In recent years, the term “ethical breeder” has overwhelmed internet conversations.
After the dog-acquiring flood during the pandemic, and since mixing of the breeds became a popular trend, the debates about what “ethical” is and what it is not are as hot as ever.
Normally, when someone says “unethical” breeder, we tend to think: cages stacked on top of each other, constant litters and puppies everywhere, bad hygiene and terrible smells. This is an example which is most obviously unethical; however, there are all kinds of other “unethical” possibilities.
After all, what does “ethical” really mean? Merriam-Webster says, “conforming to accepted standards of conduct.” In other words, being ethical is doing something right and according to the commonly agreed norms. What are these norms, though; how and when do they change; and who makes the decisions in this process?
If we remove the most obvious unethical indicators (dogs that are bred too young; dogs that are forced to produce too many litters; dogs that are kept in cages; and close inbreeding practices), we enter the territory where most people become confused. If neither of these terrible factors are present; a mother dog is well taken care of; and the puppies all seem healthy, does it mean that the breeder is ethical? The correct answer is: it depends, and in order to realize what exactly it depends on, we need to think about a dog we are hoping to get.
If all emotional aspects of dog purchasing are put aside, we can all agree that a dog is a product. We can approach this purchase with whatever intentions, but in the end, everyone hopes that such a purchase will be satisfying. That is, a dog will be healthy and will possess a pleasant personality. In fact, these two characteristics—good health backed up by generations of predecessors and the predictable personality of the offsprings—are an essential measurement of what “ethical breeding” is. Everything else is just dust.
It sounds simple, but there are many implications. For example, it means that one has to collect health history on their dam or sire (or both) and test them for genetic markers and diseases to make sure that the breeding pair is compatible. There are many subtleties to this process, and it certainly requires quite a bit of time spent researching genetic markers, potentially dangerous gene mutations, and coat/colour variations and their effect on dogs’ health. However, that was still a pretty straightforward part.
The personality of the offspring is where “unethical breeders” really show themselves. Many puppy buyers have no clue what to watch out for when they are getting a new dog. A puppy is shivering in the corner, and the breeder says it is just a stage. A puppy is being extremely dominant and possessive with its littermates, and the breeder promises that it will fit perfectly into a household with young children. These are just two examples of “unethical” practices among breeders. Ironically, often they come from a place of ignorance, not outright desire to deceive. That is, they either failed to do their research on the behavioural patterns of their genetic stock’s predecessors or they naively assumed that their shy bitch, bred to a bold and dominant male, will produce “in-between’ puppies.
That brings me to my final point. “Ethical breeders” are defined by the research they do on their breeding stock. This research encapsulates health histories of their lines—studying pedigrees, talking to other breeders with similar lines and figuring out what health issues they might have detected, and vigorously health-testing their own dogs to make sure that the puppies will be as free from genetic diseases as possible. Colour and coat variations are considered insofar as they do not affect the combination of genes.
Ethical breeders also test the strength of their dogs’ character. They take into account how clear-headed their dog is, whether it is environmentally stable or not, whether it is sound-sensitive or not, and then they try to find a match with complimenting character traits to produce the best-natured puppies possible. Of course, not all dogs are meant to do tough work, such as jump from helicopters or rescue people from catastrophe sites. Yet, all dogs deserve to have clear heads and strong nerves so that they can be comfortable in their own skin.
Mixing breeds in itself does not make a breeder unethical. However, most of the time, ethical breeders will stray away from these practices because of the number of added variables which their research needs to account for.
Lack of research is what makes a breeder “unethical.” A person who has no clue what kinds of mental and health issues stand behind their dogs has no business claiming to be “ethical,” even if their own dogs are pampered and their puppies are raised in their living room.
In fact, it does not matter how well such a breeder cares for their puppies. Nature will always prevail over nurture, and the lack of research always leads to a failure to grasp that concept.