Dog Breeding

So you want to breed Border Collies or Golden Retrievers?


Border Collies and Golden Retrievers dog breeding

producing a healthy litter is not as easy as it looks


Breeding Border Collies or Golden Retrievers may seem an easy, even an idyllic way to make a living. The truth is very different, there are very few people who get rich breeding dogs, some make a kind of living, but not the kind of living most people would want. Ethical and caring breeders are first and foremost breed enthusiasts seeking to produce that elusive "perfect dog" or to continually improve their own lines through careful selection. Most have to work to support their hobby and the apparently large sums that come as a result of puppy sales goes only part of the way to keeping the "retired" dogs and bitches, the "also rans" who were infertile or of insufficient quality to be bred from, the veterinary fees associates with keeping numbers of dogs and with breeding in particular and the many overheads of maintaining a quality kennel. The puppy owner faced with a large litter of healthy, robust, playful puppies romping in clean, safe surroundings sees only the attractive side of breeding, they are not party to the long sleepless nights, sitting up with a whelping bitch, the anxieties and tragedies of whelpings that "go wrong", the heartbreaking decision to end the suffering of a failing puppy. Nor are they aware of the responsibility the breeder takes on after homes breakdown and dogs or puppies are returned, sometimes after neglect or ill-treatment and the long weeks and months of rehabilitation the breeder may spend repairing the damage done by inadequate owners. When you buy a dog from a reputable breeder you buying the years of experience, triumph and despair that lie behind the establishment of a sound and well respected bloodline and the assurance that you and your puppy will always have a knowledgeable and trusted advisor and a safety net in times of crisis.
To some who have never bred a litter the attraction of a puppy that will be just like their adored dog or bitch, the lure of a quick killing (literally sometimes) or the idle flattery of passers-by lavished on a mediocre pet is a spur to try their hand at breeding. If you are thinking along those lines please read the following pages it may save you and your bitch a lot of pain and money.


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A Perfect Bitch
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The Ethics of Breeding
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