We understand – you have the best dog ever. Your dog is so fantastic that you would like to make dozens of small carbon copies.
You may think raising your dog is easy: all you need is to gather two puppies and let nature take its course, right? However, there are certain things you should know in advance to ensure that everything goes well for everyone involved.
This guide will show you exactly what to do to ensure that your dog’s first breeding experience is positive.
Before you start
First, what is a Stud dog?
Simply put, a breeder is any dog used for breeding. Male and female dogs can be called breeders, but usually, you will only see males called breeders. Females, on the other hand, are typically called bitches.
Studs are usually registered purebred animals – you won’t see mongrels being called stallions, no matter how attractive they are.
As a result, you will need to understand your dog’s breed before starting. This means finding all the roles you have claiming your inheritance and familiarising yourself with the breed standard to know what your dog has to offer.
You can do this by searching the Internet, watching videos, participating in race-specific events, reading books or checking out canine exhibitions. Dog exhibitions and breed-specific events are especially good because they will allow you to interact with people who may be interested in your dog’s services.
Learn why you’re raising your dog
There are good and bad reasons to raise a dog. The bad ones include wanting to earn extra money or simply wanting to have puppies around.
A good reason to raise your dog, on the other hand, is to improve the breed. This means correcting the flaws in your dog by crossing it with a dog that does not have these flaws, with the ultimate goal of producing perfect puppies.
You can sell or show these dogs if you want, but remember that the ultimate goal is to make the breed better than you found it. It’s not about you – it’s about dogs.
Realise that this is not an easy process
Educating a dog is not easy; it requires effort and much more time than you expected. This is true even if the breeding process is not successful, but if it is, you should realise that raising puppies is a full-time job.
Many people enter animal husbandry thinking that it will only take a few hours a week or be a unique commitment. This is a great way to feel bad and makes it much more likely that the whole process will be an arduous task for you and the dogs.
You should also be aware that nothing ever comes out perfectly. A large part of being an animal breeder is to solve problems, whether they are during the breeding or breeding process.
It is also important to realise that this will be expensive. Even if you plan to sell the puppies for good money, there is a long time between raising the dogs and selling the puppies. Dogs will still need to eat during this period, so make sure you have the necessary capital to keep them alive and healthy.
Choose a suitable companion.
This is possibly the most crucial step, but it is also the one that many creators save. They think that any partner who is purebred and available will be good enough.
This goes hand in hand with improving the breed’s ethos; your primary concern when raising your dog is finding a complementary companion. Your dog should improve its flaws and vice versa.
Don’t just look at the animal individually. It would be best if you studied all your inheritance because a single dog can always be an anomaly. For example, if you need a dog with a glossy coat, make sure that the bright coats are familiar and are not just a feature of that particular dog.
The most important thing to do is to avoid hereditary diseases as much as possible. This is not entirely in your power, but if you can study your partner’s blood cell lines, you can detect genetic problems that do not need to be transmitted to future generations.
All this requires at least a basic knowledge of genetics, so if you are not familiar with the subject, it’s time to update yourself. At the very least, you should understand the dominant vs recessive genes and how they affect a dog’s offspring.
Other things to consider in a companion
The issues mentioned above are the most important to think about, but they are also those that most people already know. There are many things you need to consider.
When choosing a partner, you must make sure that the two dogs are the same size or that the male is larger. If you have a young man and an older woman, he may not be tall enough to assemble it correctly, which can cause all kinds of problems during mating.
Also, keep in mind proximity. You may need to drive to the other dog’s house several times over several months, so if he lives a few hundred kilometres away, it will get old (and expensive) quickly.
Make sure their schedules match yours as well. Planning your life according to a dog’s schedule may seem ridiculous, but many sought-after breeders have complete dance cards.
Talk to a lawyer
You can get into a procreation situation with just a handshake agreement, but this is a great way to ensure that everyone leaves unhappy – and these agreements usually end with both sides talking to a lawyer after the fact.
Instead, consult a lawyer in advance to write a stallion contract. The agreement should include a reproduction fee, a discussion about what to do with the puppies, and what paperwork (such as genetic tests or proof of inheritance) is required in advance.
