Bringing a dog into your life is an exciting and heartwarming experience; they truly are some of the most lovable companions on earth.
However, first-time puppy buyers often fall into the trap of purchasing from unethical sources such as backyard breeders or puppy mills (also known as puppy farms or puppy factories). These unethical breeders prioritize profit over the health and welfare of their dogs, which can lead to serious problems for both the puppies and their new owners.
If you’re planning to buy a puppy, it’s essential to understand how to identify responsible breeders and avoid the unethical ones. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to spot the difference, so you can bring home a happy, healthy puppy raised with care and integrity.
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What is a Backyard Breeder?
Backyard breeding refers to the irresponsible practice of breeding animals purely for profit, without proper care or ethical standards. These individuals often overlook the welfare of the dogs, focusing instead on making money while minimizing expenses.
Many backyard breeders lack the necessary knowledge, experience, or commitment to responsible breeding. Some may even believe they can produce high-quality or show-standard puppies without investing in health testing, proper facilities, or responsible breeding practices, which ultimately leads to unhealthy and poorly socialized dogs.
What are the Signs of a Backyard Breeder?
Many dog lovers often wonder how to spot a backyard breeder. The truth is, if every breeder followed responsible breeding practices, animal shelters wouldn’t be as overcrowded as they are today, though irresponsible pet ownership also plays a role.
That’s why it’s essential to recognize the warning signs early on. To help you make an informed decision and protect yourself (and the dogs), here are some clear indicators that can help you identify a backyard breeder.
1. No Screening of Potential Buyers
While responsible breeders would have the best interests of their dogs in mind, the only concern of backyard breeders would be money. Ethical and responsible breeders would want to have complete information regarding the home that their dogs would be going into, as it would tell them whether their dogs would be taken care of or not.
Many responsible breeders have prepared a special questionnaire for those who are interested in getting a puppy from them. Many breeders would also reject selling their puppies to potential customers if they don’t feel right about them.
2. Selling on Platforms Like Craigslist and Gumtree
As discussed before, since the primary concern of backyard breeders would be money, they would want to earn it in any possible way. Since Craigslist and Gumtree attract buyers who deal by just meeting up and exchanging cash for a puppy, responsible buyers won’t sell on these platforms. Most of the responsible breeders have an up-to-date website and a Google Business Profile account listing where the buyers can get full information about them.
3. Minimal Medical Security
Usually, health contracts are made between the buyers and the breeders at the time of purchase. These contracts ensure the health of the puppies for at least 1 year (and at most a lifetime guarantee) starting from the date of the purchase. The backyard breeders won’t care much about the health contracts or offer health contracts for a short period.
4. No Proof of Genetic Testing
Genetic testing goes hand in hand with health guarantees and responsible breeders test for most, if not all, of the most common genetic defects. The proofs of these tests are then listed for all of their breeding dogs.
Irresponsible breeders will lack this proof, as they would be least concerned about the defects that are prevalent in the breed of the dog that they are selling. For example, if you are getting a large dog that is prone to hip dysplasia, the breeder should provide you with the hip score of the dog.
5. No Veterinary Records
Puppies are supposed to receive their first veterinary visits, dewormers, and shots before the age of 8 weeks. This ensures that the dogs have been examined thoroughly by a professional veterinarian for health issues.
Even though it is legal for the breeders to give the first puppy shots themselves (different countries and states may have different laws for this), the responsible ones would have the shots given by a vet as proof that they were given correctly. All of this documented proof may not be available with a backyard breeder.
Why Backyard Breeders Should be Avoided?
Many irresponsible breeders overlook crucial factors needed for healthy, ethical breeding. In an effort to maximize profit, they often allow dogs to breed freely without considering their genetic history, health conditions, temperament, or proper nutrition.
This negligence can lead to serious health problems and genetic disorders in the puppies. While such breeders may appear more affordable at first, the long-term costs, emotionally and financially, can be far greater if your dog develops chronic health or behavioral issues.
