Question and Answer with a Responsible Dog Breeder

January 29, 2012 1:01 pm

An inside look at one “puppy mill” selling animals to a Hawaii pet store (Photo courtesy of The Hawaiian Humane Society)

This past month, Hawaii Military Pets interviewed Beth Downey, a small hobby breeder in Maryland about the process she takes to ensure forever, loving homes for any animal she produces.

The animal welfare community in Hawaii was especially pleased when numerous pet stores selling animals were shut down. We have read complaint after complaint from consumers fed up purchasing sick and suffering animals from pet stores.

This interview will shed some light on why no responsible breeder sells to a pet store. All dog breed clubs educate consumers on the importance of personally inspecting the breeding home. The American Boxer Club Code of Ethics considers selling a pet to a pet store an infraction. And, no breeder in Hawaii has obtained the required federal permit to sell to a pet store.

Q) As a responsible breeder, why do you NOT sell to pet stores, or take your puppies outside the home and try selling at roadside sales, swap meets and pet stores?

A) As a breeder I am responsible for the life and well being of every puppy I bring into this world and each puppy in my care depends on me to find them a loving home that will take care of them and treat them as a member of their family. I want to ensure they live inside the home with the family and not chained outside or living in a kennel and I want to feel confident that they will get routine vet care as needed and if they ever are sick or injured, that their family will make sure they get the medical attention they need. I make sure I screen every home my puppies are placed in.

A look at the backyard of a responsible breeder. (Photo courtesy of Beth Downey, Amity Hall Boxers)

To buy a puppy from me I first ask every puppy inquirer to complete my Puppy Questionnaire, then I will do a phone interview, this is followed by a home check, and then I require I meet the whole family that resides in the home so I can be sure that everyone is comfortable with having a dog and are committed to the responsibility of raising a puppy. Every puppy is placed with a contract that states the puppy will be kept as an inside dog, vetted when needed and checked by the buyer’s vet within five business days after the puppy is taken home, not left to run at large, will not be neglected or abused, is healthy the day of sale, has a two-year health guarantee, will be spayed/neutered by the new owner, and will be returned to me if the owner can no longer care for the puppy.

A look at the clean, living conditions from puppies born from a responsible breeder. (Photo courtesy of Beth Downey, Amity Hall Boxers)

So to answer the question, if I were to sell to a pet store or any random person who hands me money at a flea market or roadside, I have no way of knowing that the precious life I am handing over isn’t going to a home that hasn’t thought through the decision of taking on the responsibility of raising a puppy or no way to know the puppy is going to a loving home. As previously stated, my puppy contract states that if the owner of any puppy I place ever finds they can no longer care for them, that they be returned to me no matter what their age. This way I can ensure to the best of my ability that no puppy I have bred will ever end up in a home I have not screened, in a shelter, or become the financial obligation of a rescue or contribute to the unwanted pet population. As the breeder, every puppy I produce becomes my obligation for the entire life of that puppy.

Q) Do you advertise via Craigslist and Ebay classifieds? Why not?

A) No, people find me by word of mouth or through my website or the Maryland Boxer Club website. I do not advertise via Craigslist or Ebay classifieds for several reasons. One reason is I really have no need to as I receive a lot of inquiries from people looking by word of mouth. Another is I feel it can highly expose me to being contacted by puppy brokers, puppy mill breeders, and my experience is there are a lot of questionable homes that contact breeders through these resources. Not saying a wonderful loving home could not come through this resource but there are so many more who do that are not that I stay away from this form of advertising.

A look at one dog taken from 153 dogs rescued from a breeder selling directly to a Hawaii pet store. (Courtesy of The Hawaiian Humane Society)

A look at the living conditions from one dog from the Waimanalo puppy farm. (Courtesy of The Hawaiian Humane Society)

Puppy buyers need to be sure they thoroughly screen a breeder prior to purchase and be sure to go to the breeder’s home to see where and how your puppy was raised. I encourage puppy buyers to ask me questions about myself, my dogs, how they are raised, health testing performed, etc. A breeder should also be willing to provide references from past puppy buyers when asked. If a breeder is put off by an inquirer’s questions, the inquirer should take this as a red flag and stay away from that breeder.

Q) Why do you health test the dogs in your breeding program?

A) I am responsible for every puppy I bring into this world and I want ensure I have done everything within my ability to breed a puppy that has been given every chance I can offer to be as healthy as possible. This does not mean a puppy from health tested parents can’t have a health problem, but the odds are much, much lower. Furthermore, I offer a two-year health guarantee for any serious genetic conditions for every puppy I sell.

