Dog Breeding

While dog breeding may be a common term, the process is anything but ordinary. Breeding dogs requires a great amount of knowledge, care, and preparation on the part of the dog breeder. Breeding is the process of mating certain species of dogs for the purpose of producing dogs with specific characteristics. While it sounds simple in theory, the process is detailed and dangerous if it is not done properly.

If you are interested in breeding, the first thing you should do is get yourself educated. There are several classes available regarding breeding dogs, which will educate you on all aspects of the process. It is important to have a thorough understanding of not only the medical needs of the dogs you are breeding and puppies that you will produce, but also the equipment and supplies that you will need to best support this process in a healthy way for all of those involved.

In addition to education, it is important to network with other breeders, particularly those who have experience with the type of dog that you are interested in breeding. There are many associations out there that are available for participation and this is a great place to learn about the risks and benefits of breeding for you and the dogs. Through networking, you may even want to consider finding a mentor to shadow while you learn this process.

Understanding that every dog is not right for breeding is one of the most vital guidelines in this practice. You need to have significant knowledge regarding the health of not only the female, but the male as well, to ensure that there are no considerable health risks to the breeding dogs or genetic faults that may put the puppies at risk. You should be sure to keep a record of any issues you recognize with either dog involved in the breeding process, but especially the females. Records of when they first go into heat can be very useful in the breeding process, since it is usually hard to anticipate the timeframe that a female is in heat and for how long.

Before you begin to think about breeding, you need to understand what your purpose is in getting involved in this process. While many people are under the impression that dog breeding is a simple process with high earning potential, this is not necessarily true. Between the cost of proper equipment, proper healthcare, veterinarian trips, and feeding, the amount of money invested is considerable. There is also the risk that something could happen such as the female not getting pregnant or having a litter of still-born puppies, which obviously diminishes the income factor.

As a rule of thumb, as a good breeder, you should always be willing to take back a puppy for any reason that the buyer may not want it. This process is not something that should be taken on lightly. However, by taking the correct steps to ensure the safety of the breeding dogs, you can produce stunning and healthy purebred puppies that will bring joy to many new owners