A Discussion of Ethics

First, why do people throw the words “ethical” and “transparent” around like they are magical guarantees? People who repeatedly claim they are ethical breeders must have some driver:

1. Insecurity or Guilt: They may know they aren’t fully meeting the standards of ethical breeding and overcompensate with words rather than actions.

2. Reputation Management: If they’ve faced criticism or been questioned about their practices, they might feel the need to reinforce their image to gain or regain trust.

3. Lack of Understanding: Some people genuinely believe they are ethical but don’t fully grasp what it entails—health testing, lifelong responsibility for their dogs, and prioritizing the breed’s betterment.

4. Marketing Tactic: Sadly, some use the terms as a buzzword to attract buyers who are becoming more informed and discerning about breeding practices while the breeder preys on the lack of depth of knowledge.

Truly ethical breeders rarely need to state it repeatedly because their actions, their dogs, and their community speak for themselves. Ethics are demonstrated, not declared.

“Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”

This quote hits home when applied to breeding. Simply saying “I’m an ethical breeder” doesn’t make it true. Ethical breeding isn’t a title you claim—it’s a standard you live by.

It’s in the health testing beyond the minimums, the commitment to improving the breed with pairings which will bring the best characteristics forward to future generations, the hours poured into education and pedigree research, and the dedication to raising well-adjusted puppies. It’s in standing by your dogs for life, supporting puppy owners, and prioritizing temperament, structure, and health over convenience or profit.

Ethics aren’t just words—they’re actions. If someone has to tell you they’re ethical, it’s worth asking: are they demonstrating it?

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Second, breeders breeding solely for pets often raise important questions about their motivations and contributions to a breed. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with breeding dogs intended for companionship, the distinction lies in how and why they breed.

Improving a breed requires intentional pairing of dogs based on health, structure, temperament, and proven ability to meet or exceed breed standards. This typically involves:

1. Comprehensive health testing beyond basic screenings.

2. Proving dogs in conformation, sports, and/or working events to demonstrate they excel in areas critical to the breed’s purpose.

3. Deep knowledge of pedigrees and genetic inheritance.

Many ‘pet’ breeders skip one or more of these essential steps. If their focus is simply on producing puppies to meet demand or make a profit—without measuring their breeding stock against the breed standard—they aren’t contributing to improvement; they’re simply reproducing.

If a breeder isn’t actively proving their dogs in some meaningful way, they lack objective validation that their dogs represent the breed well. Without proof, claims of breeding for health, temperament, and structure remain subjective at best. Without objective, outside proof, how easy is it to fall victim to their own kennel blindness?

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Third, an ethical breeder doesn’t just aim to produce “nice pets”—they aim to preserve and advance the integrity of the breed. Every litter should be a step forward, not just more puppies.

Ethical breeding isn’t just about loving dogs or health testing or raising puppies in a clean home—it’s about accountability to the breed’s history, purpose, and future. Titles, testing, and evaluations aren’t about ego; they’re about ensuring each breeding decision contributes positively to the breed as a whole.

Breeders who only breed when they have a minimum number of deposits raise important questions about their motivations and priorities. While managing demand and ensuring puppies have homes can be a responsible practice, tying breeding decisions exclusively to financial security often signals a shift from preservation-focused breeding to profit-driven production.

1. Careful Planning: If a breeder has already determined that the breeding pair aligns with their goals for improving health, temperament, and structure, and they also ensure committed homes in advance, that’s responsible planning.

2. Avoiding Overstock: Ethical breeders don’t want puppies to grow up in unsuitable homes or sit unsold. They are committed to every puppy they produce, and having pre-screened homes can demonstrate responsibility.

1. Profit Over Purpose: If the breeding decision hinges entirely on financial commitment from buyers, it suggests the pairing isn’t driven by a commitment to improving the breed but rather by financial incentives. This may arise from the simple convenience of owning a male and a female to breed.

2. Lack of Long-Term Vision: Ethical breeding is about advancing the breed with every generation. If a breeder only produces litters when there’s guaranteed financial reward, it raises concerns about their motivation.

3. Compromising Pairings: Breeding should be based on the best match for health, temperament, and structure—not on whether deposits roll in. If a breeder avoids a critically important breeding simply because there aren’t enough deposits, they’re prioritizing short-term finances over long-term breed preservation.

Ethical breeders often breed litters knowing they might need to keep or grow out puppies themselves, or even wait for the right homes to come along after the puppies are born. They don’t view puppies as a guaranteed product to be sold; they view them as investments in the breed’s future.

At its core, ethical breeding requires putting the breed first—above convenience, above financial gain, and above the fear of an unsold puppy. If financial assurance is the primary driver of breeding decisions, it’s worth asking: Who is this really for—the dogs or the bank account?

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Fourth, raising puppies solely as “pets” may contribute to shelter populations. Unfortunately, assuming that every puppy will be spayed or neutered is wishful thinking and, frankly, irresponsible planning. Pet breeders often justify skimping on health testing, not proving their dogs, or neglecting structure and temperament evaluations by saying, “They’re just pets; they won’t be bred.” But in reality, they have no control over every puppy’s future once it leaves their care.

1. Not Everyone Spays/Neuters: Despite contracts or verbal agreements, not every puppy will end up altered. Owners might decide to breed “just one litter” for fun, profit, or because they believe their dog is special.

2. Accidental Breeding Happens: Dogs can and do end up bred accidentally, especially if owners are inexperienced or unaware of the challenges of managing an intact dog.

3. Retained Puppies for the Next Generation: If a breeder plans to keep a puppy back from a litter but hasn’t done the work to ensure the parents are worthy breeding stock, they risk passing on health issues, poor structure, or weak temperaments.

