| | Cappie said "I raise and sell puppies. I am not a puppy mill or even a "backyard breeder". I have 2 females and a male, all of the same breed. They are not registered and I never claim that they are purebred.
My dogs live in my home. Puppies are born in my home. If the weather is nice they have playtime outside but are always brought in for night,
They receive proper and excellent vet care. They are well socialized with people. They eat quality feed products. I spend a lot of time cleaning. My pups are not dragged out from under a shed and sold indiscriminately.
Why do I do it? Because I truly enjoy it and there is a market for them. Registered animals (which often, by the way, come from real puppy mills) are sold for 2-3 times the amount I charge. I don't sell for a low amount but enough to cover my labor, vet expenses, feed, etc. I also enjoy meeting the people who buy my pups and many have become friends. Many people who buy my pups are replacing an old long term pet of the same breed. I like making them happy.
I completely agree if one wants a rescue animal that is a great choice. But, not everyone does and that is also a choice. " |
|
|
Maybe you fall into the "hobby breeder" category? Here's a good chart that compares the two:
http://www.ktcampbell.com/taji/rbvsbyb.htm
On the same token, I found this when I was reading up on the definition "backyard breeder":
"Back yard breeders usually bring two breeding animals together regardless of their quality. They are not interested in scientific breeding. Their aim is to fulfill a personal need or goal, not to improve the breed and bring excellent quality dogs to the world. Since breed excellence is generally unimportant, the breeding dogs generally will not have been tested for genetic and health problems.
Back yard breeders are not necessarily bad people, they often come from middle to upper income families, and their dogs can be well loved and kept. " (
http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/byb.htm)
I have to ask, are you looking to improve the breed? It seems like you're doing it primarily for personal satisfaction, but unless you're engaging in "scientific breeding" it's possible you're doing more harm than good in the long run.
I also found on another site that responsible breeders "breed their female dog to the best male, not the most convenient one. [They] breed only dogs over 2 years old, and breeds the dog only a limited number of times: not every year." (
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_breedersandpetshops.php)
Are you breeding your animals with each other other? Are your females having litters every year? Because that's going beyond the realm of "responsible hobby breeder".
Now, I'm not accusing you of anything, but these are questions that I, as a buyer, would ask myself before getting a puppy from you, knowing that you bred non-registered, non-purebred dogs.