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TO
BREED OR NOT TO BREED – THAT IS THE QUESTION
By Sierra Milton
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So you think you want to breed
a litter of puppies. There are some important questions to ask before
you take that first big step. The first, and perhaps most important,
question is “Why?”. The answers will be as varied as the people
who own dogs. Do you want to have a puppy “just like” your dog?
Do you want to breed your dog because people have told you how they would
love to have one of the puppies? Did you pay a substantial amount
of money for your dog and believe that you can recoup some of that money?
Do you want to make some money? Do you want your children to experience
the wonders of birth and nature? Do you believe that breeding your
dog will make a significant contribution to the breed? These are some
of the reasons given for breeding.
“I want to breed so that I can have another dog just like this one!”
Chances are you will not get a puppy “just like” yours. Remember
that your dog is only one-half of the genetic make-up of the puppies.
Your dog is the result of genes from both his/her dam and sire and the possibility
that the puppies will turn out just like yours is remote unless you have
carefully researched the parentage lines behind your dog and the proposed
stud and understand the probabilities of what type of offspring should be
produced from them.
“Everyone tells me how much they like my dog and would love to have
a puppy from her/him!”
Most people will change their minds when actually confronted with that
furry bundle of energy and the promises to buy one will evaporate.
Try taking deposits before you breed and see what type of response you have.
As a first-time breeder, you will not have established a reputation and
will not have referrals or references for your puppies. That little
four-legged bundle of fur is not “just like” your dog. The puppy will
not be housebroken, obedient, come when called, and, most likely, will keep
the new owners up at night for the first week or so. Your friend then
returns the puppy, saying they just don’t have time for a dog and you now
have a four-month old puppy that is chewing everything in sight, not quite
as cuddly as it was, and needing all its vaccinations that you have to try
to re-home.
“You can always sell purebred puppies and make some money.”
You have paid £250 for your dog and got him at quite a bargain
because lots of those breeders with established kennel names were asking
£400 for their puppies, so you just know that you’ll be able to breed
your dog and sell the puppies for £300 each and make a substantial
amount of money. So, with money racing around in your head, you set
out to breed your dog. Let’s not even consider the substantial medical
testing that one should do prior to breeding to make sure that no genetic
tragedies are passed along, we’ll just consider the bare minimum of expenditures.
First, there is the stud fee. If your dog is worth £250 and
you are going to make all this money selling puppies, it is fair to say that
the owner of the stud dog will probably consider him to be worth at least
£250 or more for his services. Now, we have paid out the stud
fee and it is getting close to the time that the puppies are due. Your
expectant female has been eating a lot more lately (normally about 30% more
from about the fourth week of pregnancy and about three times the normal amount
after the puppies are born until they are about four weeks old).
There are the blankets and towels that the puppies lay on; all the food that
they eat after they are weaned and before they are sold; advertising to
sell the puppies; and that is not taking into consideration any problems
that might arise requiring veterinarian attention during the whelping or for
any problems with the mother or sickly puppies after the puppies are born.
All these things are expenditures before even the first puppy is sold.
For a very realistic look at the various costs of raising puppies, you should
take a good look at the accompanying charts.
“I want my children to see the miracle of birth.”
This can be a very expensive and traumatic lesson for the children.
Remember that birth can also be very tragic. Your children may be
seeing the joy of new life at 4 o’clock in the morning while their precious
pet is on the surgery table cut open and haemorrhaging. Or they may
be listening to her scream as she tries to give birth to a puppy that is too
large and is turning to snap at the puppy and you in her pain. Then
there are the still-born puppies, mummified puppies (something went awry
in development and instead of the puppy being aborted naturally, it shrivelled
up and dried, being born black and ready to rot; these puppies can be the
result of poor prenatal nutrition and quite often the bitch will then have
uterine infections after giving birth), “water puppies” (these are puppies
that seemingly have no skeletal development and seem to be gel-filled; these
may be linked to a viral infection that the bitch had during pregnancy –
remember that medical care before birth is another expense); puppies with
birth defects that either die soon after birth or must be humanely destroyed.
Or the birth may have gone great and the mother suddenly develops eclampsia
(a calcium deficiency linked to the demands of lactation and can be severely
predisposed by prior calcium supplementation), running a high fever with
muscle spasms, unable to stand and eventually having seizures. While
planning for the children to witness the miracle of birth, be sure to take
them to the local shelter on euthanasia day so that they can witness the reality
of death for the scores of dogs who have no homes.
“I believe
that the puppies resulting from the breeding will be an asset to the development
of the breed.”
