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Faith Martin

Prof. Slye

English 1101-01

12 December 2021

The Dark Side of Dog Breeding

How much is that puppy in the window? The one with wide brown eyes and a perfect

coat pattern, excitedly wagging its tail at anyone passing by. Despite these adorable features and

inviting atmosphere at pet stores, there is an abusive issue going on behind the scenes with the

commercial breeding industry. Most pet shops and breeders get their inventory of dogs from

large scale breeding facilities called puppy mills. Puppy mills are known for their high

production rate, intense breeding, and poor living conditions. The goal of the commercial

breeding industry is focused solely on production and profit, with no regard to the animals

involved. It also has detrimental behavioral effects on the dogs involved and ultimately

contributes to the overpopulation of animal shelters. This is why adoption is the more humane

and effective option when getting a new dog.

Imagine outdoor kennels lined up as far as you can see with no protection from the

weather, not even a blanket to provide relief from the unforgiving wire cages. Each kennel is

occupied with multiple dogs, each presenting signs of sickness, exhaustion, and despair. The

smell of disease and filth is overwhelming. This is the standard expectation and practice of

puppy mills. The commercial breeding industry took off after World War II because the demand

for crops was lower and the need for dogs was popular. “Puppy mill dogs are viewed as a crop to

their breeders, are bred as a means of profit, and are seen as a commodity, no different than
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soybeans or metal widgets” (Tushaus 503). Puppy mills are the main supplier of the pet industry,

this means that their goal is to breed and raise as many dogs as they can for the lowest possible

cost. The commercial breeding industry is so overbearing that it makes it difficult for reputable

breeders to even compete because responsible breeding requires the economic investment in

proper sanitation, housing, nourishment, and medical care of the animals (Tushaus 503). Puppy

mills are an inhumane form of breeding and abusive to the dogs forced to live there.

Many people turn to breeders because they are hesitant to adopt a shelter dog in fear that

it will have severe behavioral issues. In reality, breeding facilities have detrimental behavioral

effects on the dogs they produce and can even be more difficult to handle than a dog from the

shelter. According to a study conducted by the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, “Dogs obtained

from pet shops were overrepresented in the group of dogs with certain behavior problems,

compared with those obtained from shelters, friends, or bred at home. “Dominance-type”

aggression was more common among dogs acquired from pet stores, compared with animal

shelters. Pet store–acquired dogs also more often demonstrated social fears when compared with

dogs from other sources” (McMillan 19). These behavioral issues appear to be caused by the

series of events that take place during a puppy’s vital developmental stages. As the puppy is

going through the prenatal, neonatal, transition, socialization and juvenile, and the adolescent

period, it is simultaneously being separated from its mother, relocated from the breeding facility

to the pet store, and then ultimately going to a new home (McMillan 7). This constantly changing

and unstable environment puts a severe amount of stress on the puppy, causing significant

behavior issues.

Some may argue that buying dogs from breeders and pet stores is the easiest way to get

the desired pet because commercial breeding allows a broad number of options with easy access.
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Many have restrictions including allergies, lifestyles, and family that they have to keep in mind

when adding a dog to their family. People also have preferences such as size, breed, and

temperament. When given all of these limitations, many people tend to turn to breeders and pet

stores because it is the easier option. However, this does not mean buying is the better option.

Commercial breeding is not the only way to get desirable dogs and breeds. Did you know that

twenty-five percent of shelter dogs are purebred? There are also breed-specific rescues for

German Shepherds, Greyhounds, Rottweilers, and countless other desirable breeds. People will

also avoid adopting from shelters and rescues because they assume that “bad pets” end up in

shelters. “The main reason people surrender their animals is due to housing issues, such as they

move into a building that does not allow pets, or has restrictions on certain breeds, or are forced

to relocate due to work issues” (Wiggins). Choosing to bring a dog into your home should be a

well thought out and careful decision. Shelters and rescues are more than willing to aid in finding

the perfect fit and it will be well worth the effort and time.

“Puppy mill dogs are bred as a means of profit, often resulting in malnourished, poorly

socialized, unhealthy pets that have developed undesirable behaviors as a result of their breeding

and treatment by breeders. This leads to high incidents of abandonment, surrender, and

expensive veterinary bills for those who purchase puppy mill dogs. This contributes to the

estimated six to eight million cats and dogs entering animal shelters each year, twenty-five

percent of which are purebred dogs” (Tushaus 504-505). This statistic alone explains the

negative contribution that commercial breeding has on animal shelters. There are many benefits

to adoption, some of these perks include the animals being fully vaccinated and having

consistent medical care, microchipped, behavior training, spayed or neutered, and much more

affordable. Breeders can get away with charging outrageous amounts for their dogs simply
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because of how they’re advertised without providing any medical care or assistance to the new

owners. Another benefit to adoption is you will usually get a good amount of back story on the

dog that you are interested in. A lot of dogs are surrendered by their owner or rescued from

unfortunate situations, but the shelters and rescues know this and can prepare the adopters for

any worries or roadblocks they might face with the dog. Dogs can also be found on the side of

the road or in other situations where it is impossible to find out what their life was like before

they were rescued, but it is also very difficult to know the backstory of a dog from a pet store.

Due to the extravagant process involved at largescale breeding facilities, the new owners have

little to no knowledge of the dogs past experiences and may be caught off guard with behaviors

and actions of their new dog.

The commercial breeding industry does not have the best interest of the dogs they breed

in mind. Buying dogs from pet stores directly contributes to the production of puppy mills and

continues this vicious cycle of cruelty. This is an abusive industry that is not talked about often

enough and until further awareness is brought up, it will keep dominating the pet industry and

continue to contribute to animal shelters. If more people start adopting from shelters and rescues,

they will be supporting a much better cause while giving homeless dogs an amazing new

opportunity on life. By choosing adoption over buying, more lives will be saved and transformed

instead of continuing to fund abuse. The commercial breeding industry needs to be put to a stop

and turning to adoption is a step that will positively impact this change.
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Works Cited

McMillan, Franklin D. “Behavioral and Psychological Outcomes for Dogs Sold as Puppies

through Pet Stores and/or Born in Commercial Breeding Establishments: Current

Knowledge and Putative Causes.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications

& Research, vol. 19, May 2017, pp. 14–26. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edo&AN=122826301&site=eds-live.

Tushaus, Katherine C. “Don’t Buy the Doggy in the Window: Ending the Cycle That Perpetuates

Commercial Breeding with Regulation of the Retail Pet Industry.” Drake Journal of

Agricultural Law, vol. 14, no. 3, Sept. 2009, p. 501. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.221462981&site

=eds-live.

Wiggins, Brandon. “10 Things You Need to Know before Adopting a Shelter Dog.” Best Life, 22

Mar. 2019, https://bestlifeonline.com/before-adopting-shelter-dog/.