ameys

The Problem with Backyard Breeders

Wed, 24 May 2023 10:02:05 GMT

The Troubling Reality of Backyard Dog Breeders

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, but have you ever thought about where puppies come from?

It’s an important question to ask.

Turns out, Australia has one of the highest pet populations in the world. According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), there are currently about 28.7 million pets living in Australia. Just under half of all people share their home with a dog.

So, where are Australians getting their puppies from?

Ideally, an ethical breeder, such as Ameys Puppies . With 12 years of experience, we are family-owned commercial dog breeders dedicated to the health and well-being of every single dog and puppy in our care.

But unfortunately, this isn’t always the case…

Since the pandemic pet boom, Australia (like many countries) is facing a huge problem when it comes to irresponsible breeders selling puppies purely for profit through backyard breeding facilities and puppy mills. Of the 450,000 puppies sold in Australia each year, it’s estimated that only 10% come from reputable breeders, leading to a host of animal welfare issues.

This should be cause for alarm for dog lovers everywhere!

Hearing how many puppies are purchased annually, it leads many people to wonder: Are backyard breeders really such a big issue?

Sadly, yes.

Those with a dog’s best interests at heart will always do what is right for their puppies. For breeders in Victoria, Australia, this includes being regulated by government bodies and following strict compliance measures. However, backyard breeders (also known as “micro-breeders”) do NOT adhere to the same high standards.

Instead, backyard breeders often rely upon breeding practices that are:

· Unethical

· Irresponsible

· Undereducated

Here are some key issues associated with micro-breeders:

No Experience or Knowledge of Best Breeding Practices

Firstly, backyard breeders lack the necessary knowledge, experience, and expertise in responsible breeding. It takes years – even decades – to have a deep understanding of canine genetics, breed standards, and proper healthcare, not to mention build relationships with veterinarians and fellow breed enthusiasts.

With fewer resources and less time available to supervise whelping mother dogs, there is also a higher chance of complications, such as Mastitis, Eclampsia (Milk Fever), and Dystocia (puppy trapped in birth canal). Yikes!

The outcome?

Needless suffering and pain.

Profit Over Puppies

Secondly, unscrupulous backyard breeders focus on flipping a profit…at the expense of dogs.

In one news article published by Daily Mail Australia , it was discovered that some micro-breeders are selling puppies on Instagram and making as much as $50,000 from a single litter!

Shockingly, female dogs are bred over and over again starting at a young age. If mother dogs experience psychological or physical distress, or puppies are born with special needs, they are typically abandoned or disposed of.

On the other hand, all breeders in Victoria with more than two fertile females must register as a Domestic Animal Business and comply with a Code of Practice. Yet to the dismay of animal advocates, this rule doesn’t apply to breeders with under two fertile females (AKA backyard breeders).

Falls Outside Legislation

Speaking of legislation, when you purchase a puppy from a reputable breeder, rest easy knowing they will come with:

· Routine vaccinations

· Deworming and flea treatment

· A microchip

That’s because in Victoria, Australia, it’s the law!

But micro-breeders fall outside such legislation. Therefore, they aren’t required to:

· Provide a 3-year genetic / hereditary guarantee

· Restrict mothers to 5 litters

· Obtain a breeding certificate from a veterinary technician prior to breeding

· Have at least 5 years experience breeding

· Undertake a Certificate IV in animal companionship.

For these reasons, Amey's Puppies urges soon-to-be pet parents to contact only legislated breeders when searching for their new fur baby.

Inadequate Health and Genetic Screening

Additionally, certain breeds are more prone to health problems and hereditary diseases. To prevent these from being passed on to their progeny, mother and father dogs need to be tested. But this rarely happens in the case of micro-breeders. The result can be illness and/or serious health consequences that worsen the quality of a puppy’s life.

Plus, heartbreak for you.

Poor Living Conditions

Backyard breeders are sometimes reluctant to have interested buyers visit their home.

