Hi there

Don't know anything about breeding (dogs, that is - got 2 kids!) and was wondering a couple of things:

1. What makes some breeders choose such different types of dogs to breed. I mean you will see someone breeding Rotties and also Corgis, or Samoyeds and Whippets? Is it just purely that they love two totally different types of dogs, or is it usually cos there is a partner with them who has one of the breeds.

2. When does a breeder advertising various types of dogs become a puppy farm -is it over 4 different breeds or when they just have many of the one type of dog.

I'm just curious, I'm not wanting to annoy anyone by my questions - honest. I can see why someone breeding GSPs, may also breed Labs or Weims etc. I always check the breeders on this site - looking to see Viz breeders, of course, and it has crossed my mind how people settle on the different dogs they breed.

Shirley

Hi
1 Who knows! I started off with a Springer Spaniel , then a Labrador, because I didnt want to "replace" her. Then when I had a long term back problem I decided to go for a smaller lighter breed that was easier to manage - Westies. I have long hankered for another lab and have decided to try and find a nice lab puppy next year. I have also always had a hankering for a Manchester Terrier - to have a breed that is a little unusual ( and short coated!) and because I fell in love with 3 of them which belonge to a previous employer. So in a few years time I may have a couple of Westies a Lab and a Manchester Terrier. Although I agree that these days puppies are usually best obtained from a specialist breeder, many of the "old school" well respected dog men and women often had or were interested in several different breeds, which is what made them such good allround judges of many different breeds.

2.Puppy farming is a huge topic, and although those with dozens of dogs of diferent popular breeds could easily be called a puppy farmer , one could have just 4 bitches a be classed a puppy farmer by some. Its not so much the number of dogs but they way they are looked after and how often they are bred and the fact that the individual dogs concerned are probably very poor examples of the breed having done no hereditary checks and that the "breeder" is only breeding to make some money, that makes them puppy farmers - in my opinion.

1/ People who do or allow this sort of breeding should not be graced with the name breeder, it is they who fill the rescue centres and it is them who are the reason that most rescue people spay or castrate before re-homeing, the only possible reason for casual cross mateing is money. sorry have just re-read you post and I have miss read thought you ment X breeding

2/ Some breeders do have up to 3 or 4 breeds in their kennels and are not puppy farmers, neither do they have adverts in local or free paper week after week either because they only breed if there is a need. If they want a puppy for themselves or they have people on a list waiting for puppies. They may advertise on the odd occasion but not every week or even every month and the breeds being advertised for sale would not be 3 or 4 but only 1 or 2.
The only way to be sure is to visit the kennel and ask questions and look for yourself. I would expect to see mothers for all puppies on the premisiss and I would expect the bitches to look as if they had given birth to the pup concerned. I would expect the people who are breeding to be interested in either working or showing, if not I would want to know why they are breeding. If it is for a living I would not be very happy as the dogs concerened would not be getting the treatment that would be best for them. If there is any sign that they are selling puppies breed by someone else then I would not even consider a pup from them. :)

Thanks guys - I see that you could have quite a few bitches of different breeds, but really its the amount of puppies you breed that can turn someone into a puppy farm. I've never really thought much about breeding until reading this site etc (by that I don't mean I am in the slightest bit interested in breeding dogs myself, just finding out about the system etc!), but I have had two people stop me and quickly enquire as to whether I would be willing to put my Viz to stud - NO! I have met a particular dog recently and she was such a poor example of the breed, wasn't an example really and I discovered she had been bred from too!
I do freak a bit when I see adverts (like in the Exchange & Mart) with so many numerous types of pups all available from one telephone number - don't people get suspicious or is it just people who don't do their "homework" first that buy these poor pups - actually perhaps the pups get the best chance, its the poor dams that are constantly bred from that really suffer. Again, how many people stop and tell me that a Viz (after they've asked what he is?!) is just the dog they want, unbelievable, considering they don't know what breed he is in the first place!

Shirley

Often the people who advertise week after week several breeds for sale are not only puppy farmers themselves but buy in from any one else who has had a litter and are not interested enough in what they have produced to sell to the pet home but sell the whole litter off to people who act as retail outlets for the puppy farming trade. some of these out lets are high tec and resemble a supermarket, like Pets are Us, others are seedy establishments run from backgarden or yards. They are all doing the same thing though taking pups from people who produce puppies either because they are careless or for money and one can't help but think that neither those who produce the pups or those that sell have the slightest interest in the dogs, they are just a commodity, like potatos, to be bought and sold. Ja:)kie