| By
Emma Snow
For anyone who may balk at the price of
good pups nowadays, or who may think to himself, “At those
prices I should become a breeder!” let me assure you that
breeding does not make millionaires. There are a lot of
bad reasons people breed their dogs, but there are only
a few good ones. If you don’t meet all three of the following
conditions and you still want to breed your dog, take
a long, hard look at the situation in our crowded shelters
across the country before you decide to contribute to
the problem.
Good reasons to breed your dog:
1. You have in your possession a five generation
pedigree (at least) for your dog that contains numerous
champions in conformation, obedience, and/or fieldwork.
There is no evidence of in-breeding, and you have a stud
in mind with a complimentary pedigree.
2. Your dog is in excellent condition and
closely fits the AKC standards for the breed.
3. You possess an abundance of time, patience,
and indeed, passion for dogs in general, and your breed
in particular. What’s more, you are in a financial position
to cover the expenses that invariably incur with breeding
dogs (see below for details).
If you’re a dog-lover looking for a way
to make a few extra bucks, do yourself a favor and open
up a kennel or a high-end poodle salon. Don’t imagine
that raising pups will bring in the bucks, for the reality
is the very opposite. But in case you’re still seeing
dollar signs…
This article should give you an idea of
the cost involved in breeding a dog.
To begin with, there are the initial costs,
like purchasing the mother. If you remember condition
#1 (above), you know that you’re going to need to be picky
if you want to breed her. Plan on approximately $800.
You’ll then need to have a series of tests run to make
sure she meets condition #2. These tests include hip X-rays
to rule out hip dysplaia, eye tests to check for cataracts,
and tests for thyroid disease, in addition to any other
tests recommended for the breed. These tests will cost
you at least $300. Of course, you don’t have to do these
tests, but it you don’t, you have no way of guaranteeing
the genetic health of your pups, which serious buyers
will be expecting. Then, of course there are the dog supplies
you’ll need for the first year before your gal is ready
to breed (food, toys, vitamins—you’re going to want to
keep her healthy), but you had already planned on those,
right? Tack on another $1,000.
So now we get to the fees at the time of
breeding. Expect at least $400 for the stud fee, although
it’s more if you insist on a champion-quality stud. There
may be travel and boarding expenses, but we’ll give you
a break and pretend that dream-guy lives down the block.
Once your gal is pregnant she’ll need routine vet exams
to check for infections that might affect the health of
the pups. If anything goes wrong you may have to pay for
ultrasounds or an emergency C-section. Oh yeah, pregnant
dogs eat more, and need more vitamins…We’re talking $500
or more, even for a healthy pregnancy.
You’ll need some special equipment for the
big day: whelping box, heat pads and lamps, thermometer,
scissors, towels, baby scales, tweezers, hemostats, baby
suction bulb, bottles and/or tubes for feeding (just in
case mom gets an infection or can’t feed her pups), milk
replacement formula, and nail clippers. But you probably
have most of this stuff lying around, right? So we’ll
be modest and say $100. Whew! The pups arrive and all
is well. Now the money starts rolling in, right?
Wrong! You’ve only just begun. To keep those
pups in tip-top shape you’ll need puppy wormer (given
at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks), diarrhea medication, wellness
check-ups with the vet, vaccinations and eye certifications,
extra puppy food and vitamins, and advertisement fees!
Plan on $300 minimum for each pup, plus $100 to take them
off your hands. Oh, and you’ll need time off work to care
for mother and pups. But you had ample time, right (condition
#3)?
Wow! All those expenses add up fast! For
a litter of four you’ll be dishing out at least $4,400.
Even if you sell your pups for $800 (that’s average for
a well-bred puppy), you’re out $1,200. While some of these
expenses are one-time, can you expect to make money down
the road? After seven litters, you might. But then again,
consider that annual maintenance of the mother will cost
you $1,000, and you shouldn’t breed her at intervals more
frequent than two years. Maybe it’s understandable why
75% of breeders do not attempt to breed again. The verdict
is in…if you’re thinking of breeding for the money, you
should know right now, breeding definitely does not make
cents!
About the Author
Emma Snow an animal lover works in marketing for Dog Pound
http://www.dog-pound.net
and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net
leading portals for pet management.
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