Why?

Well, because they must operate in the shadows!

You would be surprised by the appalling conditions many puppies live in while waiting for their future homes. Dogs are kept in overcrowded sheds, rooms, and cages. Food and water are unsanitary due to feces and urine that go uncleaned.

When raised unhygienically, infectious diseases can be passed on from animals to humans too, such as zoonosis.

Contribution to Pet Overpopulation

Lastly, did you know?

Animal shelters are bursting at the seams.

Tragically, 264 healthy dogs and cats are euthanized in Australia every day. Unregulated backyard breeding adds to the problem of pet overpopulation and subsequent surrender. Backyard-bred puppies who are not properly cared for end up in shelters and rescue organizations, contributing to the heavy burden that falls upon animal welfare organizations.

On the contrary, regulated breeders have puppy waitlists, usually months or even years long.

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Buyer Beware: Recognizing and Avoiding Backyard Dog Breeders

So, how do you identify irresponsible breeders?

Here are 5 red flags to watch for:

1. No website (only advertising on social media)

2. Pressure to buy on the spot

3. Demanding cash payment

4. Not letting you meet the dog’s parents or littermates

5. Lack of ongoing breeder support

Take Action! How to Combat Backyard Dog Breeders in Your Community

Ultimately, backyard dog breeders undermine animal welfare and fail to contribute to the betterment of dog breeds as a whole.

So, we encourage you to take action!

Together with our partners, Amey's Puppies written a letter on behalf of Victorian Government Approved Breeder’s Group Pty Ltd (VGABG) calling attention to the problem of backyard breeders.

To learn more, please visit: www.vgabg.com.au

Groodle Breed Info

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 02:03:00 GMT

Groodles Popularly known as Golden Doodle outside Australia is a hybrid dog that is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. The Groodles breed is highly intelligent and smart and easily trainable. Groodles have unconditional love for their hoomans. They could be a perfect companion for those with a very active lifestyle. Groodles love to run, play and even hike with you and accompany you on a vacation. It is a delight to watch these playful puppies full of energy and zest for life and their spirit is contagious.

Groodle Breed Info:

Groodle is a crossbreed between a Golden Retriever and a toy or miniature poodle. Groodles come in different sizes – Miniature, Medium, and Standard depending on the Poodle variant used for breeding. Groodles have curly, wavy, or straight coats.

A Miniature Groodle weighs between 12 to 18 kg and the height can range between 35cm and 48 cm. Medium Groodles weigh between 18-26 kg. A standard Groodle weighs more than 26kg. They can weigh up to 45kg and grow to be between 50cm and 70cm tall.

The average life span of a Groodle is 10- 14 years. It takes almost just over 12 months for a Groodle puppy to reach adulthood and mature to full size.

Parents Breeds:

The Golden Retriever originated in Scotland. Retrievers are an intelligent breed with gentle, loving, and playful personalities. It is appealing due to its beautiful golden coat. Due to their high intelligence Golden retrievers are considered excellent service dogs in search and rescue missions. Golden retrievers are highly popular in the United States.

Poodles are German in origin. Poodles are popular due to their hypoallergenic curly coat and friendly and loving personality. Poodles come in a variety of sizes, including Toy, Miniature, and Standard varieties. They make wonderful family dogs.

Poodles and Golden Retrievers were originally bred for hunting purposes. Hence both these breeds have higher energy levels and are athletic and excellent swimmers.

Pros & cons of parent breeds:

Poodles and Golden Retrievers are well-known for their intelligence, friendliness, and loyalty. Both the parent breeds respond well to training. Groodle's coat is hypoallergenic and sheds less like Poodles. They are wonderful service animals and therapy dogs. Groodles are natural fetch dogs because both of their parent breeds, the Golden Retriever and the Poodle, enjoy retrieving.

