If you are a dog lover, it is perfectly natural to think about breeding
dogs, especially your favorite breeds. In some cases, this can actually be a profitable enterprise with specific breeds fetching several hundred and sometimes thousands of dollars. If money is your only motivation however, you should really reconsider; breeding should be a loving passion not a business only.
Choosing Breeders
If you have determined to start your own
dog breeding enterprise, you should carefully choose your first two dogs. There are many out there selling substandard animals prone to disease. You want to look over the credentials of any breeder you choose to buy from as well as the pedigree of the animals in question. A responsible breeder will not produce and sell animals that are sickly or more prone to genetic diseases.
Facility
How much room do you have and do you have adequate facilities for breeding? Proper kennels are very important unless you only have one female that you plan to breed on occasion. These facilities must have proper protection from the elements, drainage for cleaning purposes and access to enough room for exercise. Take a tour of a kennel near you if you would like to get a better idea of what is acceptable, and what is not. You may need to acquire USDA licensing depending on the number of animals you plan to breed, and you will then be subject to USDA inspections.
Veterinarian
Find and build relationship with a good veterinarian in your area. This is not optional! Your breeding
dogs and puppies will need vaccinations, health checkups and much more. Talk with your vet about after hour's calls and emergency care, when you are in the breeding business you never know when problems will arise.
Paperwork
Breeding
dogs is not just a matter of having
dogs, breeding and selling puppies. You will need to keep good paperwork on all your animals including pedigrees, shot records, breeding schedule, birth records, death records and so much more. Properly done you can add wonderful animals to the world but without adequate records, you could run into problems.
Numbers
Whether you are breeding one dog or several you must remember that these
dogs will need personal attention. Dogs are social creatures who long for human interaction and if you get too many this will be impossible without help. Keep your dog numbers to a manageable level, even if you have hired help. Their emotional health is just as important as their physical health.
Conclusion
Badly run, over populated kennels can produce sickly puppies or aggressive animals. These are more commonly referred to as puppy mills. When profit becomes the number one priority, the
dogs tend to be the ones who suffer. If you are interested in starting your own breeding program you should take things slow, learn all you can about proper techniques, facilities and different breeds. Once you have this information down, start with one female and go through the entire process. This will educate you on the potential problems, time requirements and more.
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