Can Someone Please Explain This To Me?
 

Can someone please tell me what exactly a puppy mill is and a BVB or something like that? I am unsure of either. :confused: I would appreciate if someone could explain it to me. :)

Thank you very much!

You can go here to read a little about what a puppymill entails. http://yorkieviews.com/aboutpuppymills.htm Of course, everyone has their own interpetation of what a puppymill or BYB (back yard breeder) is. There is no definate defination of either, only what a person perceives them to be.

http://stoppuppymills.org/
http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/Comm...nel-facts.html
http://www.geocities.com/lorayen/PuppyMills.html
http://www.geocities.com/doc_soon/Puppymills.html
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/stopmill.html
http://filebox.vt.edu/users/kgaeding...uppymills.html
http://www.ddal.org/puppymills/

www.millbusters.com is a great place to learn about puppy mills.

A puppy mill is a place where dogs are expected to continually reproduce without any regard for their health or the health of the puppies. Hundreds of dogs are kept in one location (there can be less). Their cages are stacked on top of each other and some don't have bottom so the dog's waste goes right through the floor of the cage and unto the floor to sweep up. So they sleep on metal bars. The whole building can be infested with bugs/flies. The dogs rarely, if ever, get medical care and their pups are sold to brokers. The brokers then sell to pet stores. That is why nobody should buy from pet stores. That is what it is supporting.

:( :( :(

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.

:goodpost:

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.

Good posts ladies!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

very impressive i seen you all have done your research ok now i am off to see if there are truely any reputable breeders in my area because now that i have Max and Britt has Bella i want to get my other daughter a yorkie :) but not for a few months at least

Thank you and I had no idea! How heart wrenching! :cry:

I just wonder what happens to the poor little puppies/dogs that end up in the pet stores and no one buys them. Where do those end up? What a sad vicious cycle for the poor animals. :mad:

Thanks again!

I bought both my lovies from what I know is a BYB and everyone is right! She did not have me sign a contract, she provided me with bogus shot records but no other testing and she breeds her females over and over again and when they can no longer produce puppies she sells them. Both my puppies came with Giardia and various health problems. Fortunetly for my yorkies they came to me and I had them both neutered and can afford the vet bills I am now paying to make sure they are healthy. I shutter to think if they had gone to someone that just wanted arm candy and when they were found to have problems shipped them to the pound or worse.

Based on my experience I think BYB are worse than puppy mills!

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You are absolutely right. We focus so much on puppy mills because we think of them as dirty places that mass produce puppies, we forget that it's actually the backyard breeders that produce the majority of purebred puppies.

The American Kennel Club estimated in 1996 that about 70 percent of purebred, AKC-registered puppies were from backyard breeders. I wouldn't be surprised if that number isn't higher now. BYB's may not raise their puppies in barns, in fact many backyard breeders raise their puppies in darling little nurseries in their homes. Unfortunately, those puppies are just as likely to have genetic problems and be way off the breed standard as puppy mill puppies.

If you breed your pet quality dog, you are a backyard breeder, whether you breed the dog in your backyard, garage, living room or an expensive hotel room, the term is still backyard breeder.

http://nbran.org/breedornot.htm

Being very sincere in my question to you: Where are you suppose to buy a puppy from? :confused:

This is a great chart that compares reputable breeders to backyard breeders.

http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/1901/chart.html

The best place to start your search is with the breed club itself, the YTCA. They have a list of breeders by state. Many may have a waiting list, not expect litters soon, etc., but they can usually refer you to other breeders in your state.

http://www.ytca.org/breeder1.html

Another great source is dog shows in your area. It's a fun way to learn more about the breed and meet some of the smaller show breeders. The smaller breeders are usually less expensive and have the "perk" of being more available afterwards for support, questions, etc. You can find out about upcoming shows in your area on Infodog:

http://www.infodog.com/showinfo/state.htm

This should get you off to a great start! :D

I live in an area where there are not any breeders on the YTCA sight. However, knowing what I know now I would drive to a breeder that comes recommended from another owner, the YTCA site or even this one. The shows are also a great idea but not many are held in my area. Also, if I ever get another yorkie I would rescue one from one of the rescue sites. It is fun having a little puppy to mold but I now know several owners that adopted from yorkierescue.com and they have some of the most lovable puppies that needed homes.

I read books before I bought but this site sure opened my eyes and made me read about breeding. I also learned when my 1st puppy was sick and she would not take him back or refund my money, or even pay some of the expenses even though he went to the vet the day I brought him home.

Sorry one more thing, if you are going to spend $800+ isn't it worth driving to get a puppy you know is healthy? Trust me it saves money in the long run. I spent $1,000.00 on my first and $800.00 on my second and becuase they were from a BYB their initial vet bills were ungodly! Both Giarda and one Coccia and one also had worms. UGH! Like someone else wrote, she ALL her puppys in the house, however she has tons, breeds very small yorkies if she can, and the puppys are all on one room, she acts like she just loves them but if you really take a look and listen you would know she was a BYB if you were educated (which I wasn't :( )

I agree, it is worth driving to get a puppy, if it is going to be healthy. Sorry to hear of your bad experience. I am not educated at all about buying a puppy or raising one.LOL :D That is why I am here. I am learning a great deal from all of you. Thank you for that! :)

The way I like to describe a puppy mill is basically a factory where they mass produce pups for an ungodly amount of income. I think it is one of the worst scams ever. Most of those pups don't even have much of a chance at life. And the poor dogs that have to stay there that breed and breed and breed because they are forced to. It's awful.

The same can be said for shipping a puppy. If there aren't any YTCA or other reputable breeders nearby, don't rule out shipping a puppy. The few extra hundred dollars it costs now is much less than the vet bills you may pay down the road of you get a puppy from a backyard breeder.

Another GOOD option for prospective yorkie owners is a yorkie rescue. Sadly, there are LOTS of yorkies in rescue. There is no better feeling than giving an unwanted furkid a second chance.:)