| Information About Breeding and Being a Responsible Breeder If you are considering breeding your dog whether it be male or female, there is lots to consider before doing so if you haven't already. First of all, it is usually advised to do research on the breed you are interested in before you begin to actually breed. Too much information is usually never enough so learn all you can about your choice of dog to breed. The purpose of breeding is to improve the breed and some important things for sure to research is the actual breed standard, possible health problems with the breed, healthcare etc. An important thing to know right now is if you are deciding to try dog breeding for some extra money forget that idea right now. Every good breeder that has bred before knows you do not turn a profit if any if you breed correctly and responsibly. There are no cutting and skimping on costs if you intend to do it right. Little profit if any is made from selling dogs and usually goes right back into the dogs for healthcare, the best food, and other unexpected costs. Even raising one litter can be costly if complications arise and even if they don't, the puppies and dogs still have to have the best care you can give them and sometimes that includes more money than expected. It is very important to be able to provide proper healthcare, facilities and nutrition to the dogs you are breeding and to keep records on any medical conditions, vet visits etc. It can also be very time consuming and for success in breeding you may have to sacrifice personal time and plans that may have to be cancelled when it comes down to the care of the dogs being bred or that have been bred. Sometimes the expectant mother needs help birthing her pups or has to go see the vet in the middle of the night , or the pups might have to be fed... You will only want to select the dog or dogs you decide to breed from a reputable breeder or someone who has taken excellent care of the dog and knows some history about it. Never buy dogs you want to breed or even just own as a pet from people who breed more than one breed or sell to brokers or pet stores because these people are usually only breeding to mass produce for money and can't possibly have time to know all the important things that need to be known about a particular dog much less to be totally dedicated to one breed when they have more than one. There can be underlying health conditions they may not know or just not tell you. You will not want to breed a female on her first heat or season because vets advise that the female is not always ready for a litter as far as maturity as far as physically and mentally. The 2nd season is usually best. Probably the most important thing about being a responsible breeder is taking responsiblity for what you breed. Many responsible breeders keep any pups they can not place or take back any puppies or dogs that are placed and do not work out so the dogs do not end up in wrong hands or the pound or a shelter. Also if they breed dogs that's pups turn up with hereditary conditions they will help or pay for any medical costs that are due to their upbringing of the dog or something that is genetically passed by a result of the breeding they have done or take the dog back and take care of it themselves. This is taking responsibility for the little lifeform you created. Not all people will require the breeder to do this, but it should be offered anyway if you are truly dedicated to improving and caring about the breed and dogs you have brought into the world. Offering information to help the new owners and providing health information like a shot record, date of birth, parents information such as copies of pedigrees, any history you can provide on the ancestors of the puppy or dog, new due dates ,what kind of food it's been eating, bill of sale, registration papers, and guarantee on what all you are responsible for etc. when the puppy or dog is placed should be provided and will all be helpful to the new owner. Keeping up with records on any breedings you do such as dates, who you bred to, and who you select as new owners and their addresses and phone numbers and making sure they have yours if they ever need you is a important part of staying in touch with what you created. It is important to Never promote pet stores , puppy mills, or brokers by buying dogs from them or selling the puppies or dogs you produce to them . You don't know where these dogs may end up and they usually aren't maintained very well. Even if you only decide to stud a male out a few times to some females there is still alot involved and the same steps should be followed. You may want to make a stud agreement on what you guarantee for and if you reimburse if the female doesn't become pregnant or whether you take pick of the litter or just a fee. Copies of registration papers should be provided and pedigrees compared to see the relation if any of the two dogs to be mated might be related. The dogs may need to be screened by a vet for brucellosis before breeding if they have been bred before. Many responsible breeders require these tests before letting their dogs be bred. Genetic screening is also a very responsible step that can be done too to maybe find some genetic disorders or diseases that could be very dangerous to pass on to offspring. It is important when you no longer are breeding the dog or dogs you have bred that you spay or neuter them usually after 1 or 2 litters or especially to have them fixed if problems arise and it is usually best for a female for sure by 5 years of age or sooner and for a male usually by 4 or 5 years at most for him also to ensure a long healthy life of the dogs even if they have had no prior problems. As with anything, there can be all kinds of problems and heartbreak involved when you decide to breed, afterall, we can not control nature or explain it always. You just have to be willing to do the very best you possibly can do and know that you can have a wonderful and perfect breeding experience or things can sometimes go very wrong. If you breed long enough you will learn from these experiences and do the best you can to give the care and dedication needed to have success in the breeding of dogs and know you can sleep at night when you are sure the correct decisions have been made to be as responsible as you can possibly be when it comes to breeding and caring for whatever breed you have chosen . Read the Dachshund Club of America rules set up for responsible breeding and it could be a good code to go by with breeding any dog though I think. Click on the link above to read it. |
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