Before a dog owner breeds a bitch for her first litter, he must throughly examine his reasons for wanting to breed his bitch - all his motives, attitudes, and knowledge.

A breeder is responsible for the health and welfare of his bitch before, during and after whelping. He is responsible for the health and welfare of her puppies at birth, before weaning, during weaning, and after they are placed in their new homes. He is also responsible to society for his dogs, as the general public can be affected by social problems due to a dog population explosion and irresponsible owners. The client's education will ensure that his puppies will be reared by responsible owners - and thus will be an asset, not a detriment, to society as a whole. Being a breeder is an ongoing responsibility.

Should the bitch be bred at all?

She must be critically examined as to her quality both genetically and phenotypically. Will she contribute positively to her breed or just produce more average (or below average) puppies? Personal feelings must be put to one side as the bitch is evaluated.

Breeding a bitch to "make money" is one of the poorest reasons. Breeding dogs is not a money making venture. A "successful" breeder is one whose dogs pay for themselves. Period. Breeding dogs must be a labor of love - love for the dog in general and the breed chosen in particular.

There are some wonderful benefits to dog breeding. The mother-love that is seen in the whelping box, puppy-breath, puppy-kisses, puppy-tumbles, and magnificent adults that come from your breeding program are the most obvious examples of the joy of breeding. For many breeders, seeing the love and joy that a puppy from their program gives a person or family, eases the concern of placing the pups in new homes.

Dogs have given many breeders a lot in personal growth, companionship, and enjoyment. Add to that the benefit of making new and special friends through puppy placements and the all-night vigils of whelping puppies are easier to do.

Dog breeding does have its down side as well. It is not a completely smooth road. Heartbreaking decisions (e.g. euthanasia of a youngster or a beloved elderly dog) must be made - and lived through. Unexpected illness and/or death happens. Disappointments in getting a bitch pregnant occur. There could be disappointment in the way a promising puppy matures for the show ring or in the manner that the puppy is being reared by the clients. Occasionally, unreasonable clients must be dealt with - which can be very upsetting.

A Breeder (large "B") wears many hats that are switched quickly and deftly. A breeder (small "b") cannot/does not fill all the hats - usually the ones that involve clients.

A puppy producer is interested in his pocket book. Here are the various "hats" of a Breeder.

1. Researcher: for learning about dogs, dog care, pedigrees, etc.
2. Husbandryman: for everyday care of the dogs.
3. Nutritionist: for assessing and preparing good diets for the dogs.
4. Trainer: for training the kennel's dogs.
5. Groomer: for grooming the kennel's dogs.
6. Showman: for showing and exhibiting the kennel's dogs.
7. Judge: for the judging the kennel's dogs and others for conformation and quality.
8. Geneticist: for planning a breeding program.
9. Diagnostician: for recognizing health problems to aid the veterinarian.
10. Veterinarian technician/nurse: for caring of ill dogs.
11. Stud handler: for handling the breedings
12. Midwife: for whelping puppies
13. Nurseryman: for helping the bitch raise her puppies.
14. Behaviourist: for assessing puppies and other dogs as to behaviour/personality.
15. Photographer:for taking photos of puppies and other dogs
16. Office Manager: for doing all the paperwork and keeping it organized.
17. Advertising Director: for planning the kennel's advertising/promotion.
18. Writer: for answering the letters of inquiries, etc.
19. Salesman: for selling the kennel (ie, it's program and services) and puppies to prospective clients.
20. Psychologist: for evaluating prospective clients and working with clients.
21. Educator: for educating clients.
22. Counsellor: for helping clients with problems as the occur.
23. Friend: for having a shoulder to lean on if necessary.
24. Babysitter: for looking after puppies when they come back to visit.

If the owner has no intention of breeding, the dog should be neutered or spayed. We must not anthropomorphize our dogs. They don't need to reproduce in order to feel "fulfilled". The benefits of neutering strongly outweigh any negetive effects.

Benefits of Spaying Bitches

1. No messy heat cycles two or three times a year when she has to be confined for three weeks at a time.
2. No stray males on the doorstep or accidental breedings with resulting puppies.
3. No false pregnancies.
4. No ovarian cysts or life threatening pyrometria (infected uterus).
5. Incidents of mammary cancer is diminished significantly if the bitch is spayed before her first heat. This is common in bitches - especially those who have had a litter. Like women, this is a nasty and possibly fatal cancer.
6. She won't drop her entire coat two to three times a year.

Benefits of Neutering Males

1. Removes any preoccupation with breeding and hormonal drives.
2. May decrease roaming, aggressiveness, preoccupation with pack status, and being dominant.
3. Decreases the incidence to testicular cancer (especially in males with undescended testicles) and prostatic problems.

Misconceptions
About
Spaying and Neutering

"Dog will get fat and lazy."With proper diet and exercise this won't happen. Out of a sense of misplaced guilt (for neutering the dog) some people fall into the trap of overfeeding their dog extra treats.

"Calm the bitch (dog)."WRONG! Rearing a family is not relaxing for any bitch. After breeding a bitch some males become even more unmanageable/excitable than they were before the breeding.

"Bitch needs to have a family."POPPYCOCK! Motherhood is hard on the bitches physically, mentally, and emotionally.

"SPCAs will place pups we can't sell."There is a better chance that the shelters will have to euthanize puppies that a puppy producer didn't take responsibiliy for.

Spayed bitches and neutered males can live happily and fulfilled lives. Neutered males can "breed" a very amorous bitch (ie, achieve an erection, intromissions and a "tie") but cannot impregnate her.

With the increase of anti-dog legislation, increased people population, and overpopulation of dogs, many Breeders are now practicing, "Controlled Breeding". Breeders plan breedings carefully, selecting for correctness of structure, breed type, temperament, and good health. Before a Breeder breeds a dog or bitch, all the health checks that are pertinent for that breed are done. The resulting puppies are carefully evaluated with only the best puppies being candidates for breeding. Many Breeders utilize the CKC's Non-Breeding agreement for the majority of their puppies.

Controlled Breeding may seem at the outset to be self-serving as the Breeder creates less "competition" for selling puppies, but this practice will help eliminate or at least slow the rapid deterioration of purebred dogs. The concerned breeder must always be aware of the responsibility he has to his dogs, his clients, and to society. Indiscriminate breeding creates the monstrous problems of animals in homes with irresponsible owners or unwanted/abandoned animals.

Breeding fewer, but higher quality dogs, placing pups carefully, educating our clients, and knowing where our pups are should be done by concerned breeders. The controlled breeding practice does help create the ideal companion dog.