You're most likely reading this article as you're either looking to buy or adopt a new dog, searching for responsible breeding tips, or a lover of animals in general. There has been a lot of press around the scandal of irresponsible breeders, puppy farms and those looking to monetise of breeding puppies and doing so unlawfully.
Majority know to avoid puppy farms, but, unfortunately, there are individuals that fall short when searching for a puppy or dog to buy. Mypetzilla take responsible breeding very serious and have a strict, diligent process when approving those wishing to advertise their pets for sale. However, it is also the responsibility of the potential owner to remain diligent and understand the necessary steps on ensuring that you’re buying from a responsible breeder and what to do if you come across a situation where the puppies haven't been bred correctly and are indeed suffering.
The problem that we see today is many dog owners are breeding irresponsibly to design a dog with certain features to make money. Unfortunately, this is leading to the dog suffering with genetic disorders such as deafness, heart defects, hip dysplasia and many other conditions. On the flip-side there are lots of genuine dog breeders that breed responsibly and do so with lots of love and care for the dam and sire and their future litters. If you do come across an unlawful breeder, then you must report them immediately to the RSPCA and to the police. It’s important that we tackle this awful issue and report those breeding unlawfully.
If you are a new potential dog owner and want to better understand how to buy or adopt a puppy or dog from a reputable breeder, then please read our other articles on choosing a healthy puppy and dog breeder questions.
If, however, you're looking to breed and want to better understand how to breed responsibility. There are many websites to visit where you can get lots of helpful information on how to breed correctly and what the necessary steps are, potential costs and where to register.
Listed below are some helpful questions to ask yourself before you consider the breeding process.
- Do I have enough knowledge on the breeding process, enough to give advice to new pet owners on how to care for their puppy, including diet, health issues and rearing?
- Do I have the correct funds to pay for the process, which could include emergency caesareans, recommended health tests prior to mating and tests for the new litter?
- Do I have the space at home for a large litter?
- Do I have enough time to devote to the entire process, which includes lots of love and patience?
- Am I able to locate good homes for the puppies?
- Am I knowledgeable enough to rear the litter to a high standard, which includes vaccinations, working and socialisation?
If you are all concerned regarding these questions and you feel that you're not ready and committed enough, then you shouldn't breed.
Your core beliefs for breeding should be of a high standard and you should be willing and devoted to breeding a litter of high quality and looking to improve, where you can; the future litters and help put an end to puppy farming.
All responsible breeders believe that each litter that breed should always be an improvement on the parents and consider the health of the dam and sire. They need to plan so that the environment in which they breed is well maintained and equipped for breeding. They assume responsibility for the litter and ensure they go to a good home.