This is, in my opinion,
the only reason that any one should consider breeding a litter and even
then there are serious questions to consider. You should have spent
at least two to three years of serious interest in the breed, including
belonging to various breed and working clubs, completed in shows (in conformation,
obedience and/or agility) or performance events to demonstrate your dog’s
worthiness to be bred, have a substantial knowledge of the history of your
breed and its standard, have looked at as many different lines and specimens
of your breed as possible (you will learn as much looking at poor specimens
as you do with outstanding specimens, provided there is a balance between
the two), and talked extensively with the old-timers of the breed about their
experiences and where they see the breed going (even if you don’t necessarily
agree on all issues, these people still have a wealth of information).
Your dog should closely match the breed standard and free of any temperament
problems or serious health or genetic defects. Look at your dog with
critical eyes, seeing all the faults as well as all the good aspects; a critical
eye is mandatory if you seriously want to breed better dogs. And,
after taking all this into consideration, you need to ask yourself if you
can ensure that the puppies produced go to the types of homes that you would
want to live in.
“Okay, I think I still want to breed.”
Breeding a litter of puppies is a major responsibility. You should
consider whether you have the time, energy, financial and physical resources,
space, facilities, and knowledge to undertake this responsibility.
If you bring a litter of puppies into the world, it is your responsibility
to properly care for them before and after they are born, as well as finding
responsible, loving homes for them.
Breeding, done properly, requires a lot of your valuable time.
There are late night and wee morning feedings, ensuring that the temperature
of the room remains constant, trips to the veterinarian and to the stud
dog, endless cleaning of the whelping and puppy pen, laundry, phone calls
from prospective owners and the just-curious.
If you have ever watched the movie “The Money Pit” where a couple purchased
an old home to renovate and then found they were paying endless expenses
trying to renovate it, you will then understand the comparison to your cash
outflow when you breed a litter. Here is a partial list of considerations:
medical testing for genetic defects, prenatal veterinarian care, worming
of your bitch, postnatal veterinarian check-up, inoculations and worming
for the puppies, purchase of whelping box and whelping supplies (towels, scissors,
hemostats, disinfectant, iodine, thermometer, etc.), heating lamp, cleaning
supplies (paper towels, detergent, disinfectant, etc.), stud fee, puppy food
and vitamins, advertising, lost salaries and sleep, not to mention any unplanned
expenses such as birthing complications or sickly puppies or dam. (See
accompanying charts for realistic expenditures.)
You need to decide where you are going to raise the puppies. Newly
born puppies need a draft-free, temperature constant environment to thrive,
just like other newborns. While it should be in a quieter part of
the house, I do not believe that puppies should be raised in isolation and
strict quiet. Puppies, like babies, become well-adjusted adults when
they are part of the mainstream of the household. For that reason, I
make sure that the puppies could hear everyday noises, such as vacuuming,
television and radio, kitchen noises, people talking, etc. I also try
to provide the puppies with visual stimulation once the eyes are opened.
You will need, however, to consider that six or eight growing puppies need
a bit of room and can be noisy. Because they are not housebroken and
the mother will quit cleaning up after them long before they go to new homes,
you need a space that can be easily cleaned and disinfected to provide a
sanitary and odour-inoffensive environment. If outside temperatures
permit, the space ideally will be located close to where you can take the
puppies out for a bit during the day once they have started exploring their
inside environment. If you are going to raise the puppies in a kennel-situation,
you need to insure that the kennel is well-insulated and draft-free with
electricity for light (puppies should not be left in lightless places) and
a heating lamp. You’ll need a space for yourself and whoever is going
to help you so that you can sit by the mother and puppies during the first
week of their life and spend time socializing them after that.
You need to consider whether your work schedule and lifestyle will permit
you to breed a litter of puppies. Can you afford to stay home for
a week or so after the puppies are born? Can you arrange your schedule
quickly if your bitch goes into labour early? Do you have pressing
family events planned that may conflict with that time? If so, are
you prepared to stay home with your new responsibilities? What about
your daughter’s recital or your favorite niece’s wedding? Is your family
prepared to let you make these sacrifices? Who is going to help
you when the puppies are born? Who is going to guide you through a
difficult birth, teach you about tying off an umbilical cord and making sure
that the placentas are completely expelled? Do you know how to supplement
a sickly puppy that is not thriving?
Breeding means sacrificing a ‘normal’ life in many cases. These
are things that the average person never considers when thinking about
breeders. These are choices that breeders make when they decide to
breed. The welfare and future of the dogs are completely in their
hands.
Another consideration is whether you have the space, energy and time
to keep puppies that are not sold right away. Puppy purchasers need
to be carefully screened. Will you be able to turn down those
people who don’t seem responsible even when the puppy is twelve or fourteen
weeks old and are becoming needle-toothed, destructive, barking imps that
seem to eat, sleep, potty and potty again? Are you prepared to take
back a puppy after it has lost its cute-potential and the owners find out
that a puppy, like a child, requires work and training to be a well-adjusted
member of the family? You may also be unlucky enough to have a puppy
owner call you after a year and tell you that the puppy has severe hip dysplasia
or cataracts and wants you to take the dog back and refund the money.
