loving!! They are mean because they are trained to be it’s not the pitbulls fault and i wish ppl would understand that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I **** PPL WHO **** PITBULLS AND WHO FIGHT THEM TO GET MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it seems that way, but you also have to look at who you are against. Of course, I am against puppy mills and backyard breeders, but I believe that a registered reputable breeder is good for the dog population. They produce well-tempered, healthy, happy dogs. I know it seems that way, but breeders aren’t just out there to up the animal population. The truth is, you never know what you’re getting when you go to the pound. I got a puppy in early december from a pound in Tennessee. She was the exact dog I was looking for, small with some Australian Shepherd in her. She came to me spayed (a bad idea at her size) and apparently sick because she died 3 days later. The truth is, some people need that reassurance. It’s just like asking married people not to have any more kids because there are so many pregnant or single moms out there. Just because a birth was intentional doesn’t mean it’s bad and aimed toward overpopulation… We all belong, regardless of who our parents are, what race we are, etc. That’s the same with animals.

EDIT: One bred puppy does NOT take the place of a shelter dog. It all depends on the dog, not where they happen to be. I don’t care how destitute a dog is if it’s vicious, I won’t adopt it. However, if I find a querky style unusual looking sweet and spunky dog, no matter where or what kind it is, I’ll adopt it.

some people want to have a pure-bred pet… I myself find that I enjoy the heinz-57 variety of pets… we have 3 cats at this time (none pure-bred), but as I was growing up we had a dog kennel… you would not believe all the work you have to do… the gravel has to be so many inches thick to prevent worms getting into their paws, and their pens must be cleaned at least once a day, they need water and feed, and they also have to have shots and be wormed. The homeless pets come about because too many people refuse to have their pets neutered and spayed, causing too many animals to be born… So blame the pet owners who don’t bother to have their pets neutered or spayed as the big part of the problem, ok?