Your beginning stock is going to be important for you to obtain after you have decided what you would like to breed, and after you have researched the breeding standards that you are going to be looking for.
Armed with a copy of the breeding standards, go to work searching for breeding stock for your own breeding operation. Remember, however, that sometimes you need to alter what you are looking for.
Look at the pedigrees of the puppies before you buy them. You are going to want to be sure that there are no common relatives within a certain amount of generations. For some dog breeds that are small and new you might find common relatives as far back as three or four generations, and that might be fine for that breed. However, for breeds that have been around for a long time, you are going to want to be sure that there are no common relatives for many, many generations.
Again, a look at the breed standards will help you figure out what types of pedigrees you should be looking for in your puppies. You should know that ancestors that have championships are going to produce good puppies, for the most part, and you will be able to be confident in knowing that you have gotten a beginning stock that has championship blood lines.
You should be looking at the pedigrees of the puppies before you purchase them. Then, be sure to follow all of that particular breeders regulations about the dogs and make sure that you have been approved to own them. Pay for the puppies, and bring them home.
You now have the beginnings of your breeding stock. Remember, however, that you have just started on a journey that is going to be a very long journey indeed.
It is going to be important that you follow through with your breeding plan and the breeding standards that you have researched so that you can be sure you are providing your puppies with the best home possible.
There are some things that you want to look for in your breeding stock.
1. Temperament.
2. The quality of the dog.
3. The lineage of the dog.
4. Whether or not the dog has been shown. (if you aren’t buying a puppy)
5. If shown, what type of championships the dog has received
6. The mother and father of the dog – their temperament
7. If the mother and father were shown, if you are buying a puppy, and if so, what type of championships they have received
8. Where the puppies are raised for the first 8 weeks of their life
9. What the breeder’s standards are all about, and what the goal of their organization is all about.
10. What type of training the mother and father have had.
11. What type of situation the puppy was born in.
12. What the puppy looks like – their markings and their colors
13. If the puppies ears are straight and their eyes are bright.
14. If the puppy is friendly.
15. If the puppy will allow you to turn him on his back and scratch his belly while you hold him in your arms – this shows a trust for people and a love for affection.
16. What size the puppy is in comparison to his litter mates – you should choose one that is not the biggest nor the smallest.
17. How the puppy acts with his littermates – you should choose a puppy that is good with the other dogs and that loves being with the other dogs. Don’t pick one that doesn’t play with the other puppies.
If you choose your breeding stock based on these things, you should be able to have good breeding stock that you can depend on.
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.