Or the dog may have started biting his or the neighbour’s children and you’re
suddenly faced with a lawsuit for producing an aggressively-temperament
dog (even though the person may have a new partner and children who are absolutely
horrid to the dog and the biting is environmentally produced, lawsuits mean
money to defend as well as time and energy).
Your dog is very important to you, are you sure that you want to risk
her health or life for a litter of puppies? Complications do sometimes
occur during pregnancy, birth and post-natal, and these complications can
result in unfortunate consequences.
“Yes, after
careful consideration, I still want to breed. What can I expect before
and after the puppies are born?”
You have done your homework and found a compatible male to complement
your bitch’s pedigree and physical characteristics; both dogs have passed
the appropriate health testing for the breed. She is in season and
it is time to take her to the veterinarian for a prenatal check-up and to
make sure that her vaccinations, medications and worming are up to date.
Once you’ve bred her, she should be under veterinarian care for any illnesses
and should be kept away from any dogs that might pass viruses to her.
Infestations, illnesses or diseases can affect the unborn puppies.
Bitches can have miscarriages. If fetal death occurs early in the pregnancy,
it is usually undetected and absorbed by the mother’s body. Abortion
may result if fetal death occurs later in the pregnancy, and, dependent upon
the cause of fetal death, the bitch may carry the remaining fetuses to term.
A number of things can cause fetal death, including fetal congenital defects,
the physical health of the mother, her uterus and placenta, malnutrition,
anything that alters the health of the mother. This can include reproductive
tract diseases and illnesses, such as cystic endometrial hyperplasia, adhesions
(possibly from previous pregnancies or caesarian-sections), tumours or
hormonal imbalances. Diseases known to cause fetal death include
Canine Distemper Virus infection, Canine Herpes Virus infection, Toxoplasmosis,
Campylobacter infection and Brucellosis (a type of Canine sexually transmitted
disease).
You will still need to exercise your bitch. As the pregnancy progresses,
your walks may get a bit slower. She will require about 30% more supplementary
food during the last three to four weeks of her pregnancy. Now is
a good time to put her on puppy food specially formulated for the needs
of puppies and pregnant or lactating bitches. She may become a bit
moody and depressed or she may have no changes at all, other than an increased
appetite and thickening around the middle.
As the whelping date nears, she may become restless. The whelping
area should be ready so that she can become accustomed to it. You
may want to schedule a few days off before the whelping date so that someone
is home with her at all times. Some bitches do whelp early and premature
puppies are the result. Bitches should never whelp by themselves
since trouble can occur and no one wants to come home to find dead puppies
and/or a dead bitch.
Once whelping begins, be prepared for any problems that may occur.
Dystocia is the term associated with difficulty in whelping. While
uterine fatigue (inertia), due to length of labour or to lack of physical
fitness prior to whelping, is probably the most common cause of dystocia,
other factors may also present problems, such as puppies too large for the
pelvis or vaginal canine, malpresentation (breech puppies), prolapsed uterus,
prolapsed vagina, uterine torsion, or ruptured uterine. You and
your veterinarian will need to determine the cause of dystocia. Proper
treatment may be either administering drugs (oxytocin) to increase uterine
contractions, manual assistance in delivery, or surgery (a caesarian-section).
Once those puppies are all born, there are still dangers to both the
puppies and to the bitch. Eclampsia is not an extremely common disease,
but it is life-threatening. While it is caused by low calcium
levels in the blood caused by the demands of lactating, there is evidence
that giving the bitch calcium during pregnancy may, in fact, predispose her
to this condition. Small dogs are particularly prone to this disease.
Signs to watch for during the first three weeks of nursing includes behaviour
changes such as restlessness, nervousness or lack of interest in the puppies.
Left untreated, the next stage can be excessive salivation, a stiff or wobbly
gait, or irritability. Continued lack of treatment may result in fever,
inability to stand, muscle spasms, and seizures over the next few minutes
to several hours. Death may occur due to hypothermia or respiratory
depression. Dogs suffering from eclampsia should be transported immediately
to the veterinarian where, if consulted in time, the intravenous administration
of calcium can result in rapid improvement. Recurrence can be prevented
after such an episode by continuing to give oral calcium throughout the remainder
of the lactation period. Calcium should be given upon a veterinarian’s
advice only.
Much easier to recognize, mastitis is the infection and/or inflammation
of the mammary gland and may include all or just one or several glands.
