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Originally Posted by The Diesel  This is all true. A BYB(back yard breeder) is someone who breeds with no regard to health testing, conformation of the breeds standard and with no regard to temperment. By health testing i do not mean having the vet take a looksy and say "Yea, hes healthy", im talking testing for hips, heart, etc. People who breed for looks are BYBs. People who breed for money are BYBs. A reputable breeder should breed for the total dog, trying to meet all of the breeds standards. Good breeders strive to not just maintain the breed but strive to better it. The goal of a breeder should be to find the perfect bitch and stud that will produce a better dog than they were. Reputable breeders are few and far between. Breeding small dogs with small dogs just to make small dogs is the most irresponsible breeding.
So in turn we should not support BYBs or puppy mills because they are an insult to the breed that we all claim to love.
EDIT: I forgot to add that most breeders like to evaluate the buyer befor they actually agree to sell them the dog. Its not easy to quality for puppy from a reputable breeder. They usually make you sign a contract stating that you will spay/neuter them so that they cannot be bred. Theres too many unhealthy poory bred puppies that need homes as it is, the breeders are just trying to help prevent it. |
It's amazing how many people think that because the breeder tells them their dogs are up to date on vaccinations and have regular physicals and bloodwork, that qualifies as health testing.
Responsible breeders should have bile acids/protein C tests (if indicated) for liver disease, xrays of hips, knees, etc. for luxating patellas and Legg-Perthes, CERF for eyes and a thyroid panel done on dogs they intend to breed.
Don't hesitate to ask a breeder what tests she has done on the parents to ensure that they will not produce puppies that have liver disease, luxating patellas and the other genetic conditions Yorkies are prone to. If you get the runaround instead of proof that the tests above have been done, you are probably dealing with a backyard breeder.