Is dog breeding ethical?

Is dog breeding ethical? The short answer? It can be.

I sympathize with the concerns over full shelters and thousands of dogs being euthanized or dumped. It's a concerning problem that needs to be addressed. The solution will not be found by altering every single dog, pressuring ethical breeders into closing down or even criminalizing breeding animals.

Ethical breeders play a crucial role in maintaining the health and integrity of the breed. Ethical breeders adhere to strict standards, prioritize the outcome of breeding pairs, and conduct the proper health screenings of their soon to be dams and sires. They interview buyers and help educate new owners on how to properly take care of that specific breed. Supporting responsible breeding practices can help ensure that future generations of that breed are healthy and well-adjusted. The dog world has yet to find a balance between promoting adoption and recognizing the value of ethical breeding. Yes, both avenues can coexist and help each other thrive.

Terms thrown around in dog spaces - backyard breeder, reputable breeder, puppy mills, ethical breeder, and for profit breeder. Unfortunately, these are all conflated. There is a difference between an ethical breeder and a unethical breeder. I have heard people say "it's wrong to breed, ethical or not!' or "Stop ALL breeding!"

Imagine if, as I call them, the adopt don't shop crazies got their way? All dogs would be mixed to point of being unrecognizable as any specific breed - distinct breeds would no longer exist. Bloodlines would no longer be traced. Inbred dogs or dogs with genetic problems could no longer be determined. All of them would be altered which means eventually no dog could ever breed again - eventually making dogs extinct. I don't think they realize that is the future they are creating. We have all met these types, they are dramatic, militant, and refuse to acknowledge that some people do not want or may not be in a position to adopt a shelter dog with an unknown background and special emotional needs. Rescuing a dog is a big responsibility and comes with a lot of unique accommodations that you may not necessarily have to prepare for with a puppy you've raised yourself.

Breeds exist to fulfill specific jobs or roles. That is why avid hikers might get a Siberian Husky or a Visla while a introverted remote worker might get a Yorkie or Dachshund. Siberian Huskies have been bred for thousands of years as a working dog. There are some places around the world that still use dog sledding as their main method of transportation due to their local environments. Would these communities be doing the logical thing by taking any dog, with any background, at a shelter? Or would they be better off finding an ethical breeder who breeds huskies for pulling as intended for the breed? What if a farmer with a flock of vulnerable animals in need of livestock guardian went to a shelter and adopted a dog to guard his flock with a giant question mark for a resume? Would he doing the responsible thing for the animals under his care? If breeders stopped producing dogs with certain physical and personality traits, these communities would not have options.

It's ok to want to a puppy. What is not ok is feeding the demand for puppy mill industries or unethical breeders. That is the issue. Dogs existing is not the issue. Distinct breeds are not the issue. Breeders are not the issue. It's dogs being abused, dumped and winding up in shelters due to uneducated consumers or poorly bred dogs. Luckily, there are ways to avoid buying from an unethical breeder with just a little bit of research and asking a few questions.

'For profit' has earned a negative image. This phrase conjures up thoughts of greedy CEOs, cutthroat salesmen and people being stepped on. Profit incentives are not evil. In fact, getting something tangible in return for your effort and hard work is something every single one of us appreciates. It keeps you going. Having an ethical breeding program is a lot of work! It's time consuming, dirty, at times heart breaking and keeping your records current is expensive. Good breeders deserve to be compensated for their time, effort, and knowledge. If breeders did all this work as a charity we'd have very few breeders or all the breeders would be ultra wealthy and so would all their customers. The concern is when breeders widen the profit margin at the expense of the animal's welfare. Breeders should never cut corners when it comes to a dam's welfare or producing healthy, well adjusted puppies. Luckily, there is a way to de-incentivize putting profit over puppies - controlling consumer demand. If consumers only purchased from ethical breeders or adopted from shelters, bad breeders wouldn't have a demand to fill.

The Unethical Breeder

While there may be exceptions, the following list should help you avoid unethical breeding businesses.

• Can not provide documentation on health testing of their dogs.

• They don't screen potential buyers.

• Give no health guarantees.

• Have no return policy.

• Their dogs are not registered with the AKC (in the US) or cannot provide proof that their lines are proven working dogs or champion athletes.

• Do not have contracts.

• Do not take breed standards into consideration.

• While breeding out of your home or 'backyard' is fine, these breeders often have improper set ups for whelping and raising pups which leads to unhygienic conditions or poor quality of life for the dogs.

• The price for the dog is either much lower or much higher than the average puppy price for that breed.

• Lack of knowledge on the specific breed or on puppy training.

• Restricts visits to their facility or home.

• They sell their puppies earlier than 8 weeks.

• They breed multiple breeds or will have multiples litters at once.

• Let's you take home the puppy after the first meeting.

• You are not allowed to see the mom and dad or the breeder is not the owner of the parents.

• The breeder doesn't encourage you to stay in contact after purchase.