What would constitute "backyard" breeder for sheltie?

[Justicemom]

Usually. You hear horror stories about owners who were supposed to return the dog to the breeder when they got tired of it... but didn't have the guts to tell the breeder that they didn't want the dog anymore. So they tear up the papers and dump the dog in rescue or the pound.

Justice's breeder got one of his half brothers back at the age of 9. Her contact states that if they can't keep the dog it will come back. This dog got turned into a shelter in Georgia. His mircochip was registered to the breeder so they called her and she was horrified to find he was there and tried to contact his owners thinking he got lost. Nothing. She bailed him out and paid to have him flow back up to Mn. That was 1.5yr ago, she still has him and will for the rest of his life. The previous owner never contacted her even though they had been in contact 2 months prior and for the previous 9 yrs. When she finally got a hold of them,they said they were too embarassed to let her know they could no longer keep him so they dumped(very embarassed now). I guess they forgot he was mircochipped.

I mircochip my puppies and keep the chip in my name for just this reason and its in my contract. I had one person declined to get a puppy from me because of it and another who said my contact was too restrictive. Ok I guess I wasn't the place for them. I believe my contract is fair and for the welfare of my puppies and dogs.

I think a BYB is one who doesn't know or care to know the breed standard, breeds without a goal in mind other than putting girl dog with boy dogs, doesn't know basic breeding management(again other then put girl and boy dog togther), doesn't health test , doesn't provide a contract, doesn't socialize and enrich their puppies so they grow up to be sane adults, doesn't want to or can't answer your questions, doesn't screen potential buyers(first one with cash/credit card gets him) and once the check clears never wants to hear from you again and any issues you have are yours now. They also seem to get edgy if all the puppies are not sold by 8 wks.

Breeding and raising puppies is hard hard work to do it properly. Responsible breeders want for their puppies what they want for their own dogs and have hours and hours invested in them. They will be there for you went you need advise. They want updates and cards at christmas. They want to know their puppies are ok and loved for life.

 

[SheltieChe]

Justice's breeder got one of his half brothers back at the age of 9. Her contact states that if they can't keep the dog it will come back. This dog got turned into a shelter in Georgia. His mircochip was registered to the breeder so they called her and she was horrified to find he was there and tried to contact his owners thinking he got lost. Nothing. She bailed him out and paid to have him flow back up to Mn. That was 1.5yr ago, she still has him and will for the rest of his life. The previous owner never contacted her even though they had been in contact 2 months prior and for the previous 9 yrs. When she finally got a hold of them,they said they were too embarassed to let her know they could no longer keep him so they dumped(very embarassed now). I guess they forgot he was mircochipped.

I mircochip my puppies and keep the chip in my name for just this reason and its in my contract. I had one person declined to get a puppy from me because of it and another who said my contact was too restrictive. Ok I guess I wasn't the place for them. I believe my contract is fair and for the welfare of my puppies and dogs.

I think a BYB is one who doesn't know or care to know the breed standard, breeds without a goal in mind other than putting girl dog with boy dogs, doesn't know basic breeding management(again other then put girl and boy dog togther), doesn't health test , doesn't provide a contract, doesn't socialize and enrich their puppies so they grow up to be sane adults, doesn't want to or can't answer your questions, doesn't screen potential buyers(first one with cash/credit card gets him) and once the check clears never wants to hear from you again and any issues you have are yours now. They also seem to get edgy if all the puppies are not sold by 8 wks.

Breeding and raising puppies is hard hard work to do it properly. Responsible breeders want for their puppies what they want for their own dogs and have hours and hours invested in them. They will be there for you went you need advise. They want updates and cards at christmas. They want to know their puppies are ok and loved for life.

great reason to check with local sheltie rescues. they will tell you right away if they ever had dogs from this breeder

 

[Will]

Rescue Myth

It appears that at least some persons still believe the myth that most (a majority) of Shelties in rescue are from puppy mills and "bad breeders". That has not been my experience. Many rescues have no identifiable origin. My Robby was found "on the street", and he is one of the most handsome Shelties I have ever encountered. Many rescues come from tragic circumstances where a responsible owner has had a drastic change in their life situation (including passing away) and therefore cannot keep their dog - even though they wish they could. Of course, there are many others who get to rescue because they are regarded as an inconvenience by their irresponsible owners. Having said that, many (most) rescue Shelties have issues that quality rescue groups identify and remediate in so far as it is possible. Health issues, age, behaviors, and physical imperfections are frequently (certainlly not always) found in rescues. Often these can be made into "unique characteristics" which can make the Sheltie even more lovable. Finally, what I am really trying to get at is that a rescue Sheltie, or even an imperfect Sheltie, can be a really great pet and family member. It may surprise you just how many rescues are "perfect" and without issues. They are just (in most cases) undocumented. Quality rescue groups carefully screen potential adopters, always have a return clause in their contracts, provide detailed health/vet records, and are anxious to provide support for life for the dogs they place. They always provide iinformation about any "special" issues a particular dog may have. Their goal is to make sure that the adoptions "take" - are both permanent and successful in every way. If you are skeptical of my assertions, come and meet my rescue Shelties. Kind regards, Will

