Thinking of Breeding?
Any one can be a breeder... Right? You just put two dogs together and let nature take it's course. Nine weeks later the little bundles of joy arrive.
Like so many other things, it's not that simple. Sure you will probably get puppies that way, but will you know anything about them? about their family history?
Oh, you are only breeding for pets, not show dogs. Don't the people who buy your pets deserve to have the best chance of getting a healthy puppy? Their hearts will be just as broken if their pet is crippled as the person who bought the dog to show.
If your dog is not registered, how do you find out anything about her background? How do you find out what clearances or health concerns her grandparents, and extended family had? If you do not do health testing on your girl, how do you know that she, herself, does not have health issues. Many problems are not visible to the naked eye.
Responsible breeders do the best that they can to reduce the chance of puppies having problems. We study pedigrees and research health concerns found within them. We study genetics, so that we can learn how these diseases are inherited. Learning about structure allows us to breed dogs with bodies that will stand up to a lifetime of hard work or play. We learn what diseases our breed has and what screening tests are available.
Breeders become a resource for their puppy owners. We need to know all that we can about raising pups, so that we can guide new families through common training problems. We should be well informed on the health issues found in our breeds, so that if one of our puppies does develop an issue, we can offer support and information.
Breeders study the whole process of breeding, through conception, pregnancy, whelping and neonatal care. We need to know what is normal and what is not. We need to know what to do when things go wrong because it may make the difference between life and death, not only for a puppy, but for our girls. There is risk involved in every breeding.
There are many tears in the path of a breeder. Puppies dead at birth, bitches lost during delivery. Pups born alive, but with birth defects that require them to be euthanised. Raising a lovely dog only to have her fail to get her clearances. Doing a breeding that looks wonderful when being planned, only to find that the genetics didn't work out the way you thought and you have pups with severe health issues.
The rewards come in the form of puppy kisses and the lifelong friends made when finding families for the pups. There is joy in watching a life that you helped to create compete successfully in your chosen event or in knowing that you have provided a child's best friend. One of the most beautiful sights is a bunch of healthy old dogs with gray faces.
Still thinking of breeding? Here are some sites to get you started on what you need to know.
Jane Anderson's Learn To Breed