I want to look into dog breeding...advice?

Question

Is this a hard business to get into? I am not interested in showing, simply breeding and rescuing dogs and cats. Any advice? Should this only be a hobby, and should I look into certain college classes to get started? Is it expensive to start?

OKay one, don't insult me. I am asking a question. That is what this place is for. Two, I have always wanted to have animals around me, and I am younger, still in college so I don't need to do research when I don't intend on throwing up some illegal puppy mill in my back yard RIGHT NOW> serious helping answers only. Those who are rude will be reported.

Rescuing would be great, and I want to get ACRES when I can afford it, so maybe that would be the best. I just want to be surrounded with animals and see that they get good homes.

Answer 1

People can sound mean it is just that they are so many bad breeders out there today that even good breeders who give there whole life 24/7 to breeding the best breed they can still get put down they see all the animales that get killed everyday and think if people did not breed and rescue from pounds it would save a lot of dogs from being killed and this would be great but not everyone will want a mixed breed so do want a full AKC pup so the breeders and owners who let them mix with just anything is the people they are really mad at breeding the right way is really hard you have to be able to lose money on every litter you breed to be sure that the Moms and babies have the best chance at a great life that anyone could give them.People should only breed one breed this way you don't take a chance of a chihuahua getting bred to a pug by mistake making mixed breed if you only have one breed then you can learn more about them in order to give them the kind of care that breed needs a good breeder does with out things they need and wont in life in order to give there pets the vet care they need and the smaller breed do tend to need more vet care then the bigger ones does due to having to have a c-section so if you breed the right way they are no money in it you have to do it cause you love the breed and wont to see it go on where with all the people breeding mixed breeds the full AKC pets are going out fast it would be great if you could do both breed and rescue but again you need to have only one breed and if you rescued you would be taking a chance of one not being fixed and breed by mistake and I did rescue a while back and you get some pretty sick pups at times and you need to keep the Moms and Dads you breed away from other dogs that have not been kept up to date on shots and deworming I think your heart is in the right place and which ever you do breed or rescue it will cost a lot of money time and heartbreak to do it the right way

Answer 2

I would start as a volunteer at the local animal shelter. You would be able to learn so much from other volunteers and you would be helping animals in need. Another idea is helping out the rescue railroad (found on Yahoo groups) which helps transport dogs and cats to different rescue and forever homes. Most rescues are always looking for foster homes and people to check out potential adopters homes. Since your plans may include a rescue of your own someday all of these sources could be invaluable. It's wonderful that you want to work with animals and unfortunately there are so many that need help.

Answer 3

Don't! The fact that you want this as "just a hobby" is a key as to what you want out of this. To do it right, the cost is great! that is why pure bred pups cost so much is to cover the costs. if anyone is making allot of money off of raising dogs, then they are taking shortcuts that could cost the new puppy owners money or heartache later. Not only is it expensive to start, it stays expensive! College classes are not nessesary, but a mentor is greatly recomended! KNow your chosen breed. read alot of books. talk to shelters, vets, dog clubs, and other breeders first. Stick to rescueing dogs and cats. you will enjoy that just as much if not more. Good luck!

Answer 4

Some advice I've gotten is to spend time rescuing the breed that you plan on breeding (while you educate yourself about health concerns and the breeding process involved with that specific breed). I've also heard that you should be involved with showing, as this is where dogs prove themselves as breeding stock.

I'm not a breeder though. This is just advice that I've read.

Answer 5

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be surrounded with animals.
With breeding animals it is not a matter of we should or should not breed so much is it is a matter of WHY we should breed or not breed. Without a valid reason for doing a breeding it serves no one, especially the animals.

I've also been sleeping with the dogs this week, just praying that the little girl can free whelp, and I wont have to come up with $1500.00 for a C-section.

Answer 6

you would be better off rescuing animals then breeding them, all you have to do is go to the rspca and see all the stray animals there are there, and you wouldnt want yours to end up there. But animal rescuing is a great idea, there are a lot of animals that need rescuing.

Answer 7

If all you want is acreage and lots of animals around you....believe me, you won't even NEED to breed if you decide to start rescuing. There will be more animals needing homes than you have room for- no matter how much room you have :).

I don't know of any college classes for dog breeding. An understanding of genetics will help you understand how traits, and disorders, are passed from generation to generation.

A degree focus in animal husbandry will teach you more about livestock and farming than anything else, and although many of these "commercial breeders" pretty much view dogs as livestock (after all, the USDA governs cattle ranchers as well as commercial dog breeders, and they've got a startling lack of manpower to truly enforce all their laws).....it's the viewpoint of many dog owners and enthusiasts that dogs and cattle ought not to be governed by the same authority. One animal goes to be eaten, the other animal is supposed to be a "family member"....and if anyone's going to try and tell me that a dog raised in a commercial kennel environment- (I don't care how clean)- lacking good quality daily attention & play, living amongst tens, hundreds or sometimes thousands of other dogs.....often times weaned & vaccinated a bit too early, sold to a "broker" and shipped via truck or airplane to the pet store....is a good way to treat a "family member" during the formative stages of it's life, I've got reason to differ.