 

[OntarioSheltie]

Most of breeders that I have contacted, wants me to sign a purchase contract. Some appear overly restrictive, and some even says the breeder reserves right to take the dog away from me and fine me for thousands of dollars. While I totally understand the purpose of such contract and the extraneous circumstances this may happen, but I cannot and WILL NOT sign such a document.

All of the documents I've seen, includes a clause saying, "If I have to surrender the dog in the future, I should return the dog to the breeder, and never to an impound/rescue"

Then how and why do I see so many shelties in the rescue?

Is it because the purchase just doesn't care? or moved out of state where it is not possible to return to the breeder? or the dog has so much mental/health problem that the owner nor the breeder were willing to take it?

I'm still learning. I feel that it's much better to pester the forum instead of doing something that I cannot follow through.

I totally understand your reservations, usually someone asking me to sign a contract sends up big warning signals in my head. However when it comes to purchasing a pup from a breeder, a breeder who insists that you sign a contract is definitely what you want. You want a breeder who cares enough about the pup to never want it to go to a shelter.

The shelties you see in rescues and shelters, 90% of those dogs are from byb and puppy mills, not from responsible breeders.

Go see several breeders and follow your instincts. If a breeder and contract makes you feel uncomfortable (threatening a fine seems a bit much), then go with one that makes you feel more comfortable.

And don't be afraid to ask the breeder questions about the contract. A GOOD breeder won't mind explaining it.

I loved our breeder immediately, but being a complete novice I was a bit concerned with the contract. I had her explain the causes to me which put my mind at ease. It really made me feel better to know that if something happened to me or my husband that there was someone who would look out for our fur kids and ensure that they went to a good home, whether it be another family member or her.

Justice's breeder got one of his half brothers back at the age of 9. Her contact states that if they can't keep the dog it will come back. This dog got turned into a shelter in Georgia. His mircochip was registered to the breeder so they called her and she was horrified to find he was there and tried to contact his owners thinking he got lost. Nothing. She bailed him out and paid to have him flow back up to Mn. That was 1.5yr ago, she still has him and will for the rest of his life. The previous owner never contacted her even though they had been in contact 2 months prior and for the previous 9 yrs. When she finally got a hold of them,they said they were too embarassed to let her know they could no longer keep him so they dumped(very embarassed now). I guess they forgot he was mircochipped.

Wow, that is so sad. Having financial difficutlies is embarassing but I could never live with myself knowing that I'd dropped my shelties off at a shelter rather than give them up to someone I know would care for them.

Really glad to hear that he found his way back to the breeder eventually.

 

[OntarioSheltie]

It appears that at least some persons still believe the myth that most (a majority) of Shelties in rescue are from puppy mills and "bad breeders". That has not been my experience. Many rescues have no identifiable origin. My Robby was found "on the street", and he is one of the most handsome Shelties I have ever encountered. Many rescues come from tragic circumstances where a responsible owner has had a drastic change in their life situation (including passing away) and therefore cannot keep their dog - even though they wish they could. Of course, there are many others who get to rescue because they are regarded as an inconvenience by their irresponsible owners. Having said that, many (most) rescue Shelties have issues that quality rescue groups identify and remediate in so far as it is possible. Health issues, age, behaviors, and physical imperfections are frequently (certainlly not always) found in rescues. Often these can be made into "unique characteristics" which can make the Sheltie even more lovable. Finally, what I am really trying to get at is that a rescue Sheltie, or even an imperfect Sheltie, can be a really great pet and family member. It may surprise you just how many rescues are "perfect" and without issues. They are just (in most cases) undocumented. Quality rescue groups carefully screen potential adopters, always have a return clause in their contracts, provide detailed health/vet records, and are anxious to provide support for life for the dogs they place. They always provide iinformation about any "special" issues a particular dog may have. Their goal is to make sure that the adoptions "take" - are both permanent and successful in every way. If you are skeptical of my assertions, come and meet my rescue Shelties. Kind regards, Will

I agree whole heartedly with most of your post but I do believe that most of the shelties in rescues come from puppymills and byb because of what most people on this thread have argued. A GOOD breeder won't allow the pups they breed to end up at shelters and it rescues. Some most definitely slip through the cracks and I'm sure there are some registered dogs that end up in shelters/rescues, but they're the exception. Just because you see a gorgeous, unregistered sheltie doesn't mean he/she was originally from a good breeder. My parent's sheltie is gorgeous and has a wonderful temperament. He came from a pet store.

