Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1  Breeders do many things that are not discussed with people outside of breeding, simply because if you do not breed, you have no way of knowing all the specifics and the mechanisms of how this all works. I would imagine it is safe to say the majority of breeders have a "kennel building" where their dogs may stay at night, or if the breeder is not home...you can not possibly have 7-15 dogs, both males and females, running loose, mixing it up, in your house, 24/7. That is unrealistic and actually a safety hazard. You not only are at risk for horrific fights, you risk unwanted pregnancies, pregnancies by "God only knows who" out of the group of males you have....it is just not practical. You have dogs darting out doors when they open, you have incessant barking, and you can not clean house with such goings on! Most people think only puppy mills have dogs contained in "out buildings"....but I can guarantee you, the money spent on some of these kennels, rival guest houses! Your reputable breeders do not have dogs enclosed in tiny, wire rabbit style hutches, with wire floors, and their dogs are not kept in the large crates the breeders use, for hours a day...usually they go to crates when you need to do housework, or if there are workmen inside the house, or at night. There are hours set aside for play, quiet interaction/socialization with family, activity areas for running off steam, etc. Dogs are gathered and crated during storms, so if necessary, you can grab them up and get out. You also keep your males separated from the females unless you are watching closely....you do not have those "ooops" encounters that result in breedings between dogs you had not planned on breeding. AuntieLauries out building kennel was actually fantastic! I can tell you it was NOT cheap, and it was well designed.... I wish I had the money to have one of those kennels built that are completely washable with water jets positioned all over the building, where all surfaces are misted with any solution you want to use....they are fantastic little buildings, with great living quarters for your dogs, grooming area, area for any medical care, giving injections, dressing changes, giving meds, storage areas, of course running water, a/c and heater, with adjoining attached runs with flooring, and of course, video and audio monitoring of the entire building and crate and run areas, etc....but they are $40,000.00- $80,000.00.....CLEARLY nothing puppy mills would ever think of investing in! People that do not breed just have no way to know the logistics of safely and hygienically being able to maintain a breeding business. So you should keep a clear, open mind about breeders and how they operate. You would be surprised how much "conventional wisdom" people have encased what they consider "a reputable breeder" and "acceptable breeding practices" in, is actually not quite the whole picture. |