Are you an ethical dog breeder? What does that even mean?
Some people will say that there IS NO ethical dog breeder… how sad! They assume that since there are dogs in the shelter, nobody should breed…. ever.
That’s incorrect, in my opinion. Without ethical dog breeders, the pure breeds that we love would become extinct as the only puppies produced would be backyard breeders or unfixed dogs doin’ the dirty deed at random.
Dogs don’t consider each other’s genetic defects or health traits before breeding, but an ethical dog breeder does- decreasing the rates of those defects and increasing the rates of positive traits in the next generation.
Dogs can’t find their puppies loving, perfect families through thorough screening. But an ethical dog breeder can! AND an ethical dog breeder can ensure that their puppies NEVER end up in a shelter with long-term involvement in each pup’s life.
Each and every dog breeder should strive for the highest standards to ensure that they have a positive impact on the world.
Here’s a simple checklist to identify if you are an ethical dog breeder! Look for ways to stretch and improve your program today!
Long-Term Vision
An ethical dog breeder has the long game in mind. This isn’t about one generation here- this is about improving the breed as a whole.
It could take years and years for an ethical dog breeder to build up the traits that she is trying to improve.
She carefully documents pairings and tracks how the puppies turn out- years into their lives, or hopefully even for the pup’s entire life! If she spots a problem, she changes her breeding plan accordingly. She’s not prideful or stuck in her ways, she is constantly adjusting to implement the best plan for the dogs she loves.
The more she adjusts, the more she hones in her breeding practices- the more successfully she produces the best traits. As those amazing traits become more common through her influence, the breed as a whole benefits from her care.
More dogs live healthier lives.
More future parents pass on those specially chosen positive attributes.
Fewer puppies and families suffer from genetic problems.
Love, not Money
Are you in this for the money? I know you’re not- or else you probably wouldn’t be reading this! And honestly, there’s not much money to be had in dog breeding anyways. Those goofballs who thought this would get them rich were just plain wrong.
Money has a funny way of motivating good people to bend the rules, tell a fib, or fudge our ethics. None of that has a place in dog breeding.
Ethics come first. The best way to know if you’ve got the right mindset is to see if the dogs are the priority- are their needs and wellbeing first in your mind? Would you give up a paycheck if it wasn’t best for the pup?
Make a commitment now to never allow money to change your character and moral code!
I also understand that most loving breeders just can’t afford to be bleeding money. Want to learn more about balancing love for the dogs while also turning a profit? Check out this article! Spoiler alert- the more you put the dogs first, the more you love them, the more their needs come first, the more earning potential you have!
Experience
Puppy shoppers want to see a dog breeder with lots of experience. They will search through social media, your website, your reviews, and more.
What about a dog breeder who is brand new? I recommend getting a good mentor or co-breeder. You can “piggyback” on their experience. When a question pops up and you don’t know the answer, there is safety in having another set of ears to listen and give sage advice.
PS I would love to be this person for you! Ask any question at all on our Facebook page and I’ll be happy to share my experience and knowledge with you! If I don’t know, we’ll find the answer together.
Ethical Dog Breeder – Ethically Chosen Dogs
We’re going way back to the beginning here- you’re considering becoming a dog breeder and the first choice you have is where to purchase your first pup- the pup that you will raise to become the first parent in your program.
An ethical dog breeder supports other ethical dog breeders. As a result, they raise dogs from the best lines to parent their own puppies. Because you’re building on such a solid foundation, you, and your puppies, are off to a great start! Years of work from the ethical dog breeding before you provide you with a jump start on those amazing traits to improve your breed!
This is also a great responsibility. Having such an incredible starting point means that it’s your duty to build up from here! What trait or health issue are you going to improve? Have a solid plan before you begin.
Be sure to keep your dogs’ registration and pedigree on hand and be willing to show it to potential customers so that they know the quality lines that you chose to build from.
Parents Matter- A Lot
Speaking of the parent doggies, they are the backbone of everything. As such, they need the best preparation for this incredible work that they are about to take on. Although they won’t be old enough to breed until at least age 2, there is plenty of work for you, as a dog breeder, right from the start!
Dog shows are a great way to prove that your parents are the best: an example of their breed, physically perfect specimen.
