"Backyard Breeding"

So I have this term, "backyard breeding". It refers to those who breed their dogs for fun or for monetary gain. Many of these puppies end up in shelters at some point down the road or living in horrible conditions. I am always a bit put off when people ask if Summer is able to breed. I understand our dogs would have PRECIOUS puppies but that is NO reason to breed a dog.

Now, Summer came from what I would term a 'backyard breeder'. Summer's parents were bred because of their temperaments. I love Summer and treat her as my child but I do not like why she was bred. The owners of her parents did a pretty good job of finding these puppies homes and there are people out there who do just that. But when there are so many good dogs sitting in shelters, being put to sleep on a daily basis I see no reason for backyard breeding.

I'm an advocate for a shelter in rural Georgia and they get a lot of Pit Bulls. Recently I found out that these pits come from one area (some say its a family). I'm not sure if they breed them on purpose or if they just refuse to spay/neuter their dogs. Regardless, too many of these gorgeous pit bulls are put to sleep every week. At this shelter only rescues can pull pit bulls making it even more difficult to save these dogs.

I honestly don't think breeding should be completely banned as there are great reputable breeders out there breeding dogs for showing or working reasons. However I am really bothered by those who breed dogs for monetary gain. It is these types of breeders who end up inbreeding and causing many health problems within the breed. It's also how pit bulls got their bad rap.

To sum it up...

We need to crack down on those who participate on backyard breeding. There should also be regulations put in place to protect those who are responsible breeders and help those who are not. Instead of shutting down an operation (there is a huge on in atlanta...) they should be required to follow regulations. This will stop puppy mills, prevent inbreeding (and hopefully health problems that become associated with breeds), and hopefully lower the number of dogs in shelters.

So many rescues follow the motto 'rescue until there are none'. And I think that's great. But honestly I don't believe that is realistic. I love helping rescues, don't get me wrong, but I prefer to focus my efforts on preventing more dogs from entering shelters in the first place. The first place to start is with education. Which is exactly why I started this blog in the first place :)

What do you think about backyard breeding or regulations on breeding? Please comment I would love your feedback!