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Breeding
Dogs
Covers
All Dogs
Please
note that this page is only for general information.
Read
About the Dog's Heat Cycle
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Making Money
Breeding your female dog,
and doing it right, can be an expensive enterprise. By the time you've
picked out a good animal, waited for her to grow old enough, which is
a minimum age of two years before breeding, then picked out the best
dog to mate her with, gone through all the health checks she needs,
ensured that the stud-dog you want to use also passes the same health
checks, and has an acceptable history, you have invested a lot of time
and effort.
You still have to pay a
stud fee, or offer the dog owners a 'pick of the litter'. A stud fee,
especially for a large dog, could be as much as $1,000.00 or
£5-700.00 - Premium Cost.
And of course you have the potential extra expenses during pregnancy.
Not forgetting extra food and nutrients for your dam. You have the
time and expense of whelping.
Thoroughbred
- But with no Pedigree
Of
course you may not have papers for your dog, the Pedigree
and it might even be a proper mongrel - a dog of no definable type or
breed, and you want to breed it. We will not judge or
give opinion on whether this is good or bad. For the sake of
dogs in general though, try to prevent your female dog from
becoming pregnant if it is not what you, as an owner, has
planned.
If
your dog is definably of a particular breed, a thoroughbred,
but without pedigree, you will not be able to sell the
puppies for any premium, even though it would appear and be
the truth that its lineage goes back many generations, uninterrupted
by any other type of dog. It would not be worth paying a
premium stud fee, as the puppies would have no papers.
Prior
to getting another dog of your dog's breed to mate, get a
finite figure sorted out, as to what you will pay for any
'stud-fee'. This is usually the cost of one of the puppies,
or a 'pick of the litter'. A thoroughbred puppy,
but without papers will sell for about a third of what you
could expect for a dog with documentation. A mongrel per
se, maybe impossible to sell and might sell between zero
to a tenth of the cost of a premium dog.
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The
Stud Fee
A
stud fee is proportionate to what you can offer.
It
is based on a puppy cost. For a stud-fee expect the pick
of the litter or the cost of the first puppy sold.
A
very good dog, that is a one with a champion pedigree could
command £1000.00, OR $2,000.00, as a
puppy might sell for this.
For
a good large dog, with papers, expect £500 - £700
OR $1,000 - $1,400, for stud fee cost of puppy.
In
the case of a breeding with a similar good bitch without
papers of similar markings, and temperament might have
puppies that could sell for £250 - £350. OR $500.00
- $700.00.
However,
this is no means a guide and many quite good dogs sell from
nothing to whatever you can get.
Advertise
in your area, your dog - Whatever it is, being totally
truthful - as a good for stud with / without papers.
If
you get a reply, do not mention fee but state you want the
cost of the first puppy sold.
Mention
that ALL other cost are down to the bitch owner.
Write
a contract stating all this and get the owner to sign it.
If they sign contract put into contract that you will visit
them up to three times, over a 5 day period. This will not
only increase likelihood of pregnancy but puppy count, thus
paying for your services without any visible loss to them.
Make
sure the other owners look kosher, and that the living conditions
are clean and reasonable. Of course if you can get the
money after the job is done all well and good.
YOUR
MALE DOG AS A STUD
Please
note, as hard as it maybe to believe, it is extremely problematic
to come up with a top quality
stud dog, that dam-owners want to use. After all, they will look around and pick out
the best stud-dog they can find. So your boy has to be pretty impressive to be
noticed in the competition.
Your male should be in top
condition, to stand a chance. He should be certified clear of joint
problems, so that means he has to be over 24 months old. He should be free
of any abnormalities that plague his breed. His
eyes should be checked annually, and they should be clear and bright. No heart problems,
having no seizures, or thyroid problems, etc. He
should be clear of Brucellosis. His temperament should be good, and appropriate
for his breed.
If you have such a dog, you will need to get your dog well known.
This generally involves showing your dog off, by showing him. An unproven dog,
that has not sired a previous litter will command a much lower stud dog fee than a
proven dog, with a history of providing good offspring.
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© Copyright
Roy G Symonds BA 2005 - 2010
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Breeding Opportunities
Preferably,
a female-dog should only be bred every other year and she should not be
bred until over two years of age. The estrus show after the second
birthday is a good one to start with; certainly no earlier than this.
You should have noted her previous estruses and be organized. In some breeds, you may have to wait another season before commencement.
By this time, she is better prepared mentally and physically for
having puppies, more so than she would have been in her first few seasons.
Her physical growth should be concluded and pregnancy should not
endanger her health so readily, but this is provided that she is healthy to begin with.
[
In
breeds with a propensity to Hip Dysplasia, many people wait until
after two years of age so that the parents can be certified or checked
by a Vet. ]
The
rate of recurrence of breeding must be kept as low as possible. Even at most, you
want to allow at least one clear non-breeding season between mating attempts. This
will allow
your dam to rest and recapture her strength and ability. A mother that whelps too often
can
produce weaker, sickly puppies who will be more likely to die before and after
birth. Too many pregnancies in any animal are dangerous to general health.
