Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Dog Mating: Should I Breed My Dog?

If you’ve never bred a dog before, it might be a good idea to talk to a local dog breeder first, preferably of your own dog breed. It’s not something to be taken on lightly.

As a dog breeder in the past, I’ve had several families buying bitches with the intention to breed and a few who bought bitches and nervously questioned if the myth is correct that a bitch should have at least one litter in her lifetime. Their reasons for wanting to breed have varied, but you can imagine the number one reason.

I Want To Make Some Money

Breeding can be expensive. First of all, you don’t want to breed just any bitch, so you need to find a good one, wait for her to grow old enough (at least two years), then find a good stud dog too. Then there’s the health checks she needs, checking the stud dog’s health checks and either pay the stud fee or give a puppy. Aside from the usual monthly expenses of dog ownership (vet fees, insurance fees, food, boarding, etc etc), you’ll have extra expenses during pregnancy. Then when she’s due for whelping, you’ll probably need time off work or risk taking her to the vets and incurring more expense. Then you need to keep the puppies for at least eight weeks, include advertising, finding good homes, a vet check, etc. That’s assuming the pups are all healthy, otherwise you’ll have extra vet bills on top. If any of the puppies die, or the bitch has a small litter like this litter of two Jack Russell puppies, you may not break even let alone make money. Many breeders do it for the love of the breed and to improve a bloodline, and count themselves lucky if they break even, so I wouldn’t recommend breeding if all you’re interested in is the cash.

I Want Another Dog Like Mine

As nice as this is (and believe me, I want another dog just like mine too!), how likely is it? Half the genes will be from another dog, so you can’t guarantee the new puppy will be the same. The best option to get another dog just like your own is to go back to the original breeder and get another dog from a similar bloodline. Depending how old the mother was, you might even get the same mother and father.

Every Bitch Should Have At Least One Litter

What a load of poppycock! Absolute nonsense! Bitches cannot be improved through having a litter. Temporarily, she may have a more gentle temperament, but then she’ll go back to her own self. Healthwise, it’s also not good for her, instead putting her at risk from mammary cancer. There’s nothing wrong with spaying a bitch before she has a litter.

I Want My Kids To Learn About Life

I think there are better ways for children to learn about life. What happens if they lose the family dog? What if some puppies are born dead? It could happen. Alternatively, why don’t you ask the RSPCA or a local dog shelter if they have any puppies that need help socialising. Just watch for the old ‘Muuuuum, I waaaant one!’

When To Breed Dogs

The reason to breed dogs is to improve the breed and the characteristics of the dog. In my opinion, that doesn’t necessarily mean the dog has to have won loads of titles, but that someone other than the breeder should agree the dog is a good example of the breed. Never breed from a dog with health problems or one that has poor physical examples of the breed.

I haven’t been breeding dogs for some time now, but I took Bailey to Morecambe to visit her stud dog boyfriend yesterday. We walked through the door and five minutes later, the dogs were locked. Half an hour later and we were on the journey home, me £200 lighter and Bailey fast asleep. They only locked the once, so there’s no guarantees so we’ll wait to see if the deed has been done. Will keep you posted…