As a breeder of 6 different breeds standerd poodles,beagles,english bull dogs and french pugs,bostons,I love and enjoy my job making people happy with the joy of a new pet.But it seems like every time I turn around someone asks are you a puppy mill or a back yard breeder....I'm state amd usda .I just want to make a point to all the peta/caps people out there not everyone wants a shelter dog.

because they are so many unwanted in the pound that are put to death.

i honestly don't get ur question?

I have absolutely nothing against breeders. I've been thinking about getting my son a lab or retriever puppy when he's older. But I'm not going to. It would just break my heart to think that I paid hard-earned money for a puppy when there are millions of perfectly good family dogs killed in shelters every year.

Tell me about your facilities? Do your dogs have room to play, do they get a chance to interact with people and other dogs, besides when they get fed and watered.Are the dogs you breed show quality? Do you show your dogs? What about the bloodlines? Are they compatible, are there champions within a generation or two?Are the puppies you sell show quality? How many puppies out of your kennel have earned their champion or CD titles?Truth is, it sounds to me like you are operating a puppy mill. Even if you are state and US Department of Agriculture inspected, I doubt if I'd buy a puppy from you. I greatly prefer to buy from a breeder who specializes in a single breed.BTW, if you care to prove me wrong, I will gladly make a public apology.

30% of shelter animals are pure bred dogs. Probably some of the ones you sold for profit.

Are you breeding to the standard of that pure bred dog? Are your dogs registered with AKC? Do you show your dogs and test your breedings against other dogs that have been bred to the standard of that breed? If you personally don't take your dogs to dog shows, do you send them out with a handler to have your breeding stock judged against the standard and other breeders stock out there?When someone pays for a purebreed dog through a breeder they expect it to grow up and look like, act like, behave like and really be the PUREbreed they paid for. When you purchase something that is not what you expect it to be - especially at the dollar value that most dogs are going for these days, there will naturally be a part of you that is disappointed that you didn't get what you were expecting.If you aren't doing any of that, then that might be why people are asking you if you are a puppy mill or back yard breeder.Are you mixing your breeds.. like a beagle and a pug to create a "Bug"? (For those who don't know, a "Bug" is a recently emerged "designer dog" which is just a mixed breed but sold for $1000 and over).To mix a hound dog (a dog that puts their nose to the ground and follows the scents) with a Pug who already has breathing problems, snores, and generally has no muzzle which causes them to overheat easily. So now you have a dog that puts it nose to the ground, with it's shortened muzzle, chokes on the dirt it is inhaling trying to follow a scent and can't pant enough to cool off its stocky body. Doesn't make much sense right?Also, shelters are full of mixed breeds that come from these very types of breeding situations.. people just doing it to make money, or didn't get their pet spayed or neutered, etc.If you are mixing any of your many breeds, then that also might be why people are asking you if you are a puppy mill or backyard breeder.I find that most of the dogs that come into our rescue were purchased from "backyard breeders" or a pet stores that was buying their stock from a backyard breeder or puppy mill. The story is usually the same.. they buy this cute adorable little puppy - and IF that puppy turns out to be healthy (many times they have genetic defects, bad knees, temperament issues), then it may grow up to be not what they expected.. like 15 pound Chihuahua's, or 20 pound Pomeranians. Pomeranians should be 4 - 7 pounds and Chihuahua's are the smallest breed.. so definitely should not weigh more than Pom standard. They have training issues, temperament issues, aggression issues, are aloof, or afraid all the time. They grow up to have heart conditions, bad knees, bad backs, etc. So now the dog that they researched, that they wanted, that they paid for.. isn't what they got and doesn't fit into their lifestyle b/c it is not the temperament or size that they expected to get. Now.. it ends up in rescue.So.. if you are breeding to the standard for your many breeds, if you are having your breeding stock judged against the standard for the breed, if your dogs are registered so you could prove through DNA that each of your dogs are pure breeds themselves.. by all means.. continue on and feel confident in your response to them that you are not a puppy mill or a backyard breeder and you are providing these pet homes with exactly what they are paying for.I hope this sheds some light on why people may think what you are doing is wrong and ask you the questions that they do.Good Luck!

I got my pure bred pug from a shelter.....she absolutly beautiful & if she had papers Im absolutly positive she could be a champion....my Mom who works for a vet & is a professional groomer says she is one of the best looking pugs she has ever seen so whats wrong w shelter dogs???

There are millions of dogs put to death each year. Do you make sure that your dogs always have a good home? Will you take them back at any stage? Do you enforce a spay/nueter contract with your puppies? Do you have all of your dogs hips certified? Do you do track to ensure there aren't problems with your lines and the litters? Do you breed every cycle or give your dogs a break that they need? Do your dogs live with you or are they caged? There are a million reasons why. Being a good breeder is about more than being licensed by the state of usda.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affe...mates.htmlread the statistics.. and not all shelter dogs are rough or mutts.. theres even some purebreeds in there. Although i hope you know purebreed dogs have more health problems and dont live as long because of a lack of gene variation.

[Yogi]

actually there is much misconception with purebreds living long or not as many assume. This depends on the breeding. Many purebred dogs will live long lives in accordance to their breeds. As one who bred Miniature Pinschers many assume because they are a small breed they must live longer. This is false. Size has nothing to do with the length of life in dogs. Miniature Pinschers true average life span is 12 to 14 years. What most do not understand is that each breed has different tempermant as well as energy level. Dogs with lower energy levels on average will live longer than those with high energy levels. In addition, as with humans and most others species of animals, stress plays heavily in the length of life that can be expected. Reputable breeders only breed dogs that are tested to ensure that the issues genetically in their breed are not there. By doing this the odds of them occurring drop dramatically. Mixing breeds in fact in most cases has proven to increase genetic issues as now there are double the issues to watch for. Every breed has issues and unfortunately all we can do is to research to ensure that if mixing breeds we do not mix those that already share specific genetic issues. Otherwise the odds are great that these issues will be carried on. I have had mixed breeds in addition to my purebreds for many years. I have had mixed breeds that I have taken in that did not live long and have had purebreds that have lived a long time, longer than the breed estimated life span. In my case with all my dogs and cats I have one rule, do not grab or pick up. When they want attention they come to me. I never force it on them. By doing this and following this for the past 40 years, every dog and cat I have raised from pup to kitten has lived way beyond their normal life span. Undo stress is caused when you grab or pick up when the dog or cat does not want this forced attention. Leaving it to be what it is has proven the best way of keeping the animal healthy. Shelter dogs though can live long is not an assumption that anyone can make. There are those that do and those that do not whether purebred or mixed makes no difference. Fostering whether in shelter or in a home has a long time effect on dogs and cats the same that it does on children. Bonding issues come into question as well as trust. It is essential that dogs in foster and shelter are there for the shortest time possible. The bouncing from place to place does nothing to increase the mental health of an animal. It needs to bond and be in a home where it feels it belongs. To many people in foster and shelters unfortunately do not realize this and especially fosters. They spend so much time thinking with their hearts instead of their minds that they lose focus on what truly is best for the dog mixed or otherwise. These conditions only contribute to whether the dog lives long or not as it is very stressful.