Back yard breeders

[LucyR]

On several forums now, posters have offered/solicited breeding mates for their dogs. These individuals are clearly backyard breeders. The responses have been very polite and informative. However in view of the increasing frequency of such posts, I am thinking that we are not getting our message out there about the dangers of BYBs. These are the kinds of activities that various state legislators are trying to shut down. Rightly so. Many of these dogs will wind up abandoned, in shelters, or in the wrong kinds of homes. Dogs that have been obtained as a "gift from a relative" are not in "screened" homes. How do we know the conditions under which such dogs are kept? I am horrified at these posts and am puzzled as to why they are appearing so frequently? The popularity of doodles is growing by leaps and bounds and this is one of the very sad side effects. We have heard about this, but are now beginning to see it among our doodle owner groups. Creative/helpful suggestions/comments needed for action!

[Adina P]

Lucy thank you for your post. I think quite often it's people who just aren't educated about the ins and outs of breeding. They are not bad people, but they may not have been around a doodle community or other dog communities long enough to see the rescue problems and to learn what the gold standards are. They simply think their dog is fabulous and want to produce more because after all dogs do it all time on their own, right ;-)? I think even the 'crazy' rescue lady we know, Katie, has said once that many BYB pups are socialized quite well by the family (she was not endorsing the practice could just pointing out one aspect that sometimes isn't always bad).

And some do it for a quick buck, again not realizing or choosing to ignore the facts. We have BYB's here in my town...I really think they are on the border between clueless and willfully ignorant.

On the other hand, we have been around awhile... Have seen the BIG picture, the horrible shelter stories, the huge rescue need, the health problems in puppies/dogs due to lack of testing of the parents. This is just not a concept that other people know about or understand. You and I are probably very conscientious, careful individuals who tend to read everything we can on a topic that is unfamiliar to us. Others tend to be the types that just plow ahead and learn as they go rarely thinking that something can be a big deal.

I think education will be the most effective tool---but how to get this education out to the right people is the tricky part.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am so glad this discussion has been started!
In addition to the excellent points Adina has made, there also seems to be a prevailing myth among many of these people that it would somehow be cruel to not let their dogs (both male and female) have the "experience" of being bred and producing a litter. With owners of males, this seems to go hand-in-hand with a certain reluctance to neuter a male dog in general. With both sexes, these attitudes go back many years to a belief that desexing will change the dogs personalities or alter their growth. You also still occasionally hear of someone who wants their children to witness "the miracle of birth". (Those of you who know me will also know how I feel about this kind of thing, so I will refrain from commenting further on THAT.)
I strongly agree with Lucy; these kinds of posts are horrifying to me, too.

[Adina P]

I thought of another myth to add to Karen's...some think letting a female be a mother will calm her down.

[LucyR]

The most frightening aspect of the BYB activity is the almost 100% certainty that the pups (that survive!) are passed along intact. I can't see BYBs doing early/spay neuter. The ultimate result of this is more unwanted pregnancies/more unregulated breeding and even more puppies winding up in places that are not the best for their well-being. Despite the unpopularity of state regulations, I am beginning to think that is just about the only way to prevent BYB.

[Cam & Oski]

In Lancaster, CA they're considering mandatory de-sexing of Pit Bulls & Rottweilers on the grounds of aggression (something similar was passed a while ago in SF http://network.bestfriends.org/nmhp/news/104.html which is its own can of worms but it got me to thinking. Given the fact that the shelters & Craigslist are being inundated with people either surrendering or abandoning their pets (part of it due to the financial crisis & part of it sadly seems to be an ongoing cycle) which is straining already limited resources, especially since the majority of shelters are no-kill shelters perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to put forth the concept of mandatory de-sexing for all pets (dogs/cats) not only to prevent over-population but also cruelty. You walk be allowed to apply for an exemption under special circumstances (eg show dog, breeder,...) but you'd have to undergo an evaluation as to not only the merit of your application but also the humane circumstances of your business (this would pertain more to BYB/potential puppy mills). It would be another way to prevent what happened in WA last week from continuing to occur. Just a thought.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It is a real hot-button issue, and the "pet industry" lobbyists will never allow it to go through. They have managed to defeat laws calling for such basic humane requirements as 20 minutes per day that an animal is allowed to be outside of its cage....that would put too great a financial burden on them.

[Marianne *OZZY & ZOEY]

I totally agree. It takes a lot more then just a male and female dog to have healthy puppies....I know the doodles are getting expensive and someone may think it is a great way to make a extra money in these tight times, but the female needs vet care before breeding as does the male....the health history of both mother and father should be considered, not just lets get together and have some puppies. I believe in desexing a puppy before it is placed this would stop some of the problems.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

I think we must distinguish a couple things. Are these people doing it just to try to make a quick buck and ignoring all the testing, selection of appropriate breeding stock, etc, OR are they really going to become responsible breeders. The posts I have seen seem to be people that think they should breed their dog because their dog is the best. What I do find interesting is that these people have dogs of breeding age that are not desexed. Didn't they get their dog from a reputable breeder that has a contract regarding spay/neuter.

The people who are posting are obviously not understanding what it is to be a breeder. If they did they would have purchased their dog under a "breeding" contract (I don't know if that is the correct term). They also would have discussed these matters with the breeder that they purchased their dog from.

I also find it interesting that they generally do not understand the breeding generations.

I do know that there are many responsible breeders that have limitted number of litters - the small breeder, they should not be confused with these irresponsible people.

[Joy Originator of GiantSchnoodles]

How are you rdefining back yard breeders?

[LucyR]

Someone with only a casual interest in breeding a dog (male or female). Usually someone with an unneutered pet animal who thinks it might be "fun" , for any number of reasons, to let the animal breed. That would be my concept.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And someone who has no knowledge of breeding, genetics, etc., but sees how much the doodle puppies sell for and thinks that might be a fun way to make some money.

[Maya]

This discussion has been so enlightening! I kind of knew what back yard breeders are, also understood some of the risks, but I know much more now!