The affected glands become firm and hard, often resembling rocks, are very
red, warm to the touch and painful. Milk may possibly be off-colour.
Veterinarians are divided in their opinions as to whether nursing from these
infected glands may harm the puppies. Treatment includes antibiotics,
massage and manual expression of the gland, warm compresses and may also
include surgical drainage and flushing.
Puppies need to be kept in a dry, warm environment that is free of drafts.
Care must be taken to keep the bitch from stepping or lying upon the puppies
and to ensure that each puppy is adequately cared and fed by the bitch,
particularly during the critical first three weeks. Newborn puppies
are also extremely susceptible to other factors, such as disease and stresses
such as physical trauma, infections from less than sanitary conditions, heavy
parasite load, and congenital diseases.
Because it has been your decision to produce these puppies, it is
your responsibility to make sure that they remain as healthy as possible.
This means that your life for at least the first week will not be your own
and, hopefully, your family will understand the stress and time constraints
upon you. For those of you who are parents, think back to those first
few months when it seemed as if you would never get any sleep again.
Hopefully, you will be able to count upon the support of a partner or hire
someone to help you care for the puppies during this time. After the
puppies are three weeks old, you will need to start teaching them to eat
a type of gruel, resulting in extra time spent in preparing the food, cleaning
bowls, assisting the puppies, and then in cleaning the puppies after so
that skin infections do not occur from left-over gruel. This is, of
course, on top of the average of a minimum of two hours a day spent
in cleaning the puppy pen, exercising and feeding the mother, handling the
puppies so that they become used to people, taking the puppies to the veterinarian
for a health check, worming and vaccinations, cleaning the house, etc.
Over an eight week period of time, this results in a very minimum of 112
hours.
During this period of time, you will also spend time on the telephone
with those people who have reserved puppies and people who want information
about puppies that you may have available. This can be from fifteen
minutes a day to several hours, dependent upon the people. You will
also need to budget money to return phone calls that you may miss.
Once the puppies are weaned, from three to six weeks, time should be
spent playing with them, cutting their toenails, carefully examining them
to help accustom them to having ears, eyes, mouth looked at.
Trusted people and children may come to visit the puppies, but only if you
know that their dogs, if any, have been completely vaccinated and they are
not carriers of any viruses. Necessary to socialize the puppies, this
is also an added cost to your time and expenses, since most of us will serve
food and beverage of some sort to our friends.
“People are calling about puppies, now what?”
Now the really hard people work begins of spending time with the people
who call and making sure that they are suitable owners with good homes
for your puppies. You have a great deal of emotional, financial,
time, and energy investment in these puppies and should want to ensure that
they go to the best possible homes. You carefully word your advertisements
for the various dog papers and, perhaps, the dog magazines, if you can financially
afford the investment. As the phone calls come in, there are definitely
questions that you will want to ask the prospective buyers and questions
that you should look for them to be asking you. Are you determined
enough and able to turn away people from who you don’t get a good feeling?
Can you continue to look for good, responsible homes even when the puppies
may be twelve weeks old, eating you out of house and literally home, as
their little teeth tear into the woodwork, leave little stains on the carpet,
and snag your best hose? Your responsibility continues even when
the little imps are not quite so cute any more because the strain of late
nights and extra work has worn you to a frazzle.
“What are the questions I should be asking the people who call?”
You should find out as much as possible about the people who want to
purchase one of the puppies. Consider it a job interview for the life
of and responsibility for the puppy. Some of the questions that you
should ask are:
1. Why do they want a puppy of this breed?
2. What type of experience do they have with (insert
breed here)?
3. What do they know about raising and training dogs?
4. How many dogs have they owned in their life and
at what ages and how did the dogs die?
5. Have they ever gotten rid of one of their dogs
and why?
6. Do they have children, other dogs, cats?
If so, what are their ages?
7. Where will the dog live in the family (inside,
outside, a combination of both)?
8. Do they have the facilities to keep a (insert breed
here)?
9. What do they want to do with the puppy; i.e., do
they want to compete with it; do they want a pet; do they want to breed
later?
10. Are the puppies in this litter suitable for their
needs?
11. Do they plan to spay/neuter the puppy?
12. Do they have the financial means to feed and properly
maintain, including veterinarian costs, a (insert breed here)?
13. What kind of exercise will the dog get?
14. Do they have a fenced in garden?
15. Do they know about grooming the dog (especially
important in coated breeds)?
16. If they are thinking of breeding later, will they
do the necessary health checks and prove the worth of their dog within
the breed prior to breeding?
17. Do they have a problem with signing a contract
for your puppy?
A good breeder, concerned with the welfare of their puppies, will make
the buyer feel as if they are adopting one of the breeder’s children.
