Raising the
Standard
Ethics, Responsibility and Buyer education
Quality Requires Restraint
Standard #5
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 programs expect that many won’t. Growth, maturity, health, structure, temperament, and trainability can all change over time, and what looks promising early on doesn’t always hold up when the whole picture comes into focus.
This is where restraint matters.
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Key themes in this standard include:
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Why not every promising dog should be bred
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The role of honest evaluation over time
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Separating responsibility from investment or emotion
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Why restraint protects the breed long-term
Written by Ashley Young, LakeHaus Kennels — Breeder, trainer, and advocate for purposeful, ethical German Shorthaired Pointer breeding.
Honest Evaluation Requires Restraint
Quality breeding requires the ability to step back and assess a dog honestly — not just based on potential, investment, or what that dog could produce on paper, but on what they truly contribute once fully evaluated. That means being willing to say no, even when a dog is titled, trained, well liked, or financially tempting to breed.
This isn’t failure.
It’s responsibility.
Fewer Dogs, Better Decisions
Ethical breeders don’t try to justify breeding every dog they’ve poured time and money into. They understand that preserving and improving a breed means making selective, sometimes uncomfortable decisions. A dog can be a wonderful companion, competitor, or working partner without needing to reproduce.
It’s a conversation many avoid, because it requires humility and long-term thinking. But programs built on restraint tend to be the ones that remain consistent, predictable, and respected over time.
Core Principles
Not Every Good Dog Should Be Bred
Ethical programs expect to remove dogs from breeding consideration as part of the process.
Investment Does Not Equal Obligation
Time, money, or titles do not justify breeding if the whole picture doesn’t support it.
Restraint Protects the Breed
Selective breeding decisions preserve consistency, predictability, and long-term quality.
Raising the Standard Means…
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Being willing to say no — even when it’s difficult
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Valuing honest assessment over emotional attachment
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Choosing long-term breed health over short-term gain
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Prioritizing quality over quantity
Takeaway
Raising the standard means valuing the breed more than the numbers, the convenience, or the profit. Because quality isn’t created by breeding more dogs — it’s created by breeding fewer, better-chosen ones.