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Originally Posted by Ladymom  Most people are aware of what a puppy mill is, but backyard breeders seem to be able to fly under the radar. And it's the BYB's who produce the majority of purebred puppies, not the puppy mills. The BYB's are also responsible for all the genetic health issues in Yorkie's today.
BYB's can be "wolves in sheep's clothing". Some of them are really nice, raise their puppies in their home, sometimes even in little nurseries. The problem is that they breed pet quality dogs who are far from the Yorkie standard, know nothing about genetics, and don't do health testing like screening for liver shunts, luxating patellas, etc.
This is a great comparison between backyard breeders and reputable breeders: http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/1901/chart.html Backyard Breeder vs. Reputable Breeder |
Thanks for this post. I was wondering what the difference is between a "reputable breeder" and a "backyard breeder." Sounds like the difference is not so much the physical operation or quantity; but, the health of the puppies they produce.
The problem for those of us researching where to buy a healthy puppy is that it appears there are very few "reputable breeders" close enough to visit in person. In Oklahoma, the Yorkie breeders directory (linked to the AKC website) lists only 2 for the entire state. My vet gave me the names of 3 breeders in Oklahoma whose puppies he had seen and whose owners were happy, and they are 100 to 200 miles away. Then the "reputable breeders" don't seem to produce many "show quality" puppies with full registration so that more healthy, "show quality" puppies can be bred. There really does seem to be a shortage of "show quality" full registration puppies available--or even "pet quality" limited registration puppies from "reputable breeders." It really is a dilemma--I could go to a pet store or call a number in the newspaper today for a BYB and buy one, but I want a healthy puppy.