If the answers to any of these questions are vague or not to your liking,
you should either decline selling them a puppy or talk to them in person
and then make your decision. Remember that if they are not willing
to work with you now, it is likely that they will not follow your guidelines
in the future, contract or not.
“What questions should I be expecting from the buyers?”
Informed buyers are going to want to know about the background of their
puppy. Be prepared to not only discuss everything you know about
the sire and dam, but also everything you know about the other dogs on
the pedigree. Since a good breeder has done her/his homework prior
to breeding, answering those questions should prove no problem.
1. Can I see both the sire and dam of the puppies?
If you don’t own the sire (and this is the normal case), am I able to visit
the sire’s owner and see him also?
2. Tell me everything you can about the sire and dam.
What are the sire’s worst and best faults or traits? What are the
dam’s worst and best faults or traits?
3. Has this dam been bred before? When
and how many litters has she had? What are the dogs from that litter(s)
like?
4. How long have you had this particular breed?
How knowledgeable do you consider yourself?
5. What testing has been performed on the sire and
dam for genetic problems? Have they both been examined for hip dysplasia
and do they have certifications? Have they both had their eyes examined
and certified? Have they both had vWD testing (a blood disorder)?
What about other testing? Do you have evidence of the findings of
the testing and can I see the certifications? (An informed breeder
will have checked about genetic problems in the breed and the answer of “Oh,
they’re just fine.” is not appropriate or good enough.
6. Do you have certifications on any of the dogs further
back in the pedigree?
7. How many of the dogs in the pedigree have you seen
and examined personally? Tell me everything you know about them.
(Be prepared to discuss more than what is found on the pedigree – a good
breeder will know about the temperaments, health, workability, etc. of the
dogs in the puppies’ pedigree.)
8. What can you tell me about the types of titles
(conformation, working, obedience and/or agility) are in the pedigree?
How far back in the pedigree do these titles occur? How many of the
dogs were titled? Are you currently working on any titles, degrees
or certifications with the dam and/or sire? What about with your other
dogs?
9. Why did you decide to breed this particular dam
to this particular sire?
10. Tell me about the incidence of dysplasia, eye
problems, vWD, epilepsy, allergies, thyroid problems, growth problems,
cancer, etc. in the pedigree.
11. How many puppies were born in the litter?
Did any have congenital problems? If so, what were the problems?
12. How much time have you spent planning the litter?
How did you determine what stud to use? Had you seen him and examined
him prior to taking your bitch to him for breeding?
13. How much time have you spent with the puppies?
What is your normal day like with them?
14. Has your veterinarian examined the puppies?
Have they been inoculated at all? If so, for what?
15. Do you perform any temperament tests? How
do you evaluate your puppies? If you temperament test, which test
do you use? Did anyone temperament test the puppies? (An informed
buyer will ask to see the results and you should be prepared to explain
those results. If you can’t explain the criteria used to evaluate puppies,
what good are the evaluations?)
16. Do you have a puppy contract that I will need
to sign? May I have a copy before I come to see the puppies?
What does it entail?
17. Do you offer any health or temperament guarantees?
What are the terms? If there is a problem, does the puppy/dog have
to be returned? (While returning a dog may be very traumatic, it may
sometimes be necessary. A good breeder is one who is concerned about
not only their dogs and their puppies, but with the breed on a whole.)
If there are any health or temperament problems, will any of my purchase
money be refunded or will I get a replacement puppy from another breeding
(with another sire or dam)?
18. Do you require that any companion (pet-quality)
puppies be spayed or neutered? Will there be an endorsement on the
registration? (Most people who want a dog for a pet will understand
that a good breeder wants to ensure that only the best (those conforming
to the standard and with a minimum of faults) dogs are bred.)
19. Will you be available throughout the life of the
dog to answer any of my questions and concerns? Can you answer any
training, food, exercise, medical questions? If you don’t know an
answer, do you know who I can go to for answers?
20. What documentation will I get with my puppy?
Will I get a four- or five-generation pedigree? Are any medical testing
results for dogs on the pedigree listed? Will I get information on
how to take care of my puppy and what I should expect? Do you provide
the puppy’s health record? Will I get any helpful information on helping
my puppy adjust to a new home and training?
21. What do you consider to be the most important
facets of a breeding program? What are you striving for in your breeding
program? (A good breeder will consider the entire standard, including
not only the physical aspects, but also the purpose for which the breed was
conceived, health and temperament. A good breeder doesn’t concentrate
on any one part of the standard to the exclusion of others.)
22. Tell me about your philosophy on breeding dogs
in general and how it relates to this breed? Why did you breed this pair
of dogs? Does this breeding match your philosophy on breeding?
23. What dog-related clubs or organizations do you
belong do? How long have you belonged to them? Are you active
in these clubs or organizations?
