I
am not even going to start hounding you on the
millions of animals euthanized each year in
shelters or that die on the streets. No one
ever thinks this could happen to a litter they
breed. I am going to tell you what makes a
responsible breeder and the major effort that goes
into ensuring the best, healthiest critters
possible. Breeding is not just putting two
cute dogs together and sixty-three days later you
have cuddly pups. Responsible breeding
requires work. It is not to be jumped into
headfirst.
What
a Responsible Breeder Does:
Knows
the breed standard
Each dog has a standard accepted by a kennel club
that states what the ideal specimen of that breed
should look like. It covers fur to teeth,
color to structure. A dog not fitting the
standard will not be considered for breeding.
Also, they get out and show the dogs. Just
because you think the dog may fit the standard,
does not mean it is a good breed representative.
Only by having the dog evaluated many times can
you truly get a feeling your dog is breeding
material – this goes for males and females (what
a dog show does as well as other competitions such
a Schutzhund – I highly regard a dog who has
achieved a SchIII – field trials, lure coursing,
etc.).
Even if a dog is top notch
physically, meets the standard well, but has
temperament issues (shy, aggressive), it will not
be bred. Many breeders also want to prove
their dogs have brains to match the beauty.
There are various sports that test a dog's working
ability. A dog should have both form and
function.
Know the
pedigrees
Just because two dogs are great specimens does
not mean they are compatible.
Not all hereditary problems are a simple
Dominant/Recessive gene thing. Some require
a combination of multiple gene sequences before
being expressed. So, two dogs could have
parts of these sequences and if bred, the problem
could be expressed though there is no sign in
either dog's background of the problem.
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