The reputation of dog breeding as a profession has suffered in recent years. And despised, even by most professional breeders, are the lowly backyard breeders.
Backyard breeders are badmouthed… a lot! An (admittedly bias) article in Wikipedia defines it this way: Backyard breeding is “substandard”, small scale breeding, normally done at home with the breeders’ own pets. Welfare groups rightly blame some of them as the source of most shelter dogs. And “responsible breeders” accuse them of not striving to “improve” the breeds they work with, nor screening for genetic diseases.
And yet, backyard breeders also have the potential to offer society the best pet puppies money can buy. And backyard dog breeding can be profitable, reaping tremendous benefits to the breeder’s own family wealth and well being.
So here are five things I LOVE about backyard breeders:
- Just because their operations are small doesn’t mean backyard breeders don’t care about the quality of their dogs. Many small breeders run high-quality “boutique” operations with just as much attention to bloodlines, genetic screening and improving the breed as show breeders.
- Larger breeders often rear their puppies in kennels outside the house. The puppies that result don’t have a clue about how to live with people in a family home environment. Because backyard breeders’ puppies are raised as part of the family, they have a great chance of being well socialized to life in yours at adoption. And there are proven health and psychological benefits to the breeders’ families, especially children.
- Unlike registered breeders, backyard breeders are free to cross different breeds. The “designer” puppies that result have less risk of suffering from inherited genetic diseases. And when the breeds used are chosen wisely, they can be very well matched to the needs of the people buying them.
- Some registered breeders are motivated to achieve glory in the show ring. A popular strategy to achieve this is through the mating of closely related dogs (they call it line breeding, I call it inbreeding). Unfortunately, while some of the puppies will indeed be exceptional examples of the breed, genetic disorders are also multiplied by incestuous breeding. Backyard breeders are free of this motivation. While the less sophisticated of them might unwittingly be inbreeding, at least they’re not doing it deliberately.
- Backyard breeding offers the opportunity for stay-at-home Moms and cash-strapped-retirees to earn extra income from the pets they love. Done right, it’s a win:win for them and their owner customers. Have one or two breeding dogs takes hardly any more time to manage than normal pets. And it can boost income enough to free new Moms from having to leave their babies while they go out to work, and help retirees survive on their pensions.
Ultimately, the article portrays a highly romanticized and unrealistic view of backyard breeding, ignoring the many risks and ethical dilemmas associated with it. The practices of responsible breeding (which emphasize genetic health, ethical standards, and lifelong care for dogs) should be the focus, rather than encouraging unregulated backyard breeding under the guise of it being a “win-win.”
While it’s important to approach each side of an issue fairly, the article lacks nuance and fails to address the significant ethical, health, and welfare concerns associated with backyard breeding.
This entire article raises nothing but red flags:
Lack of acknowledgment of the larger problem: While some backyard breeders may indeed treat their dogs well, the article doesn’t address the broader societal issue of pet overpopulation, which is partly driven by irresponsible breeding practices. It overlooks the significant burden on animal shelters that are often overcrowded with dogs bred in less regulated environments, including backyard breeders.
Ignoring the ethical concerns: Backyard breeding can often result in poor living conditions for the dogs, as many breeders do not have the resources or knowledge to care for both the parents and the puppies adequately. This article fails to discuss how these conditions contribute to issues like poor socialization, neglect, and overpopulation in shelters.
Misleading on genetic issues: The article downplays the potential harms of crossbreeding (often marketed as “designer dogs”) and inbreeding, suggesting that backyard breeders may be inadvertently better at avoiding genetic issues. This is simply not true. While crossbreeding might reduce the risk of certain inherited disorders in some cases, it doesn’t guarantee healthy offspring. In fact, without a deep understanding of genetics, many backyard breeders unknowingly perpetuate health problems by failing to properly screen for genetic diseases in either parent.
Without genetic testing or proper health screening, the risk of passing on hereditary diseases is much higher.
You ate this up! I applaud!
Thank you for this article! I am a “backyard breeder” who has been anxious and slightly even ashamed of it because of all the negativity…until reading your article. We carefully and lovingly selected our breeding dogs (I even travelled all over the world to get them!), and they live in our home with us – they’re our fur babies! Thanks for putting wind back into my sail ?