I would like to make sure I am making the right decision about doing this. I am sure someone can give me advice. I have done a lot of research, but I'm thinking the more people I hear from that have already done this would be all the better for me!! Thanks!!
2006-11-01 07:37:50 · 10 answers · asked by syblerathwright 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I have been reading what everyone is saying to me. I understand all about the homeless puppies and dogs. I really didn't expect so many responses with that answer. I am a VERY responsible pet owner. I live on 25 acres of land for all kinds of animals. Which we do have, in fact I have taken in homeless cats and found GOOD homes for them. So please don't make me feel I am thinking about this and bringing puppies into this world to be homeless. Because that is not what I am doing. Thank You for any more words you can give me.
2006-11-01 09:11:49 · update #1
One big pro is that you aren't just tossing the two dogs together and letting them procreate without doing research and giving the matter some serious thought. Good for you!
Some pros:
* If you are a true afficianado of the breed, a person who doesn't simply breed their dogs but who does thing with them (showing, working, nursing home visits, agility, obedience, etc.), breeding your own dogs can help bring out the specific traits you require in the activities you do with your dogs.
* Umm...that's the reason I breed, the main pro I can think of.
Some cons:
* Whelping bitches can run into difficulties. Veterinarian care can easily run into the thousands of dollars to save the life of the female. And sometimes all the medical care in the world doesn't do the trick and the girl dies.
* Pups dying. Very, very often, at least one pup in the litter is stillborn. Still others may fade away after a few days. Very hard on you and the mother.
* The mess. Having pups is a huge mess for two months. First the birthing mess then the mess of having multiple poop-machines on the place!
* Finding good homes. Until and unless you have several good homes lined up for the pups you don't intend to keep, you shouldn't breed. Finding numerous good homes isn't easy!
* Returned pups. Even after the pup you have bred reaches maturity, you should still feel responsible for it. Should the new home not be able to keep the pup after a few years, there should be a clause in your contract for the new owner to return it to you. Are you able, in 4 years, to physically take back one of your dog's offspring until you can find it another home?
Yes, a lot more cons. And if I didn't need to go right now, I could list some more!
Do give it a GREAT deal of thought before breeding. It is a very big responsibility if you plan to do it right.
2006-11-01 07:51:29 · answer #1 · answered by Lori R 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Pro: Puppies are cute
Con: Puppies are a heck of a lot of trouble. They'll poop all over your house and you'll have to take mom outside all the time. The puppies will chew every wire they can get their teeth around, as well as every little thing left on the floor. They'll pee everywhere.
Pro: You can sell the puppies.
Con: If you do what you should as far as screening the parents for genetic problems, vaccinating and worming on schedule, vet visits, whelping equipment, and extra food and nutrition for mom, you will pay out in expenses far more than you take in from the sales.
Pro:Witness the miracle of life!
Con: If they happen to be born while you are awake that is... And it is also very possible that you will witness the miracle of death if some of the pups don't make it, or if, as happened with my childhood pet boxer, some of the puppies aren't born and you have to deliver the dead pups by cesarian section at the cost of over $1000.
Unless you can improve the breed through your genetics program, there is really no need for you to make more puppies when there aren't enough homes for the ones in animal control right now.
2006-11-01 16:14:16 · answer #2 · answered by Robin D 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Go here and read about the breed and its traits and hereditary health problems:
http://www.aedca.org/
(1) Breed ONLY if your dogs are superior examples of the breed and will improve the next generation. (And for that to be credible since we all tend to be a bit "kennel blind" as to the faults of our own animals, that means showing them in conformation to their titles or getting the opinion of a top-flight breeder which is sufficent for pet puppies although you will not sell the puppies as show prospects.)
(2) Do ALL the tests for hereditary health problems that can be sitting there and the dog just hasn't (yet) shown the symptoms.
Go here to see the statistics on some but not all of the hereditary health problems in this breed even among breeders/owners who care enough to screen their dogs: It is safe to assume that the incidence of these problems among dogs whose family has not been screened and defective dogs removed from the breeding program is about 1 1/2 - 2 times higher.
http://www.offa.org/stats.html#breed
This breed is prone to "Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). PRA refers to a group of diseases that cause the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time. The result is declining vision and eventual blindness" (See the club website above under Health.) That means not only a CERF exam by a board certified vet opthamologist but a DNA test!
Be prepared to drop $750 - 1000 PER DOG to screen the parents for hereditary health problems so that any puppies have a substantially reduced risk of inheriting the trait and the optimum chance of being free from serious expensive health problems.
A dog can have a "bad" gene for a condition but doesn't show it because it is a recessive. If you breed two dogs who pass all their OFA xrays and tests, and both have that recessive, there is a 1 in 4 chance that the puppy will have the health problem. You won't now what the odds are of your dogs carrying a "bad" recessive unless you know the testing history of their family back 5 or more generations and the testing status (pass/fail) of aunts,uncles, cousins, siblings......
An eye condition that is not apparent by examination until 4-6 years old and leads irreparably to blindness is VERY frightening - and the only way to screen for it before the symptoms set in is by a DNA test.
If it is starting to sound complicated and expensive, that is because it IS complicated and expensive to produce the healthiest puppies you can.
(3) Keep in mind that some very bad things can happen to the female.
