What does BYB Mean

Deb H · #1 12th February 2005, 08:45 AM

I am new to BW (I figure that one out on my own) and love it, but I can't always figure out what the abbreviations (sp) are. Can you help?

AFBoxer · #2 12th February 2005, 08:47 AM

BYB - Back Yard Breeder!

Ciscobxr · #3 12th February 2005, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFBoxer

BYB - Back Yard Breeder!

And to give you a little bit more info, I byb is someone who breeds purely for profit. They do not do the temperment and health testing to better the breed. It's just a greed thing to them.
We can always help! Just ask!

Deb H · #4 12th February 2005, 09:10 AM

Oh - I wouldn't have figured that out, are there any more I need to know? I guess a BYB is not a good thing? I got my puppy from a BYB, the mom and dad were on site and as we don't care about the papers didn't see the harm. He is a healthy wonderful puppy and we are very happy with him.

beausmommy · #5 12th February 2005, 09:51 AM

I got both of my dogs from bybs and they are perfectly healthy and beautiful. A lot of people are purists and only want top quality dogs. It's a personal preference really. If you're happy with your pup, don't worry about it!

Deb H · #6 12th February 2005, 09:58 AM

Thanks, we adore our Boomerang - he is so funny! All he wants to do is play! Hopefully, we will make it to the 'Bark Park' tomorrow so he can play with other dogs. Our 'old man' Rusty (13) is not much on playing at this stage of his life, and the 2 cats (11 yrs.) don't have time for him. So he plays with us! We get on the floor and I have been 'boxed' in the face twice, he left his mark. I have learned not to lean down and say 'give mommy kisses' when we are playing.

adeinert · #7 12th February 2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beausmommy

I got both of my dogs from bybs and they are perfectly healthy and beautiful. A lot of people are purists and only want top quality dogs. It's a personal preference really. If you're happy with your pup, don't worry about it!

ACTUALLY, the problem those of us who love the breed have with BYB's is their irresponsible breeding practices- for fun, to see birth, because they think their dogs are "pretty", to provide friends with puppies, to make back their money, etc. They are not doing it to breed healthy boxers. All their reasons are selfish.
They do not have their dogs health tested prior to breeding, hence bringing into this world many unhealthy pups of which way too many end up dying in shelters or being PTS. Whether intentional or not, they are hurting our breed and I do not see ignorance as acceptable. I work in rescue and have friends with dogs who show. We feel the same way because we dearly love this breed. As a rescuer who returns calls for five counties for my rescue, I can tell you that we have HUGE problems with BYB and boxers who are born deformed or sick. BYB's will give those dogs away so they don't have to deal with them or sell them without taking care of the issues. Responsible breeders would never do that. The pups are their responsibility for life in their minds.

I guess I am a purist because I would never put money in the pockets of people hurting this breed. I think to feel that way, you have to know the breed very well and see what is truly going on. I am involved with a puppy now from a BYB and the story would cause anyone to think twice about supporting a BYB. It's truly heartbreaking and the negligence to this puppy is nothing short of cruelty. All because they didn't do any health testing or follow through as responsible breeders. You got lucky. I hear so many stories of people who don't, and the miserable tale of the pains of their boxer. Unfortunately, by supporting and encouraging these BYB's you drive up the chances of pain for a future pup and family.

I didn't know any of this before sitting on the board and returning calls for a portion of my state for boxer rescue. Now that I see what really goes on, my dream is that no puppies would ever be sold by BYB's or pet shops. Until then, pain and suffering will run rampant. And the average dog owner can turn away or live without knowing, but a little investigation and work with people tied into our breed yields much heartbreaking information. I remember a time where I didn't know the truth about pet shops and could go inside one. Now that I know what really goes on, instead I feel violently sick when I see one. It all changes when you find out what really goes on.

Ashlie

Vela · #8 12th February 2005, 10:45 AM

Beausmommy, you just aren't informed as to why BYB are bad. It has nothing to do with purists wanting top quality dogs....It has to do with people breeding dogs without health testing who have major medical issues and pass this on the the puppies, resulting in MORE sick dogs who get bred by more people who don't do testing. It destroys the entire breed of dog. EVERYONE who breeds a dog should try to breed it to make a top quality dog, because that is the only way to breed OUT the health problems we face with this lovely breed. By not doing these things, the dogs are beginning to look less like boxers and cardiomypathy and dysplasia are on the rise. The reason for wanting people to do the testing and only breeding quality dogs who DON'T have these problems is to try to lessen the problem in the breed as a whole. I want a boxer who is going to live until 10-12 not die at 6 or younger from a heart condition that becoming more and more prevalent in this breed. You are very fortunate to not have had any problems and there are never guarantees even with healthy parents, but by with the testing and breeding for the betterment of the breed these thigns ca be reduced.

