Dog Breeding Problems
You can’t expect everything to turn out positively. There are times when you encounter problems and you need immediate answers. In dog breeding, be sure to expect some problems along the way. This is good practice so that you can prepare yourself. If you simply keep on thinking that everything will go smoothly, you will be shocked once you’re in a serious situation. You need to think positive but be prepared for the ‘what if’s’ of breeding.
To prepare yourself, here are the potential problems that you can encounter when breeding dogs. Such problems vary but if you’re aware of such problems and their possible solutions, you can easily overcome them once they pop up unexpectedly.
Birth problems – birth problems are quite common. As the breeder, it is your responsibility to keep a close watch when your dog is about to give birth. There are times when the bitch dies during giving birth. Can you stand such situation? Aside from possible death, some pups may be deformed upon birth and only a few little ones are normal. Another problem is that the female may still not be prepared to care for their young. If this is the case, you will act as the mother of the puppies.
You need to feed them through bottles or tube-feeding as the case may be. You’re lucky if your dog is impregnated the first mating time and then gives birth without any problems. By being aware that this is not always true, you can prepare yourself.
Compatibility of dogs – even if dogs look good together, it doesn’t mean that they are compatible. You need to ensure that the dogs are compatible before mating them. It would be best to mate dogs of the same breed. If you want to cross breed, you need to look into the genetic makeup and the ancestors of the breeds. This is to ensure that the pups are not going to inherit any faults or health problems. For instance, it’s not a good idea to breed a Saint Bernard and a Bulldog. The female will surely die while giving birth because the dogs are incompatible. Check with the breeding standards of each dog so that you can find a suitable mate.
Dog breeding is indeed an expensive activity. Many breeders think that they can earn huge profits in the breeding business. Well, this may be true with large scale producing puppies. But if you only have one female, this is not a good way to make money. The expenses you incur are too high as compared to the profits you’re going to earn. The costs can include stud fees, vet fees, and the pups’ expenses. Some breeders are not looking into the ‘money’ involved because they simply want to produce dogs that they can have as pets at home or if their relatives or friends asked for pups.
For those who want to try dog breeding, whatever your reasons are, it helps to know that there are lots of consideration. How much are you willing to spend and how much effort are you willing to exert? If you can answer these questions and if you’re ready to face the possible problems that go along with dog breeding, go ahead.
Just be ready to face such problems one by one as you encounter them and don’t give up easily.