What about skills? Is your breed known for protection? Your parents should be excellent protectors. Are they police dogs? You parents should sniff out bombs faster than you can say “I hate airport security lines.” What about cattle dogs? Do your parents guide and direct cattle with skill? Maybe it’s rescue work, a seeing-eye dog, or a seizure-sniffing pro. Whatever you want your puppies to be, make sure your parents exemplify that skill.
Even if you are simply breeding quality pets, be sure that your parents have great training. They should be role models to the puppies!
All breeds have an ideal temperament and behavior traits. You can find these traits for your breed in the AKC breed standards. If your dog fits these requirements, he or she is a possible candidate as a great momma or daddy!
Time for the next step: Health testing.
An Ethical Dog Breeder Health Tests EVERYTHING
A major problem in the puppy world is that a less ethical dog breeder could run a simple Embark test and then claim that their dogs are fully health tested. Unsuspecting customers might not realize that there are other health tests that this parent dog is missing.
Proper health testing does include genetics testing, and Embark is a great company for that. But genetics aren’t everything.
OFA certifications verify whether or not a dog has better than average health traits for his breed. They are specific to each breed, meaning that a poodle will need different testing than a pug. (Check your breed’s recommended health tests here!)
This is great news for you! Because this registry of your breed’s health results exists in one convenient place, OFAs are a great way to measure your dog’s health against his peers- other dogs of the exact same breed. It’s a data based way to measure his or her top notch traits! It’s also the best way for you to verify that your dog is, in fact, the perfect specimen to pass on above average health traits.
No wonder an ethical dog breeder needs HEALTH testing in addition to GENETICS testing. Passing on the best traits is exactly how we improve the breed.
Great Dogs Aren’t Always Cut Out for Breeding
An ethical dog breeder is often faced with difficult choices- like noticing, understanding, and accepting that a puppy she raised and intended to breed might not be breeding quality after all. That doesn’t mean you have to rehome her- keep her, spay her, and love her!
Maybe the temperament isn’t what you’re looking for, or the OFA results weren’t good enough, or some other defect. “Defect” sounds like such a mean word. It’s important to note that just because he or she didn’t pass all the tests to become a breeding dog doesn’t mean the dog is broken. Not all dogs pass the test to become a hunting dog or a police dog, but they do a perfect path that fits their own needs. Her perfect path can be out of our hands. Be willing to change your mind if you see that her path is different than what you first thought.
Being an amazing companion and loved pet isn’t enough to qualify a dog for breeding.
Unethical dog breeders (sometimes referred to as “backyard breeders”) often base their decision to breed their family pet on how much they love her. That’s truly very sweet, but it’s not enough to make such a big decision on. Incredible dogs can still have hidden genetic imperfections, or health conditions that you don’t want to pass on to puppies, or a temperament that isn’t a good example of the breed.
An ethical dog breeder will spay or neuter when it’s the right thing to do, even if it wasn’t the plan.
An Ethical Dog Breeder is Not Breeding for Looks
As you’ve gathered from the previous headings, an ethical dog breeder considers many important factors BEFORE breeding: the dog’s temperament, the dog’s skills, how well the dog fits the breed standard, the dog’s genetic health, and the dog’s physical health.
The dog’s “cuteness” or perfect color isn’t top of the list. At all.
In fact, it’s pretty low on the list. Appearance isn’t what matters to an ethical dog breeder. Appearance doesn’t improve the breed.
An Ethical Dog Breeder is Educated
Many first-time dog breeders hyperfocus on 1) navigating the heat cycle to find the perfect timing to breed and 2) getting through the birth safely.
I admire all these preparations, they are great things to research!!!
However, I can’t help but feel concerned when that is ALL the preparation. After all, puppies go through 4 major developmental phases during the first 8-12 weeks. Each phase comes with unique needs, and an ethical dog breeder should be prepared to respond appropriately to each phase (Our whelping kit educates you on all 4 phases!)
Don’t limit your research to pregnancy and birth only- be knowledgeable about the entire puppy-raising process!
An Ethical Dog Breeder is Prepared
Every ethical dog breeder should have a healthy and active respect for life. After all, you’re creating life- and likely, you will see life lost at some point in this process. Respecting life means being prepared to help in a life and death situation.
