Dog Breeding
So you want to breed Border Collies or Golden Retrievers?
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.