BREEDING:  KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE BREEDING

We continue to receive letters from people who think they want to be breeders.    I found this old article at my vet's office that is as applicable today as it was the day someone wrote it......the author is unknown.    It is titled  Greetings with Love from a Lonely Dog

I wish someone would tell me what I've done wrong.  Why do I have to stay chained up and be left alone so long?    They seemed so glad to have me when I came here as a pup.  There were so many things we'd do while I was growing up.   The man said he'd train me as a companion and a friend; the lady said she'd never fear to be  alone again.    The little children said they'd feed me and brush me every day.  They said they'd play with me and walk me if I would only stay.  But, now, the man "hasn't any time" and the lady says I shed so she doesn't want me in the house....not even to be fed.   The little children, they've grown like me and now never have the time or interest to walk me---they always say, "Not now!"   

I wish that I could please them....won't someone tell me how?  All I had, you see, was love to give.   And now I wish they would explain why they said they wanted me, wanted my love.....and now, they left me and my love on a chain.

Loneliness is a Silent Death to a homeless, abandoned pet---are you quilty?

WARNING:    WE REFUSE to perpetuate the misery of animals in general so PLEASE BE AWARE THAT WE ARE NOT HERE TO OFFER HELP AND ADVICE to those INDIVIDUALS who are going to breed dogs regardless of all the public awareness regarding the terrible state into which many dogs and cats have to be born....worse yet, in which they have to live out days and weeks and months.   And don't think that by thinking of yourself as a good human being that you are not causing direct harm by having a litter born in your own household, that you are not causing misery to future generations once the puppies leave you....do you have ABSOLUTE control of the 2nd/3rd/4th, etc. generation?   Anyone wishing to breed, even after reading the following PLEA and despite our "protests" can buy books on the subject---go to other sites....there are NO LAWS to protect our beloved dogs from YOU, this cruelty and injustice being perpetuated at the hands of the uneducated and "unconscious" or uncaring individuals.  READ ON...

Why?    WHY!!??
The last time I wrote I gave many reasons not to breed, the last of which was that there are too many, 17 million at last count, dogs and cats being put to sleep each year.     WE CONTINUE TO EMPHASIS THIS.....the latest figures are 12,500 per hour!!
The next thing I did was to expound on the reasons why you should spend the time to search out a reputable breeder AND BUY ONLY FROM a reputable breeder.     DO YOU THINK YOU ARE OR COULD BE A REPUTABLE BREEDER WITHOUT KNOWING THE FACTS?

We get are from owners who write in and say their dog is so wonderful, it should sire a litter of pups or she's so adorable and so wonderful with the family, she should have a litter of pups.

WRONG WRONG WRONG     REASONS FOR BREEDING!!! Okay, so that's all you've been hearing from me, from us on Rottweb...but if you are even the slightest bit interested in the subject, you should read on...the following article is from the DOG OWNERS EDUCATIONAL LEAGUE, Inc.

OKAY, so you know what you have on the outside, that is what you're looking at, the physical features of your dog, and the personality....that's only SKIN DEEP...but what lurks beneath...in the genes, the genetic structure and make-up of your wonderful pet...AHA, gotcha!!! You don't know but we hope you care enough to look into it.    Do you know the words pheno and genotype?   well you should!!  that is, if you want to be a "real breeder."

We think it is extremely important to learn the facts and possible consequenses in advance if you are contemplating breeding your dog. In today's overcrowded world, we, the wardens of our domestic pets, must make responsible decisions for them and for ourselves. It certainly was different a couple of hundred years ago, or even just a hundred years ago when this big country of ours was still being "settled" by the white man, even though it already had occupants now referred to as "Native Americans," and there was plenty of room to spread out on.

Most people think that because they went to the trouble of buying an AKC registered dog that that automatically spells quality....WRONGGGGGGG!!!!!

AKC REGISTRATION IS NOT, I SAY, NOT an indication of quality. Most dogs, even "purebreds" with papers, SHOULD NOT BE BRED. Many dogs, though wonderful pets, have defects of structure, personality or health that should not be perpetuated. Animals used for breeding should be proven free of these defects BEFORE starting on a reproductive career. Breeding should only be done with the goal of keeping the good qualities of the breed intact...that means you have to know an awful lot before just putting a bitch in season together with the "stud" down the road, who's eager as hell.

IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE!!! Once you've created a life, you can't take it back, even if blind, crippled, epileptic, or psychopathic!

COST: Dog breeding is not a money-making proposition....if done correctly. Health care and shots, diagnosis of problems, extra food, adequate facilities, stud fees, advertising, etc., are all costly and must be paid BEFORE the pups can be sold. An unexpected Caesarean or emergency intensive care for a sick pup will make a break-even litter become a big liability. And that is IF you can sell the pups.

SALES: First-time breeders have no reputation and no referrals to help them find buyers. Previous promises of "I want a dog just like yours" evaporate. Consider the time and expense of caring for pups that may not sell until four months, eight months or more!!! What would you do if your pups did not sell? Send them to the pound? Dump them in the country? Sell them cheap to a dog broker who may resell them to labs for experimental purposes or other unsavory buyers? Veteran breeders with good repuations often don't consider a breeding unless they have cash deposits in advance for an average-sized litter.

JOY OF BIRTH: If you're doing it for the children's educational benefit, remember the whelping mother may decide to do it at 3 a.m. or at the vet's office on the surgery table. Even if the kiddies are present, they may get a chance to see the birth of a monster or a mummy, or watch the bitch scream and bite you as you attempt to deliver a pup that is half out and too large. What about all the blood that comes with the birth of the pup and the gore of the bitch eating the placenta??? Are the kiddies gonna be able to handle that....are you??

Some bitches are not natural mothers and either ignore or savage their whelps. Bitches can have severe delivery problems or even die in whelp - pups can be born dead or with gross deformitites that require euthanasia. Of course, there can be joy, but if you can't deal with the possibilities of tragedy, DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO START!!!

TIME: Veteran breeders of quality dogs state that they spend well over 130 hours of labor in raising an average litter. The bitch cannot be left alone while whelping and only for short periods for the first couple of weeks after. Be prepared for days off work and sleepless nights...much like bringing your own baby home and spending the next 3 months pacing the floor with a crying, colicky baby...for you bachelors and young ladies who haven't had the experience yet, talk to your moms and dads about it... I tell you, it ain't much different and it ain't much fun.

Even after delivery, mom needs extra care and feeding and the pups need daily checking, weighing and socialization. Later, grooming and training. The whelping box needs lots of constant cleaning. Later, more hours are spent doing paperwork, pedigrees and interviewing buyers, unless you plan to dump them off at the pound or leave them on the side of the road somewhere.

If you have any abnormal conditions, such as sick puppies or a bitch who can't or won't care for her babies, count on double-duty. If you can't provide the time, you will have either dead pups or worse yet, poor ones that are bad tempered, antisocial, dirty and/or sickly -- hardly a buyers delight!!

HUMAN RESPONSIBILITIES: It's midnight - do you know where your puppies are? Or do you even care? There are SEVENTEEN MILLION unwanted dogs and cats put to death in pounds in this country EVERY SINGLE YEAR with millions more dying homeless and unwanted though starvation, disease, abuse, etc. Nearly a quarter of the victims of this unspeakable horror and tragedy are purebred dogs "WITH PAPERS!"

ANY BREEDER WHO CREATES A LIFE IS RESPONSILBE FOR THAT LIFE!!

Will you carefully screen potential buyers? Or will you just take the money and not worry if the puppy is chained in a junkyard all of its life or runs loose in the street to be killed? Will you turn down sales to irresponsible owners? Or will you say "yes" and not think about the puppy, the life, that you held and loved, now having a litter of mongrels every time she comes into heat, which only fills the pounds and streets with more statistics -- YOUR "GRANDPUPS?" Would you be prepared to take back a grown puppy if the owners can no longer care for it?

CAN YOU LIVE WITH THE THOUGHT THAT THE BABY YOU HELPED AND PLANNED TO BRING INTO THIS WORLD WILL BE DESTROYED AT THE POUND?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

So far, all the above applies itself mainly to the owner of the bitch... but the responsibility does not begin or end with her only...the stud or rather the owners of the stud should consider themselves just as responsible for the lives that were created by the sperm of their beloved "stud" -- the puppies are his babies too!!

