Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 6: Deciding to breed
• Part 2 of 6: Choosing which of your dogs to breed with
• Part 3 of 6: Examining your dogs
• Part 4 of 6: Starting the breeding process
• Part 5 of 6: Coping with childbirth
• Part 6 of 6: Taking care of the puppies

Breeding dogs is not a casual endeavor. It can be very fulfilling and wonderful when you understand the responsibilities. Before you decide to start breeding puppies, there are a few decisions you need to make. You also have to consider the responsibilities and preparations.

To step

Part 1 of 6: Deciding to breed

1. Do your research. Before you can decide if you are ready to start breeding, you need to do your research. This will help you understand what the process means and what you will need to do. Read books written by reputable breeders or veterinarians. Talk to your vet about the benefits and drawbacks. Talk to other reputable breeders about the reality of breeding.
   • Look for books written by veterinarians. Consider titles like Breeding purebred dogs, dealing with kinship and inbreeding by Kor Oldenbroek and Jack Windig from Wageningen UR Livestock Research or Breeding dogs by Esther Verhoef.
2. Does it for the right reasons. The only responsible reason for breeding is based on previous experience and research. If you have spent the last two years training, working, and running your dog, then you are a good candidate for dog breeding. Bringing into the world healthy, high quality puppies takes work and research.
   • Don't breed dogs to sell them as pets. This is not a useful or responsible way to breed. This reason creates a market that unfortunately drives the many bread breeders in the Netherlands and Belgium. Please be responsible and don't be someone who contributes to the overbred breed problem.
   • Breeding dogs in a good and responsible way takes a lot of time and investment.
3. Examine your situation. Make sure you can determine that you have a particularly good specimen of your breed. You can do this with the help of experts. You want to improve the breed, so you need proof that your dog is in the top 10% of its breed. You want your dog to contribute positively to the gene pool.
   • Your dog must be healthy and talented. Your dog should also have a symmetrical physical build that conforms to the breed standard. Your dog must also have a very good character.
   • You must be willing to live with the puppies for at least 8 weeks before they leave your home for their new home. You need to know what time of year the litter can come. This can help you figure out how this will affect you and your family.
   • Be prepared to keep all puppies. You are responsible for their health and happiness. If for some reason you are unable to find a home for all of the puppies, you may have to keep them all for yourself.
4. Learn which dogs are suitable for breeding. There are a number of types of dogs that are well suited for breeding. There are also hereditary traits that can be valuable to pass on to new puppies. You can breed working dogs. Their talents are based on the dog's ability to retrieve, drive a herd or follow prey. You can also breed show dogs, which are judged by their appearance and behavior.
   • In working dogs, a dog's talent for being good at its job can be hereditary. The mother dog and the father dog need a proven record of achievements in the field. There are competitions to prove that a dog is capable of performing.
   • Your show dogs must follow the breed standard. This is the standard of physical appearance for any breed of dog. Each breed has a breed standard, managed in the Netherlands by the Board of Directors for Cynological Area. Dogs bred to meet these standards are assessed at ring dog shows with other dogs to determine which dog best meets the breed standard.
   • Other countries have their own Kennel Club. If you plan to show in other countries, find information about the breed standards in that country.