Be sure to provide yourself with the items and supplies that you need, and learn all you can about the appropriate ways to respond. An emergency situation is not the time to be googling the answers. Be sure to learn beforehand so that you are ready.
Gather all the materials together in an organized way. During an emergency, you don’t want to be rifling through your things trying to find what you need!
Learn more about preparation for the Birth of a Litter here!
Active Participant in the Puppies’ Beginning to Life
An irresponsible breeder assumes, “Mother dog will handle the puppies’ care.”
As we said earlier, an ethical dog breeder actively works through each developmental phase along with the puppies and the mother.
There are early exercises, such as ENS and ESI, that can begin at DAY 3 to give your puppies lifelong benefits! (Our Whelping Kit can teach you exactly how to conduct these exercises)
Don’t stop there! Once the puppies “graduate” from their Early Exercises, it’s time to step right into the next phase. The puppies will need to be introduced to all the sights, sounds, items, textures, and experiences that they will be expected to encounter in their daily lives BEFORE the Fear Period sets in around week 7. The key- never scare the puppies with a new experience. Watch their cues and introduce each new thing slowly so that the puppies build a repertoire of positive encounters with new experiences. They will learn that new things don’t have to be scary and actually can be quite fun! This builds resilience and decreases the negative impact that the Fear Period can have.
Don’t stop there! The puppies also need as much socialization as you can possibly provide- without introducing them to illness. This is a careful balance. The puppies should not be exposed to germs, so I don’t recommend taking them out of the home or yard. I recommend inviting as many new people to visit the puppies as possible, but always ask them to sanitize. Some dog breeders even require them to clean their shoes!
There are other milestones for a quality start to life, such as weaning successfully, but it’s too much to discuss here. Additionally, there is no end to the ways that a breeder can give her puppies a quality start- consider beginner training! Long story long, an ethical breeder doesn’t leave it all to momma dog- she is actively helping the puppies through every stage of development until that big day comes when the puppies leave the nest!
Even that transition can be helped along by the dog breeder. Here’s a great resource on how to make a puppy’s transition to his forever home smooth and successful!
A Clean Environment
Puppies are really tricky to clean up after. I know firsthand.
So many breeders out there allow the pups to grow up in a dirty environment because it’s just so much work to keep up with the cleaning. Doing so increases the chances of illness and teaches the babies bad behavior- living around so much filth makes potty training more difficult for the families. After all, the puppies are used to living in poop. Why change when they go to their forever homes?
Beyond health and behavior, it’s just icky. So so icky. I want better for my babies.
Fight the fight. Do the work. Keep that puppy area clean. Early potty training, such as using the Misty Method, can help! During the summer months, outdoor play time can keep some of the mess outside (where it belongs) as well. But be sure to watch out- just as puppies shouldn’t be left out in too cold of weather, too hot of weather can be dangerous.
Careful Screening of Potential Families
When looking for the puppies’ forever families, remember that it’s a matching game. Not every pup fits every family. Ask lots of questions to guide your placement choices. They are not only screening you- you are screening them!
Not sure what to ask or what warning signs to watch out for? Check out 17 Warning Signs- NEVER Sell A Puppy to These People
Remember, the overall goal is long-term placement (meaning- such a great match that the puppy is loved forever and never rehomed). Here are some of the requirements to achieve a long-term placement:
- Financially able to support the puppy
- Enough time for the puppy
- The pup’s temperament compliments the family dynamic
- Safe home- Is the yard fenced? Do they live in an apartment?
- Does anyone in the home have allergies?
- The pup’s temperament compliments any pets already in the home
- The family knows how to train the puppy
- The family has support in the process of raising the puppy
- The family understands that raising a puppy will come with challenges
- The family does not have a history of rehoming pets
- If there are children, the children understand how to interact with a puppy
When a family first reaches out to me, it is often on text or messenger. I get all the basic questions out of the way and only schedule a video chat or an appointment to visit my home if the family seems like a quality candidate.
Never skip this step! Every family should either visit in person or have a video chat to meet you. Texting doesn’t cut it- too many scams go down over text. The video chat or visit is my chance to really get to know the person. I ask the most in depth questions here to understand what the family needs and consider which pup would meet their needs.
