Should I breed my dog?
Can we just talk about breeding for a bit here?
- It’s not enough that you have a nice looking dog with an ok or lovely temperamentÂ
- It’s not enough that you think your dog would make a ‘lovely mum’
- It’s not enough that you love your dog so much that you’d ‘like to keep a pup from the litter’
- It’s not enough that you think your dog is a fantastic example of the breed
- It’s not enough that you think you have homes for all the pups.
- It’s not enough that you’d like your children to see the miracle of life
- It’s not enough that you have kc papers
- It’s not enough that they have champions in their lines (spoiler alert, most pedigree dogs do, it’s nothing ‘special’)
- It’s not enough that ‘you’re not doing it for the money you just want good homes’
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What do good breeders do?
Breeders I know, the ones I’ll associate with and recommend, do enough.
- They do have the funds to give their bitch the best medical care should things go wrong.
- They are aware that every time they breed there is the potential that they can loose the bitch and the pups.
- They have experience and have been working closely with other top breeders before they did it themselves.
- They know the heritage, the linage and spend weeks sometimes considering which line would ‘fit’ with their bitch.
- They drag their arse all around the country getting their dogs heart scored by a cardio specialist, not just an ok from a vet
- Going to shows, paying fees, fuel, accommodation and basically spending a fuckton of money, not just showing their dogs, but gaining information, learning from the best and don’t blink an eye at a stud free of £900.00 knowing the bitch might not even take the mating
- Good breeders want the healthiest dogs, they want to win the shows, that means their dog has to be in top condition.
- They stay up all night with the bitch and new pups, often neglecting the rest of their families needs
- They miss out on holidays, family events, weddings, etc, because their dog family is more important
- They are often ill with sheer exhaustion of the breeding experience
- They take dogs back if the new owners have a problem
- They give help and advice, not just take your money and run.
- They don’t want to see their dogs in a rescue, they will bend over backwards to get them placed in a forever home
- They will vet you, scrutinise you and say ‘no’ to you if they don’t think you are a suitable fit for a particular breed, and they expect you to scrutinise them. A good breeder has nothing to hide!
- Should you get a pup they will guide you to the personality that is best suited to your lifestyle. They know the pups personality, they spend every day with them
- They put the time and effort in so you get a healthy dog that will bring you joy for many years.
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And it doesn’t stop at ‘the pups are sold’
They sometimes have to intervene and take the dog back if they know he/she is not being treated well, this can involve authorities and legal teams.
Yes things go wrong, somethings you just can’t predict, a good breeder does everything they possibly can to avoid this.
They are in it 100% for LIFE
Do you want this responsibility?
Are you in a financial position to do this?
Can you take all the pups back if you need to?
So before you get in my inbox and ask if you can ‘put your dog with mine’ cause you think they’d make lovely pups, just think about this.
And FYI the answer is always ‘no’ I don’t breed, I leave that to the professionals
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