Though Retrievers and Poodles make excellent cuddling companions, they cannot be anticipated to be couch dogs all the time and require daily exercise and mental stimulation. Inadequate physical and mental activity can result in health problems and destructive behavior. Letting them unattended for long hours can result in separation anxiety. Groodles may be quite expensive due to their parents' high demand and popularity. Groodles generally doesn’t fit well in small apartments, if no adequate exercise is provided.

Advantages of cross-breeding:

The true advantage of cross-breeding is that it reduces genetic and hereditary diseases in purebred dogs. Cross-breeding produces healthy dog varieties that inherit the most desirable and popular DNA characteristics from the parent breeds.

Cross-breeds come in a variety of colours, shapes, and sizes, making them popular among dog owners, particularly in the United States and Australia.

F1 and F1b cross & Genetic issues in Groodles and how to avoid it:

The letter "F" stands for Filial, which means "crossbreed," and the letter "B" stands for backcross. The F1 Groodle is a cross between a purebred Golden Retriever and Poodle. F1B Groodles are F1 Groodles that have been bred back with a 100% (purebred) parent breed.

F1B Groodles are commonly bred back with poodles to retain hypoallergenic, non-shedding coats and to obtain a smaller size. This will also help to reduce the prevalence of genetic issues in Golden retrievers.

To avoid genetic issues, always seek out breeders who are ministry-approved and carry out the necessary parental DNA testing, Hip, and Elbow X-rays and adhere to scientific and ethical breeding standards. Most commonly inherited genetic conditions are:

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How to look after a Groodle:

Spend time with your Groodle every day. Provide them with plenty of love, time, and attention.
Do not leave your Groodle unattended for long hours. Consider hiring a puppy sitter if you are away for a longer period or on a vacation.
Exercising Groodles for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour is a must.
Use puppy-friendly toys to keep Groodle occupied and reduce destructive and curious behavior.
Groom them well.
Provide Groodles adequate protein source and a diet that supports their size and high energy levels
Conduct self-examination of the ear area to ensure that it is clean and free of odors. Make cleaning the Groodle's eyes with warm wet cottonballs a habit to avoid eye discharge and tear staining.
Keep your puppy healthy by performing routine vet visits and vaccinations.

Grooming requirements for Groodles:

Grooming requirements vary according to coat type. Brushing a flat coat is necessary only few times a month. If the coat type is Fleece, brush them at least once a week and trim it twice a year.

If Groodle coat is woolen, brush 2-3 times per week. The wool coat does not shred easily and requires 2-3 trims per year to avoid tangles and matting.

Bath them once a month with a vet-recommended shampoo. You can also clean them if their coat is not as soft as usual, smells bad, or has accumulated mud or dirt after a vigorous outdoor activity.

Cavoodle Breed Info

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:00:35 GMT

The Cavoodle is a variety of cross bred dog between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle. Cavoodle or Cavapoos are small, charming, playful, and shaggy crossbreed dog variety. This warm-hearted pet is ideal for families with children of all ages. Their friendly public persona and ease of maintenance make them the most sought-after dog in Australia . Cavoodles are highly intelligent and simple to train. Cavapoos are ideal pets for upbringing in a small backyard, fenced garden or a city apartment. Cavoodles are extremely soft and fluffy dogs who enjoy cuddling. This makes them ideal companion as therapy dogs.

Cavoodle Breed Info: Cavoodle is a mixed breed dog. They are a hybrid of the Toy or Miniature Poodle and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They inherit the DNA of both parents and exhibit both parents’ characteristics. Toy Cavoodles will grow to approximately 30-35 cms / 5-7 kgs and Miniatures average 40-45 cm / 8-12 kg. The average life expectancy is 10-14 years and is fully grown at the age of 10-12 months. Cavoodles should be bred only after 12 months of age. Though they come in all possible shades of the parents, the most popular colors are red, ruby, or chestnut and pure white are rare.

