puppy Mill and Backyard Breeder

definition of a puppy mill or backyard breeder

I get lots of inquiries on where to buy a good dog, and why not from a puppy mill or backyard breeder, or people have heard the terms and want to understand what they mean. Most people don’t know what these are. Many people legitimately raise puppies, but there are many that simply don’t. many of the dogs sold in pet stores come from mills, and backyard breeders sell from their friends house, or tother random places, but can seldom show you the parents, etc. The definitions here were written by Ann Handley.

A puppy mill, or puppy farm, is a large-scale commercial dog breeding facility that operates under substandard conditions regarding the well-being of the parents and puppies in their care. In striving for high economic efficiency, puppy mills face a high level of criticism for their treatment of animals, the poor quality of life of the dogs in their care, and the health problems the puppies face once they become pets. Dogs bred there typically have a higher chance of ongoing health problems than those bred by established and reputable breeders, and their problems can be linked to conditions typical at puppy mills, including minimum or no medical care, no exercise, no socialization, and poor diets. There are an estimated 4,000 puppy mills in the U.S. that produce more than half a million puppies a year.

“Backyard breeder” is a usually pejorative term used for irreputable dog breeders. It implies either a careless home breeding or a small commercial operation that does not adhere to careful breeding and quality care.