Raising Your Breeding Dogs

Now you have your beginning stock, and you are going to be able to start on the breeding journey. But first, you get to do the fun part, which is to raise puppies from the start. 

The best breeding stock is going to be dogs that have been hand raised by you from puppy hood. This will allow you to socialize the dogs properly ,and to be sure that they are kept in such a way that you would be proud to have them produce puppies.

Do all of the regular things that you would be doing for puppies while you are raising your breeding stock. Be sure that they are well socialized, both with each other and with other animals, and people as well. Take your puppies out into the world and make sure that they meet other dogs, other animals and lots of people.
You might also want to do training with your puppies during this time. The more that you work with your breeding stock while they are young, the more likely they are going to be to produce good quality and healthy dogs for you in the future.
Make sure that they are potty trained and that they know all of the basic commands.

The most important thing that you want to do with your breeding stock is to make sure that they are well socialized and that they are hand raised. These are both very important things because they will help you see that you need to have dogs that are well bred and very well socialized. This is going to be your number one goal when it comes to raising dogs.

Dogs that are hand raised are going to be better about the puppies that they produce. They will produce good quality puppies and they will allow you to help in the birthing process as you should. Therefore, you are going to want to be sure that you are hand raising your puppies all the way to adult hood.

With some purebred dogs, temperament is the biggest issue that breeders watch out for and that breed standards talk about. Therefore, something that you are going to want to do for sure is to make sure that you have created a situation in which the dogs are very well socialized. This is especially important if you are breeding a dog that is known to be temperamental. You are going to want to make a difference with your dogs.

Also, keep in mind your breeding standards and your breeding plan. What is important to you about the breed of dogs and what do you want to accomplish?

You should have already decided on a major goal for your operation. Perhaps it might be to produce puppies that have a line that is known for being well socialized, or perhaps it might be to produce a line that is known for being a good quality of show dog.

No matter what your main goal is, raise your puppies with that in mind. The more that you can develop whatever it is that you are looking for within them, the more that you will be able to know you have a good quality breeding program.

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.