24. Do you work your dogs? Do you show?
Do any of your dogs have temperament degrees (such as PAT dogs or good
citizenship testings)? If not, can you explain why?
25. Can you give me references of any people who own
dogs from your previous litters? May I call them?
“Whew, I didn’t realize that selling puppies was this hard. Now
what?”
Be prepared for those who are interested in the puppies to come over
and visit before selecting their puppy. This is a good time to discuss
the information in your puppy packet. What? You say that you
don’t have any puppy packets? You should put together useful information
for the new owners. Things to include in each packet:
1. Four- or five-generation pedigree (including any
certification numbers for hip, eye, vWD testing, etc.)
2. Pictures of the sire and dam (and any other pictures
that you may have of dogs in the pedigree)
3. Picture of the puppy
4. Health record of the puppy, including any inoculations,
worming, medical care and the phone number and address of your veterinarian
5. A copy of the breed standard
6. An application form for the breed parent club and
any other clubs that you belong to
7. A list of training groups and information on puppy
socialization/training classes
8. Information on the inoculations that the dog will
require (a brief explanation of each of the diseases being inoculated against
is always helpful and will emphasize the importance of making sure the dog
has immunity)
9. Copies of brochures that you have found helpful
(such as crate training, leash training, helping the puppy adjust to a new
home, housetraining, etc.)
10. Recommendations of feeding schedules and types
of food
11. A list of references
12. Puppy contract (this is very important; everyone
should have some type of contract to stress the importance and responsibility
of dog ownership, as well as what you expect from the buyer and what the
buyer can expect from you, and information of what you expect to happen
if the buyer finds that he cannot keep the dog at any time in the dog’s life)
13. Information from the Kennel Club about dog ownership
and responsibility
Sit down and talk about the dogs, the pedigree and dogs in it.
Introduce the people to your other dogs. You will want to see how
they react to adult dogs with all the size, slobber, coat (hair on their
clothes), boisterousness, etc. These reactions will tell you a lot
about how they will be able to deal with that cute little buddle of fur
when it becomes full-grown and not quite so easily cuddled. They should
be able to see the mother separate from the puppies. If the puppies
are very young, you may wish to have them look in at the puppies but not
touch them. It is always recommended that before you have anyone touching
the puppies that you first make sure that any dog they may now own has been
fully inoculated. In the States it is not uncommon for a breeder to
ask that the buyers have not visited any other litters or dogs on that particular
day before seeing the puppies. Puppies are very vulnerable and the
last thing that you will want is a virus brought into your home.
You may, as a matter of course, serve tea, coffee and desserts,
during the time the people visit. Be sure to add those into the cost
of raising a litter of puppies for sale. Multiply the time spent
with one puppy buyer by number of puppies in the litter and you will see
that time is a serious factor in deciding whether to breed.
“What happens if there aren’t buyers for all the puppies?”
A breeder must have the space and financial resources to take care of
any puppies that are not sold. This means, of course, that the breeder
must start the housetraining and socialization, as well as further veterinarian
costs for inoculations and worming. Not all puppies are sold quickly,
unless one is not careful about the homes that the puppies will go to and
are willing to sell them to whoever rings up. It is not uncommon to
have one or two puppies remaining at even twelve or sixteen weeks.
Puppies at a young age require a great deal of time; housebreaking and socialization
takes up even more time. As a breeder, you are responsible for making
sure that the puppies are as well-socialized as possible to prevent future
problems from occurring. Puppies cannot just be placed in a kennel
and forgotten about except at feeding time. It means toe nail trimming,
ear cleaning, baths, teaching them to walk on leashes, meet people, car
rides, etc. If you are not prepared to take on the responsibility of
extra puppies for an extended amount of time, you should seriously consider
whether you should be breeding.
“Yikes, it’s
two years later and Mr. Smith is being transferred to Timbuktu and can’t take
Fido. Now what?”
That puppy which is now a
two-year-old dog is still your responsibility. Mr. Smith may not
have done any socialization or training and Fido may hate small children,
but you, as a breeder, should be taking Fido back for rehoming. This
often means that you will incur additional expenses, such as training classes,
veterinarian costs (Mr. Smith didn’t take Fido anywhere so he didn’t bother
with the inoculations even though you told him that it was mandatory), additional
food costs, as well as lots of your time. It means having the means
to separate Fido out from your other dogs until they become acquainted and
finding the right home for him all over again. It doesn’t matter whether
the scenario is that Mr. Smith is getting a divorce, the ‘puppy’ got too big
(even though he saw all the adult dogs and Fido is actually the smallest male
you’ve seen), or the new Mrs. Smith hates the dog or his new stepson is allergic
to dogs. Some dogs are even returned to the breeders as old dogs because
their owners just couldn’t bear the idea of them being sick and needing
to be put down. Breeding is not just a four-month proposition
(between breeding and whelping). It is a lifetime responsibility.
