|
So you think you might want to breed?
Most people don’t think breeding is a big deal - you have a female, you find a male, and let them do the rest. Well, there is a lot more to it. Breeding properly takes knowledge of genetics, temperament, medicine, puppy training, and many other things as well. MILLIONS of dogs are put to sleep every year - if you carelessly or casually breed you will be adding to the problem. There is a myth that many people believe that says that all of the "pure bred dog breeders" are responsible for most of the dogs in the pounds. This simply isn't true. Most of the dogs in the pounds are mixes, and the "pure breds" that are there are generally ones that came from a "back yard breeder" or a pet shop, not a responsible breeder. Below are some things you might want to consider before trying to breed: Common reasons people have for breeding: I want my children to experience the "miracle of birth". That sounds good, but think you else you might be teaching them. About 30% of newborn puppies die. Out of the 22 dogs we have bred, 7 have died at birth - do the math. So you might also be teaching your children the "miracle of death". Also - what if you can’t find homes for the puppies? Will you take them to the pound, or keep them all? What will that be teaching your children? If this is your only reason for wanting to breed, consider that your kids will learn more if you buy a dog and teach them responsible dog ownership. And if you want to give them an excellent lesson - rescue a dog from the pound. My dog is AKC registered - so I can register the puppies. This is about the worst reason to breed a dog. Most of the dogs found in pounds that are "pure bred" come from this kind of breeding. Dog breeds are not like "fish" and "birds" - they are not separate species - the only thing that keeps a breed looking and acting like its supposed to is careful, selective breeding. If every dog in a litter were bred, and all of their puppies were bred, and etc, then soon you have no *breed* at all - you would have a bunch of mutts. Only about 10% to 30% of the puppies born are good enough to carry on the breed - the others may be nice, but only the BEST should be bred. This is also why, if you decide you do want a purebred puppy, you should always go to a good breeder - pet quality puppies are born in virtually every litter. These puppies, while not good enough to carry on the breed, are still far better examples than you will find from a *pet only* breeder, and you will get better guarantees - both in writing, and in breeding. I love puppies. That’s fine, but dogs don’t stay puppies forever - in fact, most of their life is spent as adults - so if you don’t want the final result then don’t breed. My dog has champions in its pedigree. That doesn’t mean your dog should be bred. Some dogs that get their championships should never be bred. Remember - only the best of each litter should be bred - that way you know you are improving the breed. I’m not interested in showing - I only want to produce some nice pets. EVERY BREEDER’S first object should be to produce some nice pets - that means your puppies should have a reasonable chance of having good temperaments and good health the duration of their lives, if properly taken care of. So, what other goals do you have? Do you want to your dogs to compete in conformation, to hunt, to herd, to do obedience? You need a goal if you want to breed - and you need to be competing in your field. I have heard many people say, "No, I don’t show, but my dogs are pretty enough to show, if I wanted to." What are the problems here? Showing does not have anything to do with "pretty" - it has to do with structure, and typeyness, and movement - dozens of things those people have never bothered to learn about. And, second - think - if those people are not out there showing then they never see other people’s dogs - only their own. How do they know what their dogs are like? They have nothing to compare them to - SO HOW CAN THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE THE BEST??? If you still think that you might want to breed, then buy one of these books before you decide - they will give you an idea about what problems you may encounter:
|