How to be a responsible dog breeder?

Question

How many times a year does a responsible breeder breed their dogs? Is it good if your dog just gets pregnant once a year to result in good quality pups?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Once a year at most, better to do it once every 2 years to give the female a break to rest and recooperate. It's a lot of strain to have a litter of puppies, they need time to build up their strength. Only very irresponsible or greedy breeders allow their dog to have more than one litter per year.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

thanks, hmmm?

Answer 2

Well, I'm not a dog breeder, but I think you should only do it once a year, so you don't risk overbreeding the dog. She'll most likely have healthier puppies then.

Answer 3

how to be a responsible breeder. :-)

1. Contact a breed club for your breed. Ask for a mentor.
2. STUDY the breed standard. Learn about dog anatomy and ask your mentor to
clarify anything you don't understand.
3. Learn what genetic faults and diseases run in your breed and test for any
that can be tested for.
4. Show your dog in conformation events to see if it is of the proper
quality for breeding. Winning doesn't always mean a dog is breeding quality,
but being around so many others that know your breed and will talk to you
will do wonders for your self-education efforts!
5. Study the past history of great dogs in your breed. You will see how your
breed has improved and progressed since the beginning of the breed.
6. Study the breed standard some more! ;-)
7. Join any Yahoo groups about your breed.
8. Live, dream and study your breed.
9. Get a good book on canine reproduction, and educate yourself about the
pitfalls, problems, and proud moments of breeding. Learn about the
physiology of reproduction, such as heat cycles and venereal diseases in
dogs, potential for problems specific to your breed, and what you need to
expect at whelping.
10. Remember that whelping (giving birth) can kill your female. Being used
as a stud dog can encourage bad behaviors common in intact males such as
territorial marking, aggression, and desire to roam from home.
11. Prepare to be broke. Breeding properly is EXPENSIVE.
12. Line up potential homes for any puppies you produce and write up a
contract. Remember to include that you will be willing to take back your
puppies at any time in their lives that they might need you. If you bring
life into this world, it is your responsibility FOREVER.
13. Prepare to spend sleepless nights attending whelping females, caring for
fading puppies or puppies orphaned, and practice cleaning up after 24/7 poop
machines.

I'm sure there are many things I missed because being a responsible breeder
isn't just a job. It's a way of life. You will live dogs. 24/7/365. There
are lots of hard decisions. There is a lot of expense. There will be pain.
But, if you do your darndest to always keep the welfare of your dogs and the
future of any of their offspring, you can go to step 14.

14. Enjoy the love and success of a job well done.

Source(s):

Rescuer, vet tech, groomer, and show exhibitor of Shetland sheepdogs for 20 years.

Answer 4

Really.. You breed a ***** with an excellent quality male.. You produce a puppy that should be better than it's parents.. You could breed the ***** again to another male and hopefully those puppies would be better than their parents. You don't need to be breeding your dog every single year.. If she isn't producing quality dogs in a couple of litters, you can be sure that there just isn't a male out there that can better what she is.. Spay her.. Why do you need to breed her year after year?? Her daughter should be better than she is... why not breed her?

Answer 5

yes. but dont breed! adopt! there are hundreds of dogs with out homes and many are being killed everyday because there is no room in pounds!

Answer 6

I suggest looking on websites of dog showing companies such as AKC. I would guess that they have guidelines for breeding. The only thing I consider being responcible breeding is breeding high quality dogs, for showing, and having the goal of making the breed better.

If it's for the money or just to have cute puppies, go to the animal shelter for a day and see how many great dogs have to be killed because of people breeding for those reasons.

Answer 7

every other heat. you'd know this if you did your research and/or talked to reputable breeders..... you need to have homes waiting for the pups after they are weened between 8-12 wks of age..
and also you need to keep in mind that breeding dogs is not a way to make a living, b/c if you were a good breeder and were just looking to improve the breed you will NEVER make money.... puppies and breeding in itself take time, money, lots of research, and lots of sleep deprived nights.
please do more research before even considering breeding!!!

Answer 8

That is a start.

But first you should have a b*tch that is above average in quality and closely matches the breed standard for type and temperament. She should be good enough that other breeders ask you for her pups before you even have picked a stud out. She should have an impeccable pedigree filled with many working dogs and/or champions and should have a familial history clear of the genetic diseases common to the breed. She should test clear of all structural and genetic issues for her breed.

Any stud you use should be as good or better quality than your b*tch.

Source(s):

Breeder of Champion and Working Service Dogs for 19 years.

Answer 9

a responseable breeder would breed there dog once a year or even once every other year for really good healthy pups. but the health of the mother is most importent. and that would depend if you would breed her once a yeaar or once every other year.

Source(s):

labrador breeder for 5 years.

Answer 10

You really try to get better with each breeding. You dont necessarly breed every year either. You breed when the dam looks great and if you have the right male to bred her with. Could be every other year.

You learn everthing you can about your breed and then learn some more. You get a mentor who knows alot more than you do about everything not just your breed. Whelping, Medical conditions of your breed how to spot problems before they get out of hand.
Your show your dogs to see where it falls within the standards given for the breed. You do all the medical testing to insure your dog is even fit to breed.
It's not a thing to be taken lightly or without some kind of education backing you up either. It took me many years before I bred my first Golden litter. Even then I was nervious for the dam and pups. With each litter you gain more experience and you consult with others in your breed to find better ways and more things to do to help you in your breed.
Once a year may sound like not so much but if your looking at your dog and she doesn't seem quite up to having a litter than you don't and wait. But it's the smart breeder who is willing to wait for just the right time and the right mating.
Makes you a better breeder and your dog too.

Answer 11

"Responsible" doesn't start with quantity. It starts with quality. It starts with researching the breed and understanding what you're breeding for, with outside confirmation (i.e. from judges knowledgable in the breed) that your dog is, indeed, an excellent representative of the breed. It starts with making sure the dog is healthy in all respects, and is tested for any diseases or problems inherent in the breed.

It starts with knowing how to select the BEST mate - not just the cheapest or the cutest or the most convenient. The mate that will offset your dog's flaws (because all dogs have flaws) and that will reinforce your dog's best points, in order to improve the next generation. It starts with knowing when NOT to breed, and with spaying and neutering the dogs that are not breeding quality.

It starts with making a commitment to every single puppy you produce, that you will find suitable homes for all of them and will be willing to take any dog back in the future if for some reason the family can't keep him. It means working to keep your dogs from ending up in shelters, because they are YOUR dogs - you brought them into this world, you are responsible for them.