Breeding dogs is how we end up with all our little furry friends. Many people are interested in breeding their dog because they want to have a dog that’s similar personality-wise or reminds them of their current dog once they’ve passed.
Other times, they are interested in starting a breeding business. Regardless of your motivation behind considering breeding your dog, there are several things to consider before embarking on a dog breeding journey.
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Is Dog Breeding Good?
Being an ethical breeder takes a lot of time, patience, responsibility, and professionalism. Having these qualities is important whether you keep the puppies you breed or send them off to their forever homes.
If you’re considering breeding your dogs, there are some important pros and cons to think about.
Dog Breeding Pros
If you’re considering breeding your dog because you want to keep the puppies or are interested in selling them, you’re probably wondering why pet breeding is good. So, why is dog breeding good? Let’s take a look at the significant pros of breeding dogs.
You Get To Work With Dogs
If you love dogs, we mean love dogs, then dog breeding can be a great job. Even if you’re keeping the puppies and not selling them, it’s a job.
You have to love the animals you’re working with and genuinely care about them. You’ll get immense joy from breeding dogs if that sounds like you.
Feeling a sense of joy is especially true for those doing pet-only breeding, which gives them a new furry friend without having to adopt or purchase one. Pet-only breeding is when you breed your dogs solely to have a new animal, not as a business.
You Can Advance The Breed
A significant dog breeder pro is that you can advance the breed through responsible breeding.
Some dogs are more prone to specific health issues than others, and with the ethical breeding of healthier dogs, you can eradicate particular health issues or diseases the breed is known for.
You Can Educate Dog Owners On Responsible Dog Ownership
When you’re passionate about the dogs you’re breeding, you’ll want to educate people on proper dog ownership to ensure they’re well taken care of.
If you’re selling or giving puppies from your litter away, being able to educate their new human parents about how to take care of the breed properly can be very rewarding.
You Can Create New Breeds
While there are dozens of purebred dogs out there, we have hundreds, maybe thousands of mixed breeds available. Through breeding over the years, we’ve seen new dog breeds emerge.
Creating new dog breeds is fascinating whether they’re considered a “designer dog” or a mutt, they’re adorable, and it can be interesting to see what two different dog breeds can create.
You Can Breed Dogs On Your Own
Dog breeding can be a task you can tackle on your own if you choose. While it is easier if you have help from another passionate dog lover, if you have to do it on your own, you can.
If you’re thinking about dog breeding without the help of another, it’s best to limit yourself to one female and one male instead of having several breeding dogs at once.
You Can Make a Decent Amount Of Money
Most responsible breeders break even after all the breeding costs and vet visits associated with the practice, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make enough money if you’re smart about it.
Depending on the breed you’re producing, you can mark up your puppies to turn a higher profit to ensure you can cover all the costs of breeding. If you’re not in it for the money, then this pro might not apply to you, but it’s worth noting.
When you breed dogs responsibly, you’ll have healthier dogs.
Yes, you’ll still need to cover the vet bill associated with checkups and vaccines, but you should be able to avoid higher emergency vet bills with healthy puppies and therefore make more money when you sell them.
Dog Breeding Cons
While there are plenty of pros to dog breeding, there are some significant cons to consider before jumping the gun. Here are some of the main cons you need to consider regarding dog breeding.
It Requires a Substantial Genetic Knowledge Base
You can help eradicate genetic issues within the breed or their line through healthy and responsible dog breeding.
While this is true, this requires hefty genetic knowledge about the breed, their health issues, and dog breeding. Plus, it can help you pick a proper mate for your breeder dog.
Responsible breeding will ensure that you’re not creating sicker dogs but healthier ones. If you don’t research your specific breed and what all their health looks like, you risk breeding unhealthy dogs, which is heartbreaking.
If you begin dog breeding without doing your research on the breed and the process in general, you’re not breeding responsibility, and it can cause significant stress on you and your dogs.
You Need To Know Your Breed Standards
Even if you’re not looking to breed show-quality dogs, you need to know the breed standards for the specific one you’re producing. Breed standards are what people consider ideal characteristics for a particular breed.
