How do backyard breeders differ from puppy mills?
The major difference between a backyard breeder and a puppy mill is that backyard breeders often raise their dogs as pets. They care about their dogs, but are ignorant of genetics, breed standard, breeding for temperament and proper screening practices. All too often, a backyard breeder gets in over her head and unwittingly turns a tiny breeding operation into a puppy mill. So what might have started with an accidental pregnancy turns into a full scale puppy mill driven by the desire to profit from the puppies. A backyard breeder could be someone you work with who has puppies for sale or a neighbor who accidently allowed her Westies to mate, etc.