Every breeding should be approached with the assumption that at least some of those puppies might reproduce. An ethical breeder ensures that if those dogs do end up in someone’s breeding program—intentionally or not—they will have contributed positively to the breed.

1. Health Testing Protects Future Generations: Undiagnosed genetic conditions can take generations to surface, and skipping testing opens the door to heartbreak for future dogs and owners.

2. Structure and Temperament Carry Forward: Poor movement, weak toplines, or unstable temperaments don’t vanish just because a dog is a pet. These traits are inherited and can resurface in future litters.

3. Accountability is Key: Ethical breeders understand they’re not just responsible for the puppies they produce, but for the ripple effect those puppies may have on the breed.

If a breeder keeps a puppy back from a pair of dogs that weren’t health-tested, weren’t proven, and weren’t selected with improvement in mind, they’re building their program on a shaky foundation.

At the end of the day, every puppy matters. Whether destined for a show ring, a sport field, or a couch, they all deserve the best chance at health, soundness, and stable temperaments. Ethical breeding isn’t just about the here and now—it’s about protecting and preserving the breed’s future, one carefully planned litter at a time.

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Fifth, no breeder, no matter how experienced or knowledgeable, can know everything about their bloodlines without health testing. While understanding pedigrees and ancestry is a vital part of breeding, it’s not a replacement for objective, science-based evaluations.

1. Hidden Carriers Exist: Many genetic conditions are carried recessively, meaning dogs can silently pass them on for generations without showing any outward symptoms. Without health testing, a breeder can’t know if their lines are carrying hidden risks.

2. Outcrosses Bring Unknowns: Even if a breeder has worked with the same line for years, every outcross (introduction of unrelated genetics) brings potential for new health concerns. Unless every dog in every line was health-tested—and let’s be real, they weren’t—there are unknowns.

3. Environmental Factors Affect Health: Health isn’t just about genetics; environmental stressors, nutrition, and other external factors can influence disease expression. A dog that looks healthy doesn’t necessarily have clean genetics.

4. Memory Isn’t Data: Saying “I’ve never had an issue” or “I know my lines” relies on anecdotal evidence. Health testing provides data, not memories, and it often reveals issues breeders didn’t even know were there.

5. Inbreeding Risks: If someone claims to know every generation intimately over 10+ generations, it implies a dangerously small gene pool. Lack of genetic diversity can cause its own host of health and temperament problems.

1. Health Testing is Non-Negotiable: Ethical breeders test even when they think they know their lines because science is the only way to be sure.

2. Pedigree Knowledge + Testing = True Understanding: A well-rounded breeder pairs deep pedigree research with modern testing tools.

3. No Line is Perfect: Every bloodline has strengths and weaknesses. Health testing helps breeders make informed decisions to address and minimize risks.

At the end of the day, the phrase “I know my lines” is often just a cover for avoiding the cost, time, or potential bad news that comes with health testing. Ethical breeders know that the integrity of their program—and the future of the breed depends on facing those truths head-on, not avoiding them.

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Sixth, if breeding shifted entirely to preservation-focused practices, similar to what we see in much of Europe, the impact on shelter overpopulation in the U.S. could be significant. Preservation breeders prioritize health, temperament, structure, and breed purpose, and they carefully plan each litter with lifelong responsibility for every puppy they produce. Here’s how such a shift might affect shelters:

1. Fewer Dogs in Shelters Overall

Preservation breeders are meticulous about where their puppies go. They screen homes, require contracts, often include spay/neuter clauses for non-breeding dogs, and maintain a lifelong return policy. If a dog can’t stay with its owner, it goes back to the breeder, not into a shelter.

2. Reduction in Irresponsible Breeding

Many dogs in shelters come from backyard breeders, puppy mills, or accidental litters. Preservation breeding discourages these practices by removing the demand for poorly bred dogs and emphasizing education about ethical breeding.

3. Improved Temperament and Trainability in Dogs

Dogs bred with a focus on sound temperament and stability are less likely to develop behavioral issues that often lead to surrender. Preservation breeders carefully select breeding pairs to avoid passing on unstable or unpredictable temperaments.

4. Cultural Shift in Dog Ownership

In Europe, dogs are seen less as disposable commodities and more as lifelong companions. Preservation breeding supports this mindset, emphasizing responsible dog ownership and providing ongoing support for puppy buyers.

5. Higher Demand for Preservation-Bred Dogs

If the market leaned toward dogs from preservation breeders, it would naturally reduce demand for dogs from irresponsible sources. Over time, fewer poorly bred puppies would be produced, decreasing the influx of dogs into shelters.

6. Shelters Could Refocus Their Efforts

With fewer dogs entering shelters, these organizations could focus more on cases of true need—abuse, neglect, and stray populations—rather than being overwhelmed by dogs surrendered due to preventable behavioral or health problems.

Would This Eliminate Shelters Entirely?

No. There will always be dogs in need—strays, dogs from irresponsible owners, or animals in crisis situations. However, a world where breeding is primarily preservation-focused would significantly reduce the root causes of overpopulation.

Preservation breeders understand that every litter matters and every puppy is their responsibility, for life. If more breeders adopted this mindset, shelters would no longer bear the burden of irresponsible breeding and poor ownership decisions. Instead, they could focus on their core mission: helping dogs truly in need.

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With all that said, how can we as individuals and/or as groups positively influence the future of dog breeding? I find myself wanting to focus on preservation breeding, but we all know that is a small percentage of the breeding going on in the U.S. In my world, it’s the everygoddamndogbreedmixedwithpoodleissue.