Part 2 of 6: Choosing which of your dogs to breed with

1. Choose your dog. You have to decide which of your dogs you will use for breeding. You have to choose a bitch, this is a female dog, capable of giving birth to puppies. You also need a male, this is a male dog that you want him to breed with a bitch. You have to make sure that both have the discussed properties.
   • You can also use a male from another breeder if you don't have one of your own. Mating or inseminating your bitch costs money. Sometimes the agreement is that the owner of the male has first choice from the litter. Make sure all agreements are on paper and signed so that there is a contract between all parties involved in the nest.
2. Determine their origin. You will have to look at the background of the dogs. Study your dogs bloodline to make sure they have good qualities in their bloodline. For purebred dogs you can request their bloodlines from the Rad van Beheer or another registering body. You should also make sure that the couple is not directly related to avoid the genetic effects of inbreeding.
   • You should have your dog and the dog you plan to mate her tested for genetic problems present in the breed. The Raad van Beheer maintains a database of dogs and their test results for genetic abnormalities such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye abnormalities, deafness and soon Patellar Luxation. You don't want to breed dogs that have health problems that can be passed on to the next generation.
3. Observe their temperament. Look at the dogs you want to breed with to investigate their behavior. Both with each other and with other dogs. Breeding friendly dogs with a balanced character will increase the puppies' chances of developing similar characters. Aggressive and particularly fearful dogs should not be bred. They are dangerous.
4. Check the ages of the dogs. You need to make sure the dogs are the right age to breed. Most dogs should be around two years old. Many genetic problems become apparent when they are around 24 months old. You can have them tested through the Board of Directors or your vet. In order to breed successfully, your dogs must have a permanent identification in the form of a chip, to make it possible to link test data to the correct dog at the Board of Directors. They want to make sure there is no way to falsify the results.
   • Females start in heat, or estrus cycles, between the ages of 6 and 9 months. They will go into heat every 5-11 months after their first cycle. Most breeders will not breed a female until she is 2 years old and has had 3 or 4 cycles. This is when she is fully grown. She is now also physically able to endure the stress of carrying and giving birth to the puppies.

Part 3 of 6: Examining your dogs

1. Take your dogs to the vet. Before breeding your dog, you should have your dog examined by your vet. Make sure your dog has had all vaccinations. Her antibodies will be passed on to the puppies through her milk. These antibodies protect the puppies against disease.
2. Know your dog's medical history. If your dog has unknown medical conditions, it could change your breeding plans. Small purebred dogs may have genetic abnormalities that you will want to understand before breeding. The puppies have a high chance that they have the same abnormality or worse. Deviations can be dental problems such as a pincer bite, where the upper and lower jaw do not fit together properly. They can be prone to patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and spinal problems such as neck hernia. They can also have allergies that lead to skin and ear infections, heart problems, eye problems, or behavioral problems.
   • Make sure your dog is properly wormed. Roundworms, whipworms and heartworms can be transferred from the mother dog to the puppies.
3. Have a fertility test. You can have your animals examined to make sure they are fertile. This may include a semen test for the male. For example, these tests can find genetic problems as well as infectious diseases such as Brucellosis. Before breeding with your male or female it is recommended that you make sure that neither dog is a carrier and can transfer it to the other dog.

Part 4 of 6: Starting the breeding process

1. Wait until the bitch is in heat. Your bitch has to be in heat before she can be mated. The timetable is not set in stone, so keep an eye on your bitch to know when the time comes. The female's genitals will start to swell and there may be a bloody discharge. If you have a male around you can tell he gets turned on and is more interested in the bitch.
   • The bitch will not accept the male until she is really ready to be mated. She may even snap at him to keep him away until she's done. Don't let your dogs get hurt. Keep a close eye on them when they are together.
   • In general, after about 9-11 days in her cycle, the female will be receptive and accept that the male will mount and cover her.
   • If you're struggling to get your bitch covered, your vet can do a progesterone test. This helps to find out when she is in estrus and her body is ready to receive seed. Progesterone levels will increase 1-2 days before ovulation. Some bitches have quiet estrusions which make it difficult to detect estrus and a progesterone test will help mark the right time for ovulation.
2. Consider artificial insemination. Artificial insemination can help you get your dog pregnant if you don't have a male. Frozen dog semen can be shipped all over the world, stored in liquid nitrogen. Detailed steps are taken to thaw it and be inseminated into the bitch. You may want to consider this if the combination you have chosen does not seem to be able to breed naturally.
   • This can be problematic because it raises questions about the potential problems for the fertility of the next generation.
   • In very special cases, semen can be operatively implanted in the uterus by a veterinarian, with the bitch under anesthesia. Of course, these extra procedures will add to the cost of each pregnancy and with it every puppy in the litter.
3. Keep your bitch healthy. When you are sure that the bitch has been mated, you can separate her from the male. You need to feed her a balanced diet. You can also give her extra vitamins and calcium. These are generally advised by your vet.
   • This must be done during pregnancy. The gestation period for dogs is 58-68 days.
   • Keep the bitch's kennel free of pests such as fleas. Clean it regularly and provide plenty of fresh water and a clean place to sleep.
4. Watch for changes in your bitch. The nipples and mammary glands undergo changes during pregnancy. By the end of the pregnancy, the mammary glands will start to fill with milk. She will need extra nutrients during the last three weeks of her pregnancy. Talk to your vet about proper nutrition.
   • Usually, the pregnant female is fed puppy food for the last three weeks of her pregnancy. This provides her with enough calories and nutrition for the growing fetuses and helps her prepare for lactation.

