Do not be fooled by heart-melting cute photographs or dolled up website pages. When looking for a breeder through which to obtain your family friend, a cherished companion, knowing who you are dealing with and what sort of practices they engage in are a must. Anyone can breed their dog, but not anyone can successfully breed their dog in an ethical, safe, and admirable manner. Dog breeding is not such a simple science that it is made out to be, and yet it represents an enormous world of business in which malpractice is rampant. To keep yourself and your future family member happy and healthy, rooting around in the business of your potential breeder is mandatory.
5 Characteristics of Ethical Breeding
There are a lot of dog breeders around. Not all of them are ethical breeders. Some people breed dogs simply to make a quick buck. If you are looking for a new puppy, you probably do not want to support an unethical breeder. If you are thinking about joining the ranks of breeders, you probably want to know what to do to be to do ethical breeding. Thankfully, there are a few standards adopted by many breeder’s clubs across America and Canada that can help you identify behaviors in ethical breeders.
Breeding for the Right Reasons
Breeders should not breed simply to make money. They should breed to better the dog. This means they take into account genetic diseases, appearances, temperaments and other aspects of the breed overall when they make a match.
Using the Right Tools
A breeding should only take place when the right tools are in place. This means that the breeder has the right housing available to take care of the mother and the babies. There is enough money to cover medical expenses, food, grooming and other necessities.
Keeping Health & Safety in Mind
A breeder should know how the keep both dogs safe during the breeding process. This means that someone has to be there at all times.
Using Official Arrangements
There should be an official understanding between the owners of both dogs. They should know what fees are expected, what constitutes a successful liter and have any other issues ironed out.
Keeping an Appropriate Time Table
An ethical breeder will also keep an appropriate time table. This means that they will not sell a puppy until it has reached the appropriate age to be weaned from the mother. It also means that they will have the proper socialization and age appropriate shots taken care of for the puppies.
Ethical Breeding Questions
The easiest way to probe about ethical breeding is to directly question them, rather than rely on what their website or their advertisement might say. Here some questions to start with.
Are you a part of a breed club?
Breeding clubs typically keep a close eye on their members and promote generally good ethical practices among themselves as a whole.
Do you have a guarantee on the genetic health of the puppies?
The best breeders will be able to provide a guarantee of up to two years on the genetic health of their puppies, proving their scientifically-sound breeding practices of weeding out health problems.
Have you had the puppies tested for health previously?
Responsible breeders will have their own puppies tested early on and will have no hesitation in revealing those results to you.
When can I take my puppy home?
Knowledgeable breeders know that letting the puppies leave their home before they are seven weeks old is potentially harmful to their mental and social well-being.
Choose Your Breeder Wisely
Not every breeder practices ethical breeding processes, but that does not mean that you should get a puppy from any source. When you are looking for your next furry friend, make sure you are supporting an ethical breeder or go to a humane society. If you are considering becoming a breeder, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and in the right way.
Remember that this is nowhere near an end-all list, and there are dozens more questions that should be asked of any breeder of any breed to elicit potential negative, and therefore, deal-breaker, responses. Tour the puppy’s residence and birthing place with lots of questions and above all be on the lookout for those merely looking to make a quick buck. Try to find, instead, an ethical breeder who’s genuinely trying to match beloved puppies to appropriate and loving future homes.