I closely follow my local sheltie rescue and adopted from them. They have many dogs right now that came from a puppy mill, they have a couple of badly bred dogs who have behavioral and/or health issues, they have a couple of younger dogs that were surrendered for no apparent reason and some older dogs that were surrendered due to health, moving, etc. I still argue that 99% of the time, these dogs are from byb or puppymills because a good breeder wouldn't let this happen.

I think I did see one papered sheltie at the rescue about 5 years ago.

Toby, who I adopted from the rescue, came from a very nice family who bought him from a puppymill. No responsible breeder in their right mind would have sold a puppy to a single Mom with a special needs child who worked full time and lived in an apartment.

 

[SheepOfBlue]

Most of breeders that I have contacted, wants me to sign a purchase contract. Some appear overly restrictive, and some even says the breeder reserves right to take the dog away from me and fine me for thousands of dollars. While I totally understand the purpose of such contract and the extraneous circumstances this may happen, but I cannot and WILL NOT sign such a document.

All of the documents I've seen, includes a clause saying, "If I have to surrender the dog in the future, I should return the dog to the breeder, and never to an impound/rescue"

Then how and why do I see so many shelties in the rescue?

Is it because the purchase just doesn't care? or moved out of state where it is not possible to return to the breeder? or the dog has so much mental/health problem that the owner nor the breeder were willing to take it?

I'm still learning. I feel that it's much better to pester the forum instead of doing something that I cannot follow through.

fine you I agree that one I would just laugh in their face and walk out.

The surrender thing is precisely because they do not want one of their pups adding to the work rescues do. I seem to recall more than a couple people here that got rehomed dogs from breeders. Sca might even have such a clause. My thinking on that clause is more that they are saying NEVER turn one into the pound we will take it back. I might be wrong but if something happened to you and a responsible family member took the pup they would be happy for the pup and sad about you.

As to why people do the things they do I give up. I was in a house last night being fixed that most members here would not even enter. There is a lot of background I should not repeat but I can say the room the person lived in had big entrances yet was still strong enough smelling that you could not enter without gagging (this after 3 days of cleaning the house by multiple people). The person put a tarp over the bed during the day so the cats would not use the bed as a toilet and believe me there was worse. So yes people do things that are hard to believe.

 

[Kalyee]

Hey all! Been lurking here for a while trying to learn as much as I could about shelties since I'm planning to get one soon And this thread has me quite conflicted. I've been talking to a breeder, who's registered on AKC's site and seems reputable (health guarantee, titled parents, micro-chipped). She's even keeping one of the litter for herself. But she also hasn't asked me a single question about myself, our living arrangements or why I want a sheltie. And the parents aren't screened (was going to ask about that when I visited).

On the one hand, I would assume if she's keeping one the litter had to have been well planned out breed-wise? But then, I'm not sure... maybe she'll grill me when I show up to visit? Is there something I should pay careful attention to?

 

[tofu pup]

Justice's breeder got one of his half brothers back at the age of 9. Her contact states that if they can't keep the dog it will come back. This dog got turned into a shelter in Georgia. His mircochip was registered to the breeder so they called her and she was horrified to find he was there and tried to contact his owners thinking he got lost. Nothing. She bailed him out and paid to have him flow back up to Mn. That was 1.5yr ago, she still has him and will for the rest of his life. The previous owner never contacted her even though they had been in contact 2 months prior and for the previous 9 yrs. When she finally got a hold of them,they said they were too embarassed to let her know they could no longer keep him so they dumped(very embarassed now). I guess they forgot he was mircochipped.

That's terrible. Didn't even have the decency to surrender the dog to Sheltie rescue - just take your nine year old dog to the municipal shelter and say good luck dog, see you around, thanks for the memories, sure hope you find somebody else to feed you. I absolutely understand that there are sad, difficult circumstances in which one can simply no longer keep a dog - but there's a right way and a wrong way to find the dog a new home. Kudos to the shelter for scanning the chip!

I really like the idea of sending all puppies out micochipped. I'm liking it more and more. Breeders will do their best to make sure that a puppy is going to a great home, but stuff happens... and it's good to know that the dog always has a way to find you if it does.

 

[Emmasmom]

Both my dogs are microchipped - and were registered to the breeder. I had to have her permission to switch them over to my name, which she gladly did.

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

All of the documents I've seen, includes a clause saying, "If I have to surrender the dog in the future, I should return the dog to the breeder, and never to an impound/rescue"

Then how and why do I see so many shelties in the rescue?

Most of the rescues we get in are Amish/Pet Store dogs. We get very few dogs from good breeders. When we do, we contact them. They can either take the dog back and place it themselves. Or if we have a home lined up, they usually don't object to us placing them.