As previously mentioned, I require a spay/neuter on pet puppies I sell. I do this for several reasons. One is because not every person will invest the time and money to be sure the sire and dam are both health tested. Also, with the number of unwanted pets in our country now, only a small percentage of any breed should be bred and it is a huge responsibility to be committed to every puppy you produce. Every puppy born depends on their breeder to make sure they do everything they can to place them in a home that will love and care for them properly and will not mistreat them, neglect them, discard them in a shelter or abandon them. When I sell a pet puppy I am selling a family companion and not breeding stock.

Boxers in the family home having a lazy day by the fireplace. (Photo courtesy of Beth Downey, Amity Hall Boxers)

A reputable breeder is a guardian of their breed and it is their duty to breed puppies with the following in mind – health, temperament, and quality. Health – by health testing the sire and dam prior to breeding. Temperament – by ensuring the sire and dam are of sound temperament and are neither fearful nor people aggressive. Quality – by choosing a sire and dam that meet the breed standard which is our blueprint guide to the Boxer’s appearance and temperament because without this, all dogs would look the same. They would not have the distinguishing features that make them a Boxer.

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Molly Simmons

And yet she still has her dogs’ ears cropped – a painful and totally unnecessary operation!
petgroomer1

Yes she does have her boxers ears cropped because we still have the choice of doing their ears. There is very little pain involved for this procedure as they are anesthetized for this. You don’t have to like it but before you comment please educate yourself on this.
- Molly Simmons (UK)
  
  See above. I always educate before I comment! (unlike some)
Molly Simmons

Why do it? It’s unnecessary. All anaesthetics carry a risk. It is banned in the UK and many other countries and has been for 100 years – I wonder why if the dog isn’t hurt by it
- Julie Higgins
  
  Toothpaste for humans carries a risk…you can get cancer from microwave popcorn…isnt this one thing that our husbands, wives, fathers, mothers..family members fight for is the freedom of choice in this country??? My kids complain when I take them to the dentist…thats all cosmetic for braces… interesting how things like that are okay for our children yet a procedure to ensure the dog doesnt suffer pain due to numerous ear infections and other health related issues is not okay? I feel this subject is way off topic and people who dont understand the ear cropping should better educate themselves.
  - Dex
    
    If floppy ears are so dangerous to a dog’s health, why do Dalmatians have them? Springer Spaniels? Rottweilers? Beagles? Basset Hounds? Poodles? Shouldn’t breed advocates push for breed-wide cropping for the welfare of these dogs?
Boxer Mom

Ear cropping is not the horrific deed that Animal Rights Activists make it out to be. Is your husband, boyfriend, brother, father, son, etc. circumcised?? It is not anymore painful than this procedure and the ears heal within a few days. The puppies barely notice it after the first day. As long as it is done by a licensed and skilled vet it is not a cruel procedure.

Most importantly dogs with cropped ears have far less ear infections since the ear canal itself can breathe easier so in the long run it actually causes the dog less stress since ear infections are more painful than an ear crop. Dogs with ear crops also do not get hematomas on their ears which are caused by shaking their head and are also very painful.

All of my boxers have cropped ears except my rescue boxer I adopted and he has had issues with his ears where my cropped boxers over the last 25 years I have owned never have.

Besides, this article was not written to discuss the controversy of ear cropping but to educate people on the difference between a responsible breeder and a puppy mill. Is banning ear cropping in the USA more important than stopping puppy mills??? Stick to the subject here people for goodness sakes and help with the push to shut down the puppy mills by putting them out of business! If people didnt buy from pet stores and puppy mills than puppy mills would go out of business!
Boxerhelp

I’m sure you believe that you are a ‘responsible’ breeder. But how can anyone add the word ‘responsible’ to any breeding program? Responsible is not putting more puppies on the ground. Responsible is stopping the constant flow of dogs, purebred and mixed breeds into shelters. Responsible is admitting that for every puppy you sell, a dog sitting, waiting for a home, is still homeless. Look up ‘boxer’ on Petfinders. There are thousands just waiting. You can flower your breeding program, you can do background checks, you can do whatever makes you believe that you are helping this breed. But tonight, I can guarantee you that boxers all over this country are sitting on shelter’s euth list. To bring more into this world while this is happening is the ultimate cruelty.
- Julie Higgins
  
  So us as a human race should stop breeding as their are children in homes right now that dont have a mommy or daddy…. Guess if we all stop that will make it all better??? It is people like this RESPONSIBLE BREEDER that need to educate the public like YOU as to WHY NOT to buy from petstores, puppy brokers, puppy mills and people on Craigslist or the classifieds… I GUARANTEE not a single dog from that breeder, or any breeder described like her that is a member of a parent club in this country has a dog in a shelter right now sitting on death row… When breeders do their homework they know where their dogs are. All RESPONSIBLE breeders microchip their puppies before they leave their homes, do you think that the shelters dont scan for those to track who that wonderful dog belongs to? Sad that you cant see the bigger picture!
  - Boxerhelp
    
