Find out about all aspects of Dog Heat and Pregnancy
The ins and outs of Breeding a Dog
By: Tippy
Whether or not to breed your dog is a big decision - bigger
than you might believe, in fact. Biologically speaking,
breeding a dog isn't near as simple as getting together a
male and female dog if you are after getting healthy puppies
of a particular breed. And not all dogs can breed or should
breed depending upon what genetic defects they may possess.
In order to get healthy puppies from a mated pair it takes a
lot of work and it's very expensive. You will need a
veterinarian that is familiar with the dog and who is
experienced with whelping a litter. You can ask local
breeders what veterinarian they take their dog to if you
don't already have a veterinarian that you want to go to.
Not all veterinarians are experienced with whelping litters
so be sure to ask your veterinarian before you undertake
breeding your dog.
Many people think that breeding dogs is a quick and fast way
to make money. In fact that is not the case as many people
are not aware of all the upfront costs it takes to mate a
pair of dogs and get a healthy litter from the mother dog.
Those just starting out and having little experience in
mating dogs should ask the advice of local breeders and seek
out a good veterinarian.
You will have to have a female dog that is a good breeder.
Many people have no idea what that means. A good breeder
means that it is a female dog that has no genetic defects,
is sound physically, has made it past her first heat, is at
least two years of age and can bear puppies. Most people
will only bother to breed female breed dogs as this brings
the most money. In that case the female dog must meet AKC
standards for that breed and be a good breeder.
The female dog must also have a good history. The female and
male dogs that produced this female should also be free of
genetic defect as far back as possible. With a breed dog
this is easy to check as the papers will usually state who
the male and female dog was that produced your female dog.
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With an unknown breed mix this is much harder to come by and
in some cases if you aren't intending to sell or are going
to give away the pups it is unnecessary. You can sell mix
breed pups but you can't command the prices of a breed puppy
and often the price isn't worth the cost.
It is important that if you are not intending to breed your
female or male dog that you have it spayed or neutered. This
is because female dogs if they are not
spayed are a lot more
likely to develop certain diseases like cervical cancer.
Plus the chances that a male dog will get your female dog
pregnant are very high as a male dog will do almost anything
to get to a female dog in heat.
A male dog that isn't neutered is more aggressive and
dominant. They often have discipline problems and are a lot
more likely to run away, especially if they scent a female
in heat. If you have a family with children it is a very
good idea to get your male dog neutered as it makes the dog
gentler.
Every Female Dog should have a Litter
It has been expressed by some dog owners that a female dog
is a better dog for having had a litter. There is no
scientific study of any kind that would support this
opinion. In fact there is a lot that can go wrong if your
female dog has a litter. It isn't recommended for a female
dog to have a litter unless you intend to professionally
breed the dog.
When a female dog goes into heat it undergoes hormonal
changes and the same occurs when your female dog is
pregnant. Once the pregnancy is over the dog will return to
normal and if there are any lasting effects from the
pregnancy it is the puppies that result. Experts say that
you cannot improve the temperament of a dog by getting it
pregnant.
In fact, it hasn't been proven that pregnancy is actually
good for a female dog in any way. Pregnancy is dangerous and
can result in the death of your dog. Because of medical
advances this is less likely to occur but you are still
taking the life of your dog and her puppies into your hands
when you decide to breed her.
There are also problems and diseases that can result from
being pregnant, like mammary cancer and pyometra. A study
showed that breast feeding in humans can lessen the
likelihood of a human's getting mammary cancer. But this
doesn't mean that the same would be true of dogs.
You will also have to take into account how healthy your dog
is and if her health can withstand being pregnant. Female
dogs that already have a weak immune system or some kind of
genetic defect should never have a litter. This can result
in the death of the dog as well as passing on genetic
defects to her progeny.
If you want to breed your dog once to get a new puppy for
yourself keep in mind it most likely will be nothing like
the original dog and there is a lot of money involved if you
are going to breed your dog responsibly. Breeding your
female dog should not be an endeavor to be taken lightly.
So we conclude that it is false to believe that there is a
benefit to breeding your female dog. You are risking your
dog's life when you do breed her, and you shouldn't breed
her if there are any health issues that can effect during
pregnancy or the puppies that would result. Spay your female
dog if you don't intend to professionally breed her.
Start your new Puppy off the Right Way
Your new puppy deserves the absolute best he or she can
get in nutrition to give them the best start in life.
New and growing cells need in dogs need a high quality
protein in order to develop to their full potential.
Nutrition plays a very important role in helping the puppy
to build a strong immune system which will help protect the
dog as they grow and mature.
We only recommend one food for growing puppies.
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