Agreeing on a contract is the best way to ensure that everyone is on the same page before things get too far away and allows you to cover your back in case there is disagreement later. You will be pleased to have one of the resulting puppies are the winners.
Everyone involved must sign the contract and receive a copy of their file. Hopefully, this will eliminate any potential problems at the root, but if not, you have concrete and cold-proof of what has been agreed.
Make sure the two dogs are in shape.
If you are taking the breeding process seriously, you need to ensure that both animals are in the best possible shape before they begin. This means complete checkups, including genetic screenings and pre-reproduction tests (those who pay for these tests must be specified in the breeder’s contract).
Both dogs should be fed a nutritious diet and plenty of exercises. If you want the best dogs, you need parents who are in great shape, without nutritional deficiencies or health problems. After all, fatherhood is difficult for the body.
The bitch should have a pre-procreation physical examination about a month before the act occurs. The two dogs should be examined for brucellosis, a disease that can cause sterility or miscarriage. They should also be up to date with the vaccines.
Make sure the two dogs are of the appropriate age.
Different breeds reach sexual maturity at different times, but most bitches start to heat around 6 months or more. However, it is generally recommended not to reproduce them during this first battery, as successful mating will put significant pressure on their still-developing bodies.
Also, do not procreate in successive cycles; always take out at least one battery in the middle. This gives the bitch’s body time to recover.
At the other end of the spectrum, try to avoid mating two older dogs, even if both are still fertile. Reproduction is difficult for both animals, and they will have more difficulty recovering quickly. Puppies can also suffer if parents cannot rest and recover enough between intersections.
However, something is to be said about the experience, so you may not want to pair two extremely young dogs. Look for a happy middle ground – most experts recommend waiting until the bitch is at least 2 years old.
During actual playback
Wait until the right day of the cycle.
The first day of the cycle is considered the day the bitch begins to bleed. Counting from that day on, you should try to reproduce it from the 10th to the 14th. You can reproduce it several times during this period, assuming that it will accept the male.
That doesn’t mean that your work starts on the 10th, however. You must introduce the two dogs before that to allow them to get used to each other.
There is a good chance that the female is not in the mood to accept the male, but you should still let them get used to each other unless their aggressiveness gets out of hand. This causes things to occur much more smoothly during royal breeding since there will be some familiarisation between the two animals.
Learn how to get involved to enter during the mating process
Most experts recommend letting nature take its course during actual mating, and it is more likely to be successful if the two dogs have already established a relationship. However, sometimes nature needs a little encouragement.
You may need to be around to calm your dog or to encourage him to start the mating process. Someone may need to hold the bitch so that the male can ride it, or someone may need to keep the male in place so that he does not pull prematurely.
It would be best if you were careful not to be involved, too, however, as this can be unpleasant and discourage copulation. The idea is to provide minimal assistance and leave lovers on their own in another way.
The first time can be complicated, and that’s when you’ll probably need to provide more assistance. However, as dogs familiarise themselves with the process, you should get less and less involved.
You should also make sure that mating happens in a place where your dog is familiar and comfortable, at least the first time. If they are not sure about what is around them, they will spend more time investigating the environment than going straight to the point.
After mating is completed
Your responsibility after mating will depend on what was agreed in the breeder’s contract. If you have a male dog, likely, you do not have much to do after a successful mating except possibly collect your share of the puppies.
Caring for a pregnant bitch is much more complicated and is also beyond the scope of this article. Just know that taking care of a pregnant bitch is very complex when dealing with the offspring of two registered animals, so plan to dedicate a little time and money to it.
Good luck with your new puppies
Despite what you can instinctively assume, raising a dog is not easy, and there are countless opportunities to make mistakes. However, if you do some research and learn your things in advance, there is no reason why you should not have a successful creation on your first attempt.
Who knows? After you and your dog get the hang of it, you can end up with the most sought-after breeder in your hands. Not bad for an animal that spends most of its free time barking at the dog in the mirror.