Breeding

[Vickie]

I have always said I would never breed dogs. At this point I can't see that ever changing (although there are circumstances where I would consider a breeder using one of my dogs in the future).

I am curious about what makes some people want to breed & others not.

I don't breed because people with a heap more knowledge than I have are producing exactly what I want and maintaining the standard that I strive to have in my breed.

Thoughts? Why don't you want to breed? why do you want to breed?

Edited March 1, 2011 by Vickie

[poodlefan]

I can't seem to vote in the second poll. ETA: sorted.

I consider it from time to time but think its pretty unlikely. Not sure I"m the tough stuff that breeders need to be made of.

Edited March 1, 2011 by poodlefan

[W Sibs]

Nope. No interest at all.

Edited March 1, 2011 by CW EW

[SeeGee]

Never ever ever ever ever

[Kavik]

I'm not interested in breeding. My interests lie in behaviour/training/performance. I am more than happy to let others do the breeding.

[Nekhbet]

I am planning to breed, hopefully have a kennel up and running in the next 5 years

[whiskedaway]

I don't think I'll ever breed, however if any of my dogs were considered exceptional I might consider it.

[Rebanne]

I have always said I would never breed dogs. At this point I can't see that ever changing (although there are circumstances where I would consider a breeder using one of my dogs in the future).

personally if you allow your dog to be used then I consider you a breeder and the onus is on you to present your dog in the best possible way and any health testing that should be done for your breed, would have been done. That you will only allow your dog to be used over suitable bitches that meet your standard. That you are happy your dog can contribute to the breed in a positive way.

I am a breeder because I believe the breed needed more people to do so, I am a guardian of the breed, I am doing my best to ensure my breed lives on, fit and healthy. Companion was my 1st reason to get my breed, second was to show, breeding was a long way down the track.

[Vickie]

I don't think I'll ever breed, however if any of my dogs were considered exceptional I might consider it.

I just added that option. This is a statement that particularly interests me. To be honest I'm not sure I really understand it, other than, I guess, in a rare breed. Can you elaborate?

[B-Q]

I would like to breed one day.

Not for a long, long time though. I still kinda have a fairy tale idea in my head of rolling around on the ground with 8 clean, happy, polite puppies and I know there is often a lot more heartache, tears and cleaning than that. Plus the sheer amount of extra knowledge of my breed, training, raising etc etc etc I would need will only come with time so I may well change my mind in future. Atleast I know that I won't go forward with it unless I can handle it and be sure that I was adding positively to the breed and breeding for the right reasons. "Because puppies are cuteee!" doesn't really cut it, even if you do all the right things.

Edited March 1, 2011 by B-Q

[~Anne~]

I sometimes ponder the idea but, in all reality, I don't have the time to devote to it so it will never happen.

[Vickie]

I have always said I would never breed dogs. At this point I can't see that ever changing (although there are circumstances where I would consider a breeder using one of my dogs in the future).

personally if you allow your dog to be used then I consider you a breeder and the onus is on you to present your dog in the best possible way and any health testing that should be done for your breed, would have been done. That you will only allow your dog to be used over suitable bitches that meet your standard. That you are happy your dog can contribute to the breed in a positive way.

I understand what you are saying, but...I have already said that I don't have the knowledge to breed to the standard I want in a dog, choose a suitable stud/bitch or to be sure that offspring would be a positive contribution to the breed. If I were ever to do this (LOL, not likely for a long time since every dog I currently own is sterilised), it would be on the advice & faith in someone who did have this knowledge...not sure if that would make me a breeder or not...

Edited March 1, 2011 by Vickie

[Cosmolo]

Never could. Not only would i lack the knowledge and time regarding the care of the bitch, pregnancy, whelping etc- i would find it very hard to have puppies raised in my home and rehome them, let alone if there were issues or if a puppy buyer didn't do what i wanted them to re: training and socialisation. I am too much of a control freak.

[Gayle.]

I thought very hard about it, got a prefix which I love, then thought so much about it that it just about made my head explode.

In the end, and after loads of consideration. I decided against it. For a number of reasons. Time, knowledge, distance from decent vet specialists, the fact that there are plenty of breeders doing it well already, concern over the sale of puppies and placing them in the right homes, and the overwhelming love for my darling girl who I decided I love too much for her to be my test pilot.

