Breeding Facts
First of all, and this must be said, female dogs do not have to have a litter of puppies to be fulfilled and male dogs won’t miss what they have never had. Here are a few questions to ask your self before deciding to breed your dog:
- Have I researched breeding and do I understand what that entails?
- Do I have the time and commitment to raise and care for puppies for the 8-12 weeks required with their mother?
- If something should happen to mom, do I have it in me to feed those puppies every 3-4 hours until they are old enough to eat on their own? Usually 4-5 weeks?
- Is there a market for the breed I want to raise or is the market already flooded with that breed?
- What do I do with the puppies I can’t find a home for? Am I willing to keep these puppies for the time it takes to find them a proper loving home?
- Can I afford the vet bills that may arise whether it be caesarean section, puppy or mom takes ill , or vet checks and vaccinations which are essential to the health and well being of your puppies?
- Am I willing to guarantee the health of my puppies should a congenital or hereditary health issue arise once these puppies are placed in their new home? You raised these puppies! It’s your responsibility!
If you answered “NO” to any of these questions please reconsider your decision to breed. Dogs and puppies love you unconditionally with no strings attached and they deserve the same consideration from you.
Breeding can be very rewarding and exciting when those new puppies arrive but there is also a downside to breeding as well. It is the unexpected that could arise if you are not educated and prepared. Toy breed moms are small themselves and are more likely to require a caesarean section which could result in a vet bill of $600 or more providing she doesn’t whelp in the middle of the night or have whelping difficulties which cause damage to the uterus and end up needing to be spayed. Each additional procedure your vet has to perform increases your vet expense. Keep in mind that if mom whelps in the middle of the night when you are not watching and whelping difficulties arise, without a caesarean section, the outcome could be possible death to the mother and her puppies as well.
If puppies are whelped naturally without incident, there are other situations that could arise such as:
- Puppy dies shortly after being born no matter how hard you tried to get it to breath and respond to life.
- The heartbreak of loosing a puppy in later weeks of life for unforeseen reasons.
- Toy breeds such as chihuahuas, pomeranians, papillons, and yorkies can become hypoglycemic very quickly because of their small stature. They must be monitored closely to be sure they are eating well and often enough to maintain their glucose levels. They can stress very easily and most times require to be with their mother longer than bigger breeds. Most breeders will keep their toy breeds with their mother for at least 10-12 weeks especially if the puppies weight is under 2lbs at 8 weeks of age.
- At some point your mother has come in contact with parvo virus even though she has been vaccinated and has now infected her babies with the virus as well. If you are uneducated and don’t know the symptoms of this virus and nothing is done quickly, the mother and these puppies will die.
Again to reiterate, please be sure you are educated and prepared to become a breeder. There are way too many breeders out there who are in it just for the money and not for the puppies they are carelessly bringing into this world. There are too many puppy mills and an overabundance of unwanted puppies in Humane Societies across the country that people have purchased on impulse. Puppies born due to negligence on the part of the owner to have their pet spayed or neutered. Some people will allow their dog to be bred and find it is too much maintenance to care for these puppies so they drop them off at local Humane Societies if the puppies are lucky.