    Can’t see the bigger picture? Just as a point of information, I have worked rescue for 30 years. As a matter of fact, I was one of the original members, with Jamie and Sandy, and Dawn who started AABR when we broke from NEBR. I’ve fostered more dogs then I can count and I’ve sat up too many nights with sick and injured fosters. Don’t attack me for wanting to see all animals that are here and waiting to get into homes, reach that goal. And as for seeing the ‘bigger picture’ I work at a shelter where we currently have 2 full boxers – a 7 month old boy and a 2 month old girl. And yes, we, as do most shelters scan. And whenever possible, return the lost dog to it’s human. Again, the ‘bigger picture’ is NOT placing more puppies on the ground until rescue groups and shelters have homes for those dogs already here and waiting. Believe me, I don’t need any educating from a ‘small hobby breeder’ or any breeder for that matter. I see the problem and deal with it every single day. The ‘bigger picture’ is that there are simply not enough homes for companion animals. And the more we excuse anyone who continues to add to the problem of overpopulation, the more we turn our backs on animals who are already here and deserve loving homes.
    - Boxer Mom
      
      If you volunteer for AABR then you would also know that Beth Downey is VERY active in AABR with fostering, home checks, shelter evals, fundraisers, transports, etc. She also adopted an AABR rescue named Jasper this past fall who was otherwise going to have to be euthanized because he was deemed fear aggressive but became very attached to her and did well in her home so she decided to adopt him which was his only chance of living. She currently has an AABR foster named Heidi in her care right now.
    - Boxer Mom
      
      Thought I should also add that Maryland Boxer Club and Potomac Boxer Club in Maryland which are comprised of responsible breeders were the ones who started Boxer Fun Day in Maryland which raised quite a bit of money for AABR and both clubs also donate money every year to AABR to support the boxers in your rescue.
- Boxer Mom
  
  Really?? How about instead of pointing fingers you put your energy into stopping puppy mills from mass producing puppies and pet stores from selling them and educate people who have no business being a responsible breeder to spay and neuter and you will eliminate the majority of unwanted dogs in the USA.
  
  Responsible breeders take great care in how they breed and where their puppies go and keep tabs on their puppies as well as take back their own dogs at any age should the owner find they can no longer care for them. These are not the dogs you find in a shelter or rescue and because the homes are so carefully screened, rarely does the owner give them up once the puppy cuteness has worn off.
  
  In my state the many of the rescue volunteers are even comprised of responsible breeders who foster and donate to rescue. The overpopulation problem is not caused by these types of breeders. They are caused by puppy mills, pet stores and breeders who do not care where their puppies go or how many they breed. And without responsible breeders who follow the parent club ethics, there would be no purebred dogs, most would become extinct.
Dont havethetime

This statement alone make me laugh. “It is banned in the UK and many other countries and has been for 100 years” Yes ear cropping and TAIL docking is banned in other countries BUT not for “100 years” Do your homework before posting such crap Molly
- Molly Simmons (UK)
  
  I suggest it is you who hasn’t done your homework!
  
  “Cropping has been deemed unacceptable in the United Kingdom for more than a century10 and is currently prohibited in Australasia and most European and Scandinavian countries.”
  See:http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/dogs_ear_cropping_bgnd.asp#references
  
  and here are some more quotes from this article if you can’t be bothered to read it in full:
  
  Well-controlled studies addressing the animal welfare implications of cropping dogs’ ears do not exist. However case studies support certain risks associated with the procedure.
  
  WELFARE CONCERNS—RISKS
  General anesthetic—Cropping should always be carried out under full anesthesia, which itself has associated risks.
  
  Postoperative Care—Dogs will experience some discomfort during healing, stretching, re-taping and bandaging, and other manipulations after surgery. Some will need their ears bandaged or taped upright for days to months and they may be isolated from other dogs during this period.
  
  Potential Complications—As for any incision, cropped ears may become infected. Cropped ears may also fail to stand or have a distorted shape or position potentially leading to subsequent operations.4,5,6
  - Boxer Mom
    
    Our cropping IS done under general anesthesia and is no more or actually even less discomfort than a circumcision, braces, spay or neuter, etc. Bandaging and taping as you mentioned is no discomfort at all. No different than you putting a piece of tape on your skin (and we use athletic tape which is very easy to remove) so this is not causing pain. And we do not isolate our puppies, they play with ears taped right along with the other dogs in the house. Only chance of infection would be if someone was neglectful in keeping the area clean but even then this rarely happens.
    