The reality is not a pretty picture, is it? Usually not, folks, but if you really care, really truly and honestly care about your dog, whether it be a male or female, do them a BIG FAVOR and don't breed them UNLESS you really mean to do it right!!

From the editor: I was going to remove the following article, but after looking at it again, I've decided it enhances the one above and so I am going to leave it on for a while longer...please feel free to comment on this subject...tell us why you want to breed your dog, give us your reasons...

A completely innocent, uneducated person (therefore IGNORANT of this subject, NOT stupid, just doesn't know) believes a breeder is ANYONE who makes and sells puppies. BUT, unlike doctors, lawyers, mechanics, etc., breeders don't have to go to school to become "educated" about the subject, they don't have to pass tests, they don't have to get licenses... In the good ole USA, anyone can breed whatever they want to breed. Yes, they can even pick up a dog at a pound, and if not neutered, that dog can be bred...THERE ARE NO LAWS AGAINST IT, THERE ARE NO GUIDELINES, NO STANDARDS for anyone to follow...it is purely optional for a person to seek information, join a club to get information, surround themselves with other experienced breeders, become an apprentice, so to speak, by 1) buying themselves from a good, honest, ethical, responsible, experienced breeder AND then 2) becoming a breeder under the tutelage, under the guidance and help of the breeder, THE MENTOR!!!

An experienced, ethical, responsible breeder is a lifelong student of dogs, genetics, animal husbandry, midwifery; an ethical person striving to produce quality and who stands behind their "product," is a trusted advisor who can be called, expects to be called, at any hour of the day or night with any sort of question.

Well established breeders usually don't advertise...the best way to find them is through word of mouth, generally from other dog show people or local breed or obedience clubs. A LISTING IN A BREEDERS' DIRECTORY OR AN OFFER OF AKC-REGISTRABLE PUPPIES DOES NOT A REPUTABLE BREEDER MAKE.

Reputable breeders care more about their puppies than about making a sale. Buyers should expect a barrage of questions, an INTERROGATION, about lifestyle, household, family, backyard space, fencing, etc., etc.

Reputable breeders sell their pups with written contracts detailing guarantees and stipulating the buyer's responsibilities. Reputable breeders provide documentation and certification of health checks and tests that have been done on the pups as well as the sire and dam. While any breeder can inadvertently produce a "defective" puppy, good breeders stand behind their dogs, both financially and emotionally.

Reputable breeders make a distinction between show and pet quality puppies and sell them with either full or limited registrations. Reputable breeders insist on registering the pups using their kennel name and do not permit the buyers to name the pup whatever they want because they are following an alphabethical sequence but may allow the buyer to choose the "call" name.

Reputable breeders DO NOT sell their best pups to a "novice" who is just getting into show exhibiting or breeding WITHOUT some strings attached.

Reputable breeders answer questions about the breed and the dog and remain available to their buyers, not just at the time of sale, but THROUGHOUT the life of the dog.

Reputable breeders do not breed for convenience because the sire is down the road. Reputable breeders search out the best partner for their bitches and expend the money for stud fees, flights, motels, vet care, to get the best possible puppies in terms of type, temperament, structure, health, intelligence, etc.

Reputable breeders not only know the pedigrees of their own lines but they do research on the stud and study his pedigree as well.

AND FINALLY, reputable breeders who've INVESTED ALOT of time and money into their breedings, do not sell their puppies at bargain prices...BEWARE if one is available really cheaply...get to know the prices in your area.

In the same way that you go out to find the best schools for your children, find the dream house, go from car dealer to car dealer, talk to your friends, neighbors, relatives about the car, appliances that you're interested in purchasing next, so too should you spend time to CALL THE AKC and GET THE FREE LITERATURE THEY SEND, ASK AKC FOR BREEDER LISTS, ASK AKC FOR LISTS OF BREED CLUBS, CALL SEVERAL BREEDERS, GO SEE SEVERAL LITTERS...YES THIS MIGHT TAKE TIME...

BUT IT IS WORTH PUTTING THE EFFORT INTO THE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY....YOU KNOW THE SAYING, "LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!!---I cannot stress that enough!!!