10/22/2025
*Another breeder had posted this and I felt so seen!*
People have no idea what it actually means to be a responsible breeder.
They see the price tag and assume you’re rolling in money.
They don’t see the receipts, the health testing, the emergency vet visits, heartworm, flea, and tick prevention, the xrays, the OFAs that come back not good enough after you’ve spent thousands and years waiting and then you have to start all over.
They don’t see you crying in your car because the dog you raised, loved, and invested everything into won’t be part of your program after all.
They don’t see you holding that puppy that didn’t make it and questioning if your heart can keep doing this.
They don’t see the nights you’re on the floor beside a whelping box, whispering “come on, baby” through tears. Tube feeding around the clock and praying they don’t end up with fading puppy syndrome after you’ve poured you heart and soul into this baby.
Or the way your stomach twists when someone labels you a “backyard breeder” because your dogs aren’t to their standards.
They don’t see how hard it is to pour your time, money, and heart into creating healthy, well-tempered family companions just to have people call them “backyard bred.”
As if the research, the structure, the socialization, the DNA panels, and OFAs don’t matter because your dogs aren’t titled.
They don’t see that even breeding for certain traits can start chaos.. that you can post a healthy, sound, beautiful dog and still get torn apart because it’s Merle. People will scream “unethical” from behind screens without ever understanding genetics, testing, or purpose.
They don’t see the moments that wreck you when the puppy that comes back through no fault of its own, the home that didn’t work out, the quiet guilt that follows you even when you know you did everything right.
They don’t see you pull money from your own pocket to make it right. Paying for training, transport, vet care because your reputation and your puppies matter more than profit.
Being a responsible companion breeder today means walking through fire while people question your intentions. They see the cute photos, but they don’t see your heart behind them.
They don’t see that you’ve skipped vacations, lost sleep, and rearranged your life for these dogs.
They don’t see that “doing it right” costs thousands, takes years, and sometimes breaks you in the process.
They don’t see the heartbreak of failed breedings, false pregnancies, stillborns, and good dogs that didn’t make the cut.
They don’t see you cry quietly when someone says, “You’re just in it for money,” because if they only knew, if they saw the vet bills, the food, the supplements, the hours, they’d realize you’d make more money working part-time somewhere else.
But you do it anyway.
Because you love it.
Because you believe in better dogs healthy, confident, intelligent companions that bring families joy for years to come.
Being a responsible companion breeder today means being misunderstood, but showing up anyway for the dogs, for the families, for the future of what good breeding can be.
And despite the criticism, despite the heartbreak, despite the weight of it all.
I’m proud. I can confidently say I am, have been, and will always be there for my dogs and families.
Proud to raise family companions who bring comfort to children, companionship to the lonely, therapy and service work to those who need it, and love to homes that were waiting for this exact dog. Proud to raise dogs who change lives. Because no matter what anyone says that’s what it’s all about.
*original poster/credit goes to Dreamy Goldendoodles, I just changed a few things.
Cris 🐾
