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The Ultimate Guide On How To
Become A Dog Breeder
If you love dogs and are searching for a new business opportunity, dog breeding may just be for you. The main job of a dog breeder is to produce purebred puppies. These puppies can be used as show dogs, breeding stock, or someone’s companion.
However, learning how to become a dog breeder is not easy and it requires a lot of dedication and planning. To help you out with the whole process, we composed this guide. Here, we will walk you through four stages you need to complete to be a successful dog breeding business owner.
However, learning how to become a dog breeder is not easy and it requires a lot of dedication and planning. To help you out with the whole process, we composed this guide. Here, we will walk you through four stages you need to complete to be a successful dog breeding business owner.
Breeding Plan
Choose The Breed
After deciding that you want to start this business, the first step is to choose the dog breed. You can choose to focus only on one breed or have several in your kennel. Once you are settled on that, decide whether you will have only male or female dogs, or both. This depends on several factors, such as the amount of space you have, your target market, breed’s medical history, etc.
Research it extensively
The next step in how to start breeding dogs is to familiarize yourself with the chosen breed. It is vital to know the basic information about some aspects of canine genetics which will be important for breeding. You should know all the potential health problems, the ways to cure them, behavioral traits, and so on. By doing so, you will be prepared for any unforeseen situations. Additionally, you will be able to choose higher-quality animals for your breeding stock.
Familiarize yourself with the breeding standard
The breeding standard is the criterion based on which pedigree dogs are judged. To receive the status of a dog with a pedigree, several factors are analyzed. Their ancestry is checked, as well as if their looks and temperament fit into the accepted standard of that breed. Dogs that fulfill these standards are considered to be of higher quality and, thus, are worth more. For this reason, it is important to gather information about the standards for your chosen breed.
Communicate with other dog breeders
There is nothing better than learning from other people’s mistakes. This also applies to how to start breeding dogs. Your colleagues in the dog breeding business have already tried some new approaches and made mistakes, so you do not have to. To hear some first-hand experiences, it is best to join dog breeding communities. If there are no such organizations in your country, try online forums and social media groups. A large number of valuable pieces of advice can be acquired in such places.
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Business Plan for How
to Become a Dog Breeder
Calculate the costs
The business plan is another thing you have to research when analyzing how to become a dog breeder. When it comes to this, the first thing to consider is the cost. Dog breeding is quite expensive. You have to provide a facility and food, buy a dog, pay for a suitable male, and all the necessary shots and tests. Additionally, you have to consider the costs of the insurance and business registration. The best way to predict and calculate your costs is to make a list of all the possible expenses you have to cover and the average amount of money you will need.
Decide on the target market
After that, you have to think of your target market. There are two possible approaches to the market that you can take. The first one is to sell the puppies to pet stores, which will distribute them further. Secondly, you can skip this step and sell directly to the individuals. There is an advantage to this path as you can see first-hand if the future owners of your puppies are responsible and good-natured.
Calculate the potential income
The amount of money you can earn by being a dog breeder depends on two factors. The first one is the pedigree of the puppy’s parents, and the second is the health of the puppy itself. If you want to be considered a responsible breeder, you should pay more attention to the latter aspect. By having a healthy litter, you will be able to sell better and, consequently, earn more.
One way of increasing the revenue and dog’s price is by promoting them. Entering dogs into the competitions and winning them will add prestige to your business and bring better pedigree to your puppies.
By considering these aspects and looking at the current market of your breed, you should be able to calculate the average amount of money you would be able to make in a year.
One way of increasing the revenue and dog’s price is by promoting them. Entering dogs into the competitions and winning them will add prestige to your business and bring better pedigree to your puppies.
By considering these aspects and looking at the current market of your breed, you should be able to calculate the average amount of money you would be able to make in a year.
Choose the name
Even though the name of your business sounds less important than other aspects of the business plan, it most definitely is not. The name is the first thing your customers will see and the thing which will attract their attention. If you do not have enough imagination or inspiration to think of a name, you can use an online name generator to help you out.
Before registering the name, you should check its availability, context on social media platforms, and web domain availability.
Before registering the name, you should check its availability, context on social media platforms, and web domain availability.
Education
And Training
Take up some courses
To start a dog breeding career, no special degree is required. However, breeders with business-related or animal-related degrees may have some advantages over those without them. If you are without this type of degree, there are ways to compensate for them. One of them is to take additional courses. If you are looking to advance in the field of business, you may consider courses about marketing, communication, and technology. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about dogs and the breeding process, take courses about animal anatomy, genetics, nutrition, and similar.
