Share
Dog Breeding for
Beginners in 5 Steps
You should know that it takes a lot of time, patience, and learning through both theoretical work and praxis. All the actions that dog breeding takes are supposed to be conducted in a responsible way. This quick guide will help you to learn the basics of dog breeding for beginners in 5 steps.
Short Glossary of
Dog Breeding Terms
Firstly, here is a short glossary of dog breeding terms to help you understand the whole process. These are the common terms used in any conversation, article, and book about dog breeding. So, let’s start from the very beginning:
- Bitch – the term for a female dog.
- Dam – the female parent of puppies.
- Stud – the stud denotes the male dog that performs the mating with the bitch.
- Sire – the designation given to the male dog which is the father of the litter.
- Litter – a litter consists of puppies born from the same pregnancy.
- Heat cycle – the active period of a bitch’s reproductive cycle when the eggs are released for fertilization and a period when the bitch has an active willingness to breed.
- Whelping – the act of giving birth to puppies, simply known as “labor.”
- Whelping box – a prepared box in which the bitch gives birth to puppies.
- Linebreeding – planned breeding between family members in order to obtain quality genes.
- Inbreeding – denotes breeding between closely related members of the same family and is not desirable because it can produce defects. Especially, if you are a beginner in dog breeding, avoid inbreeding.
- Outcrossing – this term refers to breeding between two dogs that are not related at all.
01. Inform Yourself
About Breeding Techniques
Natural breeding
Outbreeding is a method used to breed hybrid dogs, known also as designer dog breeds (a cross between two purebred dogs). These crossbreeds are increasingly valued and sought after, but this challenging process is for more experienced breeders, though.
Back breeding is a form of inbreeding where one dog mates with another dog in order to breed with the strongest from that litter afterward. Not to be confused with back-to-back breeding which refers to breeding your bitch for two or three heats in a row. The breeder then lets her rest for several cycles or completely retires her.
Artificial insemination
In both cases, gestation lasts about 63 days. In certain cases, delivery starts earlier, but with the proper care, both the dam and the puppies will remain in stable health.
It is crucial to avoid overbreeding since it is not ethical and may be harmful to your dog. It can lead to horrible health issues and complications. Do not put your profits before your dog’s health! This is the most important postulate of dog breeding for beginners, and dog breeding in general.
02. Pick the
Compatible Partner
Your aim should be puppies that are not affected by the hereditary diseases known to be occurring in your dog’s breed. Be well-versed in knowing dominant patterns of inheritance. Keep in mind that good offspring beget long before breeding. This means that both parents have been receiving good and regular care, exercise, and nutrition.
Dog’s pedigree chart may provide some valuable pieces of information for you as a dog breeder. You should analyze the following: titles and awards, patterns of desired and undesired characteristics, health, coat types, stud’s ancestry, and inbreeding level. Since you don’t have insights into each dog’s genome, you must study their ancestors one by one. Luckily, DNA screenings can be performed nowadays. This method is not almighty but it helps breeders to remove defects out of the breed more easily than in the past.
03. Know All About
the Heat Cycle
How to know when your bitch is coming into a season? The common signs are loss of appetite, frequent urination, licking around the vulva, and the visibly swelled area around the vulva.
What are the proestrus and estrus stages? During the proestrus stage, the bitch attracts but not welcomes the male dog. Don’t be afraid if you notice that the female dog releases the blood-stained discharge, it is very common. This stage lasts for an average of 9 days but can range anywhere from 0-27 days. The estrus stage is the most fertile period known as ovulation (2-3 weeks for most dogs) when the dog can become pregnant.
04. Take Proper Care for
the Dam and the Litter
Whelping
Raising Puppies
Hygiene
Nutrition
Health and Socialization
The neonatal puppies should be vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases and wormed two or three times to remove Toxocariasis from their digestive system. When it comes to socializing, it is a very important step for your puppies. Therefore, introduce them to children, but supervise them while they are playing. The new owners can also interact with the puppies as well and know your routine and the reward system. 3-4 weeks old puppies are encouraged to go outside with their mother.
Taking Care of the Bitch after the Labor
Make sure your bitch has access to fresh, clean water all the time. If you have certain doubts that the bitch is malnourished, dehydrated, or you suspect mastitis or milk fever, you should not hesitate to call the vet.
Get All The Latest News
05. Implement New technology
In Dog Breeding Process
With the help of new technologies and reliable tools, dog breeding for beginners is much easier nowadays. You’ll no longer keep a record of all different responsibilities, tasks, and actions in various notebooks, or memorize them. An all-in-one dog breeding platform can help you organize all breeding activities and events in one place.
Thanks to the technology of the new generation, you can easily keep track of your dog breeding activities including dog and litter records. That data can be related to:
- medicals
- vaccinations
- food
- heat cycles
- matings.
A comprehensive dog breeding platform can help you manage all your connections with potential new homes for puppies and collaborations with other breeders. It can also facilitate your marketing activities such as creating and publishing social media posts directly from the platform. Last but not least, this complete dog breeding platform keeps records of your expenses and incomes, creating periodical reports.
Wrapping Up
Loving dogs and understanding canine genetics is the first step in dog breeding for beginners. Taking care of your bitch before and after the whelping is a huge commitment. What is more, making sure that the litter is getting all the care it needs is an all-day engagement. It can be exhausting and sometimes, it can be heartbreaking. Do all the checks and examinations needed and keep the record of them in one place. Always consult your veterinarian if you have a single doubt that something is wrong.
Dog breeding should start with research and knowledge. It can be an expensive and time-consuming process, and from time to time very emotionally draining. Moreover, be aware that this is not a hobby, but a full-time job. Find all the available resources of information about canine genetics, health, and breeding. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of love and devotion – your role is to improve the breed, not just numbers.
