Recently, there has been an uptick in reports of ‘backyard breeders’ in the Meaford area, which is causing concern for local animal welfare inspectors and community residents. Not to be confused with ethical, reputable breeders, backyard breeders typically breed dogs solely for profit, with little concern for the care and safety of their animals.
Backyard breeders are not professional dog breeders, and often lack the education, experience, and discipline required to responsibly breed at a high level. That’s not to say that they’re bad people, or that they have ill intentions for their animals, however breeding animals for quick cash is never a good idea.
Although to a lesser scale, many backyard breeders fit the ‘puppy mill’ label, as evidenced by their never-ending ads that flood every classified imaginable.
The Problems with Backyard Breeding
The biggest problem with backyard breeding is that most don’t take the time to make smart genetic matches. Often with dollar signs in their eyes, backyard breeders simply breed whatever animals they have access to, usually family pets. Typically, there are no checks and balances to ensure the genetic identities of the dogs in their care. This means they’re not fully aware of the dogs’ family history, including genetic health risks or history of aggressive behaviours, for example. Without genetic screening and family health histories, prospective new puppy owners are gambling with their pet’s long-term health.
Speaking of health, backyard bred dogs and their puppies often do not receive adequate veterinary care. While the animals may seem healthy enough when they are young, many are at high risk of developing health problems as they age: joint and mobility issues, eye problems, parasites, and more.
Another significant concern regarding backyard breeders is they aren’t usually as well educated as professional, reputable breeders. Proper socialization of puppies is a big problem. Puppies raised without essential social skills may lead to the development of behavioural problems: becoming fearful, developing aggression, and anxiety, among other things. Fear imprinting in young puppies happens long before they’re old enough to join their forever family. Many backyard breeders will sell puppies at too young of an age, often six weeks and younger. Reputable breeders generally take great pride in developing healthy social skills in their young puppies – they recognize how critical this stage of development is.
Oftentimes, backyard breeders choose to breed animals solely for profit. They want to breed them ‘just for fun’, or ‘just one time’, after seeing how much other breeders are charging for puppies online. Unfortunately, careless breeding like this only hurts the animals and perpetuates an unwanted segment of the pet industry.
Signs of a Backyard Breeder
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They don’t encourage you to meet the puppy’s parents
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There is no guarantee regarding family health history
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No genetic testing has been performed on the parents
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The do not have a dedicated breeding space; puppies are often kept in makeshift areas like a spare room or garage
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They do not offer any kind of contract or guarantee for their pets
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The puppies are a result of not spaying or neutering pets in the home
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They have limited knowledge about breeding in general
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They don’t screen potential pet parents, and will sell their puppies to anyone willing to pay
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They do not offer references
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They’re selling dogs at a discount because they don’t come with papers
When looking to add a new dog to your family, it is important to consider where they come from. Supporting backyard breeders by purchasing their puppies only feeds the puppy mill machine. Over time, this can have a dramatic effect on the health of pets in our community. Upstanding, reputable breeders take great care in screening buyers, and determining good genetic matches to ensure positive long-term health prospects for their chosen breed.
For those considering a new dog, think of pet adoption first. In 2018, Canadian animal shelters took in over 81,000 cats and 30,000 dogs. There are an overwhelming number of pets of all ages desperately in need of loving, forever homes. While puppies are certainly cute and cuddly, give some thought to opening your home to a rescue pet in need.
“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”
― Karen Davison
Brandon Forder, known as The Pet Expert, is vice-president of Canadian Pet Connection, an industry leader in healthy pet lifestyles. Brandon holds multiple certifications in pet nutrition, and has more than twenty-five years’ experience specializing in pet health and behaviour. He has written hundreds of informative pet-related articles for newspapers, magazines, radio, and the popular Ask the Pet Expert Blog. Brandon is highly skilled in pet problem solving, and enjoys teaching others about smart and responsible pet ownership. To learn more, visit www.CanadianPetConnection.ca.