She can get an infection during breeding which turns into pyometra (massive uterine infection -and VERY dangerous) and over 90% of the time, the only way to save her is an emergency spay before the infection can go systemic and kill her.
She can have trouble in delivering and need a $1000 -1200 emergency caeserian section. Do you have it on hand if you need that much to save her life?? Toys in particualr have a higher rateof problem deliveries than larger breeds
She can suffer a sudden acute calcium depletion while nursing and die.
She can get mastitis and the puppies die from the infected milk and she get very ill and possibly die.
If you lose her, are you prepared to handraise a litter - up to an including having to intubate neo-natal puppies to feed them every 1-2 hours???
(4) Now toys tend to have small litters of 1-4. DO you have prospective homes for them? ALways a very good idea before breeding.
(5) Are you prepared to require that the new puppy owners (a) spay/neuter so they don't try to use the pups as breeeding machines sometime down the road (b) return the dog to you no matter what age it is if they can't keep it and (c) guarantee the puppies against hereditary health problems??
2006-11-01 17:53:23 · answer #3 · answered by ann a 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I honestly believe most people have good intentions when they think they want to breed their pets. But facts can't be disputed and there are just way too many dogs and cats in shelters to warrant "more".
Why do you want to breed your dogs? If you think it's because it's going to be a nice "experience" for them please believe me when I tell you that your female won't miss anything by not having a litter of puppies. Spayed females are usually "healthier" than females who remain "whole".
Do you show your dogs? Are you involved in bettering the breed? Do you understand the "genetics" and know the "standard" for your breed of dog?
It's wonderful that you are being so responsible and investigating this BEFORE you act. I think perhaps you may think this will be an enjoyable experience for you more so than your dog.
We bred our dogs twice (and I worked with a professional breeder/show trainer who advised me every step of the way). It was an enormous amount of work, worry and expense. Are you willing to provide a home for any puppies that don't sell or are returned to you for the remainder of their lives?
There are far too many homeless dogs that were bred by very well-intentioned people. Unless you are a professional breeder who is breeding with the intention of improving the breed I see no reason to breed your dogs.
Whatever you decide it is ultimately your decision. You sound like a very caring and thoughtful person and your dogs are lucky to share their lives with you. I only offer "my" opinion, the choice is yours. Good luck with whatever decisions you make.
2006-11-01 15:55:34 · answer #4 · answered by Mugsy's Place 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The only responsible breeding is done to improve the blood line of the breed. Unless both of your dogs conform to the AKC breed standards, and are free of any health issues whatsoever, you should not breed them. If you just want to 'see what they look like', or sell them off for profit, you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Breeders strive to find the best dogs they can, and breed them to create an even better dog, again, according to the breed standard for size, personality, appearance, etc. Responsible breeders don't try to take normal-sized dogs and make 'toy' or 'teacup' versions- the only people who try to make mini-sizes do it to sell more dogs because pocket dogs appeal to people.
Try finding an American Eskimo fanciers club and talk to some of its members- maybe they can help you on your quest.
2006-11-01 15:46:55 · answer #5 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The pros of breeding would be potentially improving the breed and, I imagine, the satisfaction of raising a litter of pups. Of course, those pros entirely depend on whether your dogs are worthy of being bred, considering both the breed standard and their temperaments, and how much work you put into raising the pups.
The cons of breeding:
- you would be contributing to overpopulation, which leads to the deaths of millions of animals yearly.
- the cost and time of caring for a pregnant *****.
- the potential risk to the mom during birth.
- the cost and time of caring for a litter of pups. Each puppy needs to be socialized to numerous stimuli.
- the potential of heartbreak due to the death of any of the pups. Part of the reason dogs have litters instead of just one or two pups is to compensate for newborns dying.
- the increased risk of cancer for your female.
Unless your dogs have wonderful temperaments and are near-perfect physical specimens who have championship points, don't breed them.
2006-11-01 15:46:28 · answer #6 · answered by melissa k 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
www.heartbandits.com
www.eskiesonline.com
www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm
www.indianaeskierescue.com
www.barkbytes.com
www.eskiedog.com
www.eskierescuers.org
Just a short list of the American Eskimo Rescue Organizations out there. Take a look and let me know how many American Eskimos in the US and Canada already exist and don't have homes.
2006-11-01 15:43:29 · answer #7 · answered by KJ 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't breed your dogs if they aren't purebreds, don't breed your dogs if you don't know what you're doing (pregnancy and whelping isn't always lovely -- sometimes the dogs die in the process), and don't breed your dogs if you're not willing to keep ALL of the puppies that you cannot sell or give away.
2006-11-01 15:52:48 · answer #8 · answered by Fetch 11 Humane Society 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Here are pages of american eskimos left homeless. Please don't add to it. If someone likes your dog that much send them here to find their own.
http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?action=1&pet.Animal=Dog&pet.Breed=American+eskimo&pet.Age=&pet.Size=&pet.Sex=&location=&preview=1&scope=2&x=10&y=11
2006-11-01 15:41:01 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on the dog you are breeding your toy American Eskimo to. If you have papers on your dog you can breed it to another toy American Eskimo..Thats what I think you can do...
2006-11-01 15:43:50 · answer #10 · answered by kurt2006 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