Dog Breeding and Pedigrees 101

There's been a lot of press recently on puppy mills. I've also published several posts on the topic over the past few weeks including this story and this review. In keeping with the theme of breeding, I'd like to offer a little more food for thought...

One of the reasons I feel compelled to write THIS post is because I've heard 2 separate families relay strange comments made by breeders recently. One breeder gave up a litter at reduced rates because the parents 'weren't brother and sister'. Another breeder had a potential customer turn down a pup from a litter because he felt the parents were too closely related - the breeder argued that breeding dogs from the same family was a good idea when trying to 'assure certain traits'. Additionally, I see a lot of dogs from breeders that were not very well socialized while under their care.

I understand that breeding isn't easy, and I understand there are a lot of very responsible breeders out there that know more on the subject than I can every hope to know. But from the viewpoint of someone that sees a lot of breeder's finished products (dogs), I'd like to offer what I would be looking for in a breeder given my background . . .

1) They Should Understand Socialization: Breeders have a unique opportunity to begin shaping the personality and confidence of their puppies during the 1st 8-10 weeks of life. A good breeder should implement a variety of socialization exercises early, and pass assignments on to the new pup's family for continuation until 4 months of age. If socialization exercises are lacking, pups can suffer from many problem behaviors later in life. (If you're a breeder and have no idea to what I'm referring, please call so I can offer assistance.)

2) They Should be Educated Regarding Genetics: A breeder thinking that breeding close relatives is a good idea is not one I'd care to deal with. All living organisms have a certain number of defective genes. Dogs close on the family tree are very likely to have the same defective genes, and breeding them together almost guarantees offspring that will develop diseases from those defects. There's a reason cousins shouldn't marry. There's also a reason so many pure breed dogs are prone to various diseases and maladies - things you don't see as frequently in mixes with deep gene pools.

3) They Should Breed for Vigor and Temperament: This goes hand-in-hand with #2 above. Too many dogs are bred for looks!!! Why? Because good looking dogs win more awards, and the offspring of "champions" command higher prices. Unfortunately, giving "looks" priority forces traits like health, vigor, and good temperaments to take a back seat. I'm far more interested in what's on the inside of a dog than the outside. I would hope many owners would feel the same way.

There's a great deal of outrage over puppy mills, and this has brought into focus the question of how to find a reputable breeder. I felt the points offered here tie in well with these recent discussions. Being a responsible breeder is extremely demanding and hard work. It takes more than knowing the difference between a male and female! Good breeders are well educated, concerned about their breed, concerned about placement of their pups, and they're tremendously dedicated. I hope those looking for a pure bred puppy are willing to spend a commensurate amount of time seeking a good breeder out. You'll be rewarded for your quest!

I once heard a colleague state that if a breeder's doing all they can for a litter, they should be charging $5,000 for each dog.