There is a big difference in a 'resposible breeder' a 'Backyard breeder' and a puppy mill. We all know what a puppy mill is and they are horrible! The backyard breeder is a little tougher to spot because they have all their dogs running around in the back yard(and no sign of a kennel) and the dogs usually look pretty happy.Neither of these is a desirable breeder as neither of these cares what kinds of dogs they produce as long as they are producing them!A responsible breeder is one that carefully selects the Sire and Dam after alot of research. Usually talking it over with other breeders, the responsible breeder makes the best choice posiible to advance or further the breed. Just remember the resposible breeder cares more about the dogs and the others only care about the money! NEVER buy puppies from a pet store!! Those places keep puppy mills in business!!Plus you definately do NOT want a puppy that you really have no idea about !!you don't know what kind of upbringing this pup has had or the mental and physical toll that has already been put on a petstore puppy! Buy only from resposible breeders and before you decide to buy a dog please see if there is room in your heart for a rescue dog! If you want a certian breed there are many breed specific rescues out there! If you just want a doggie to love check out your local humane society!!

In-Breeding and other Breeding Methods

One of the most hotly talked about topics with regard to pure-bred dogs

is the use of in-breeding. This is a term that is often misused and is

extremely misunderstood.

Part of the misunderstandings come from differences in the way the

terms are used within the scientific/medical field, and how it is

commonly used by breeders. These are the most commonly accepted

definitions used by serious dog breeders. Explanations of each are as follows:

***In-breeding - This is the breeding of closely related animals.

Brother-Sister, Parent-Offspring, ½ brother - ½ Sister.

****Line-breeding - This is the breeding of animals that share common

ancestors but are not closely related. For example the dogs may share a

common great-grandparent.

*****Out-cross - This is generally considered the breeding of animals with

no common ancestors within the first 4 or 5 generations.

Common Misconceptions

In-breeding causes genetic diseases - Breeding closely related animals

increases the possibility that any bad genes in a line will show up. It

does not 'cause' genetic disease.

Out-crossed dogs are healthier - This is only partly true. There is a

known phenomenon called Hybrid Vigor. Two animals of unrelated strains

breeding

breed and the offspring is often bigger and grows faster than it's

purebred cousins. This method is often used by farmers in order to get

their animals to market sooner. But one of the biggest misconceptions

of hybrid vigor is that it applies to all animals of mixed heritage.

Hybrid Vigor only applies to the animals that are the direct offspring

of the crossing of the unrelated strains. In other words if you

continue to breed animals of different strains there generally will not

be any additional increase in hybrid vigor. If the unrelated strains

share common genes for genetic disorders, hybrid vigor will not over

ride the risk of the disorder showing up. Out-crossing can also cause

problems if widely divergent physical types are mixed due to

differences in growth rates and bone and muscle sizes.

Benefits Of Each Type Of Breeding

By definition, purebred dogs have a smaller gene pool to draw on than

mixed breed dogs. That smaller gene pool gives the breed its individual

characteristics, such as physical appearance and temperament. It is

what makes a poodle a Poodle and a Golden Retriever a Golden Retriever.

But there is considerable controversy with regard to whether the gene

pools of the modern pure-bred have become too small.

Inbreeding -

In-breeding is more likely to help "set" or "fix" a particular trait

within a breed or a line by narrowing the gene pool to favor those

traits. So if a breeder is looking to set a particular desirable

feature of their line then in-breeding and choosing the offspring most

strongly possessing that trait can be beneficial.

There fore just because your dog has the same dog in it's pedigree

more than once DOES NOT mean that they are inbred in a BAD way

But inbred by folks that knew what they were doing if they were

responsible breeders!One thing you HAVE to watch when breeding

dogs is ANY genetic defects . There are many I have seen as a vet tech,

groomer and breeder. There are too many to name but in my particular

breed Hips and elbows should be certified by a vet. Any Skin disorders,

anything that can be passed genetically should be nipped in the bud

and ANY dog with a disorder like that should be spayed or neutered!

The Humane society offers certificates to spay or neuter your dog at

a discount!