When Breeders Turn on Each Other: What It’s Really Costing the Breed

This isn’t new.

Breeders going after each other publicly has been happening long before I started this journey. I saw the ugliness firsthand before I even bought my first pup while I was trying to find a breeder.

It’s part of the reason I kept my head down and did my own thing for so many years.

But that’s a story for another day.

Call-outs. Subtle jabs. Full-blown arguments playing out in comment sections and shared across social media.

Some people might see it as standing their ground or speaking their truth. But from the outside looking in, it tells a completely different story. And it’s not a good one.

This isn’t just about a few breeders going back and forth. Every time it happens publicly, it reflects on all of us.

To potential puppy buyers, it creates confusion and doubt. They start wondering who they can trust, whether this community is toxic, and whether these dogs are actually being bred with intention or just caught up in ego and drama.

For new breeders coming into the space, it quietly sets the tone that this k

ind of behavior is normal. That this is just part of being in the breed.

AND THAT IS A PROBLEM.

Because it goes deeper than a few heated posts online. It continues to divide the community instead of strengthening it. It makes people less willing to help each other, less willing to mentor, and more guarded overall. Good people who genuinely care get pushed away because they don’t want any part of the negativity.

At the end of the day, we’re all supposed to be working toward the same goal. Producing better dogs and representing Olde English Bulldogges in a way that actually moves the breed forward

That gets lost when everything turns into competition and ego.

Whether we like it or not, breeders are always being watched. Buyers are watching. Other breeders are watching. People who are thinking about getting into the breed are watching.

How you carry yourself matters just as much as what you produce.

There’s nothing wrong with having standards. There’s nothing wrong with having opinions. But there is a difference between standing on your program and tearing someone else down in public.

You don’t have to discredit someone else to prove your worth.

Disagreements are going to happen. This is a passion-driven space, and everyone has their own vision of what they’re working toward. But how those disagreements are handled is what separates someone who is truly professional from someone who isn’t.

NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS AN AUDIENCE!

Sometimes the strongest move is handling things privately, or not engaging at all, and letting your dogs and your program speak for themselves.

Because the people who are actually doing things right don’t need to be the loudest in the room.

The bigger question is what kind of standard we’re setting right now.

Not just for ourselves, but for the future of this breed.

Because the next group of breeders is watching all of this and taking notes, whether we realize it or not.

We can build something rooted in respect, integrity, and growth, or we can keep feeding into something that drives people away and holds the breed back.

I know what side I’m choosing.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m not here for the drama.

I’m here to build.

To improve. To learn. To produce dogs I’m proud of. And to contribute to this breed in a way that actually matters.

At the end of the day, your reputation will be built on what you say about others, but not in the way you think.

Buyers and fellow breeders are paying attention. And when they see someone constantly tearing others down, it doesn’t build trust, it breaks it.

Because if you’re willing to take someone else to social media today, they’ll assume you’ll do the same to them tomorrow.

-Kayce Lessman

Sokota Bulldogges