If I won the Powerball, I'd immediately buy some serious acreage, and open up a non-profit dog sanctuary. I'd spend the rest of my life, day in and day out, helping to rehabilitate and re-home dogs. So I understand your desire to be surrounded by animals. If you want a career where you're around dogs all day- until you can afford your "ultimate goal" of having acres and room for lots of animals, you might think of getting a job in a boarding kennel or a doggy day care. Or go to school to be a dog trainer, and go to work for one of those professional dog training schools, or with one of the kennels that trains Shepherds and Malinois and other breeds for law enforcement and security work.

Just some thoughts- these are all things I'd look into if I could no longer do my current job. I hope I'm not coming across as "rude"....I don't mean to be, but truly if you spend any time rescuing dogs, I don't see how you'd want to breed commercially as a source of "income". I don't think all dog breeders are bad- I just don't think it should be regarded as a "business" and a way to make money. Because in any business, your "bottom line" is production and profit, and when you start cranking out what's supposed to be people's "companions" and "furry family members" with profit as your driving motive....the temperament and quality of your "product" will suffer for it. And plenty of your "product" will end up killed in animal shelters because you'll have no control over where the animals go, what kind of owners they end up with, etc. It's just not a good scenario, too many animals are dying already.

Answer 8

Just so you know, showing is not intended to be some snotty thing, it is a way of sizing your dog up and meeting the other potential mates for your dog, and I recommend that you begin to visit shows so you can understand what is desirable in your breed of choice. You can also join clubs in your breed of choice, and this will give you a good picture of what customers are looking for, and what's new in the breeding world. My family has been breeding for 60 + years, Am. Pit Bull Terriers, and they have all had other jobs (or been housewives with husbands who bring in a good living), and as I am starting up now, I will tell you, it is not lucrative for several generations. You will need to start with good stock. In my breed, that means about 1,000-2,000 for a male and a female, so 2,000 to honestly about 5,000 just for dogs. Then, you will keep the best pup from that litter, whether male or female, and you will need to purchase another dog to breed with, using the information on conformation, pedigrees, and how to selectively breed that you have gathered from attending shows and club meetings. Ideally, you should start out with four unrelated dogs of ideal pedigrees, as line breeding is not for you at this time. You will need to have about 3,500 dollars set aside in emergency money, should the btch need a c-section or have complications, or should a puppy need medical help. Be prepared for still born pups or pups who die, just a fact of life. You will need a lawyer or at least a paralegal to help you create a contract for your potential buyers, and as a part of that contract, you must be willing to take back your puppy at any time in its life rather than allow the buyer to resell/abandon your puppy. I would also recommend that you spay/neuter your pups pre-sell and not allow the buyer to breed your pups unless you want competition and lack of control over what gets bred to your pups. You will be expected to provide the first round of vaccines as well. I could write to you all day! You don't need college classes, but you'll need college for your day job until your kennel gets rolling, if ever. If you are breeding for profit, you are not doing the right thing. You should breed from a love of the dog and to improve the breed only, which you cannot do if you are breeding for quantity and a living. I commend you for your desire to enter this noble profession! About the anti-breeding people here, they should not insult you, and most likely they are not very well informed and just spouting off some opinion they heard on Oprah. It sounds like you are interested in becoming a responsible, respectable breeder, which is what we need if our children are going to have dogs! Would these anti-breeders prefer all dogs are bought from puppy-mill pet stores, or they just die out? They should realize that small family breeders are the traditional and proper source of dogs for decent people who wish for a purebred dog. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 9

its not a business, most good breeders will not make any money from a litter.. do determine whether or not your dog is of breeding quality you have to
1) show it in confirmation / or work the dog
2) make sure that its healthy and free from genetic disorders. which means DNA testings, x-rays etc.

this will get really expensive.
if you are interested in breeding a specific breed, join your local breed club and talk to people there.

Answer 10

Stacy...Dog breeding is exactly that ...a HOBBY!!!!! You make no money, it sucks up your time and all your extra cash, and you have to love it to keep doing it. Just what a HOBBY is!!!!!!!!!
Anyone who does it as a BUSINESS HAS to do it wrong to make it a business and make money on it. If you do it for the love of a breed, you go out of your way to do it right, and that COSTS!!!! It costs at every turn and you keep right on going and paying, because when you have produced BETTER than what you had, it is a great reward!!!!