Ethics, Responsibility & Buyer Education

Ethical breeder and informed buyers work together to protect the future of the breed.

Ethical Breeding: Beyond the Buzzwords

Ethical breeding isn’t a label — it’s a series of choices made long before a litter is planned and long after puppies go home. It means prioritizing health, structure, temperament, and purpose over trends, shortcuts, or convenience. It requires transparency about limitations, not just highlights, and accountability for the dogs produced throughout their lives. At its core, ethical breeding is about stewardship of the breed — not just producing puppies, but protecting what they are meant to be.

Lakehaus Kennel Insights

At LakeHaus, ethical breeding is not a label — it is a responsibility carried from the earliest planning stages through the lifetime of every dog we produce. We believe breeders owe honesty to their buyers, accountability to their dogs, and stewardship to the breed itself. Intent, transparency, and long-term responsibility guide every decision we make.

Ethics, Responsibility & Buyer Education

Articles 1 - 12

THIS SERIES IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AND WILL BE UPDATED AS 2026 PROGRESSES

- Disclaimer -

Standard #1 - Responsibility starts with intent

Ethical breeding does not start with a litter on the ground. It starts with intent — long before a breeding ever takes place. A breeder’s responsibility begins with asking why. Why this breed? Why this pairing? Why this dog, and why now?

Standard #2 - Purpose defines the progam

Once intent is there, purpose has to follow. A breeding program should be able to clearly answer a simple question: Why are you breeding this dog? And the answer should be more than...

Standard #3 - Ethical Programs are built through mentorship

No breeding program exists in isolation. The dogs we have today didn’t appear out of nowhere — they are the result of decades of work, trial and error, thoughtful breeding, and hard lessons...

Standard #4 - Titles, work and evaluation matter

A dog’s value as a breeding prospect shouldn’t be based on potential alone. Ethical breeding requires proof. Proof that a dog can do the job it was bred for, or at the very least demonstrates the structure, temperament, and trainability...

Standard #5 - Quality requires restraint

One of the hardest — and most important — parts of ethical breeding is knowing when not to breed a dog. Not every dog a breeder holds back to grow out should end up in a breeding program. In fact, ethical...

Standard #6 - The Program comes before ego

Ethical breeding requires the ability to step outside your own perspective. Kennel blindness is real. When you live with dogs day in and day out, it becomes easy to overlook faults, rationalize shortcomings, or convince yourself...

Standard #7 - Transparency builds trust

Every dog has faults. Every breeding program encounters challenges. Every breeder has a decision they’d rethink if given the chance. That’s normal...

Standard #8 - Red Flags reveal the program

You can learn a lot about a breeding program by paying attention to the patterns — not just the puppies. Red flags aren’t always dramatic. Most of the time...

Standard #9 - Intentional programs require waitlists

Intentional breeding starts with having homes in place before a litter is ever planned. Breeding a litter without committed, well-vetted homes is a problem — not just for the breeder, but for the dogs and the breed as a whole...

Standard #10 - Placement Begins with the right questions

Ethical placement doesn’t start when puppies are ready to go home. It starts with asking the right questions. Responsible breeders interview their buyers. They...

Standard #11 - Accountability starts with placement decisions

One of the most common questions breeders hear is, “Why do you pick the puppies?” Often followed by, “I’ve always picked my own,” or “My puppy chose me.” It’s easy to understand why people feel this way...

Standard #12 - Protection through clear contracts

Ethical breeding doesn’t rely on assumptions or handshakes. It relies on clarity. I use different contracts for different placements because...