For example, a French Bulldog should be “sturdy, compact, have a short and soft coat, and have no respiratory issues,” according to The Kennel Club. Knowing breeding standards can help you choose the perfect mate for your dog.
Breeding Dogs Is Time Consuming
Whether you’re pet breeding only or breeding as a business, it’s time-consuming. First, there’s the time commitment of getting the dogs to mate or inseminating the female with professional help.
After that, you have to care for the dog throughout the pregnancy to ensure the puppies and mother stay in excellent health. Once the puppies are born, you’ll need to assist in feeding, nurturing, and training their puppies.
On top of that, you’ll need to pay adequate attention to the mom to ensure they’re happy and healthy.
Before puppies can go off without the mom, they need to be off the milk and eating solids. This can take some time, and you’ll have to keep up with all the necessary vaccines in the meantime, which means several veterinary visits.
If the puppies are with you for even longer, you might need to bring them to training classes to better prepare them for their forever home.
It Can Be Expensive
While it’s true that you can turn a profit by breeding dogs, this is an expensive business to maintain.
You have to factor in the cost of all the additional beds, kennels, blankets, toys, and other supplies that you’ll need to adequately care for all the dogs and puppies in your home.
Besides the obvious things you need like toys and food, you need to think about all the necessary tools you’ll need to help when the puppies are born.
The mom will need a whelping area, you’ll need hot water bottles to assist with feedings, and a pen to keep all the puppies in.
Add on all the additional veterinary visits and vaccines per puppy, and then you’re looking at spending a pretty penny to breed dogs. Some breeds cannot birth naturally, so they’ll need a c-section at an animal hospital.
Whether you plan on having this surgery for your dog or it’s emergent, that’s a hefty vet bill to add to your plate.
Dog Breeding Regulations
Knowing the practice’s regulations is essential as you weigh the pros and cons of dog breeding. If you cannot follow the rules for whatever reason, then breeding dogs won’t be good.
Dog breeding is entirely legal in the United States under the condition that the breeder isn’t found guilty of animal cruelty of any kind. The penalty for animal abuse varies across the states.
Depending on where you live, you might need to have a dog breeding license if you meet specific requirements.
Requirements could be the number of litters you’re producing, the number of breeding dogs you have at a time, etc. You can find your state’s specific dog breeding laws here.
Why Pet Breeding Is Good and Safe
Based on our list of pros and cons, it’s safe to say that pet breeding can be good and safe. It’s a great practice to help eradicate genetic diseases, create new breeds, and bring a sense of joy to all the animal lovers out there.
FAQs
There’s a lot to learn about ethical dog breeding, so it’s natural to have additional questions beyond the pros and cons of the practice.
Is Mixed Breeding Dogs Bad?
It’s not. Keep in mind that when you breed two different breeds that the puppies are likely to inherit any health issues associated with both breeds. Overall, this isn’t a bad thing. There are tons of mixed-breed dogs out there that live healthy lives.
Why Do Dog Breeders Breed Their Animals?
Dog breeders tend to breed their animals because they have compassion and love animals. Whether they’re keeping the animals or finding a great home for them, this is the primary reason.
On the other hand, some unethical breeders simply breed them to turn a profit and don’t care properly for the animals.
Do Breeder Dogs Make Good Pets?
They can! There’s nothing to say that breeder dogs can’t make great pets. As long as you care for them properly and give them plenty of love and affection, they’ll be some of the best pets you’ll have.
What Is The Best Age To Breed a Dog?
Most female dogs are done growing and are fully matured by 18 months old, so this is the consensus on when you can start breeding your female. For smaller dogs, you can get away with beginning to breed them at only 12 months old.
How Many Puppies Are In a Litter?
How many puppies your dog will have varies greatly. Some dog breeds can have up to 12 puppies in one litter, while others are known only to have three or fewer. Overall, the average litter size across all dog breeds is five to six puppies.
Conclusion For Is Dog Breeding Good
As with anything in life, there are pros and cons, and dog breeding is no exception. Dog breeding can be costly and heartbreaking for several factors.
Still, as long as you breed responsibly and treat the animals with respect and love, this can be a great way to welcome a new dog into your life or give the joy of unconditional love to another.
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