Conclusion
Mating your dog is not something to lightly undertake. One important
thing to remember is that the Kennel Club registration does not guarantee
that the dog has been well-bred by a caring, conscientious breeder who has
strived mightily to ensure that her dogs are as free as possible from genetic
disorders and conforms to the breed standard on working ability, structure,
temperament, and purpose. That piece of paper does not mean that
every dog should be bred. Indeed, only a small fraction of dogs should
ever be bred. Any person who cannot breed to the standard and only
to better the breed is not deserving of the name of breeder. Those
who cannot manage to breed the right way (which means the betterment
of the breed in its entirety and not just one characteristic should
try raising snails instead.
Design-a-doggers and puppy-raisers do just as much harm as puppy mills
and backyard breeders. In some cases, the damage is even greater because
these people can talk well, but just can’t meet the exacting criteria of
someone who has dedicated themselves to the task of safeguarding and improving
the dogs that they love.
Some breeders lose the distinction of breeder and join the ranks of
backyard breeders, puppy farmers, and even the design-a-dog category (by
intensifying on one or several traits rather than the overall standard)
when they lose track of the objective of breeding which should be solely
and entirely the betterment of the breed. These are often wonderful
people who at one time and held the greatest respect through their ability
to breed with the future in mind, having a plan and a goal. Having worked
hard to get the respect and become true breeders, these breeders gave up
somewhere along the line, believing that everything they produced was the
best without clearly looking at where they were going. Many of these people
now simply put dog A with dog B because they own them or they are top winning
dogs and they don't bother to look beyond. Breeders cannot afford to sit
upon their laurels, nor can they simply start looking at each litter as
a way to pick up a bit of money and start compromising their integrity and
reputation by cutting corners. It's a tough life that we, as breeders, have,
but it is one that we have chosen and to do less than our very best each
time is not only neglectful to our dogs, but is dishonest to the breed and
dog world in general, as well as those who trust that we live up to our
reputation.
Breeding for any one trait is irresponsible breeding. Breeding
to make a bit of money is irresponsible breeding. Breeding to simply
produce dogs and fulfil a market is irresponsible breeding. Breeding
without doing everything possible to ensure healthy puppies and dogs is
irresponsible breeding.
Make sure
you don’t join the ranks of the irresponsible.
Copyright
2004 Sierra Milton, Stormsong.
Please contact the author at sierra.milton@ntlworld.com for
permission to reprint or use on websites. All rights reserved.
DEFINITIONS
If there were a caste system within the dog world, the breeders
would be at the top, followed in descending order by puppy-raisers, design-a-doggers,
backyard breeders, and puppy mills. The danger to the public is that
any one can call themselves a ‘breeder’ without having done more than put
two dogs together with resultant puppies. Education is the key.
Hopefully, more and more people will stop and think about where and who
they are getting a puppy and, more importantly, why.
BREEDER
Technically, any person who mates two dogs and causes the production
of offspring is a breeder. In the respected world of dog ownership,
a breeder is someone who breeds only when she breeds for the betterment
of the breed and intends to keep one of the offspring. The betterment
of the breed considers the entire standard and not just any one characteristic
of the standard. The primary difference between puppy raisers
and breeders is “awareness of responsibility; responsibility to her breed,
to her goals, to the dogs she has bred and to the dogs she hopes to breed.
She also has a never-ending responsibility to the people who have bought
her dogs, to the people who are about to buy her dogs and to the public
image--not only of the dogs she has been producing but of the breed itself.”
A breeder is a creator; she works toward a goal of perfection in her mind’s
eye. She does not allow herself to be deterred by others’ views or
by what is currently popular; she doesn’t breed to fill a market of what
will sell. A breeder takes the time to mentor, to share her philosophy
and help those who ask over the rough spots. She instills
within those who have purchased her puppies a sense of belonging, a pride
in ownership. Breeders are there to answer questions, to encourage training,
to teach critical assessment before breeding. She takes responsibility
for the dogs that she produces for the life of the dog, always willing to
take them back if necessary. Breeders are not motivated by money or
supplying a market. She does the necessary genetic testing and assures
that the dogs she breeds are free of genetic problems. Breeders
are those who have paid their dues, studied, learned, been mentored and now
are also mentoring. A breeder will have earned and continue to earn
the right to be respected. Even some of the 'big-name' breeders are not what
should be considered as breeders and actually are puppy-raisers who no longer
put the same amount of effort into thinking about the future of the breed.