Some backyard breeders even try to give away unhealthy puppies for free or for a minimal price, which can seem appealing but carries significant risks. If you truly wish to give such a dog a home, it’s far safer to adopt from a reputable rescue organization or animal clinic, where dogs are properly vetted and cared for by professionals.
Different Between Backyard Breeders & Puppy Mills
Backyard breeders typically operate on a much smaller scale compared to large commercial breeding facilities like puppy mills or puppy farms. They often breed just a few litters a year, usually within a small indoor setup, based on the number of dogs they own.
Puppy mills, on the other hand, function as large-scale breeding operations focused purely on profit. These facilities may house hundreds of dogs in cramped, unsanitary conditions with little to no concern for their welfare. In some cases, authorities have uncovered shocking numbers; one such raid resulted in the rescue of over 700 neglected puppies living in inhumane conditions.
Ethical Breeder vs Backyard Breeder
How to differentiate between an ethical dog breeder and a backyard breeder? The two most definite ways of getting a dog are through a reputable breeding source, and if not that, then by contacting a backyard breeder. The main difference that sets these options apart is the effort and investment made by the breeder.
A reliable breeder pays particular attention when breeding his dogs. They consider the genetic history, behavior patterns, and other important factors before breeding dogs to minimize the risk of any health risks or defects. They even get their dogs screened regularly to ensure healthy puppies.
On the contrary, a backyard breeder tends to be careless when it comes to the breeding process, as for them, profit matters more than the quality of the breed. Moreover, their knowledge is limited, and they don’t have the means to invest a lot in the health of the puppies.
Difference of Experience and Knowledge
The most prominent differences between them are their knowledge and experience. Most reliable breeders would be a part of local and national organizations. They are quite experienced and can answer most queries related to specific breeds. Reliable breeders take special care of their dogs to ensure they remain in perfect health. They make sure that their female dogs don’t get impregnated before they turn two years old. They also ensure that their dogs start to breed once they are mature.
However, in the case of a backyard breeder, as soon as the dam’s reproductive cycle begins, they start breeding them regardless of their age or maturity. There is a specification or control on how many times a dog can breed.
Healthcare Facilities and Investment
The dog’s health is a primary concern for a responsible breeder, as they want to make sure their dogs are healthy and have low risks of developing any defects. However, since most backyard breeders are commercial-minded, they pay little attention to their dogs’ health. They tend to own their dogs and care for them even after they have been purchased. They take full responsibility in case of any health issues and make sure to treat their dogs in the best way possible.
On the contrary, backyard breeders don’t take responsibility for their dogs in case of any health issue, which is why they cannot be trusted or relied upon when purchasing a puppy.
How to choose a responsible breeder?
While getting a new puppy, first, you should research the breed if you are getting it for the first time. Once you have finalized the breed, start looking for the most reputable breeder of that breed in your area and neighborhood. Make sure you do the following while choosing the breeder:
- Check their website to see if it’s up-to-date.
- Check their social media pages to see if they are updated regularly or not.
- Ask your friends and family.
- Check local review websites and find out what their customers say about them.
- Request a visit or a video conference call and check their premises.
- Ask for health certificates for dogs and puppies.
- Prepare a questionnaire and get them to answer all of your questions
Questions you should ask a breeder:
- How long have they been breeding this breed?
- Are they registered and licensed to breed this dog?
- How often do they breed their females?
- Have the health tests of the parents been performed or not?
- Ask them to meet the parents.
Read all the questions you should ask the breeder.
Bottom line:
You wouldn’t want your human child to be born with genetic issues and defects, right? Similarly, as a responsible dog parent, you wouldn’t want your dog to be born with genetic issues and defects. So, always get a dog from a well-reputed breeder, although it would cost you more, it will be beneficial for you and the dog in the long run. If possible, adopt a dog from the shelter instead of getting one from a breeder because hundreds and thousands of dogs (and other pets) are waiting to be adopted. Read Why should you adopt a dog?
