Dog Breeding – A Challenging but Rewarding Profession

The idea of surrounding yourself with cute puppies and dogs all day and earning a living off it might seem enticing. Dog breeding is a serious business and carries serious responsibility. There are risks and surprises around the corner for even the most experienced breeder. There are many dog breeding concerns and considerations you should think about before you decide to become a dog breeder.

In the beginning, you must find both registered and quality parents before you start to breed. There are already an abundance of unwanted mutt dogs in the world. Although there are some more shelters to house the mutts today, many still end up being put down. Only by choosing high-quality parents, you can ensure that your puppies offer the best qualities of the breed and have better chances of finding excellent owners for each litter.

The best way to find good parents is to review their medical histories. The parents should both be free from hereditary diseases and have been tested for infectious diseases. Finally, the dogs should both display a good temperament. You don't want to have puppies that are unfriendly and unaffectionate towards their potential owners.

Breeding is always risky for both the mother and the father. E. Coli, strep and other bacteria can be common problems when breeding in the country or on a farm. You will need to take extra effort to ensure healthy mother and puppies from these bacteria strains.

Not all of the puppies are sure to survive the birth or time thereafter. Some puppies die during whelping, which can be emotionally difficult. The effects of dying puppies and sick moms are a risk that comes with breeding animals, but should not be an overall deterrent.

Breeding and whelping the puppies can take time and cost money. A whelping box is needed for the puppies, as well as heat lamps, thermometers, hemostats and other medical items to help the puppies and the mother during this vulnerable time. You need to hands on and have a good gauge of how to use the instruments before your new puppies are born.

After giving birth to the puppies, the mother will look out and care for them for another three weeks. The mother will instinctively know how to keep her puppies under control, bath and feed them. The new puppies, however, will need a safe and private place to stay during this time so that the mom feels that her babies are protected. She will also need access to go outside whenever she wishes to avoid accidents. If she is housetrained and on a schedule, it may be disrupted during this time and sometimes, she will just need time away from the puppies.

You will need a lot of fresh newspaper or similar material to keep the puppies and the area clean. The material will need to be changed frequently in order to keep the area safe from bacteria and other messes.

Puppies need to stay warm at all times. Hypothermia is the leading cause of puppy mortality, so heat lamps with an automatic thermostat are important equipments during the upbringing of the puppies. You will need to keep the puppies around 75 - 80F although the mother may get uncomfortable and move farther away from the heat.

Most breeds will be continually attended by their mother, but they often whine and bark at night. It is not uncommon for pups to sleep, play and sleep in shorter interval. They will settle down, but you might be cleaning while they are sleeping and not get any rest for yourself. Normally, this habit will start to occur in the second to third week up to the eighth or ninth week. If you ignore them all night, you will have a large mess on your hands in the morning and a higher risk of infection in the puppies.

You will need to bring the puppies in to be in to get their shots and be checked by the vet. Then you will need to find the puppies good homes. You must be ready to experience some form of emotional loss when your puppies left for their new house and owner. It's a bittersweet time for puppy and owner.

If you can deal with all of these issues, being a dog breeder is a rewarding experience. You can take pleasure in the joy of adding a new member into a new family, as well as create lifelong friendships.

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