What Ethical Whippet Breeding Actually Looks Like
Ethical dog breeding is one often misunderstood concepts in the dog world. Today we break down what ethical breeding actually looks like in practice, using whippets as a real-life example.
Wthical breeders are not perfect and neither are their dogs, because nature doesn’t work that way. But what separated ethical breeding from irresponsible breeding is purpose, planning, transparency and responsibility before, during and long after the litter is born.
This episode is not about promoting breeders or selling puppies. It’s about education, honesty and protecting the future or whippets and all breeds we love. Because ethical breeding does not start with breeding and it does not end once the puppies go home.
00:00 Intro
00:30 Why ethical breeding is misunderstood
02:56 Proving the dog
03:41 Health testing
04:17 Final decision
04:32 Choosing a mate
05:55 Raising puppies and evaluating them
08:58 Selecting puppy owners
11:13 It doesn’t start or end with breeding
12:08 Accountability
13:10 Why it cannot be done for profit
15:46 Are ethically bred puppies more expensive
16:54 How to find an ethical whippet breeder
18:56 The result of ethical breeding
20:40 Conclusion
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Hey, fellow dog fanciers and whippeteers! My name is Addie, proudly owned by 6 gorgeous whippets currently (10 throughout the years), and I have been surrounded by pets since day 1. The world of show dogs, dog shows and responsible breeding has been keeping me busy since the age of 12 and this channel is especially created to educate on these controversial topics.
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17 Comments
It is interesting what we do for dogs, but don't do for people.
Exactly, thank you for spreading this information. Buying a dog cheap is like buying anything else cheap. You'll end up paying for it later on. There's higher risks of sickness, injuries, and behavioral problems in cheap backyard bred puppies because they are not bred to eliminate those problems, they are bred to attract people to their pretty or unique looks.
Thank you Addie! However I'd like to comment on your opinions of or understanding of #adoptdontshop. It's a shame that #adoptdontshop made ethical breeders their enemy: As a main rule and as you say in the video, puppies from ethical breeders stay within reach of their breeders for their entire life. Puppies from questionable breeders or financially motivated crossbred litters (aka greeders) tend to end up in shelter. The original point of #adoptdontshop was simply that instead of buying a puppy from a greeder go to the shelter and adopt an unwanted and unfortunate dog, a dog who's probably from a greeder. Which the #adoptdontshop movement seem to have forgotten. Le sigh.
I've learnt that the Norwegian tax authorities hover over the breeders registered in the NKK (the Norwegian Kennel Club). The tax authorities count puppies and demand full financial accounts – and if there's any profit the breeders must pay a certain percentage in tax. Doodles or other mixed breeds are not registered in any kind of organization so those breeders are not taxable for the profit. It's nothing but black money!
I meet a lot of people who ask me about the domestic doodle (she was as good as homeless when she arrived for holiday, at least she had in practice nowhere to return to) and I go Do Not Under Any Circumstances….. (rant mode activated). Key words as temperamental issues is nothing compared to the effect of telling people that doodles means a contribution to the black economy. Norwegians are still quite law-abiding….at least I hope so!
What Diva the whippet is concerned: I adopted her from a reputable adoption center. She was bred by an ethical breeder however the buyers, the whippet's pawrents did not stand up to the mark. They wanished in thin air, got another whippet from an ethical breeder, ditched Diva, (they left her with an old aunt who didn't fulfilled her needs, put her up for adoption through Norwegian whippet sites for two years before they surrendered her.) To say the breeder was shocked when she found out is an understatement. I've wondered why the breeder didn't recognize Diva from the facebook ads however Diva wasn't a show dog, she wasn't noticed – and the breeder had given up breeding to focus on adoption/rehoming. Besides, none of her whippet friends had spotted the connection between the facebook whippet and her. None of this was the breeder's fault. She happened to sell to people who seemed to be more solid and reliable than they actually were. And that's where the problem is: To find the right people for your puppies. I take care of the victims of the wrong people. That's my mission.