When I meet the family, I always begin by show them everything- the puppy areas (I usually have at least one indoors and one outdoors), the parents, the records I’ve kept about the babies, I discuss my processes and why they are in place. There are no secrets- everything is an open book. Why would there be secrets unless I were hiding something? I’ve got nothing to hide and I want the family to know the quality that I provide.
Choosing a pup can be a little tricky. Temperament should always be more important than color or looks. You, as the breeder, have the final say. Never home a pup with a family if your gut tells you it’s not the right thing to do!
Oh, and never sell to pet stores. That’s a solid no for any ethical breeder. Pet stores are parvo central and don’t place their pets with care.
Long-Term Involvement
Did I go through all this work for 8-12 weeks and fall in love with every baby just to send them away forever? No way!
I offer lifetime support to all my families. They become like extended family members who send me pictures and chat often.
Each pup has a health guarantee that protects against genetic health problems (those would be my fault anyways!). Every family signs purchase contracts to protect me just in case anyone turns out to be less honest than I thought they were (this stuff happens way too often!).
I know writing contracts can be tricky, so here’s a jump start for you! Enjoy these Puppy Contracts- customizable to fit your needs!
A breeder’s lifelong involvement with each baby has a further benefit. If there is ever a reason that a family cannot keep their puppy, no matter the age or circumstance, the breeder is a loving home. We’re always ready to save our babies from life’s unfortunate curve balls. Usually this is part of the contract- that if you must give up your dog, she comes back to the breeder.
Doing so prevents a dog breeder critic’s worst fear. They hate dog breeding because of the animals who are in the shelters. This important aspect of an ethical dog breeder ensures that our babies are NEVER sent to the shelter. We do not contribute to this problem, and we seal that promise with our own sacrifices and dedication.
Honest with Customers
Every once and a while, a problem arises. For example, I’ve had a puppy get injured from a fall the day before her forever family picked her up to take her home!
An ethical dog breeder never hides a problem. State what happened clearly to the family, offer options for the solution, and allow the family to choose the solution that works best for them. In the case of an injury, like my situation, always have the pup vet checked before sending the baby home.
Another way to be honest with your customers is to provide records of the puppy’s time with you. Send home the documents along with your “Go Home Packet.” What records should you send home with your puppies? Here’s a quick and easy packet- customizable to fit your needs!
An Ethical Dog Breeder is an Expert on One or Two Breeds
An ethical dog breeder doesn’t switch breeds on a whim. She’s not following the fads of which breed was in the latest Disney movie (a sure way to get sales fast, but not ethical).
How could a person ever put in the generations required to improve the breed if she doesn’t stick with one breed??
No, an ethical breeder has one (maybe two at the most) breed that she adores and knows everything about- all about the breed standard, all about the temperament, the training, the health needs, EVERYTHING! Because she’s an expert, she’s the perfect person to improve that breed.
Stick to the Breed Standard, Not Fads
Even within a breed, it’s common for fads to creep up. For example, “fluffy” French Bulldogs. It’s out of the breed standard, but customers find it to be cute. Unethical dog breeders recognized that buyers like it, so they adjusted their breeding to make more money by producing this fluffy trait. They promised customers that they were getting a RARE dog, and charged extra for it.
An ethical dog breeder doesn’t get distracted with such things. It’s totally focused on appearance and money, not health or improving the breed. You can see how these distractions can have a negative impact.
Plus it takes advantage of uneducated customers. Not in line with ethical standards.
Avoid Over-Breeding
Even the best parents with the best traits should not produce puppies endlessly. That WOULD contribute to the overpopulation problem that dog breeding critics worry about.
Limit the number of litters per female and the number of litters sired by males. In the case of a stud, be sure to screen the females he breeds with to be sure they are top quality.
Here’s a great resource to learn how many litters is the perfect amount and WHY!
The Unnamable Quality
As AKC’s website states to customers seeking out an ethical dog breeder, “One tried-and-true approach is to ask yourself this important question: If I had an emergency with my puppy in the middle of the night, would I feel comfortable calling this person? If the answer is yes, you may have found your future breeder.”
It’s our job to be that person for every customer! If your customers answer this question with a resounding “YES!”, you’ve reached your goal!
You are an ethical dog breeder!
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