Breeding dogs takes a great deal of time, money and energy. It can also be frustrating because it takes many years to do it well and make money. Only a small percent of breeders make a living; most require other sources of income. Legal, moral and ethical concerns dictate careful planning, health screening, and evaluation of structure and temperament, especially in light of increasing anti-breeding legislation and puppy lemon laws.
Instructions
Breeding Your Female
1. Research AKC breeds to determine which will best fit your location, lifestyle and preferences.
2. Purchase an AKC-registered female of the highest quality you can afford, on terms that allow breeding.
3. Obtain several objective evaluations of your adult female's quality compared to the breed standard, identifying strengths and weaknesses.
4. Perform the recommended pre-breeding health screening for your breed, at the necessary ages.
5. Review the American Kennel Club's policies, rules and regulations relating to breeding, registering dogs and record-keeping.
6. Seek out an AKC-registered male dog of the same breed that complements your female. Verify he has undergone recommended health testing as well. If possible, observe his other offspring to see which traits he is passing on consistently.
7. Arrange the mating between female and male. A stud fee will be required. Typically, the female travels to the male, unless you are doing an artificial insemination.
Raising Your Litter
8. Develop a puppy sales contract once you determine your female is pregnant. Include a health warranty, a brief description of the obligations of buyer and seller, and a clause that requires the buyer to give you the first option to take the dog back at any time if they cannot keep it. It's best to have an attorney at least review your contracts to ensure they will hold up in court if challenged.
9. Carefully screen potential puppy buyers. Most people are honest and simply want a family pet, but some buyers want to capitalize on your hard work and breed their dogs without the necessary planning, testing and evaluation.
10. Prepare for the whelping, and let your vet know when your female is ready to give birth. Whelping occurs about 63 days after ovulation, regardless of the breeding date.
11. Socialize your puppies thoroughly. Puppies should be accustomed to a variety of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, surfaces and obstacles so that they develop solid, stable temperaments and are neither fearful nor aggressive.
12. Keep your puppies with the litter until they are at least 8 weeks old. Vital dog-dog socialization lessons occur during the last few weeks with their littermates. Puppies that leave the litter at younger ages often have issues with other dogs, such as fear or aggression.
13. Stay in touch with your puppy buyers throughout the life of their dogs. Keep track of any health issues that occur, obedience training results, titles the dogs may have earned, and other information that will help you improve your breeding program over the years.
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