The following was written and posted with permission from a top Golden Retriever breeder and is her opinion of the differences in breeders. My opinion is in red text at the bottom of the page.




Casual breeders:
the most prolific on the whole, who puts 2 long haired yellow dogs together and make long haired yellow puppies.

BYBs (backyard breeders):
People who have a registered pet that they breed because of any of the following reasons:
---They love their dog. (Any of us can relate to this.)
---They want their kids to see the miracle of birth (Often not a miracle)
---Someone down the street wants to "get their two dogs together."
---They want to "settle down" their dog. (Doesn't work.)
---Their vet says it's a nice dog and they should breed it. (Don't get me started.)
---They want to supplement their income. (If they make money at it, they are doing it wrong!)

Pet Breeders:
These are people who breed dogs, often the same pair, season after season, year after year, and sell them at prices that are often close to the going rate for show dogs in the same area. They may breed for the following reasons:
---If they use their own dogs and don't do clearances, and charge as much as area breeders, they may be making money at it.
---It may be a very enjoyable hobby for them, and they see themselves as providing nice pets for people who can't afford puppies from show breeders. These can be people who don't belong to a local or national breed club, the latest in breeding standards and health issues, and who are often not well- acquainted with the breed standard.
---The best of these breeders will have a mentor - one who encourages them, teaches them, helps them choose a stud dog and who helps place their puppies in great homes.

Hobby Breeders:
---Hobby Breeders are usually members of the GRCA and their local breed club. They are active in some competitive activity, such as showing in conformation, obedience, field, agility or tracking.
---Hobby Breeders include most of the "Big" breeders you have heard of. This category also includes people who do one or two breedings a decade of very high quality.
----Hobby breeders generally breed for a reason, to produce conformation or field dogs, for instance. But out of an average litter of 8, there may be only one or two top picks and the rest may be sold as pets, or donated to service dog organizations.
---Hobby Breeders may or may not be ethical, but as a rule they will breed only cleared bitches to cleared dogs. They always try to improve something when they breed.
---Hobby Breeders generally sell their puppies through their breed's puppy referral program or by word of mouth.
---There are lots of other aspects of Hobby Breeders, but for these purposes, you get the idea.

Then there are big time commercial breeders. These are people who breed a lot, and have a nice kennel setup, often with lots of hired help.
---When these breeders carefully breed cleared dogs and bitches, hand-raise the puppies, place the puppies in carefully chosen homes, and follow up on them, then they should probably be in a different category from puppy mills.
---When they ignore clearances, and sell to anyone who shows up, . . . . well that's a different story.
Now, all of the above is all my own opinion and subject to revision and dispute, but it does at least give you one view of various categories of breeders.




I hope this helps distinquish between the different types of breeders. In my opinion, the hobby breeder is the best way to go when looking to purchase a new puppy. They do clearances on their dogs and give a limited registration on a spay/neuter contract. Also, if something arises and you can't keep the dog, the breeder will take it back, as they care for their puppies and don't want them to end up in shelters. You can contact your nearest Golden Retriever Club to get puppy referrals. You can also go to the Golden Retriever Club of America at http://www.grca.org for more information.