Parents Breeds: Cavoodles or Cavapoos are named after their parent dog breeds, the Cavalier and the Poodle. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a toy dog breed from the United Kingdom and the Poodle is a water dog breed. Cavoodles combines the beauty of a Cavalier with the intelligence of a Mini Poodle. Due to the influence of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Cavoodle's body is shorter in height than average but frequently longer from head to tail.

Pros & cons of parent breeds: Cavoodle parent's lineage exhibits gentle, affectionate, and playful characters and are very friendly in nature. Both the Cavalier and the Poodle are easily trainable and require less maintenance and exercise and have a lesser propensity for allergies. Despite their luxurious fur, Cavoodles are hypoallergenic due to their parent DNA.

Both of the parent breeds are extremely emotional, need constant care, and actively seek approval. In a similar vein, Cavoodles cannot be left alone for an extended amount of time without developing separation anxiety. Cavoodles are not a choice for frequent travelers or workaholic owners. In general, Cavoodles are not a quiet breed. They have poodle-like vocalizations and could be noisy at times.

Advantages of cross-breeding: Crossbreeding has the main benefit of reducing the hereditary disorders that can exist in purebred dogs. Breeders scientifically analyze the DNA of any two particular dog breeds to assess the potential risk and benefits associated with cross breeding the two variants. Cross breeding helps to develop designer varieties of dogs tailored to a pet lover’s taste. Human race can be thankful to cross breeding technology to have raised designer dogs they fancy that are 2X healthy than pure bred.

F1 and F1b cross Genetic issues in Cavoodles and how to avoid it:

Genetic problems are less common in mixed or crossbred dogs than in purebred dogs. Most people believe that the advantages of the Cavoodle crossbreed outweigh the disadvantages and are a highly recommended designer breed. The gene pool of the parent breeds makes Cavoodles less prone to genetic disorders, but not to an absolute minimum. The most common are:

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
Hip Dysplasia
Cataracts
Patellar Luxation
Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease
Epilepsy
Syringomyelia

To avoid F1 genetic issues, reputable breeders put immense care in selective breeding and subject their animals to tests such as Hip and Elbow X-rays, as well as DNA testing. Toy Poodles are predisposed to hereditary diseases. Well-Known breeders will always choose Minis to produce healthy offspring. The breeder will carefully select the parents of each litter in order to emphasize desirable traits while minimizing flaws in their offspring.

Always try to breed F1B Cavoodles back to a healthy DNA Poodle so that they have a better chance of having non-shedding coats.

How to look after a Cavoodle:

Cavoodles like to be in the presence of their favorite human beings. The first and foremost step in looking after a Cavoodle is to invest your time in them. A healthy dog's mental well-being is essential.
Cavoodles need between 30 and 60 minutes of moderate exercise each day. This can involve regular strolls, unstructured playtime at a dog park, and cerebral exercise.
Cavoodles are easily and gently trainable and do not require harsh or coercive training. They generally are well-behaved dogs.
Maintain the naturalness of your Cavoodle's fur by grooming it regularly.
Cavoodles typically eat small amounts of food at a time. But since they eat less, food should always provide all of the nutrients they require, including proteins, minerals, and crabs. Do not opt for a low-quality food brand.
Pay attention to following the vaccination guidelines and undergo routine clinical examinations. This will aid in the early detection and treatment of a variety of ailments.

Grooming requirements for Cavoodles:

Brush Cavoodles at least once a week to prevent tangling of their fur close to their skin. This is an excellent supplement for a professional groom every six to eight weeks, depending on how long you want your pooches to have their fur. Those with a Cavalier coat require less brushing but shed more, whereas those with a Poodle coat shed less but require daily brushing.

Clipping them is a popular option because it makes their coat more manageable. It is advisable to chip Cavoodles in accordance with the local weather conditions or seasonal changes.

Bathing once every four weeks is generally recommended. If they are too muddy after a great game, do not hesitate to wash them immediately.