Should You Breed Your Dog? Test Your Dog's Eligibility

Many dogs owners at one point or another may feel tempted to breed their dogs. Beth J. Finder Harris author of the book ''Breeding a Litter'' claims that ''some people reason that since Nature provided their pet with a ''means of reproduction'', they should take advantage of this, regardless of the animal's quality.'' There are several other reasons why people breed their dogs, and I have compiled a list of the most common:

• I wanted to show my children the miracle of birth
• I have heard that a dog should be allowed to have puppies at least once
• I want more puppies like her
• People have asked me if I would ever breed her
• I want to make money doing something I like
• My dog suffers when in heat and gets false pregnancies
• My dog would make an excellent mom
• Christmas is around the corner and puppies can make great presents

The list may go on and on with different thoughts. While these people plan on breeding their dogs, in the meanwhile, every 1.5 seconds an unwanted pet is being put to sleep in the Unites States alone, leading to over 10000 dogs being put to sleep everyday and about 4-6 million being put to sleep each year! As Beth J. Finder Harris puts it goes a long way ''sales of pet-quality puppies without restrictions on breeding them is a real crime perpetuated on the pet overpopulated canine world''. So whose fault is it if so many unwanted pets are being put to sleep? Following are some clues:

• dog owners who purchase from irresponsible breeders that do not emphasize the importance of spaying/neutering or that fail to provide spay/neuter contracts
• irresponsible breeders that fail to emphasize the importance of spaying/neutering or that fail to provide spay/neuter contracts
• dog owners who fail to spay/neuter their pets or are unable to keep their intact pets properly confined
• people who decide to breed dogs for the many reasons listed above

The answer is simple: the pros, the experts of the field, reputable, responsible breeders that abide to a code of ethics. These breeders work hard to improve the breed and rarely, make profits because so much is put into health tests, OFA costs, stud fees, veterinary visits, food, brucellosis test, AKC registration for dam, puppy vet checks, tail/dewclaw removal if applicable, vaccinations, deworming, AKC litter registration, cesarean section if applicable, and much more. This explains why puppies from reputable breeders cost more, but truth is, with all the expenses involved, reputable breeders rarely, if ever, make profits! The path towards becoming a reputable breeder is very long; combining passion, knowledge and an enormous commitment for improving the breed.

Overwhelmed? If so, breeding may not be for you. Take the test below to find out if your dog is breeding material. If you are looking to purchase a puppy, but cannot afford the price of a puppy from a reputable breeder, consider rescuing a dog from a shelter rather than making a backyard breeder rich: there are many dogs on death row waiting for an owner and every 1.5 seconds a poor dog is killed just because nobody wanted it!