Deciding to Breed Puppies

Making the decision to breed puppies is a very serious one. It is far too easy too take one look at an absolutely adorable puppy and decide that you would just love to have your own house full of puppies. Puppies have a way of doing this to people. They sit there looking so cute and innocent that many people get tricked into thinking that puppies are no trouble at all. However, the exact opposite is true. Sure puppies are a lot of fun and raising them can be very rewarding but they are also a lot of work. They can also be quite expensive. For these reasons it is very important to proceed with caution when deciding to breed puppies instead of giving into those adorable little faces and jumping into the decision to breed too quickly. This article will outline a number of factors potential breeders should consider before they take the plunge.

Wanting to breed puppies for fun is certainly a worthwhile reason to want to breed but this should be tempered with a desire to produce top quality puppies along with a will to be a responsible and conscientious breeder. There are certainly many hobby breeders out there who just really love a particular breed and got into breeding for the fun of it. This is fine as long as they are also responsible and conscientious. There is one caveat to breeding puppies for fun though. The caveat is that not everything about the breeding process will be fun. It is important to understand playing with the puppies and socializing them is certainly a great deal of fun but there is also a lot of hard work involved in caring for the puppies. Breeders who wish to start breeding for the fun of it will likely find the process rewarding as long as they are responsible, conscientious and realize there will be work involved in the breeding process.

Wanting to breed puppies for profit is another common reason for potential breeders looking to start breeding. It is certainly possible for breeders to profit from breeding their dogs or bitches but profit should never be put above the well being of the dogs and bitches involved. There are actually many breeders who wind up losing money on each litter just because there are so many expenses involved. These expenses include standard expenditures such as health certifications, stud fees and pre-natal care for the bitch. However, they can also include a number of unexpected expenditures such as emergency veterinary care for the mother, the puppies or both. Emergencies such as emergency c-section for the mother or care for sick puppies can add up quickly and impact the ability to profit from a litter. Another area where many breeders also lose money is in buyers backing out. Buyers are often lined up before the puppies are born and these buyers may have pre-conceived ideas about the type of puppy they want including the sex, color, size or structure. After the puppies are born they may find these requirements are not met and they are no longer interested in purchasing a puppy. If the breeder is not able to line up another home for the puppy, they may wind up keeping the puppy or selling it as an older dog for a lower price.

Potential breeders should also carefully consider how much time they have available to dedicate to a litter of puppies. Sure the puppies will sleep quite a bit when they are very young and will be fed by the mother but even during this time they will need their whelping box changed regularly, will need social interactions to help them to learn to bond with people and will need limited amounts of exercise. As the puppies get a little older and begin to wean, they will need to be fed, cleaned and exercised on a regular basis. They will also need to begin potty training and they will start to become more active and spend less time sleeping. This means you will be working hard to ensure the puppies are staying out of trouble. Keeping your house puppy proof will help but mischievous little puppies can always find a way to get into trouble even in the most carefully puppy proofed home. Potential breeders should make sure they have the time for all of this.