A Breeder's Role in Rescue
Believe it or not, most rescuers aren't against all breeding of American Eskimo Dogs. Not all breeders are bad, but the bad ones have created a serious problem for this breed.
Ethical breeders make serious investments of time, finances, and love into this breed. They have carefully crafted breeding programs to try to eliminate those genetic diseases, like hip dysplasia, retinal dysfunction, and epilepsy, that shorten our Eskies lives and tax our pocketbooks. They track the progress and health of each puppy they produce, and just like Nebraska American Eskimo Rescue, offer their puppies a permanent ticket home in the event that their family cannot keep them for whatever reason. Ethical breeders only produce a handful of litters in their dog's lifetime, and otherwise occupy the dog with family life. Ethical breeders are the reason that our beloved Eskies exist in the United States today.
Ethical breeders are almost always involved in a local rescue program. Not because they have to be, but because they truly love their chosen breed. An ethical breeder just wants to see as many people enjoying Eskie companionship as possible. Ethical breeders will always take back any dog they have ever bred, and will often re-home that dog personally or through a rescue they partner with. Ethical breeders participate in public education programs and community efforts with their dogs.
However, unethical breeders are the reason that there are so many beautiful Eskies in need. Unethical breeders are also called Backyard Breeders (BYBs) and when puppies are farmed in a commercial environment for profit, that environment is called a Puppy Mill. These breeders pair dogs who have no genetic testing, are too young to produce healthy offspring, and either breed for profit or for "fun." These breeders don't do temperament testing on their dogs, and let people pick whichever puppy they like the best; never mind if that puppy is a poor fit for that family, as long as they get paid.
Unethical breeders sell their puppies to pet shops or over the internet. You will never meet the mother of a puppy who is in a pet shop, and you will never see the environment it was born in. No matter how many times the shopkeeper or customer service representative tells you that the puppies they sell do not come from a puppy mill or unethical breeder, don't believe it! No AKC active and breed club registered ethical breeder would ever place their puppies without personally meeting the owners. For every puppy who ended up in the pet store, there is another who did not survive the trip.
The true heartbreak is that for every litter of puppies in a pet shop, their mother is somewhere out there in a cage barely big enough for her to turn around in. She has never felt the touch of grass, or of a kind human hand. She has painful tooth decay that make it hard for her to eat and drink, and she may have broken bones or severed limbs from her cage's poor structure. Most of these Eskies will never make it out of the puppy mill alive, unless the breeder surrenders them to a rescue or dumps them at a shelter.
Unethical breeders sell sick puppies and neglect or abuse adult dogs. Some puppies come home with worms, or mange, fleas, or mites. Some puppies come home with more serious diseases like Bordatella (Kennel Cough) or the deadly Parvovirus. Some puppies don't survive the trip home; others don't see their first birthday.
For those puppies who are not critically ill when they come home, there are still problems down the line. Because of the indiscriminate breeding practices of the unethical breeder, puppies often have genetic issues that must be corrected with costly surgery.
That's when many of these puppies end up in shelters, and hopefully in rescue, before they are euthanized. We find a way to raise the funds to provide the surgeries that will help the dog live a longer life because, like an ethical breeder, we love this breed.
Ethical breeders make serious investments of time, finances, and love into this breed. They have carefully crafted breeding programs to try to eliminate those genetic diseases, like hip dysplasia, retinal dysfunction, and epilepsy, that shorten our Eskies lives and tax our pocketbooks. They track the progress and health of each puppy they produce, and just like Nebraska American Eskimo Rescue, offer their puppies a permanent ticket home in the event that their family cannot keep them for whatever reason. Ethical breeders only produce a handful of litters in their dog's lifetime, and otherwise occupy the dog with family life. Ethical breeders are the reason that our beloved Eskies exist in the United States today.
Ethical breeders are almost always involved in a local rescue program. Not because they have to be, but because they truly love their chosen breed. An ethical breeder just wants to see as many people enjoying Eskie companionship as possible. Ethical breeders will always take back any dog they have ever bred, and will often re-home that dog personally or through a rescue they partner with. Ethical breeders participate in public education programs and community efforts with their dogs.