PUPPY RAISER
Refers to any person who breeds without at least attempting to understand
the genetics behind the two dogs being bred, think about what they desire
the puppies from the combination to be like, have a clear cut plan (or at
the very least some plan) for the future of the breed, hasn't considered
all the possibilities concerning whelping, done the medical checks and at
the very least the minimal health checks for hips, eyes and whatever else
is recommended for their breed, and proven their stock in some way -- whether
in the show, field, obedience, etc. realms. Puppy-raisers simply put two
dogs of the same breed together and hope for the best.
DESIGN-A-DOG
Designer dogs can be designed as the latest fad, bred to fulfil
a certain, encapsulated niche, without a plan for long-term development
of a breed type. Breeding for any one trait is irresponsible
breeding. This is just as true in the case of pure-breed breeders
as it is in those who cross-breed. Any breeder that is "only breeding
to satisfy a need" is failing her responsibility as a breeder which should
be to breed only when she feels that it is to the betterment of the breed,
and in the case of cross-breeds, it would be difficult to argue that she
was breeding to any established standard and instead is breeding for a
reason that is less than what most of us consider to be reasonable. Perhaps
she wants the "fame" of having bred those competitive cross-breeds. Unlike
the people who are at least cross-breeding to try to establish a new breed
and taking the time to develop standards, aims, goals, and a plan, these
dogs are being cross-bred without any such goal.
BACKYARD BREEDER
May also be referred to as a “whim breeder”, this person is one who
breeds without any forethought to why they should be breeding. These
people often have reasons such as “wanting the children to see the miracle
of life” or “everyone just loves Fifi (or Fido) and wants a puppy just
like her/him” or even more frightening wants to “make a bit of money and
recoup some of my cost in buying Fifi”. Backyard breeders, even when
they have only one dog and produce only one litter, are the equivalent
and just as damaging to the breed as puppy mills. The difference
is only the scale of the operation. For the most part backyard breeders
will have done no medical checks and believe that ‘nature takes its course.’
PUPPY MILL
A business that mass-produces dogs for a profit with little or no regard
for the health and well-being of the puppies and dogs. It is
a facility where puppies are sold to brokers, pet stores or individuals without
regard for the puppy. They usually have many breeding animals in
many different breeds and often, but not always, substandard health, living
and socialization conditions. Some well-known and “respected” breeders
have fallen into the commercial breeding trap (see definition for Commercial
Breeder) by losing sight of the primary reason for breeding, which should
be breeding only for the betterment of the breed. Production of puppies
only because there is a market or one needs a bit extra money is still commercial
breeding and differs from puppy milling in that commercial breeders sell
only to individual buyers. Some breeders who have slipped to this level
have well-known affixes or kennel names.
COMMERCIAL BREEDER
A person who maintains large numbers of breeding females and/or stud
dogs and who breeds more than three litters of puppies a year from the bitches
or who provides stud services for more than fifteen bitches a year (based
on UK income levels). These breeders may or may not perform genetic
testing and other criteria as shown in the definition for "Breeder".
Some well-known and "respected" breeders have fallen into the commercial
breeding trap by losing sight of the primary reason for breeding, which should
be breeding only for the betterment of the breed. Production of puppies
only because there is a market or one needs a bit of extra money is still
commercial breeding. Some breeders who have slipped to this level
have well-known affixes or kennel names. These breeders may or may
not accept credit cards and/or have payment plans. Considering that
some breeders may have two or more breeds, the number of litters and/or stud
services take both breeds into consideration. Commercial breeding differs
from puppy milling notably in that commercial breeders sell only to individuals
and never to brokers or pet stores.
UNETHICAL BREEDING
Any person who breeds dogs with profit as the main motivation and without
consideration for the health and well-being of the puppies is guilty of
ethical crimes.
DESIGN-A-DOG
Designer dogs can be designed as the latest fad, bred to fulfil
a certain, encapsulated niche, without a plan for long-term development
of a breed type. Breeding for any one trait is irresponsible
breeding. This is just as true in the case of pure-breed breeders
as it is in those who cross-breed. Any breeder that is "only breeding
to satisfy a need" is failing her responsibility as a breeder which should
be to breed only when she feels that it is to the betterment of the breed,
and in the case of cross-breeds, it would be difficult to argue that she
was breeding to any established standard and instead is breeding for a
reason that is less than what most of us consider to be reasonable. Perhaps
she wants the "fame" of having bred those competitive cross-breeds. Unlike
the people who are at least cross-breeding to try to establish a new breed
and taking the time to
develop standards, aims, goals, and a plan, these dogs are being cross-bred
without any such goal.
© 2004 Sierra Milton, Stormsong.
Please contact the author at
sierra.milton@ntlworld.com
with comments and for permission to reprint
