An Elite Breeder is a professional breeder who has been trained and coached by Dr. Meg Howe, who is pictured above with some of her Miniature Schnauzer puppies. When you see the Elite Breeder Badge on a breeder's website, it means that Dr. Meg has awarded the badge to that breeder for completion of her Elite Breeder program and adherence to her high ethical standards and breeding practices.
Dr. Meg Howe is a world-renowned business coach for breeders, who has helped train many ethical breeders by guiding them on the business side of breeding, with a focus on producing superior puppies that make ideal life-time pets. Dr. Meg Howe graduated from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, in 1983, with a degree in veterinary medicine. She then conducted her own research on the special relationship between people and their canine companions, which earned her a PhD in 1993. Her research highlighted the significant role that breeders play in shaping the lifetime health and behavior of their puppies, as well as the satisfaction and commitment of their owners. In 1992, Dr. Meg Howe ventured into the world of dog breeding while raising her young family. She focused on providing the best possible new furry family members for her owners. Over the years, she has become known as the ethical breeding authority in Australia and in many other parts of the world. She now mentors other breeders in her system and educates owners on how to buy a healthy, well-adjusted puppy that will be their ideal canine companion for a long time. Dr. Meg Howe hopes to further her vision of “Better lives for dogs and their owners, one puppy at a time”. One way she hopes to accomplish this is by training more Elite Breeders, as well as by publishing educational articles and books for breeders and owners.
Let's take a moment to discuss this question. As a result of the COVID puppy rush, there are many shelters that are full to capacity. Almost half the dogs that end up in shelters are there because of behavior issues, most of which can be completely prevented if a puppy is sourced from an ethical breeder that provides lots of early socialization, new owner education, and new owner support. Although I have the greatest respect for people who are able to successfully adopt shelter dogs and provide a wonderful stable life for them, those individuals are few and far between. It often requires a very special person with special skills and experience, lots of time and patience, and a great deal of compassion to adopt and rehabilitate a shelter dog. The reality is that most people should not adopt a shelter dog because most people do not posses the skills and circumstances necessary to facilitate success with a rescue dog. This is exactly why shelters have such strict application requirements for anyone wishing to adopt a rescue dog. If a shelter dog is sent home with just anyone, there is a higher risk of that poor animal experiencing more abuse and neglect, and likely ending up back at the shelter. Even with strict application requirements, more than half the dogs that are in shelters were sourced from shelters or just from a friend, not from a professional breeder. The solution, therefore, is not less breeders, but rather more ethical, professional, well-trained breeders who specifically produce puppies with a very low risk of behavior problems. Lots of early socialization is one of the best ways to ensure that a puppy will not develop serious behavior issues as it grows, and early socialization is 100% dependent on a good breeder. Unfortunately, shelters do not have the time or resources to dedicate to socialization and the majority of the dogs they receive are already passed the critical socialization window when they arrive at the shelter anyway. Obviously, the majority of people who could be excellent dog owners are not in a position to successfully adopt a shelter dog. So, ethical breeders should be in high demand to provide superior puppies to these people and help set them up for success, while helping to break the cycle that lands so many dogs in shelters.
When you see the Elite Breeder badge on a breeder's website, it signifies that that breeder is a professional and ethical breeder. Any breeder with this badge on their site has been trained by Dr. Meg on absolutely the best ways to produce and raise healthy puppies with a fantastic foundation for a lifetime of health, good behavior, and happiness.
Learn more about our many Puppy-Rearing Methods , What’s Included with each of our puppies, and our Breeding Approach that focuses on genetic health and vitality.
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