Breeding your dog

Author: Bella (proHOUND Co-Founder)

I see it all the time: ‘should we have a litter from our girl before she’s spayed?’

‘Anyone want to do a litter with my dog? He’s lush, good with kids too’ 

‘I’m definitely gonna breed my French Bulldog – I see puppies selling on Gumtree for like £3k!’ 

‘Litter coming from this boy next year. Natural protector and really aggressive – perfect guard dog’

 

When I ask what health tests these dogs have had, people always say ‘the vet says he’s fine’.

 

Not what I mean! 

 

Now, in the name of free education, I’m going to list just SOME of the things you need to consider before you breed your dog. 

 

• Has the dog had his hips & elbows formally scored? (This costs around £400)
• Has the dog had his DNA analysed to ensure he is clear of all genetic diseases? (About £180)
• Has the dog had his eyes tested?
• Has the dog had his heart tested?
• Has the dog had his breathing tested?
• Does the dog contribute to the breed standard?
  - by that I mean would you say his offspring would help improve the breed? 
• Is he of stable temperament? 
• If he is a working breed or a working type of that breed, what achievements does he have?
• Have you found a suitable mate for your dog who also meets all of the above standard?
• Do his parents and grandparents meet all of the above standards?
• Would anyone suitable be interested in the puppies?
• Have the parents been fed properly?
• Would you wean the puppies properly?
• Do you have any idea how to help a dam give birth?
• Can you afford a Caesarean section if there are complications?
• Where would the litter live?
• ...are you just doing it for money?

 

The latter is sadly not a good enough reason to breed your dog. I know first hand that even attempting to breed alone is costly, time-consuming and often pointless. 

If the breeding is successful and you have puppies, the litter is costly, time-consuming and often heart-breaking. 

Not to mention how bloody hard work it is raising a litter! 

 

So why do you breed?

• To contribute to and improve the standard of the breed
• To provide quality pets or working dogs to individuals 

You do NOT create lives to make money. Not only is that highly unethical but profits are often minimal from a well-bred litter anyway! Don’t forget the labour of raising the puppies too – it’s hardly an easy eight weeks.

 

I understand that people are proud of their dogs and that breeding CAN be relatively simple. Contact someone with a stud, pay their (probably undeservedly extortionate) fee, meet them in the park and boom – that’s a house deposit in the bag. 

 

But it shouldn’t be that simple. Here at proHOUND we are all about two things: 

• Accessible education 
• PREVENTION
•  

We need to educate people about how to buy a puppy correctly so that demand for badly-bred puppies decreases, and we need to educate people whose dogs are not suitable for breeding. 

 

I admit not all of the tests I highlighted above are relevant to every single breed (a Doberman will need his heart tested but not his breathing, unlike a brachycephalic breed), but I can promise you that each breed will need SOME health tests and they WILL be costly. 

 

I’m now starting Ava’s health tests (more for my own curiosity; her elbow development was incorrect and whilst it’s all fine now according to the third costly CT scan, I want to make 100% sure the elbow is fine by having her joints scored) – altogether I will spend at least £1000. 

I’ll just add the CT scans alone were £1000 each… my insurance only paid for the first when there was a need for it. 

Some breeds require CT scans AND scoring! 

 

We recently discussed Pippa Mattinson’s ‘The Happy Puppy Handbook’ in Book Club – some of the advice in that book was…interesting, but something I did like was her passion for quality breeding. The book also contained a lot of helpful information about buying a well-bred puppy. 
Check out ‘The Happy Puppy Handbook’ on Book Club! That event (split into two) obviously contains a lot of information about what is right and what is wrong when it comes to raising a puppy as well.

 

Follow our Instagram to see how Ava’s health tests go! 

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