Backyard Breeders
Backyard breeder is a person who practices random or ignorant dog breeding on
a small scale. The name is something of a misnomer, as many excellent breeders
run small-scale programs in their houses, garages, barns, or backyards
The term is meant to refer to people who are ignorant of selective breeding
goals and techniques, and are not familiar with the breed standard of their
chosen breed of dog. Backyard breeders are motivated by the idea of profit, not
realizing that the hobby of animal breeding practiced on a small scale is not
usually profitable when one factors in costs such as health, maintenance and
pregnancy care. People who have not considered these factors often stint their
breeding stock in terms of veterinary care and adequate maintenance, the puppies
they produce may have genetic disorders or undisclosed illnesses; it is these
people who are disparaged as 'backyard breeders'.
When such breeding is carried out on a large scale, the venue is called a
puppy mill.