Part 5 of 6: Coping with childbirth

1. Prepare a whelping box. A whelping box is what will be used to give birth. This chest should be about 6 inches longer than the female when stretched out, and about 12 inches wider. There should be an edge on the inside to keep her from laying on the puppies when they are born.
   • Place alternating layers of plastic sheets and newspapers on the bottom of the box. This will help keep it cleaner when the soil becomes contaminated. You can then just take out a layer of paper and a layer of plastic, after which a clean one will become visible. Also alternate with a layer of clean towels or other material that can be easily washed.
2. Be careful. You have to be aware of the moment when the delivery is approaching. Learn all about the stages of labor. Once she has started giving birth, keep an eye on her for strong contractions lasting more than 30-45 minutes without a puppy being born. This can be a sign of complications during childbirth.
   • Having X-rays taken when she's 45 days pregnant allows your vet to count how many fetal skeletons there are. This will also show if there are abnormally large puppies in it that could be causing problems in delivery. This information will prepare you and your vet for the possibility of a Caesarean section and give you an idea of ​​how many puppies to expect.
3. Keep the puppies warm. When the puppies are born, it is necessary to keep them warm. You should also make sure that they all have an opportunity to drink. Check them for birth defects such as cleft palate. The top of a puppy's mouth should be complete, with no signs of a gap in the oral tissue. The bitch will clean the puppies and help them to drink.
   • If you have a puppy with a cleft palate, the milk will travel from the mouth into the nasal passages. If the situation is severe enough then you should put the puppy to sleep as it will not survive.
4. Record the birth. Write down the date of birth, the total number of puppies and the number by sex. If you plan to register the nest with the Board of Directors, you must send the birth registration form within 10 days, which you received after the breeding registration. The breeding declaration must be signed by both owners.

Part 6 of 6: Taking care of the puppies

1. Keep an eye on the puppies. For the first few weeks, watch the puppies carefully, keeping them clean and warm. Also make sure they get enough milk. Weigh the puppies daily on a scale to make sure they gain weight. Healthy puppies should be completely clean, active and have full tummies. During the first two weeks of life, they should gain about 10% of their body weight per day.
   • When they are about 4 weeks old they will start to get very active. The whelping box will no longer be big enough. Give them a larger, safe space where they can explore. The bitch will likely leave them alone for longer at a time. You can now start getting the puppies used to soaked puppy food.
2. Take them to the vet. When they are 6 weeks old, you can take the puppies to the vet. There they get their first puppy vaccination. At 9 weeks they get the following. These include Parvo, Weil's disease, Para-infuenza and Hepatitis Contagiosa Canis. They are therefore treated for worms. Fleas and heartworms should be discussed.
   • Get your vet checked right away for any other health or hereditary issues. A responsible breeder will provide the new owners with this information so that they can complete the vaccination schedule properly.
3. Check potential buyers. This process must be done carefully. You want to make sure you send the puppy to a great home. The new family should be responsible and willing to make time, energy and resources available for the new dog.
   • Consider a home visit. Be prepared to reject a family if they are not a good combination for one of your pups.
4. Make a contract. When you find the right owners, you should make a contract with them. Make sure to include any health guarantees you offer and what their limitations may be. Include that the family must return the puppy to you should they not be able to take care of him at any point in his life.
   • You should also indicate whether the puppy has been sold as a pet or breeding animal, and whether there are any requirements for spay / neuter at a specific age.