👍🏻🌟Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this most important topic & with the sweetest footage of your Whippets throughout! What a cliffhanger ending. Can't wait for your next video -"Backyard Breeders (esp the ones that don't think they are)." 😳 Yes, yes, and yes–paraphrasing what you said-“Owning a purebred dog is not a right, it’s a privilege and comes with responsibility..respecting the breed enough to care about where your puppy comes from." 🧐🤩🌎
This is such a great explanation. I’ll hang on to this to share for anyone who has questions about ethical breeding. 😄
I once stood for adopt dont shop. Ever since I got my first rescue dog I now view it more differentiated. Trust me, not everyone is made for a scared dog with negative background that, despite every attempt, remains affected by what happened in the past throughout their whole life. Adopt don‘t shop is too glorified and doesn‘t always help owners nor animals. Ans yes of course not every dog has negative experiences and we shouldnt forget about pets from sanctuaries or shelters but we also need to paint a more realistic picture of what it could mean… you never know what you get even if they decribe the animal to you…
There are certainly breeders who make money from breeding, as they have many breeding bitches. But breeders who only have one or two litters definitely don't get rich from it. And even if money is made, I don't find it objectionable considering the effort involved, provided it's a good, responsible breeder. Unfortunately, these days you're often made to feel guilty if you choose a breeder over a rescue dog. I find that very sad.
Because they are fast dogs and crosswell with most breeds for working purposes.
Yesss thank you for making this video!!, so happy many are starting to push for more education on the subject
We had to go through a full interview for our pup the first time and sign a contract. What type of home do you live in. Does the dog have access to a play yard. Will you take them to a dog park for full runs twice a week. How many people are at home during the day…..we even offered the breeder to come to our house to inspect it, but a FaceTime video call was enough. That’s a good breeder versus…I’ll take $600 and don’t care where the pup goes.
thank you for another video! huge amount of new information.
already waiting for a next one!
Decades ago I bought a pure bred kitten. The litter had many strong, healthy kittens, but I fell in love with the runt. He had some issues and needed surgery shortly after birth. The breeder was stern. If I bought this kitten they must be neutered. NEVER bred. It went in the contract and if that kitten wasn't neutered by five months, she was reclaiming him.
And I loved it. From my perspective, this meant the breeder was responsible. She didn't want a cat that wasn't perfectly healthy representing the breed. I respected her. I paid what it took to save his life and nothing more. I was looking for a good pet – not to make money off my pet.
Would I do it again? Nope. Max had a lot more health issues than we realized and ended up being a high-maintenance kitty. As a result of his medical situation, he was never a happy cat. I ended up spending a LOT of money for a miserable pet that died young. Now I get get my pets second-hand or as a gift from the 'Pet Distribution System.' (Turns out there's a dog division that most people aren't aware of.)
Can you make a video about parasite prophylaxis, espeacilly how do you handle it in bulgaria and for sighthounds? And how to find a good vet in bg with knowledge about sighthounds?
My whippet comes from an ethical breeder (he's now 9 months old), and I am extremely happy with his temperament, intelligence, disposition, everything! We have coursing here in Oregon USA and when he is old enough, I'll see if he enjoys it. I fully appreciate and admire all you and other ethical breeders do to preserve the breed. It certainly takes a lot of passion for the breed! Thank you!
Great vid.
9:10 😆 That's what it was like for me….to even get on a waiting list before sperm met egg! As it should be!
Modern breeding exists only for 150 years..in this short time it managed to destroy breeds that existed for a much longer time.due to resticting the gene pool and defining "value for the breed" on dog shows were extreme looks were prefered. I don't think the same breeding that put us into this mess will be the answer. There are extremes like pugs that are effectively too destroyed to salvage the breed without putting countless dogs in a life of suffering. But every breed has problems and the "erhical" breeders fight everything to make things better. Mandatory genetic testing, opening of registration to similar breeds, everytime there is a temper tantrum. On shows there are dogs who can't breath, walk or regulate their body temperature, but they still win. This tale from the ethical breeder who cares soo much is just that a fantasy.otherwise we wouldn't be at the point were we are.
No, this is not in favour of backyard breeding and puppy mills.but we need a different approach and definition of ethics.