Responsible Dog Owners: How can you fight against BYBs and Puppy Farmers?

Answer: Education

I think we'd all agree that the biggest reason why BYBs and puppy farmers still exist, is because newcomers to the dog world don't know any better - and only find out when it's too late.

But it doesn't have to be like that - as mentioned in another thread, sites like Dogsey have been set-up to help educate people, especially people new to the dog world, so, things are changing.

Someone else mentioned that many people only got to find out about Dogsey _after_ they bought their dog. We are still a relatively new site and not a household name (yet! lol), so again, things are changing. However we are now beginning to see all the hard work we have put into Dogsey...

Do a search for 'dog breeders' in google, and you'll see that our Dog Breeders guide is now on the first page of results!

Ok it's at the bottom of the first page but least it's there

If you agree that every prospective puppy buyer needs to read the article then then with your help we can make it number one!!

Simply mention/link to the article whenever you think someone needs to read it, whether that's on your own sites, in an email to someone, or even (if they allow it) on other forums or sites.

The more people see it, the more points it will get from search engines, and the higher it will climb up the search results. Of course it's more involved than that but all the behind the scenes work has been done - the rest, is now up to you guys.

When/if it reaches number one, the first thing people will see when they search for 'dog breeders' is our guide! And you can rest assured that we've all done our little bit to help educate newcomers, even if that is to plant a seed in their heads that all breeders are not the same, and they should be careful of who they buy their pup from... or they could be in for a nasty surprise.

It's true that there is a lot more information available now and many more people have access to the internet. I bred over a period of five years and it was noticeable that in the later litters, I was asked far more searching questions and it was clear that many more prospective puppy owners had done their homework. Instead of the first question being "how much?" it was more often "are they BAER hearing tested?".
However, there are always going to be those who believe that a dog is a dog and if they can get one cheaper, they will do so as it will "only be a pet".
As far as "education" goes, it is also important not to be dictatorial or such people could be permanently alienated.
Here's another thought - to play devil's advocate for a moment - if all the rescue centres PTS all dogs which weren't rehomed within a week, the BYB's would lose the current "justification" that they can churn out as many as they like since if they are not sold, or the owner wants to get rid, there is always someone else to deal with the problem. If this happened and was made public, there may be a much stronger stance taken against the BYB's in the first place.

I think it would help stop BYb if people didn't buy from pet shops or ads in the papers.
I do mention to people when talking to them if they are thinking of getting a dog, go to the rescue centres or look for breeders do your research first on what breed you think you want to make sure it is right for you.
When all that is done then contact a breeder, ask the questions about relevant health testing you will know by then what should be done if you have researched properly, and visit some breeders if they don't mind you visiting and seeing their dogs they have no problems, if they try to put you off best to steer clear.
If you haven't owned the breed before and it is a large breed it is always wise to go to see the adults so you can see what size the will be when an adult. Although whatever breed large or small, I would personally visit, to get to know the breeder and the dogs.
If you are not sure you want a pedigree then the rescue centres should be top of your list.
But everything is down to personal choice in the end you can just hope you have helped and given people something to think about.

I think it's high time the media covered this regularly instead of some of the tripe they cover.The public in general need to be educated and where better than on the local news and in national newspapers.Education is the key here and loads of it everywhere with nice bold warnings,xxxxxxxx

Azz - I will certainly try to implement your advice re. links to that page if it helps move it up to the top.

Yes, of course people should research the breed they want and dog ownership in general. I have to say that over the last 20 or so years I have come to believe 80% of humans are just plain stupid. It's the 'I want it & I want it now' mentality which really annoys me. Bad enough when it's an inanimate object but a total disaster when it involves a wonderful living creature like a dog.

Somebody published a theory about the 80 / 20 rule and it's surprising how often it seems to occur (Science, nature, art, media, and of course animal life, including people )

Obviously Dogsey members are in the 20% bracket