Plus I like keeping my dogs. As a breeder I'd have to make decisions I'd hate. In the end it was easier to ditch the whole idea.

Still love my prefix though.

[whiskedaway]

I don't think I'll ever breed, however if any of my dogs were considered exceptional I might consider it.

I just added that option. This is a statement that particularly interests me. To be honest I'm not sure I really understand it, other than, I guess, in a rare breed. Can you elaborate?

Well, my lappie is a rare breed - as common as lappies are on the forum, there's still only 400 or so in Australia. She would have to do extremely well in the show ring and be considered by other breeders to be sound of type and health before I would consider it. I believe that you breed to improve the gene pool - remove health issues in the breed (not that there are that many for lappies) and try to get as close to the breed standard as possible while still allowing them to work as they were intended to - and so I wouldn't breed any of my dogs unless they're as good as they can possibly be and them having pups can improve the breed in some way.

Not really sure if that makes sense at all.

[corvus]

OH says to me he doesn't know how breeders do it. He says if he was responsible for bringing puppies into the world he would worry too much about finding them good homes. He would worry about them for the rest of their lives, terrified that someone might decide they didn't want it anymore and rehome it, put it to sleep, or surrender it without telling him. My OH doesn't know much about breeding and has little care for standards. He just couldn't bear the responsibility of breeding. I agree with him. I don't know how they do it, either. I would like to try breeding one day, but not dogs. Nothing that I would need to find homes for some of the babies. Only if I could keep the offspring.

[MadWoofter]

While ever there are dogs in pounds I could never breed. Just my personal opinion & belief only, doesn't mean I don't disagree with breeding per se

[Vickie]

Thanks that makes perfect sense whiskedaway

Edited March 1, 2011 by Vickie

[Rebanne]

I have always said I would never breed dogs. At this point I can't see that ever changing (although there are circumstances where I would consider a breeder using one of my dogs in the future).

personally if you allow your dog to be used then I consider you a breeder and the onus is on you to present your dog in the best possible way and any health testing that should be done for your breed, would have been done. That you will only allow your dog to be used over suitable bitches that meet your standard. That you are happy your dog can contribute to the breed in a positive way.

I understand what you are saying, but...I have already said that I don't have the knowledge to breed to the standard I want in a dog, choose a suitable stud/bitch or to be sure that offspring would be a positive contribution to the breed. If I were ever to do this (LOL, not likely for a long time since every dog I currently own is sterilised), it would be on the advice & faith in someone who did have this knowledge...not sure if that would make me a breeder or not...

In my book it does, even if you go with what your mentor is telling you. It does take two to tango after all

I suspect your poll is aimed more at bitch owners though since they do most of the hard yards but owners of stud dogs also have their responsiblities to the breed.

[dancinbcs]

Most of the breeders in my breed have been around well over 20 years. I can't think of one that actually started off with the plan to become a breeder. I certainly didn't. I bought a male to show (if he was good enough) and to do obedience. I specifically only wanted a male because I didn't want to breed. That first dog gained his Ch, CDX and numerous classes in group and in show. That was it, I was hooked on the breed and bought a bitch puppy that complimented the dog. When the new bitch puppy was about 5 months old, my male then 3 years old, won Best In Show at a breed specialty from an entry of 175. Two years later in 1988 I bred my first litter. Since then I have mentored a few more breeders that are still in the breed as well.

I know of so many others that started with a show or trial dog, did well and ended up becoming breeders. Some only showed because it was a requirement of buying a particular puppy, then went on to become the stalwarts of the breed. Others bought a main register bitch as a pet and thought it would be nice to have one litter. With dedicated mentoring, for that first litter, by the breeder or owner of the stud dog, some have gone on to be very prominant breeders and exhibitors. While some people don't really have an initial interest in showing their first dog, most cannot resist showing a puppy from the first litter they breed.

Puppy farmers and export agents have now ruined the way things worked. No one is game to sell main register puppies for fear of where they will end up but it means that no new buyers are becoming breeders and exhibitors, unless they specifially plan, research and basically do an apprenticeship. Very sad for the dog world and no wonder numbers of purebred breeders drop every year.