What is a Backyard Breeder or BYB?

[Jack's Dad]

I used to have my own idea about this.

On this forum I have seen it used so much and in so many different ways that I no longer have any idea.

That brings up another question. What is a reputable breeder?

Is there something in between?

[selzer]

A backyard breeder (BYB) is one who breeds in their back yard.

A reputable breeder breeds in the front yard, side yard, basement, garage, house or office. Therefore he is not a BYB.

There is nothing in between.

[doggiedad]

this is so, so, so, so, very, very, very, very
ffffffuuuuuuunnnnnnyyyyyyy.

Originally Posted by selzer

A backyard breeder (BYB) is one who breeds in their back yard.

A reputable breeder breeds in the front yard, side yard, basement, garage, house or office. Therefore he is not a BYB.

There is nothing in between.

[Snarly]

I think a reputable breeder is one who titles/works their dogs, health tests, knows the pedigrees very well etc and only has a few litters a year.
A byb to me is someone that doesn't health test, doesn't title their dogs and has litters because they own the parents. I think quite a few have good intentions and care about their dogs.
And then there are the ones I personally cannot stand which to me is a byb/puppymill blend. The ones that pass themselves off as reputable (to those that believe it) by doing OFA's and by having tons of dogs (that they breed back to back to back) with no titles and few if any titled dogs in their pedigrees.
The general public beleives because a dog is registered that it is quality when clearly that is not true. These are just my opnions on the matter so take it for what it's worth.

[Germanshepherdlova]

I am going to breed my GSD with my neighbors. Neither of our dogs have their hips or elbows rated (but they seem to be fine) my dog does have some aggression issues-but he's just really protective and dominant. My neighbors dog has many fear issues but she is very pretty. My GSD is really big so he will be very impressive to buyers when they come and see him, they will surely be impressed with the sire and pretty dam. As far as breed standards? Who cares! We are just breeding to make some money. We are thinking $500 a puppy will be a good deal. No guarantees or anything-buyer takes the pup and thats the last we want to hear about the puppy.

This story is of course fictional-but it is my idea of a BYB'er.

[Discoetheque]

True enough, the terms have different meanings to everyone, really.
I think the term 'reputable breeder' is relative, depending on what you're looking for. There is generally a minimum expectation among the population, like health-testing and some form of temperament testing, allowing the prospective puppy-buyers to meet the parents and see the puppies, etc.

It's once you reach other areas that things start to get a little muddy.
For example, some people would think that a reputable breeder has contracts. Some people will not buy from breeders with contracts. Some people like overly detailed and 'failsafe' contracts. But a breeder with a fairly simple contract might be preferred to some while seen as 'not reputable' to others.

If you are shopping for a pet, and nothing more, you might not find a lack of Schutzhund titles to be a deal-breaker if everything else is in place: hips and elbows at a minimum done, temperament testing done, clean facilities, breeder support. But to some, selling puppies from untitled dogs is as not-reputable as selling puppies that are on fire, and from a working-dog professional perspective, puppies from untitled parents might be considered 'backyard bred'.

The GSD is something different to everyone. This is evidenced by the division in the lines, and as a result, you're going to have a mighty hard time finding the 'total dog' anymore, as when breeding programs become concentrated on a handful of aspects, the left-over areas can begin to suffer if not taken into account. Two different people concentrating on two different aspects of the dog might not seem reputable to one another.

The problem with self-created definitions is that they aren't clear across the board. Therefore, the only one that really matters in the grand scheme is yours

[Jack's Dad]

Originally Posted by selzer

A backyard breeder (BYB) is one who breeds in their back yard.

A reputable breeder breeds in the front yard, side yard, basement, garage, house or office. Therefore he is not a BYB.

There is nothing in between.

I hope you moved your pups out of the backyard then Selzer.

[Germanshepherdlova]

Originally Posted by jack's dad

i hope you moved your pups out of the backyard then selzer.

[Jack's Dad]

Some breeders import dogs with titles etc...

They could be great or they may just be breeding for money.

Should a reputable breeder know genetics or is that unnecessary?

If they don't have a good grasp on genetics and pedigrees but have titled dogs are they a bad breeder or a BYB or a reputable breeder?

[doggiedad]

Selzer, ask Jack's Dad where did he get his dog???

Originally Posted by selzer

A backyard breeder (BYB) is one who breeds in their back yard.

A reputable breeder breeds in the front yard, side yard, basement, garage, house or office. Therefore he is not a BYB.

There is nothing in between.

Originally Posted by Jack's Dad

>>>>> I hope you moved your pups out of the backyard then Selzer.<<<<<<