Look in the rescues, look in the shelters, at the health problems....why do we need more people breeding their backyard pets? As owners of these animals, everyone has a responsibility to do what is best for them. Indiscriminant breeding of dogs with health conditions that are potentially fatal at a young age is not responsible. Unless the health testing is done on the dogs, you cannot know if they have those health problems or not to pass on to the puppies. Tell the family with the dog dying at age 2 or 3 from an inherited condition that it's not important. Tell the family with a dog with such severe dysplasia they have to decide between paying thousands to help with no guarantees or putting them down. Watch a dog struggle with pain and cry with any movement that it wasn't important to try to prevent. What if it was your dog? Would it be important to you then? This is not a personal attack in any way. I am just trying to get you to see that if your dog was one with these problems, it may not be so simple to you.

It's such a much bigger problem than you are realizing. I don't show. I have two pets. I don't care if they are perfect. I DO want them to be as healthy as possible and live long happy lives not painful lives with degenerating inherited conditions. I love my dogs, I love this breed. I watch my 4 year old dog struggle to walk and limp around due to a bad hip. I have to give her daily medication and watch her slip and fall and be unable to get up without my help. It breaks my heart. I don't want to see it get to the point where the problems are so prevalent it is hard to find a boxer without the health problems that can be bred out and/or greatly reduced with the proper breeding practices.

Kerry Jane · #9 14th February 2005, 06:10 AM

Be thankful that your pups are healthy. I bought my first boxer from a BYB, not knowing any better, and have spent thousands of dollas in surgeries trying to correct problems with his knees, he has thyroid problems etc.....and the poor guy is in pain everday. My heart breaks for him. I will NEVER again buy a dog from a BYB.
At a minimum, every breeder, should be doing the testing recommended by the American Boxer Club to ensure that both dogs being breed are healthy and that health issues are not being propagated down to the pups. To do anything less is irresponsible.

boxer · #10 14th February 2005, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beausmommy

I got both of my dogs from bybs and they are perfectly healthy and beautiful. A lot of people are purists and only want top quality dogs. It's a personal preference really.

Not really. The biggest single issue with BYB dogs is the lack of health testing of the parents. Whether we like it or not, or care to admit it or not, the boxer breed is affected by some extremely serious health issues and these are becoming more and more prevalent. Just in case anyone imagines it is rare, some experts say that 50% of boxers in North America are affected by cardiomyopathy. That's huge! And cardiomyopathy is something your dog is likely to literally drop dead from at a young or middle age with no prior warning... so unless you happen to have had your dogs tested and cleared of that disease, I don't think you can really be so sure that they are "perfectly healthy".

Of course, if you happen to have purchased your dogs from someone who does screen their breeding stock for those sorts of serious genetic diseases, you have a rather much better chance of genuinely having a healthy animal free of that sort of condition.

The reality of breeding boxers is that these sorts of conditions do exist, and they are by no means rare. Anyone breeding dogs has a responsibility only to breed from genetically healthy stock. The biggest problem with BYBs is that they are normally completely ignorant of the health issues affecting their chosen breed and even if they do know, they're doing nothing to ensure that the puppies they produce are healthy. The end result is an ever-increasing prevalence of genetic disease in these dogs.

Now without in any way wishing to start a country vs country debate (because it's really not relevant here), have you never noticed that the average lifespan of NA boxers is normally quoted as 8-10 years, while in some other places in the world boxers live on average 10-12 or even 12-14 years? Well, those places also have less BYBs and far lower rates of cardiomyopathy in boxers

That is the damage ignorant breeding practices can do to a breed.

Now it would be nice if all breeders showed their dogs - so you get a boxer that looks like a boxer and has the temperament of a boxer... But the number one issue is health. And since the health issues we're talking about here are genetically inherited, there is only *one* way to arrest the decline of the breed, and that is to screen all breeding stock. Hell, it's not exactly onerous! I personally would never buy from (meaning financially support) someone who cares so little for the dogs they're producing and is willing to exploit both the breed and future owners in that way.

Either buy from someone who is responsible enough to do health tests, or give a home to a rescue boxer who desperately needs one.

There is a lot of information about the health issues affecting the breed and the tests available to screen for them at www.boxerworld.com/health_testing

Oscar's Mom · #11 1st March 2005, 03:35 PM

"I got both of my dogs from bybs and they are perfectly healthy and beautiful."

Well you are one of the lucky ones then. We bought Oscar from a BYB before we knew better and have paid for it with vet bills. We have paid to have both of his knees fixed. He is barely a year and a half old and can't even run and play like the pup he is. I know our next boxer will come from a reputable breeder that has done health tests on the parents. Surgeries alone have cost us more than any top quality show dog would.

KimbaCloud · #12 2nd March 2005, 09:08 AM

Not to rain on anyone's parade but buying a dog from a back yard breeder can really be disasters thing to do. There are many reasons for buying a dog for example the breed is either special to you or interests you greatly. And when you purchase a dog from a back yard breeder your chances for getting either a sickly dog or a dog that does not fit the standard is greater. And not to forget that they breed constantly which is not good for the female. They see the dog as a dollar sign and not as they should, to be a loving pet of the home. I find that it is becoming very difficult to purchase dogs now a days because everyone is breeding their dogs, and you really have to be careful with breeders who do have papers, they can be just as bad with breeders without papers. I myself have never adopted an adult boxer before, I would really like to and will definitely do that in the future (my grandma always adopted her Boxers) Plus there are so many boxers that need a loving home. I wish I could take them all, I really do.