They have a website - they MUST be ethical!

I found this posted on a "breeder's" website recently:

10 Rules of Ethical Breeding

1) The only reason to be breeding purebred dogs is to preserve the best qualities of the breed. Breeding to supply any market is not a justification.
2) You need to do all of your breeding with the best interests of the breed in mind. Never your pocket book.
3) For this you need to be a serious student of the breed and devote years of your life to it. No "in one day, out the other".
4) As a beginner you need to engross yourself in the breed as much as possible and ideally find a suitable mentor.
5) In order to be a serious breeder, you must show and compete.
6) You need to keep track of all puppies you produce, whether pet or show, to know how your breeding program is working.
7) All pet dogs need to go on a spay/neuter contract.
8) All show puppies need to go on a contract that will not allow breeding unless the dog lives up to the quality intended and passes all health checks and certification necessary for that breed. If a prospective breeder does not want to do this, then I am sorry but they will have to mess with someone else's dogs not mine!!
Co-ownerships allow you a certain amount of control in this regard because they require your signature in order that puppies be registered. The latest news from the AKC is that there is a pending change to the rules that will not allow registration unless all papers are properly signed. If you have a difference with your co-owner it will need to be settled in court before the AKC will register litters or puppies. This is new and still pending, but a step in the right direction.
9) Every breeder owes to the breed and to themselves to be involved with rescue.
10) Every breeder should be prepared to take any dog back for whatever reason. If they do not have the space, then they need to be prepared to make other arrangements. But take back they must!


So if a person posts this on their website, does that make them ethical? Even when they themselves don't abide by over half of the items listed? Even when they don't show? Even when they purposefully breed substandard Tzu that don't meet the weight standard as outlined in the breed standard set forth by the AKC parent club? Even when they've only been experts for less than a couple of years? Even when they tout all of the AKC champions in the pedigrees of their "kids" but have NEVER set foot in a show ring, let alone titled a dog they themselves bred? Even when they don't rescue? Even when they will sell dogs for breeding purposes if the price is right without some type of ongoing relationship - i.e. having the dog complete a title? Even when they charge more money for "rare" colors when our breed standard says all colors are permissible meaning there are no RARE colors?

And when it comes to puppy prices, why are some more expensive than others? The price for a puppy should be the same no matter the color or sex.

WAKE UP FOLKS AND SMELL THE JAVA! Just because someone links to something or prints something on their website that eludes to ethics, it doesn't mean that they walk the walk!

ALL puppies are cute! Don't let your desire to find a cute puppy let you fall for the lies that are out there. A website does not make a person ethical. Count how many girls they have that are of breeding age - brood bitches - suppliers of their cash crop. Doesn't matter if they own or co-own them. More importantly - count how many puppies they have listed. Track this info for some time and you'll know EXACTLY what you are dealing with. Add up the money. Why does anyone that doesn't show their dogs need five litters of puppies on the ground at any one time? WHY? Well, let's see - let's say that totals 10 to 15 puppies at $1000 each and then you'll have an idea why. Especially when the don't have real jobs or their commissioned sales job has hit the skids lately.

Ethical breeders breed to improve the dogs that they have with every litter. They breed to improve on faults, to maintain good health, to maintain good temperament. Ethical breeders study pedigrees and can tell you why they bred their girl to the chosen sire. Usually they've gone to great lengths to find the right stud dog. They may have him in their house but if so, that dog's pedigree took some time to develop in order for him to remain in that house to be used on any of the girls that are there. He's not there because of his size or his color. Ethical breeders don't care what color is selling and they don't advertise mochas, chocolates, lattes and all those made up colors that make you pay more money. AKC says that Shih Tzu come in Gold/White, Gold, Black, Black/White, Silver, Silver/White, Brindle, Brindle/White, Red, Red/White, Blue, Blue/White, Liver and Liver/White. Some of these colors may have a black mask. That's IT! Don't fall for what the posers are trying to shove down your throat to make them sound like they have a quality dog.

Ethical breeders would rather pass on breeding a litter than overwhelming their household with puppies. An ethical breeder knows their limitations and they know what they need to do in order to give each puppy born the best possible care in their house. Ethical breeders will breed with intent, with purpose to improve the dogs, not the balance in their checkbooks.

As a puppy buyer, ask the right questions. If you don't get the right answers - MOVE ON.

You don't want a show dog right? So it doesn't matter, right? WRONG! Even the best pedigrees put together may result in not one single puppy finishing a title. But I guarantee you that out of every litter that an ethical breeder breeds, they will hold back a puppy for themselves to watch grow up before they make a final decision on the show worthiness of that puppy. Sometimes they will watch more than one.

Puppy buyers need to understand that THEY TOO DESERVE a well bred animal for their hard earned money.

Good breeders don't advertise their puppies on a website with cute little themes for each litter or catchy names or with the poor puppy next to a soda can to show off their size. Good breeders aren't going to advertise puppy galleries or notate a puppy with "puppy A", "puppy B", etc. Good breeders make you wait for the next litter because they don't breed to fulfill a market, they breed for themselves. Good, ethical breeders don't have puppies just waiting for you. Ask a breeder when their last litter was and how many litters they've bred in the past year, in the past two years, in the past five years. Then ask how many champions they've bred and/or finished. Out of their last litter, how many were shown, how many finished? Ask who their mentor is and check them out too. If you have half a brain, you'll know when things don't add up.

Most importantly, plan ahead and find a breeder that cares. Don't wake up one day bound and determined to bring home a puppy by the end of the week. Take your time. Look at what is out there and use your head. You will be grateful you did.