There are many things that you need to consider before you breed your dog. Possibly the first reason that you should consider is the reason you want to breed – if this includes monetary gain, because you feel that it will make your dog a better pet, you would like the kids to experience the ‘miracle of life’ or you would like an extension of your current dog, PLEASE THINK AGAIN! There are millions of unwanted dogs already alive that require loving homes without bringing more into the world.
A lot of time and money should be directed into a healthy, well planned litter. Firstly, you need to consider the bitch’s requirements in regards to vet checks, adequate feeding, vaccinations, worming and not to mention veterinary costs if trouble occurs during pregnancy, whelping or in the post whelping period. Then you need to consider the cost of a stud fee (or pick of the litter, and if there is only one in the litter then you will be unable to recoup any costs), worming, adequate feeding, vaccinations, veterinary checks, dew claw removal and tail docking if required for each of the puppies, registration of litter and not to mention advertising costs to sell the puppies. When you add all these expenses to the amount of time that responsible management of a pregnant bitch and subsequent litter of pups requires it becomes fairly obvious that there is very little financial gain in breeding dogs.
Many people hold the mistaken belief that breeding a dog at least once before it is sterilised (de-sexed) will make it a better pet. This is a fallacy. If you have a dog and breed him you may end up with him becoming very territorial and possessive which may involve him cocking his leg on everything – inside and outside no matter how well house trained – in order to mark his territory. Any changes in temperament in the bitch that occur during pregnancy or after whelping are likely to be short term until the pups are weaned – these changes may not be ‘positive’ as many bitches become aggressive towards people or other animals.
It really is not necessary for children to experience the ‘miracle’ of life by breeding your pet dog. If this is a reason why you are considering breeding, you also need to consider how your children would cope if their much loved pet dog dies in the process and how they will be able to part with the puppies after they have had eight weeks or so to get attached to them.
If your reason for wanting to breed is to get an extension of your current pet you must consider that no two dogs (even of the same breed) have the same personality. You would be far better off adopting a new dog from a rescue shelter that you can see has the personality that you like.
The Reason You Should Breed Your Dog
The only reason that you should breed a dog or bitch is for the purpose of improving the breed and the only way to achieve this is to ensure that each individual animal used for breeding purposes is a very good example of its breed.
Assessing Your Dog’s Breeding Potential
There are a number of ways of doing this – relying on your own assessment (at least for the novice) is not really enough because most people find it very difficult to pick any faults in their much loved pet, so here are some of the ways that you can get an unbiased assessment of your dogs breeding potential:
* Veterinary Assessment: Before you breed it is a really good idea (and in some breeds essential) to have a veterinary assessment to rule out any general health problems that may affect either the dog or the future puppies. If your vet advises you for whatever reason to not breed your dog, listen to his advice unless you have obtained a second or even third opinion stating the opposite.
* Showing Your Dog: If you regularly show your dog and it competes successfully against a number of others of the same breed under different judges, this is a good indication that your dog is a good example of its breed and has breeding potential (depending on the vet assessment).
* Breeder’s Assessment: If you can, take your dog back to it’s breeder for assessment of breeding potential. If you chose a responsible, experienced breeder you can rest assured that if they don’t think your dog is suitable for breeding they will let you know because in the long run it will reflect on them. If you cannot get an assessment from your dog’s breeder, you should be able to find another experienced breeder who can give you their honest opinion of your dog.
Don’t be offended if you are told by experts in your breed that your dog is not suitable for breeding. If you are really keen to become a dog breeder you may want to consider the purchase of a more suitable dog or bitch – experts are not created overnight and you will find that the first dogs selected originally as pets by many breeders were not suitable for breeding purposes.
Once you have confirmed that your dog or bitch is suitable for breeding (and is registered with papers) then you can proceed. Regardless of whether you have a dog or a bitch, it is important to select the right partner so that they compliment each other – you wouldn’t want to breed two dogs that had the same faults because the faults may well be exaggerated in the offspring.
If you have a dog, he is likely to be in greater demand as a stud if he is very successful in the show ring or if he produces puppies that are successful.
If you have a bitch you will need to select a stud dog – the breeder of your bitch may recommend a suitable stud dog or you may be able to locate one by attending Dog Shows, particularly breed Specialty Shows where you will be able to compare a number of different dogs from similar or different lines to your bitch so that you can decide the line you prefer and the individual dog that would most compliment and improve on your bitch. As an example, if your bitch has a slightly less than perfect ear set or colour it is best not to use a stud dog that has the same fault because the fault is likely to be exaggerated in the puppies. On the other hand, if you use a stud dog that does not have the same fault there is a greater chance that the puppies won’t also have the fault.
One final point, particularly if you have a breed that usually has very large litters, it is a good idea to have prospective homes lined up for at least half of the expected litter before you breed your bitch, or you may find that you will have a number of puppy’s running around your home for a lot longer than expected!.
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