Breeding Dog Welfare
By accepting a clear set of enforceable standards for the husbandry of breeding dogs including issues such as pen size and husbandry systems, frequency of breeding, age of retirement and the management of retired dogs we believe that members of our organisation demonstrate an unparalleled commitment to animal welfare.
Purebred vs Crossbred
The primary aim of all AAPDB breeders must be to breed healthy, suitable, well socialised puppies. This means that genetic health and temperament are primary concerns for our breeders. We do not breed for the sake of the breed but for the sake of the families who will share their lives with our puppies. We welcome any dog breeder who embraces this commitment.
Shelter vs Deliberately Bred Puppy
Some people feel very strongly that while dogs are dying in shelters it is immoral to buy a puppy that has been deliberately bred. However some people also believe that it is immoral to feed dogs while people in the world are starving. Just as food fed to pets would not be redirected to Third World countries if it wasn’t “wasted” feeding First World dogs, there is no evidence that not breeding quality puppies would decrease the number of randomly bred dogs presented to pounds and shelters.
Our organisation supports Australian families who would like to buy a puppy of their choice, for the following reasons:
- While many people get wonderful dogs from shelters, most of these dogs are young adults and it is rarely that pups become available at 8-12 weeks of age – the critical period for socialisation.
- Many people, particularly first time dog owners and parents of young children, are justifiably reluctant to bring a dog with an unknown history into their family.
- Most dogs in shelters are bred at random and acquired at little cost by people who do not understand, or cannot afford, the responsibilities of dog ownership. Most of these dogs will make great companions in the right situation, but many are not appropriate family pets.
- Not all dogs are the same and it is unreasonable to insist that someone wanting to obtain a carefully bred and socialised puppy should be obliged to buy either a registered pure bred dog or take a chance on an older dog from an animal shelter.
The AAPDB believes that every Australian family should have the right and the opportunity to own a dog or breed puppies if they choose. The association supports the following measures to reduce the number of dogs being surrendered to pounds and shelters:
- Increased expenditure on education for responsible dog ownership
- Extension of targetted susidised desexing programs to assist low income families
- A Government supported campaign to encourage “Pet Friendly” rental accomodation.
- Compulsory Breeder Licensing of all owners of dogs which are not desexed .
- Discount licencing available to all breeders who belong to a Breeders Association with enforcable ethical standards for breeding and sale of pet dogs
- Application of existing State and Local government regulations regarding dog breeders to all dog breeders regardless of the number of breeding dogs they own and their motives for keeping breeding dogs.
Pet Shop vs Private Purchase
The AAPDB permits sale of pups though stores which are members of an Industry body with a code of ethics, or stores which have become Associate Members of the AAPDB Inc. All sales through stores must have the duty of care post sale which is the obligation of an AAPDB member. This includes issues relating to impulse buying, post sale illnesses, desexing, rehoming and recording. This duty of care may be taken up by the store or may remain the responsibility of the breeder however no AAPDB bred dog can be sold without the assurance of lifetime rehoming and without being first desexed or supplied with a discount desexing voucher.