To Breed or Not to Breed Your Dog?

It is very tempting to think about having a litter of small cuddly puppies from your beautiful bitch, but before even thinking about it, there are important factors to consider.

First of all, you may think your dog is the best in the world, but is it really? Look at her dispassionately. Is she of sound construction and reliable temperament? Is she free from any genetic defects? If she is a pedigree dog, is she a good example of the breed, coming from a good lineage?

Do not be tempted to breed a dog that has serious defects and do not contemplate breeding as a means of trying to compensate for any signs of nervousness or distress in your bitch. Your dog should be mature enough to physically cope with a litter (in a large breed this will be when the bitch is at least two years old.)

If you are happy so far that breeding is the right thing to do, then you should turn your attention to the pups. Have you the room for a whelping box and then perhaps 12 pups running around? Have you the time to sit with your bitch while she is birthing, perhaps more than 12 hours? Then there is the cleaning, weaning, feeding routine for the next eight to 12 weeks. What about money? The cost of the feed can be expensive and you must remember to budget for any veterinary costs that are caused by complications in the birth. Finally, what will you do with the pups? You must be in a position to look after them all. If it is a pedigree dog then you will be looking at registering the pups before they are sold. If your bitch is not a dog with a pedigree, you will be either giving the pups away or selling them for the going rate, in your area, for that type of dog. Either way, you should be checking very carefully where your pups are going, possibly including a home visit; this again takes time and money. Remember that the breeder is usually responsible for ensuring that the puppies have their first set of vaccinations before they are sold or given away. Remember also, that you are responsible for the birth of the pups and you should always be prepared to take them back, for whatever reason, as they are ultimately your responsibility for life.

If you still think breeding is for you, then your final consideration will be the stud dog. If attempting to breed a pedigree dog, then your ultimate aim will be to produce sound, quality dogs of both structure and temperament, that are ideally as near the Breed Standard as possible. Therefore, you should look at your bitch against the Breed Standard, identifying strengths and weaknesses and then look for a stud dog that will complement your bitch, building on her strengths and compensating for her weaknesses. If your bitch has poor pigmentation then do not use a dog that also has poor pigmentation. Study the dog’s pedigree and antecedents. Do whatever research you can to try to ensure you breed healthy well-developed dogs.

Remember you are breeding living animals. Their quality of life should come first and not your own interests, especially money.

Until next time,

Teia