    The welfare concerns are written with exaggeration to scare people and that is exactly what animal activists do. Since you live in a country that doesnt even crop, you have no first hand knowledge on this subject and what you are reading is propaganda to fool people like yourselves into thinking it is something horrible when in effect it is not traumatic and puppies are running, wrestling and playing in just a few hours after waking up from surgery. A puppy running, barking and playing is not a puppy in distress or suffering.
    - Molly Simmons (UK)
      
      But the quote above is from The AMERICAN Veterinary Medical Association
      - Boxer Mom
        
        And how many vets are breeders who live with the puppies that have their ears cropped??? Almost none. And the ones who are breeders will crop ears because they know those statements are not entirely accurate by any means.
- Molly Simmons (UK)
  
  From Crufts schedule 1900:
  
  22.—No dog cropped after April 9th, 1898, and no dog born after March 31st, 1890, ….
  can, if cropped, win a prize at any show held under Kennel Club Rule
  
  That’s my homework done – now please don’t be so arrogant as to assume you know more about British legislation than a British person!
http://twitter.com/tdonnelly76 Theresa Donnelly

Interesting discussion, another point was emailed to me that I thought was worth sharing:
Very good reading. Beth is a good breeder and knows her stuff when it comes to Boxer’s. One thing that I would have loved to see her make mention of, was the # of pup’s she produces in a year. I bet you will find that she does not have more than 2 litters a year. People don’t look at that when discussing breeders. Puppy millers do what they do and get by with selling sick pup’s because there is no way they can take proper care of all of those puppies they produce. I have followed the path of breeders like Beth, since I got into Boxers. I have been breeding Boxers for show since 1997. I have only produced 6 litters of puppies. Every pup I sell goes through the same process as Beth’s. It is also great to have so many responsible breeders out there. When I sell a pup out of state I can contact breeders close to that home looking to buy a pup and most breeders will be willing to do the home check for you. They know what to look for and what questions to ask. If I can do the home check and I can’t find a breeder close enough to do the check I will not sell the home a pup. But I will send them to the closes responsible breeder for them to look for a pup. It is our responsibility to do the right thing for what we bring into this world. Because we are the very ones that allow the breeding to take place.
I am very proud to see that you took the time for someone like Beth to let the people know there is a way to cut down on unwanted pets. We could put shelters all most out of business if only people would wake up and listen to what folks like Beth can teach them.
Thanks you again
Hilda Hatley
Hatley Hollar Boxer’s
- Boxer Mom
  
  Beth had a litter this Past August and it was her first in 3 years. She breeds less than one litter in a year if you go by averages and this is very typical of reputable breeders.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_57OMMQTUIJ4C65MYNOOKYTFY7A Suzanne

I was just curious to know if you know the HSUS is using your article on their site as part of their Breeders Advisory Council? They say they are working with responsible breeders and have breeders on their council There is no list of breeders actually on it, but they have posted various quotes and articles (such as this) with the insinuation that you are working with them . Are you?
- Anonymous
  
  Hi Suzanne,
  Thanks for your question! Yes as a stud dog owner and based on my experience helping run our Hawaii boxer club I am a part of the committee. I think by working together we accomplish great things for animals. I understand that you do not support HSUS and respect your opinion, but I also ask you respect mine. Have a nice day.
- Boxer Mom
  
  I am actually glad to see the HSUS is publishing responsible breeder info and working with breeders (its about time!!) to try and draft bills that can help shut down puppy mills and pet store sales without hurting the breeders. With breeders working closely with them on the bills they can be drafted appropriately and it will help prevent bills that are bad for breeders from being introduced and passing legislature. The HSUS now has a page on their website promoting buying from a reputable breeder and how to find one. I have never liked the HSUS either but if they are earnest in the efforts I am starting to see from them in their support of good breeders, I have to say that is a good thing for everyone is it not?
Twstoffate

Molly,

THIS article is about the differences between a RESPONSIBLE breeder and a GREEDER someone who breeds for PROFIT…NOT cropping. I am really surprised that anyone would WANT to deviate from that topic to something that has NOTHING to do with the subject at hand. I believe there ARE responsible breeders and they are NOT the cause of the over population problems, the GREEDERS are….THEY are the ones that do NOT care WHERE their pup goes so long as someone has the cash…RESPONSIBLE breeders do NOT sell to the first person that comes along with the money…they INTERVIEW, they have CONTRACTS, they do HEALTH TESTING and they NEVER sell to just ANYONE. They will FOREVER take back a dog that they sold to someone if they can no longer care for that dog…they do NOT care the circumstances…things happen in life and they know they may at one point need to take one or 10 back! And they are PREPARED for that…THEIR dogs do not end up in shelters PTS, IF one for some reason ended up there…that RESPONSIBLE breeder is LISTED on the chip info as a CONTACT…and they WILL go to the ends of the earth and back to get their dog home….DO NOT cloud the subject matter with YOUR personal opinions on the US cropping/docking CHOICE. I say GOOD FOR YOU responsible breeders! You keep health testing and interviewing homes and keep doing what you are doing to better your breed and ensure you are doing what you can to be responsible in a world full of so many IRRESPONSIBLE GREEDERS!! BRAVO!!!!!!!
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