For
males, they should have all the documentation required to confirm pedigree and
health, and if both sire and dam are over two years old, everything should be in
place. A male can actually breed at almost anytime, unlike bitches; in nature
evolution has not prevented this as generally older more mature dogs will not
allow young animals, to mate, but this will not stop them trying.
Frequency
for the male in most animals is not generally a
problem, although high mating will reduce sperm production. If a dog mates
everyday over a long period, they might not produce sufficient sperm to
impregnate, as time goes on.
If
you own the female, it might be a good idea, to negotiate, if
practicable, that the dog mates with your dam, three times over a 7 -
8 day period. But make sure that the dog is not being mated with any
other dam at this time, or any reasonable period before. This practice
might add extra puppies to your litter.
A
short period prior to mating, both the male and female must be fed
extra vitamins and mineral supplements, and as much as they can eat of
top quality food.
Heat
Cycle |
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Temperament
Whilst
we believe that a lot of temperament problems are through nurturing
and conditioning, caused by the lack of good training, nevertheless,
there are inherent traits in some animals that cannot be trained out.
And we do not mention any particular breed here. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS have
members of their group who are as placid and well behaved as any other
group, but then every type of dog has its rogue element as well.
Read
About Wild African Dogs
So
never breed any animal that has temperament problems. This has
been the cause of much of the degeneration of many breed's general temperament. If
you consider that your animal is untrustworthy around people; more than usually
aggressive to people, uncontrollably excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed
it.
If
also it is shy or overly submissive, again do not breed this dog as
you may pass on these traits. Look for a happy, confident and
obedient animal, one that has a shiny coat, a wet nose, a spark in its step and
is outwardly a friendly dog. Such breeds like the Rottweiler, whilst having
a reputation for being aggressive are not. ALL DOMESTIC DOGS,
Species Canis
Familiaris, can be
vicious and aggressive.
You
should bring your dog up, repressing any aggression, and promote
friendliness and obedience. Any dog's natural ability to guard and
protect will come out when the need is there. Of course, some types
due posses greater guarding abilities but most any dog is very much
like another.
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Species
- A unit of classification of animals and plants. Individuals of the same species
/ genus can breed among themselves, producing fertile offspring that resemble the parents. Some species are divided into subspecies and varieties. Breeds of domestic animals and cultivated varieties of plants have been developed by man and are derived from wild species. All breeds of domestic dog, for instance, belong to the same species
- Canis familiaris - and can breed together.
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PEDIGREE
As
far as pedigree is concerned you should be aware of your own dog's
lineage, and you will have to decide what you want your puppies to be.
Do you want the father to be of champion stock or just some run of the
mill mutt.
I
will not preach here about this, it is up to you. But if you
have paid a premium for your dog and spent a small fortune getting her
ready for this stage, now is not the time to starts cutting corners. Consider
all aspects, health, ailment traits like Displaced Hips etc, that
might be in the sire.
If
you plan to remove the dewclaws or even dock the tails. Get advise on
this from your Vet, as soon as you know your dog is pregnant.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DOGS ARE BORN. Different
countries have different laws about this. If you litter is a full
pedigree one, know what you have to do to register them in your own
country.
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Recap
for the Dam Owners
Speak
to Vet and others who have bred their dam.
Speak
to Vet, Pet-Store owners, friends who have bred in the past; people
are always willing to give over information they know.
Consider
that breeding may cost you money.
Only
puppy factories breed conveyor style to make money, never be accused
of this.
Look
into Spaying should you never wish to breed.
By
far, the majority of female dogs will never have puppies.
Make
sure your Dam and the Sire are as fit and healthy as possible.
Having
progeny can be a traumatic and harrowing, give your dog every opportunity
to be safe and sound.
Check
for the other dog's temperament and overall demeanor.
Traits
can be inherited, get the best parents for your puppies.
Check
all documentation / pedigree papers / injections.
Check
thoroughly, that the dog or dam has the lineage that the owner say
they have.
Check
that the sire's owners know what and when you will pay.
Negotiate
everything before you do the deed. Write it all down if need be, and
all sign it.
Prepare
for the birth in every way.
Prepare
your dam, prepare the Vet, prepare the birthing area, prepare all
the things you will need after the birth.
Look
after your puppies as if they were your own.
At
the end of the day, this has all been to produce fine healthy little
pups. Watch them, watch the mother.
BE
PREPARED
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Anyone
finding or seeing any animal in distress or hurt, or being ill-treated
should contact their local animal protection agency.
ASPCA
website: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer
Call:
(212) 876-7700 during normal business hours, Monday-Friday,
9:00am-5:00pm.
You
can write to us at American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA), 424 E. 92nd St, New York, NY 10128-6804.
RSPCA
website: http://www.rspca.org.uk
RSPCA
24-hour national cruelty and advice line on 0870 55 55 999
Post:
Write to Enquiries Service, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater,
Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
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