Karlin, I just don't know what to say. Clearly your heart is true and your knowledge is beyond reproach. I really hope this doesn't make you mad, but I have to understand.
Are you saying that if I chose to buy a dam and a sire, and paid about 6k for them, and I had made sure that their DNA was far removed, did heart checks, and everything else I could do...If I got a litter, then I am just a backyard breeder? I am sensing an ackward standard.
So far, no one has answered my basic question, why would the breeder of my dog choose AI when she had 2 perfectly able males an 2 perfectly able females? Why did she keep my dog and his brother 7 months? She said it was because she thought my dog was going to be a perfect show dog, but then the underbite showed up as he grew older.
She has the mother of my dog and saw her. She has a male who is too big to breed, he is about 25 lbs, so she didn't breed him. She had me sign a contract that I would neuter my dog, and on the AKC registration form, she blacked out the space she should have to indicate that my dog cannot be bred or shown. Does that sound irresponsible to you?
I have the love of my life, and I got him for 600 dollars because of his defect. I could not love him more. And he is as healthy as a horse.
When I send in his AKC registration, I will get his pedigree, with prior generations.
I'm not refuting anything you say, but it does sound like you are saying that my dog, since he came from loving people who arent in some registry, is doomed.
But on this website, I read of dogs who become desperately ill and die and I don't hear that those dogs came from disreputable people.
Karlin, I am just suggesting that tho some breeders only have a few dogs, that doesn't mean that they aren't paying attention.
As to Puppy Mills, I find the whole concept disgusting.