However, unethical breeders are the reason that there are so many beautiful Eskies in need. Unethical breeders are also called Backyard Breeders (BYBs) and when puppies are farmed in a commercial environment for profit, that environment is called a Puppy Mill. These breeders pair dogs who have no genetic testing, are too young to produce healthy offspring, and either breed for profit or for "fun." These breeders don't do temperament testing on their dogs, and let people pick whichever puppy they like the best; never mind if that puppy is a poor fit for that family, as long as they get paid.
Unethical breeders sell their puppies to pet shops or over the internet. You will never meet the mother of a puppy who is in a pet shop, and you will never see the environment it was born in. No matter how many times the shopkeeper or customer service representative tells you that the puppies they sell do not come from a puppy mill or unethical breeder, don't believe it! No AKC active and breed club registered ethical breeder would ever place their puppies without personally meeting the owners. For every puppy who ended up in the pet store, there is another who did not survive the trip.
The true heartbreak is that for every litter of puppies in a pet shop, their mother is somewhere out there in a cage barely big enough for her to turn around in. She has never felt the touch of grass, or of a kind human hand. She has painful tooth decay that make it hard for her to eat and drink, and she may have broken bones or severed limbs from her cage's poor structure. Most of these Eskies will never make it out of the puppy mill alive, unless the breeder surrenders them to a rescue or dumps them at a shelter.
Unethical breeders sell sick puppies and neglect or abuse adult dogs. Some puppies come home with worms, or mange, fleas, or mites. Some puppies come home with more serious diseases like Bordatella (Kennel Cough) or the deadly Parvovirus. Some puppies don't survive the trip home; others don't see their first birthday.
For those puppies who are not critically ill when they come home, there are still problems down the line. Because of the indiscriminate breeding practices of the unethical breeder, puppies often have genetic issues that must be corrected with costly surgery.
That's when many of these puppies end up in shelters, and hopefully in rescue, before they are euthanized. We find a way to raise the funds to provide the surgeries that will help the dog live a longer life because, like an ethical breeder, we love this breed.
How can I avoid supporting unethical breeders?
The easiest way to avoid supporting abusive, unethical breeders is to ADOPT!
Adopted dogs bond just as strongly, learn just as quickly, and love you just as much as a puppy would. Adopted dogs need people like you to give them a home, and a second chance at a good life. The dogs we rescue come from a variety of backgrounds and somewhere, there is an Eskie waiting for you to open up your heart and your home.
The only reason to purchase a puppy from an ethical breeder is to actively show the dog in AKC Conformation events, for which a dog must be show quality, of known parentage, AKC registered, and not altered. If that is your intention, you must be absolutely positive that you are purchasing from an ethical breeder. Otherwise, adopted dogs can participate in all other AKC sports and shows through the Purebred Alternative Listing/Indefinite Listing Program or through the AKC Mixed Breed Program.
Adopted dogs bond just as strongly, learn just as quickly, and love you just as much as a puppy would. Adopted dogs need people like you to give them a home, and a second chance at a good life. The dogs we rescue come from a variety of backgrounds and somewhere, there is an Eskie waiting for you to open up your heart and your home.
The only reason to purchase a puppy from an ethical breeder is to actively show the dog in AKC Conformation events, for which a dog must be show quality, of known parentage, AKC registered, and not altered. If that is your intention, you must be absolutely positive that you are purchasing from an ethical breeder. Otherwise, adopted dogs can participate in all other AKC sports and shows through the Purebred Alternative Listing/Indefinite Listing Program or through the AKC Mixed Breed Program.
How do I tell an ethical breeder from a BYB?
There are three red flags to be aware of:
1) The litter was advertised in the local paper - Ethical, AKC active breeders do not need to advertise their puppies in the paper because the breeder already has deposits down for all the puppies of this litter. This is because ethical breeders plan their litters up to a year in advance, and start taking deposits as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
2) The litter was advertised on the internet - Again, AKC active breeders do not need to advertise their litters.
