Should Dog Breeders Have a License?

Q: License Dog Breeders?
Does the US Government require breeders to obtain a breeding license, and if not why? I say that there should be a universal law, nationwide, that regulates dog breeding; simple but strict.

Photo Credit: smays/Flickr CC
Breeders should:
-Pass an animal anatomy/breeding exam on each select pedigree that they wish to breed.
-Register each female that is capable of breeding
-Obtain written consent, from a vet, that that the female is healthy to breed. Same for the male.
-Have the breeding, and the living area inspected annually for quality.
-When puppies are delivered, the city must be notified and told how many
-Each client that wishes to purchase a puppy must sign an agreement to fix the puppy at X month. If the client chooses to raise and breed a puppy/show, the client will pay X fee annually.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kate M
I believe that the AKC licenses some breeders (very slack rules), some states or counties may have a licensing system. It is not usually about how the dogs are treated, it is more about the number of dogs or that they are breeding.

The backyard breeders (BYB) get licenses just as easily as reputable ones do. It is really up to the person wanting a dog to research the breeder. Just because a breeder has a license, doesn't mean they are a good breeder.

Answer by chippylippylippylooh
There is USDA licensing that is required if you are a commercial breeder. The USDA knows little to nothing about dogs (as they specialize in livestock) and their housing requirements are minimal for the dogs. This does not apply to breeders that don't breed as often. Hence so many backyard breeders.

Answer by Purebreds Rock!
No, there are no licenses. However, the AKC does *sometimes* do kennel checks.

I doubt there will be any sort of regulations in the near future.

Answer by bittyb
In many cities in the US, you are required to have a special permit to own a dog that is not neutered or spayed, and that is all. It's more paperwork than anything else.

Generally, people can do whatever they want with their dogs. If they commit animal cruelty then there are legal penalties for that. They are usually regulations about conditions and such for breeders, just like for regular dog owners, but there isn't oversite like, say, a hospital or something.

Bad breeding is not really a legal issue. Bad breeding is a societal issue. People do it because other people buy dogs. If you don't like it (and I don't), then you don't support it. Also, if you come across a puppy mill then you report it. I think in some places there are regulations regarding large-scale breeding operations (like puppy mills), but most BYBs simply don't fall into that category.

Most back yard breeders don't abuse their animals, they just don't do what ought to be necessary to ensure *quality* pups and to justify their fees. They also frequently don't know what is best for the dogs and are pretty much exploiting them for profit. Just because it's unwise to breed a 1-year-old, undersized dog, doesn't make it illegal. Now, if they BYB or owner refuses the medical care that dog needs, like the almost inevitable C-section, that is criminal. If they do abuse their animals, like keeping them in horrid conditions or withholding medical treatment to sick animals, then the city needs someone to report it so they can find out, and then investigate.

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Answer by Cavalier KCS mom
Having a breeding license won't make any difference. People will still be breeding dogs without it. For instance, the City of LA before they passed the Spay/Neuter ordinance they had a requirement that you had to pay $ 100 for a breeding license prior to breeding a dog but people were still breeding dogs without the license and they were still winding up in the city shelters being euthanized. It didn't make any difference. They also made anyone who had an unaltered dog they had to pay $ 100 for a yearly dog license but most people didn't get their dogs licensed then. If the dog was Spayed or Neutered then it was $ 15 for the yearly license. Just like a person having a license to own a gun. The bad guy will always have a gun without it being licensed.

Answer by BMTHESPIAN
Breeders currently must be licensed by the USDA if they sell to wholesalers. In other words, if they are commercial breeders. The legislation is currently in the works to add any breeder that sells more than 50 puppies per year regardless of who they sell to.

Licensing does not do any good the standard of care required to be licensed is so low almost anyone can meet it. The government also lacks the resources to inspect every breeder in the US to even check if they are meeting that minimum standard of care or even if everyone breeding a litter is licensed.

Answer by panache
The USDA is in charge of licensing puppy mills. There is little regulation to the conditions, with very few mills being shut down every year.
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