So you want to be a dog breeder?

So you want to be a dog breeder?

By Ryan Eder

Being a dog breeder consists of several responsibilities to your dogs and your clients. You are providing customers with a family member and a twelve plus year commitment; not a responsibility one should take lightly. The time and money necessary to have healthy and quality dogs is much more than you think, and the work load to maintain such a program is seven days a week, all year long.

Be Objective
Breeding dogs should be objective, not subjective. You must have the discipline as a breeder to recognize characteristics and traits in your dogs or puppies that are not desirable and stop producing them. I would argue this comes down to ethics and morals also. There are breeders who prioritize profit over sustainable quality, and this is a big problem. I am not against making money; I believe any business should strive to profit. But I also know that the best breeders have the ability to say “I don’t want to produce this” and move on in a better direction.

This applies (but is not limited to) confirmation, health tests and issues, temperament, intelligence, sociability, performance, etc.

Health Clearances Matter
If there is one priority as a breeder, it should be the produce the most genetically sound and healthy puppies possible. You must be familiar with your breed and know the prominent health concerns for it. Make sure you test for the major genetic disorders to ensure your breeding program is not producing “affected” (dogs affected by the genetic disorder) dogs. Testing is so easy to do, and not terribly expensive so there is no excuse for a breeder to not have health testing done on their dogs.

In addition to genetic disorders, it is imperative that you work with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) to evaluate elbows, eyes and hips on your breeding dogs. Again, this is easy to do, and helps us control the quality of dogs being bred when it comes to their eye and joint health. Think about how common it is to hear about dogs with hip problems; it is likely that the dog comes from lineage with similar issues. Having this information helps us make better breeding decisions. If you want to be a breeder, plan on spending hundreds of dollars per dog conducting these tests and certifications!

General Care
Those of you with dogs at home know that each month you feed them, provide heart-guard prevention and flea and tick prevention. Depending on the food and what products you use this is a monthly maintenance cost associated with owning a dog. Now imagine those costs multiplied by several dogs! This is the reality as a breeder with multiple dogs; your costs will go up and this is just the beginning! Imagine what your costs are when dogs aren’t healthy or need additional care beyond generic maintenance.

As a breeder you start to learn tricks that can reduce cost, but of course the most important thing is that your dogs are taken care of at the highest level.

Facility
Housing multiple dogs can be done several ways. I have seen breeders with upwards of five or six dogs in their home, and I have seen breeders with kennel facilities that range from garage built kennels, outdoor kennels or state of the art facilities nicer than some of our homes! Either way, you’ll need to make sure your dogs are clean, dry, protected from sun, rain and other elements. Depending on your weather, your facility needs to protect your dogs from cold or heat as well. Here in the Midwest we see it all; my kennel is climate controlled and is insulated with fans to move air. I also have floor drains to allow for adequate cleaning and disinfecting.
Aside from a place to keep the dogs, the dogs will need adequate space to exercise. If you do not have property to satisfy this need, your dogs will need access to places where they can run and get appropriate amounts of exercise. Fortunately we are on 10 acres with some trails in the woods; our dogs receive daily “romps” through the trails at least once per day. We also train 4-5 days per week (other than winter time where we fight early darkness and snow) which helps in the way of physical conditioning.

Puppies
Aside from how cute a bunch of puppies are, raising puppies is no easy task! The best breeders take several steps to ensure the healthiest dams and puppies possible. This begins with the care of your breeding females with vitamins or supplements, progesterone tests for effective breeding, ultra-sounds and x-rays to confirm pregnancy and so on. Whelping puppies can be simple if all goes well, and the mother does a great job. What happens when a mother is not experienced and does not do a good job? What happens when complications occur and puppies are not being delivered safely? If you want to be a breeder, make sure you understand the whelping process and are willing to take action when necessary in times of complications or emergency.

Do not underestimate the risks associated with whelping puppies for both pups and their mother. It is possible pups do not survive; it is possible an emergency C-section is needed. The list goes on, but as a breeder these risks need to be understood and plans need to be in place in case they arise.

Breeding dogs can be rewarding and lucrative, but it can also be a difficult business. There is nothing “easy” about it, and it requires knowledge and attention to detail. This article is not to discourage someone wanting to get into dog breeding, but spotlight important elements that need to be understood and implemented before you simply decide to sell puppies.