3) You are not allowed to visit the breeder's home, meet the parents of the puppies, or contact the breeder's veterinarian - Ethical breeders will not only allow you to visit their home and pets, but they will want to visit your home and pets, too! Ethical breeders will be happy to provide you with a list of veterinary and personal references, and you should be prepared to provide the breeder with the same.
When you speak to the breeder, ask them if they have time to meet with you personally at their home to meet the parents of the litter and ask them a few questions. If the breeder seems nervous about that, you probably have a BYB on your hands. When you meet the breeder, ask them these 7 questions:
1) How long have you been breeding this particular breed? Avoid breeders that breed more than one breed or have switched breeds. Avoid breeders who are breeding "designer dogs" or "hybrid" dogs.
2) Do you show your dogs in conformation, agility, rally obedience, tracking, or other sports? If the breeder is not active in the dog community or in showing their dogs, they have no way to know the potential of their dogs.
3) Have your breeding dogs been tested for genetic diseases like hip dysplasia, luxating patella, eye disorders, hypothyroidism, Von Willebrand's disease, epilepsy, or cardiac conditions? Ethical breeders test for any condition which commonly affects the breed.
4) Are there any NON-BREEDING dogs on the premises? Old dogs that are retired from shows or rescued, spay/neutered, and are just pets? You want a breeder who loves their breed, not just loves TO breed.
5) Where do the dogs spend most of their time? Breeders whose dogs live primarily outside should be avoided.
6) Has the breeder done temperament testing? Using what method? How many days old were the puppies when tested? What are the puppies scores?
Breeders should be using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test to score and place dogs in appropriate homes. The test MUST be done at exactly 49 days. Read more about the test here: http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php
7) What is the breeder's goal in breeding? If the breeder says fun, money, or to teach children about birth, avoid that breeder! Good breeders breed to restore or maintain excellent temperament and condition of their chosen breed.
1) The litter was advertised in the local paper - Ethical, AKC active breeders do not need to advertise their puppies in the paper because the breeder already has deposits down for all the puppies of this litter. This is because ethical breeders plan their litters up to a year in advance, and start taking deposits as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed.
2) The litter was advertised on the internet - Again, AKC active breeders do not need to advertise their litters.
3) You are not allowed to visit the breeder's home, meet the parents of the puppies, or contact the breeder's veterinarian - Ethical breeders will not only allow you to visit their home and pets, but they will want to visit your home and pets, too! Ethical breeders will be happy to provide you with a list of veterinary and personal references, and you should be prepared to provide the breeder with the same.
When you speak to the breeder, ask them if they have time to meet with you personally at their home to meet the parents of the litter and ask them a few questions. If the breeder seems nervous about that, you probably have a BYB on your hands. When you meet the breeder, ask them these 7 questions:
1) How long have you been breeding this particular breed? Avoid breeders that breed more than one breed or have switched breeds. Avoid breeders who are breeding "designer dogs" or "hybrid" dogs.
2) Do you show your dogs in conformation, agility, rally obedience, tracking, or other sports? If the breeder is not active in the dog community or in showing their dogs, they have no way to know the potential of their dogs.
3) Have your breeding dogs been tested for genetic diseases like hip dysplasia, luxating patella, eye disorders, hypothyroidism, Von Willebrand's disease, epilepsy, or cardiac conditions? Ethical breeders test for any condition which commonly affects the breed.
4) Are there any NON-BREEDING dogs on the premises? Old dogs that are retired from shows or rescued, spay/neutered, and are just pets? You want a breeder who loves their breed, not just loves TO breed.
5) Where do the dogs spend most of their time? Breeders whose dogs live primarily outside should be avoided.
6) Has the breeder done temperament testing? Using what method? How many days old were the puppies when tested? What are the puppies scores?
Breeders should be using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test to score and place dogs in appropriate homes. The test MUST be done at exactly 49 days. Read more about the test here: http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php
7) What is the breeder's goal in breeding? If the breeder says fun, money, or to teach children about birth, avoid that breeder! Good breeders breed to restore or maintain excellent temperament and condition of their chosen breed.
Remember: Make Adoption Your First Option!
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