Different types of breeders...
Which type of breeder do you want to
purchase your next "best" friend from?
AussJo Acres is a "Hobby Breeder"

Here are some definitions that will help you understand some
of the terms that are most commonly used:

Hobby breeder: A breed fancier who usually has only one breed but
may have more, follows a breeding plan in efforts to preserve and
protect the breed, produces from none to five litters per year,
breeds only when a litter will enhance the breed and the breeding
program, raises the puppies with plenty of environmental and human
contact, has a contract that protects breeder, dog, and buyer, runs
a small, clean kennel, screens breeding stock to eliminate
hereditary defects from the breed, works with a breed club or kennel
club to promote and protect the breed, and cares that each and every
puppy is placed in the best home possible.

Commercial breeder: One who usually has several breeds of dogs with
profit as the primary motive for existence. The dogs may be healthy
or not and the kennel may be clean or not. The dogs are probably not
screened for genetic diseases, and the breeding stock is probably
not selected for resemblance to the breed standard or for good
temperament. Most commercial breeders sell their puppies to pet
stores or to brokers who sell to pet stores.

Broker: One who buys puppies from commercial kennels and sells to
retail outlets. Brokers ship puppies by the crate-load on airlines
or by truckload throughout the country. Brokers must be licensed by
USDA and must abide by the shipping regulations in the Animal
Welfare Act.

Buncher: One who collects dogs of unknown origin for sale to
laboratories or other bunchers or brokers. Bunchers are considered
lower on the evolutionary scale than puppy mill operators, for there
is much suspicion that they buy stolen pets, collect pets advertised
as "Free to a good home", and adopt unwanted pets from animal
shelters for research at veterinary colleges or industrial research
laboratories.

Backyard breeder: A dog owner whose pet either gets bred by accident
or who breeds on purpose for a variety of reasons. This breeder is
usually ignorant of the breed standard, genetics, behavior, and good
health practices. A backyard breeder can very easily become a
commercial breeder or a puppy mill.

Puppy mill: A breeder who produces puppies as fast as possible with
no breeding program, little attention to puppy placement, and poor
health and socialization practices. A puppy mill may or may not be
dirty but it is usually overcrowded and the dogs may be neglected or
abused because the breeder can't properly handle as many dogs as he
has. Puppy mill operators often denigrate hobby breeders and their
dogs in attempts to make a sale.

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This site was created by Jodi A. Miller
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AussJo Acres & JAM Graphics .