If ethically bred they should be doing health testing to ensure the offspring dont have health issues, and actively managing genetic diversity by “swapping studs” with other breeders, and depending on the breed, “outbreeding” where sometimes a dog from outside the breed is one of the parents to intentionally increase genetic diversity (some breed standards allow this, some dont.).
Do note, some breed standards just suck, and breeding healthy dogs within that breed may not meet breed standards to be considered pure bred. Usually there are breeders pushing to change that breed standard to fit healthier practices (I think thats a thing with like English bulldogs or pugs if I remember right…)
I hear a lot about this because my best friend’s special interests are animal genetic and animal behavioral science (she works as a dog trainer), and she’s REALLY passionate about ethical breeding as a better way for dogs to come into the world
Not everyone can afford an ethically bred dog, health testing and line management is expensive, but if all dogs were ethically bred you’d end up with a lot fewer dogs in the shelter because it produces more predictable offspring that are less likely to end up being a poor fit (if you’re picking breed based on how that breed fits you, and not just by aesthetic without thinking about what kind of enrichment they need, which sucks whether the dog is purebred or not), or have severe health/behavioral issues that make it hard to live a healthy life
So if you’re ever considering getting a dog from a breeder for whatever reason (maybe you need a dog that you can be sure fits into a particular kind of life or family, or is compatible with your disability/medical limitations) make sure to ask if they do health testing, what kind, and if you can see it. Ask if they keep in touch with owners of past litters to monitor for health issues, and ask what practices they use to make sure they have healthy litters and manage genetic diversity. The answers will help you find a breeder that has good practices :)
If ethically bred they should be doing health testing to ensure the offspring dont have health issues, and actively managing genetic diversity by “swapping studs” with other breeders, and depending on the breed, “outbreeding” where sometimes a dog from outside the breed is one of the parents to intentionally increase genetic diversity (some breed standards allow this, some dont.).
Do note, some breed standards just suck, and breeding healthy dogs within that breed may not meet breed standards to be considered pure bred. Usually there are breeders pushing to change that breed standard to fit healthier practices (I think thats a thing with like English bulldogs or pugs if I remember right…)
I hear a lot about this because my best friend’s special interests are animal genetic and animal behavioral science (she works as a dog trainer), and she’s REALLY passionate about ethical breeding as a better way for dogs to come into the world
Not everyone can afford an ethically bred dog, health testing and line management is expensive, but if all dogs were ethically bred you’d end up with a lot fewer dogs in the shelter because it produces more predictable offspring that are less likely to end up being a poor fit (if you’re picking breed based on how that breed fits you, and not just by aesthetic without thinking about what kind of enrichment they need, which sucks whether the dog is purebred or not), or have severe health/behavioral issues that make it hard to live a healthy life
So if you’re ever considering getting a dog from a breeder for whatever reason (maybe you need a dog that you can be sure fits into a particular kind of life or family, or is compatible with your disability/medical limitations) make sure to ask if they do health testing, what kind, and if you can see it. Ask if they keep in touch with owners of past litters to monitor for health issues, and ask what practices they use to make sure they have healthy litters and manage genetic diversity. The answers will help you find a breeder that has good practices :)