BREEDERS or BROKERS?
Is there a difference?
- A Responsible Breeder is a student of the breed.
- A Responsible Breeder knows more than just the names on a pedigree. That breeder knows the individual dogs, their characteristics, what they have produced when bred to various other bloodlines.
- A Responsible Breeder knows both the virtues and shortcomings of a dog and is not kennel blind.
- A Responsible Breeder does the testing and training to verify that the dog is up to standards.
- A Responsible Breeder knows why a specific breeding is being made and what traits are expected in the litter.
- A Responsible Breeder is involved with the puppies from before birth, making certain the female has the best possible prenatal care, the best possible care during delivery, and that the puppies are getting all of the care and handling required to maximize their potential.
- A Responsible Breeder works to match the requirements of the buyer with the needs of the individual puppy.
- A Responsible Breeder works to improve their breeding stock and often has a multi-generational plan for breedings. Look at the pedigrees of their dogs and you will see generations of their breedings, not just dogs bought for a quick breeding and then sold.
Breeding good dogs requires a full commitment. It starts with quality dogs who have been tested to ascertain their breed worthiness. Then comes the decision of which female to breed to which male, spending much time and effort making that decision for a litter that is better than the parents. There are the weeks of excited expectation and preparation. Followed by the hours in the whelping box playing midwife and then the weeks giving the babies the attention they need as they go from newborn to youngster ready for a new home, and the hours spent evaluating the pups.
The Responsible Breeder does have a payoff - the opportunity to watch the resultant pup grow to be what you had hoped for when you first started the process. It is the pride you feel when that dog has fulfilled its potential and your dreams. It is seeing the puppies' happy new owners and helping them become good dog owners. It is what keeps a breeder spending those hours and hours working with the dogs.
Brokers, on the other hand, buy pups - often entire litters - and market them. Brokers can be individuals or retail establishments. They might market other services. They might market supplies. But their bottom line is marketing. It is a lot easier - but it is not what a dog needs. It is also not what a buyer needs.
