I used to feel like I was selling kidneys on the black market. It was that look I often received when I told people I was a dog breeder. I work with a lot of dog breeders, new and seasoned. Many times new breeders introduce themselves to me defending why they should be allowed to become breeders, that is, why it’s OK for them to be a dog breeder. It’s a little funny. I mean, I educate breeders on how to better run their breeding business–for profit–in a way that their breeding business becomes the bringer of good things for their families; so naturally I’m inclined to want to support them. They don’t need to defend their position.
Written By: Julie Swan- The Honest Dog Breeder
It’s this mindset that we have around dog breeding: people judge it–and us–in ways they don’t judge other industries. No one looks at a plumber, hesitantly, and says, “Wait, you fix pipes and reinstall water heaters for a living? How dare you?!” Yet, it’s not uncommon for people to think that we breeders are somehow being terrible to our dogs in an effort to make puppies.
If you’re getting started in breeding and are finding that you’re defending to people why you’re breeding because you’re anticipating that they’ll judge you, I want to give you five things to think about. These are five reasons why dog breeding is actually a really good thing, for the dogs, the buyers, and the industry as a whole. When you understand these points, you’ll know why what you’re doing is a good thing, and why we need more honest dog breeders in the world.
1. All Dogs Deserve Love
All dogs deserve love. ALL dogs deserve to have a high quality of life. Interestingly, it appears everyone in the dog industry is on the same page with this one: trainers, rescues, veterinarians, tv show hosts, and yes, us despicable breeders. Unlike other professionals in the industry, dog breeders get to start the process …from birth. We get to give our puppies that love and quality of life from the start. Then it’s our business to find those puppies a home, a family, who will rival our love of them. I think we have the best job, and our puppies are given the best start at a happy life, in clear contrast to an oops litter that ends up at the shelter.
2. Higher Quality of Life
Through intentional selection, honest breeders consider all aspects of a dog when breeding. They consider a dog’s temperament, drive, health, and the type of home they’ll succeed in. If a dog is free from health issues, with good hips and elbows, that’s one less thing that could get in the way of a dog having a high quality of life. There’s less chance of them living in pain. This is a key consideration when buying from an honest breeder: the dogs are healthy and set up for a long, happy life.
3. Alignment of Buyer and Dog
While all dogs deserve to be loved, no dog will be a good fit for every buyer. Much like dating, we all deserve to be loved, in a healthy relationship; but not everyone will be the right mate for you. Honest breeders work with buyers to help them find a dog whose needs will match the buyer’s lifestyle. They look for the best fit. They breed for consistency, which allows buyers to know what they are getting. When people know what to expect, they can prepare. They know the challenges they’ll face and are ready for them. All of this provides our puppies a significantly better chance for a life where they are loved and cherished.
4. Support Network
A breeder’s success is realized when the dog fulfills the hopes and dreams of the owner. As such, the breeders are there for the long-haul to support their buyers. Breeders make it their business to understand where their buyers are struggling, and work to fix it. Sometimes that means changing breeding pairs, sometimes educating buyers, and other times it’s finding different buyers who are more aligned with the dog and its needs.
5. Prevents the Need for Shelters/Rescues
When dog breeders do their job right, there are less complications, less chance of falling into the wrong home or situation, less opportunities for dogs to find their way into shelters and rescues, or for them to find themselves bred to the neighbor’s fence jumper, resulting in mixed pups who are hard to find good lifestyle matches for. Better yet, breeders support their buyers. So when those puppies come into heat, the buyer will know how to manage it to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Regardless, all honest breeders I know will take a dog back if it doesn’t work out, preventing our dogs from ever needing to go to shelters and rescues. I want you to sleep well at night knowing that breeding puppies, finding them amazing owners, then supporting those owners, is one of the most beneficial things you can do for a puppy. Imagine, if all dogs in the world were given such a wonderful start, how much frustration and suffering would be removed from the world, for the buyers, the dogs, and the industry.
Shelley Wenger is a certified veterinary technician and has been helping animals have better lives for many years. She is also a dedicated writer, and can be found on Medium and Newsbreak. She is also happy to help others with their blogs and other writing projects.
She has just started a new venture in designing t-shirts, mugs, totes, and other gifts. You can check out her Zazzle store Designs by Shelley. Many of her designs share her love of dogs, cats, and farm animals. She has also designed other pieces for moms, grandparents, and plenty of baby gifts! When she isn’t working, writing, or designing, she is spending time with her husband and two sons on their hobby farm, with their faithful Border Collie Rosie by their side. They raise chickens, ducks, rabbits, and goats. And no farm is complete without a cat named Jumper.
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