What is an ethical dog breeder?

Speaking Dog Is Ruff's perspective:

The term ethical dog breeder gets used a lot, but what does it really mean?

The truth is, the definition can be somewhat subjective. Different people draw the line in different places. At Speaking Dog Is Ruff, we define ethical breeding based on long term commitment to canine health, structure, temperament, and responsible ownership. We believe ethical breeding is about improving and preserving the breed, not just increasing the number of dogs in the world for trends or profit.

This post outlines what we believe ethical breeding looks like, how to recognize it, and why we believe some common practices, like intentionally breeding mixed breeds, fall short.

Ethical Breeders Put Dogs First

At the heart of ethical breeding is this core principle: the dogs’ well-being comes first. Ethical breeders don’t treat dogs as a business model. They breed purposefully, occasionally, and with the breed’s long term health and integrity in mind.

That means:

• Breeding dogs are not bred too young or old

• Dogs with poor structure or unstable temperament are removed from breeding programs

• Litters are planned with specific goals and careful selection of homes is involved

Ethical breeders aren’t just producing puppies, they’re working to protect and improve a breed they’re deeply passionate about.

Health Testing

Ethical breeders do not rely on guesswork or hope. They thoroughly health-test their dogs based on known issues within the breed. This includes screening for hips (via OFA or PennHIP), eyes (with CAER exams from a veterinary ophthalmologist), cardiac health, and breed specific conditions using verified testing protocols. A CHIC number is a green flag when breeders have it. It shows that a dog has met the breed specific health testing requirements set by the Canine Health Information Center and that results are publicly available. This kind of transparency shows the breeder is serious about genetic health and accountability.

Any breeder should be able to show verifiable proof of their health testing and not just claiming that they have done it.

Some breeders use platforms like Embark, but it's important to know:

Embark is not a substitute for formal health testing. It’s not always accurate or complete, and its results are not recognized by most breed clubs or health registries.

While Embark can provide some helpful genetic insights, if a breeder is using Embark as their only form of health testing, it is a major red flag. Ethical breeders go far beyond mail in DNA kits. They invest in veterinary oversight and evidence based practices to ensure their dogs are sound.

Breeding to the Standard Matters

Every breed has a written breed standard that describes the ideal structure, temperament, and function of that breed. Ethical breeders understand and breed to this standard, not for oversized features, “rare colors”, or Instagram trends.

If a breeder is consistently producing dogs that deviate from the breed standard in either structure or behavior, they are not preserving the breed, they are altering it.

Learning the breed standard yourself is one of the best ways to assess a breeder. A dog should look and act like its breed, not just vaguely resemble it.

AKC Registration ≠ Quality

A common misconception is that an AKC registration means a dog is well-bred. Unfortunately, it doe not.

AKC registration only confirms that both of a dog’s parents were also AKC registered it does not guarantee health, structure, temperament, or responsible breeding practices.

In fact, AKC offers four types of registration:

1. Full Registration: Allows for breeding and showing in conformation.

2. Limited Registration: Allows participation in sports/performance but not breeding or conformation.

3. PAL (Purebred Alternative Lsiting): For purebred dogs that don’t have official AKC papers (rescues, undocumented lineage, or lost registration). Dogs must be spayed/neutered and visibly identifiable as a breed

4. AKC Canine Partners (Mixed-Breed Registration): A registration program for mixed breeds or non-AKC-recognized purebreds. Dogs must be spayed/neutered to participate.

Plenty of poorly bred, untested, and even puppy mill dogs have AKC papers. The AKC is a registry, not a regulatory body for breeder ethics. A high-quality breeder will also have AKC registration or registration through another credible registry, but it should never be the only box they check. Registration is just the start, not the standard.

Dog Shows & Working Events: Green Flags to Look For

One of the strongest indicators of a responsible breeder is their involvement in dog shows, working events, and their breed club. Ethical breeders seek outside, expert evaluation of their dogs' structure and temperament.

  If a breeder shows their dogs in conformation, they are proving their dogs meet the breed standard in form and movement. If their dogs compete in sports or jobs like herding, hunting, obedience, scent work, or field trials, that’s even better, those dogs are doing what they were bred to do.

Titles are a major plus, but not always required. The important thing is the effort to prove quality and capability, not just claim it.

This shows the breeder is not breeding in a vacuum, they're getting third-party validation from judges, evaluators, or working organizations.

