Becoming a dog breeder is never something that you should do lightly, and never something that you should decide upon without many hours of consideration and planning. If you are going to be breeding dogs, then there are some things that you should think carefully about.
Breeding dogs is something that requires a lot of hard work, and something that requires a lifetime commitment on your part. Therefore, if you are going to be breeding dogs, there should be some major aspects of your life that revolve around dogs.
First of all, a love for dogs is a great start, but it should not be the only reason that you think you would be a good dog breeder. A love for dogs is very important, because you are going to be spending many hours of each of your days raising puppies, working with your dogs, and making sure that they are healthy. Loving them is important, yes, but loving them is not the only thing that is important, because just love alone can only get you so far.
If you are a dog person you read everything that there is to read about your particular dog breed, and you study all of it to find out the things that you should be doing. A dog person might joke that their life revolves around their dogs, and they are probably right.
Therefore, in order to be a good breeder, you have to be these things. You have to be willing to work with your dog breeds and to make sure that you are doing all that you can to provide dogs with good homes. You must be diligent, and ready to work for the common good of the breed.
And, the bottom line when it comes to dog breeding is that you must not be in it at all for the money. The money should never be a motivation for dog breeding, and so if this is your main motivation, it is time for you to step back and look for another hobby.
Breeders who breed for the money are never going to be good breeders. In fact, most breeders, who are doing it correctly, don’t make much money at all, because breeders end up spending the money that they do make on puppies on things for their dogs, shots, and on the breeding process. Therefore, you should always be aware that the money isn’t going to be a major factor in whether or not your dog breeding is successful.
There are some questions that you should ask yourself if you plan on breeding.
Answering these questions is a great way to make sure that you are ready for breeding dogs.
- Why am I doing this?
- Am I trying to make money?
- Am I ready to allow dogs to be a major part of my life?
- Will I let them sleep in my bed with me?
- Do I have a great breeding plan in place?
- Do I have help and support – either from people near me, or from a source like a breeding group?
- Do I know how to find out answers to my questions?
- Is there someone else who can take over my breeding program if something should happen to me?
- Am I ready to deal with pregnant dogs?
- Am I ready to raise puppies by hand?
- Can I be responsible for finding homes for each of the puppies I produce?
- Not only that, but can I be responsible for making sure that the puppies I produce don’t have puppies themselves?
- Am I ready to actually birth puppies?
- Can I handle dealing with sick puppies, or puppies that don’t make it?
- Am I ready for heartache when it comes time to give puppies away, or to deal with puppies that just didn’t survive?
- Will I know how to read my female dog and know when she’s had enough?
- Will I be able to quit if it just isn’t working for me?
- Am I ready for the joy that comes along with dog breeding, as well as the hard times?
The answers to these questions will help you decide if you are ready to become a dog breeder. It is important that you make sure you know the answers before you begin.
Please note: This article is part of a collection of dog-related content that we purchased the rights to. Opinions expressed may or may not agree with those espoused by Master Dog Trainer Adam G. Katz. When in doubt, please refer to the advice given in Adam’s dog training book. This article is provided for your enjoyment, only. It’s relevance to real world working dog training may be limited.