Are you interested in breeding dogs?
Before you do, you might want to think of a few things. Dog breeding is not for those wanting to make serious money, or for the faint of heart (or stomach.) It requires patience, love for the animals and the breed,
as well as money, time, and knowledge and research in many areas. Dog breeding is not just placing a male and female together, having puppies, and selling them. You need to have a good, healthy female that represents the breed standard in appearance and temperament, as well as having a nice pedigree with no background of health problems. Many health concerns are genetic, so even if your female is free from hip dysplasia, if her parents and grandparents developed it, there is a
good chance her offspring might as well. After finding a good female, you need to find a good male with the same guidelines. You will probably own the female, but owning the male is not always necessary. Some reputable breeders offer their male dogs for stud. Once your female has come into season and has been bred, then you have two months of patient waiting for the due date. During this time, the female will require the proper food to keep her and the lives she carries healthy. Once
the puppies are born, you then go into the daily routine, which grows increasingly longer as the puppies age, of cleaning up. Around two weeks of age, the puppies' eyes and ears will open and by three weeks of age, they are moving around pretty well. This is the beginning of the "cute" stage of puppyhood. The mother dog requires appropriate food throughout her pregnancy and rearing of the puppies to keep her strength up and to produce milk for the babies. Mother dogs often
double their usual intake of food as they draw near to their whelping date. Your puppies will need to be examined by a vet for any problems, dewormed against internal parasites, and vaccinated against common dog diseases. Finally, around seven to eight weeks, your puppies will be ready for new homes. You will need to screen potential families. Various breeds require various ways of training, more or less exercise, more or less room, etc. Some families are suited to a small, calm
breed for an apartment. Others are more suited for a large, active dog. All of these things, from the breeding to the time your puppies go to their new homes, require time, expense, and effort. Please keep in mind that if done properly, you will not make very much profit at all. Responsible breeders breed for the purpose of making the breed better. Profit usually is not in their vocabulary, or is on the very bottom of the list of priorities. Healthy puppies and dogs
should always be number one. Breeding dogs comes with challenges and trials, but seeing that irresistible puppy nose wrinkle up in a sleepy yawn more than makes up for the time, effort, and expense. Just be sure your motive for breeding is right. | 