Puppies Are Raised With Intention

How puppies are raised matters. Ethical breeders raise puppies in their home or in a clean, enriched environment, not in cages, barns, or outbuildings. Puppies are handled from birth and introduced to daily life sounds, textures, people, and handling. This is to ensure they grow up stable and social.

Many use early development programs like ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) or Puppy Culture to build confidence, resilience, and human bonding from the start.

You will never see ethically bred puppies sold in pet stores, parking lots, or through "click-to-buy" websites. You will also almost never see an ethical breeder with multiple litters on the ground at the same time.

Ethical Breeders Don’t Contribute to the Shelter Crisis

A key difference between ethical and unethical breeders is what happens after the puppies leave. Ethical breeders:

• Screen homes carefully

• Offer lifelong support and education

• Require puppies to come back to them if a home doesn’t work out

• Only breed when there is real demand, not to stock inventory

Because of this, dogs from ethical breeding programs almost never end up in shelters. By contrast, many dogs in rescues and shelters come from backyard breeders, puppy mills, and casual mixed-breed litters, where screening, support, and long-term planning were never part of the equation.

Why Purposefully Breeding Mixed Breeds Is Not Ethical

We want to acknowledge up front: not everyone who breeds mixed breeds has bad intentions. Many care about their dogs and raise them in seemingly good conditions. But good intentions alone do not make a program ethical. At Speaking Dog Is Ruff, we do not support the intentional breeding of mixed breeds, commonly marketed as “designer dogs” like Goldendoodles, Pomskies, or Cavapoos, for the following reasons:

1. There’s No Preservation Purpose

Ethical breeding is about preserving and improving a breed’s structure, temperament, and purpose. Mixing two different breeds doesn’t serve this goal, it erases predictability. Offspring are inconsistent in temperament, drive, and appearance, and traits like grooming needs and health risks can vary wildly even within the same litter.

2. Unpredictability Causes Rehoming

Both mixed breeds and poorly bred purebreds are unpredictable in coat type, temperament, and health. This leads to a high rate of owner mismatch, families who weren’t prepared for a high-drive, high-maintenance, or anxious dog often surrender them to shelters. The shelter population is largely made up of these poorly planned or casually bred dogs.

3. Lack of Accountability and Oversight

There are no breed clubs, no national health requirements, and no multi-generational planning for designer dog breeding. Most mixed-breed breeders do not follow structured testing, breed for type, or take responsibility for dogs long-term. Once the puppy is sold, the relationship ends.

4. Profit Is Often the Main Driver

Most designer dog breeders are profit-driven. These puppies are sold for thousands of dollars, but rarely come with health testing, mentorship, or support. Even worse, many are raised in conditions that qualify as puppy mills: stacked crates, unclean environments, and overbred mothers with unstable structure and temperament, just masked behind cute websites and clever marketing.

Just because a breeder has an Instagram page with clean floors and puppy toys doesn’t mean they’re ethical. Aesthetic is not accountability.

5. They're Starting With Poor Breeding Stock

Ethical breeders do not sell puppies to homes that intend to breed for profit or to produce mixed breeds. That means many mixed-breed programs are starting with dogs that were not selected for structure, temperament, health, or quality. They were likely pet-quality dogs sold with the agreement not to breed at all or sold to them by other unethical breeders. So when mixed-breed breeders start their lines, they’re already working with poor foundation dogs. That’s not good breeding, that’s multiplying risk.

Summary: What We Believe at Speaking Dog Is Ruff

An ethical breeder:

• Puts the dogs’ welfare above all else

• Health tests breeding dogs using veterinary-approved methods (not just Embark)

• Breeds to standard in both structure and temperament

• Seeks third party evaluation through shows or breed-specific activities

• Raises puppies in a home-based, enriching environment

• Offers lifetime support and takes dogs back if needed

• Only breeds when there is a true purpose and demand

• Does not contribute to the shelter population

• Does not breed designer mixes or profit-driven litters

We love dogs of all shapes and sizes: purebred, mixed, and rescued. Every dog deserves love, care, and a safe home. But how we bring dogs into the world matters. Responsible breeding is about truly loving the breed for what they are and wanting to preserve them, not just sales.

Have questions about breeders, standards, or what to look for? Need help evaluating someone you’ve found? Reach out, Speaking Dog Is Ruff is here to support dog lovers who want to make informed, ethical choices.

Newborn Plott hound puppies in a puppy pile, bred by an ethical breeder.