Today I am going to be talking about the steps that should be taken in order to breed a dog responsibly. Yes I do believe breeding should stop all together but if it has to happen I would rather have people breed responsibly.

Step 1- Prepare Yourself for Breeding a Litter

Breeding purebred dogs is very time consuming, expensive and sometimes heartbreaking. The main purpose for breeding should be to improve the breed itself not just to increase its numbers. You need to have knowledge of breeding a litter before you begin. To become a responsible breeder you need to devote time to learning everything you can about a specific breed, about canine health and training and about AKC rules. Study your breed standard. The AKC offers videos and more detailed versions of their dog standards for more in-depth research. Attend dog events and watch and study the breeds you like and find local club meetings so you can meet other breeders. Lastly, go to your library or bookstore and read information on canine health and breeding.

Step 2- Breed to Improve

Responsible breeders take a step back and evaluate the pros and cons of their dog before they make the decision to breed. You need to examine your dog carefully and recognize its flaws. If you still decide to continue breeding, you should try to find a mate that will cancel out or balance those flaws.

Step 3- Understand the Commitment

            During the first couple of weeks the mother usually takes care of the puppies but sometimes complications can occur. A mother can have trouble producing milk or an orphaned litter can occur. The breeder needs to provide a safe, warm, dry place for the puppies. All of the extra feeding, cleanup, grooming, training, and veterinary care take away from a person’s free time. Having one dog is time consuming not to mention an entire litter. The breeder must also take into consideration the financial cost of having a litter of newborn puppies. It costs a lot of money for the genetic screening and health tests that must occur before breeding, and not to mention the extra food, supplies and medical care that are a necessity after the puppies are born. One also has to keep in mind that costs can become even higher than that if complications arise. A responsible breeder will make sure that these puppies go to an owner that will provide the same love and devotion as they did. This means they need to have a strict screening and evaluation of each family interested in getting a puppy. A responsible breeder should know all the pros and cons of that breed. It’s also important that they share all information including the negatives side with the future owner. Each breeder should be committed to finding the perfect fit for each dog and its family. A big dog that requires a lot of attention would not be suitable for a workaholic and a tiny dog would not be suitable for a family containing small, active children.

Stay tuned for the weeks to come for more steps!

“”Responsible Breeding and Dog Mating – American Kennel Club “” – American Kennel Club. American Kennel Club, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.