Additionally, there are courses specially designed for people who want to learn how to become a dog breeder. Some of the more popular ones are The Dog Breeding Master Course and Canine Care Certified. The goal of such courses is to provide a standard for all breeders and correct the common mistakes made in this business.
This kind of education can serve as a basis for the practical knowledge, which you will receive through your own experience.
Additionally, there are courses specially designed for people who want to learn how to become a dog breeder. Some of the more popular ones are The Dog Breeding Master Course and Canine Care Certified. The goal of such courses is to provide a standard for all breeders and correct the common mistakes made in this business.
This kind of education can serve as a basis for the practical knowledge, which you will receive through your own experience.
Get breeders licenses
There are some official licenses and certifications which you can acquire by fulfilling all of the requirements of your chosen organization. These types of certifications prove that your dog breeding business follows the obligatory guidelines and that it is completely up-to-code. It is not mandatory to acquire this, but it certainly has its advantages. One is that it brings you respect in the dog breeding community. This, consequently, leads to higher-paying prospects. So, this investment will pay off in the long run.
Execution
of the Plan
After finishing all the steps of the breeding and business plan, as well as learning all the necessary information about how to become a dog breeder, it is time to put everything into practice and execute your plans.
Prepare the kennel
The first step of the execution of the plan is to prepare a comfortable and safe space for your puppies. The kennel has to be dry at all times, with an adequate temperature and a sufficient amount of food and water. This step is crucial for further business development. The only way to have healthy and high-ranking puppies is by providing them with a healthy living environment.
Buy the breeding stock
Once you have prepared the space, you are ready to bring home the puppies. Previously, you decided on the breed of the dog and whether you will have only male/female or mixed kennel. Now, per your plan, you have to buy the dogs with which to start your business. As this is the first generation of your breeding stock, it is vital to choose carefully. It is wise to consult with your colleagues when choosing the dog seller to get any additional information about the owner himself and his breeding stock.
Select a suitable mate
When choosing a suitable mate, one simple principle is to bear in mind – choose dogs that complement each other. For example, if you have a dog with poorer fur quality, choose the mate with better fur. In this way, you will get better-quality puppies.
There are two factors to pay attention to in this process – temperament and health. Both of these are hereditary. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the dog’s temperament and perform pre-breeding health checks. By checking their health beforehand, you will be able to avoid any transmitted diseases or anomalies.
There are two factors to pay attention to in this process – temperament and health. Both of these are hereditary. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the dog’s temperament and perform pre-breeding health checks. By checking their health beforehand, you will be able to avoid any transmitted diseases or anomalies.
Follow the process from mating to birth
These stages usually come naturally to both male and female dogs, but sometimes human assistance is required. There is some useful information about the mating process that you need to remember. First of all, the female dog should not be bred at the first heat, because they are too young. Secondly, to make sure your dog is at the peak of the fertile period, your veterinarian can do some tests and let you know. Finally, females are less threatened by the new environment, so it is better to take them to male dogs, instead of the other way around.
After the mating, pay attention to the signs of pregnancy, such as an increase in appetite and size. Once the veterinarian confirms the pregnancy, you have to provide specialized nutrition to your dog with a high amount of vitamins and minerals.
The pregnancy lasts from 58 – 68 days, after which the dog gives birth. This process most commonly happens naturally, without any need for human assistance. Once the puppies are born, it is crucial to keep them warm and well-fed. Finally, after about 12 weeks, it is safe to separate them from their mothers and sell them.
After the mating, pay attention to the signs of pregnancy, such as an increase in appetite and size. Once the veterinarian confirms the pregnancy, you have to provide specialized nutrition to your dog with a high amount of vitamins and minerals.
The pregnancy lasts from 58 – 68 days, after which the dog gives birth. This process most commonly happens naturally, without any need for human assistance. Once the puppies are born, it is crucial to keep them warm and well-fed. Finally, after about 12 weeks, it is safe to separate them from their mothers and sell them.
Use apps
All of this may seem too complicated to keep track of. There are many pieces of information to memorize and processes to carry out. To organize all of the data effectively and be able to follow through every stage, there are apps available to help you out.
These types of all-in-one dog breeding platforms are very useful as they allow you to store all of your data in one place, make notes about any tasks and share that information with anyone you want. By having everything stored safely in one place, you will be able to check what is the next step of your plan and make sure everything is executed correctly.
Conclusion
It is not easy to learn how to become a dog breeder and then start your business. The process has many stages which require a lot of preparation and detailed planning. You have to think about both the breeding and the business aspect of your new venture. This may sound terrifying. But, if you follow this guide and use dog breeding platforms for organizations, it should not be a problem. In no time, you can become a highly successful dog breeder and business owner.
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