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 Before You Breed Your
Dog
Planning to breed your
dog? The puppies sure are cute, but are you really prepared? There's
more involved with raising a litter than you could ever possibly imagine!
Here's a pre-breeding checklist:
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Test both parents for genetic and hereditary diseases
and good temperament.
Why? Most major health problems in dogs can be prevented by breeding only
healthy dogs. By having the parents tested for hip dysplasia, genetic heart,
thyroid, or liver conditions, and numerous other problems, you can avoid
passing these painful and debilitating problems on to the next generation of
puppies. The same goes for temperament. Breeding a dog without making sure
it is free from genetic conditions is selfish and irresponsible. If you're
going to do it, do it right.
-
Save up at least $1000 to invest in vet bills in case
of an emergency.
It's not uncommon for a female to require a c-section, ultrasound, or
other emergency procedures, and they're expensive! Not to mention, if any of
the puppies are born with problems, they'll need to be hospitalized. $$$!
-
Be prepared for your new full-time job raising a
litter, and spending a few thousand dollars to raise the puppies.
Yikes. Puppies are a lot of work, especially in mass quantities! You need to
be dedicated to spending the time and money it takes to raise them properly
if you're going to do it. Quality formula, food, vet checks, toys and shots
are expensive.
-
Be prepared to help the newborns feed, urinate and defecate
if the mom can't or won't, or if she dies.
Newborn puppies can't potty on their own - they need help. If mom won't
do it, you'll have to help them. In cases of
large litters, you'll probably have to help out anyways - mom will have a
hard time keeping track of the pups she's groomed and fed.
-
Get ready to scoop
a ton of puppy poop from inside your house every day!
No, they can't be kept outside. Too many diseases and germs, and they need
to be kept at a constant cozy temperature. Not to mention socialization
(being around the family) is incredibly important.
-
Be prepared to take the time to properly socialize the
puppies and to interview prospective buyers to make sure they will take
proper care of the puppy.
Each puppy needs individual attention every day - this takes a considerable
amount of time, especially with large litters. And after you've put so much
time, energy and love into these little creatures, you'll want to make sure
they all get the best homes. Interviewing buyers is a time consuming, and
sometimes scary, experience.
-
Be prepared to take back your "puppies"
years from now when their owners don't want them any more.
Why? It will happen. I don't understand it, but some people think pets are
disposable. Since you don't want to:
a) Let them take your puppy to the pound to be killed, or
b) Make it someone else's problem by turning the dog in to a rescue, or
c) Let them give the dog to their cousin Bubba who will tie the dog
to a tree and feed it once a month for the remainder of it's miserable
life...
The responsible thing to do is to take back the dog and find it a new home.
-
Be prepared to spend cash out of your pocket years
from now if the owners of a puppy return a sick dog to you.
Sometimes people with the best intentions fall into situations where they
find themselves unable to care for their pets. Get out your visa card...
-
Routinely call or visit to check on the puppies and
make sure they are OK.
This sounds crazy now, but after you've invested so much in raising them,
you'll want to make sure they're OK. Breeding truly is a life-long
commitment.
Why do i care?
Animal overpopulation is a
HUGE, SERIOUS issue. Hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats are killed in the US
each year simply because no one wants them. Before doing some research on the
issue, I always thought that the unwanted dogs that were "put down" were old,
sick or mean. Not True! Did you know that a large percentage of the dogs
destroyed at shelters are happy, healthy, well trained, and even purebred? My
goal in creating this site is to inform others
of the problems that occur when people breed their dogs without thinking of the
best interest of the puppies, and the puppies' puppies, and so on. What if the
person who may have adopted a dog from a shelter buys your puppy instead? Like it
or not, when you randomly create dogs, other dogs will lose their lives as a
result.
I don't have anything against responsible
breeders that breed for the love of the dogs and to improve the breed, do
temperament and genetic testing, and find loving, responsible owners for all the
pups. If no one ever bred dogs, there wouldn't be any! However, many of these
people also work in rescue as well, trying to save the lives of other dogs that
may not have been responsibly bred, and responsible breeders require their
puppies to be spayed/neutered. This page is here to inform
"hobby breeders," those intending to make some quick cash, or those
who are simply careless or uninformed and neglect to get their pets altered, that there are
consequences for those actions, and many dogs will pay with their
lives.
There is no money to be made breeding dogs if you intend to
do it right and provide the best care possible for the mother and the pups. If you decide to breed,
please do it responsibly. For more information, please talk to your vet
and local breed associations, and contact your
local humane society or breed rescue organization. You can find more information
on animal overpopulation at
www.peta.org
 
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