Breeding from your dogs
Many people think that having a litter from your bitch is a good idea!
Think again!
There are obvious costs and the money you receive from the puppies may cover the outlay but you have to remember you pay all of this out up front and don't get anything back until the pups are sold. If you have a reasonable sized litter you may well cover the cost of rearing the pups but if you end up with one or two puppies you will not. The table below gives an idea of the sort of costs you should expect. Cutting corners may mean poorly reared pups and these will not sell if other people rear their puppies well. The longer you keep the pups the more they cost to feed and then they need their inoculations and this adds on extra costs which you won't get back when you sell them. If you have a number of people wanting puppies from your bitch then the advertising costs may be smaller and you may not have to keep them after the eight week stage, costs may therefore be reduced. If you are going to buy a whelping box, puppy panels or run, heated pad or heat lamps, vet beds, weaning bowls etc then the costs will substantially increase.
So, if it is so costly why do I do it? I breed when I want a pup from one of my bitches or I have enough people on the waiting list to justify a litter. It keeps my line going and I enjoy having puppies. I feel tired out and pleased when they go, but the enjoyment of having and raising a litter is worth it for me. Whenever something goes wrong I regret ever mating the bitch and have cried many tears when I have lost a pup or one is ill. If anything subsequently goes wrong with the new home you should be able to take the puppy back or help with rehoming it. Rescue is there for emergencies not because you chose the wrong home. I am willing to rehome a dog I have bred at any point in its life.
I also have lots of contacts in the dog world and because of this website. I have people waiting for puppies and people who contact me when looking for puppies. Have you got lots of contacts to help you sell yours?
This is a book I recommend if you are thinking of breeding a litter. It has all sorts of information and advice about the highs and lows of breeding and is an invaluable resource during pregnancy and whelping.
An idea of some of the costs involved in having a litter:
| Items | Costs (approx) |
| Eye screening (annually) | £35 |
| Hip Scoring (one off) | £150 - 200 |
| Elbow scoring (one off) | £100 -150 |
| Stud Fee | £600 - ? |
| Kennel Club Registration (per pup) | £12 |
| Caesarian (if needed) | £250 - 500 |
| Extra Food (5-10 bags depending on size of litter) | £150 - £300 |
| Washing machine/carpets/electric costs | £50 |
| Whelping box/heated pads/heat lamps | £150 - £200 |
| Advertising/pedigrees etc | £50-£75 |
So use your dog at stud, not much outlay, easy money!!!!!
Think again!
Once you have had your dogs hips, elbows and eyes done there is little extra in the way of outlay except for feeding the dog. Your dog needs to have excelled in some sphere, be it showing, working or obedience, for people to be interested in using him - looking gorgeous in your eyes is usually not a reason why people will want to use him at stud. Using your dog once only may change his behaviour and encourage him to sniff out other bitches to mate. If you have a number of people interested in using him then it may be worth trying him. If he won't mate a bitch, you'll need some expert help from someone experienced in stud work - it doesn't always happen automatically. If it does that's wonderful. The downside of using your dog at stud is that bitches only ever come into season to suit themselves and you have to make your dog available to suit them. The owners usually want to come when you are at work, on holiday, booked in for a Championship Show or your child's school parents evening. The bitch may not be ready and so you spend every other day for a week trying to mate a reluctant bitch. Some matings are easy. The bitch arrives, the dog mates it and the owners leave. Some are not easy and you get to know the bitches owner very well because you spend more time with them than with your own family. If anything goes wrong with the mating/whelping/puppies it is usually blamed on the dog, if the mating/whelping/puppies are wonderful it is usually due to the bitch!!!
If you want to breed from your dogs or bitches, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. It is a fallacy that it does a bitch good to have a litter. Dogs don't need to mate a bitch - they won't know if they never do!!!
Remember that bringing a litter of puppies into the world has responsibilities, if you are not prepared to meet these obligations don't have a litter - buy one in from someone who will.