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Breeding Practices
- To ensure a healthy pregnancy, the male should be smaller than the female.
- Before mating, let the dogs get to know each other.
- Aside from not breeding females on their first heat, also avoid breeding them consecutively to allow recuperation.
- A dog will stay in heat for around 3 weeks after bleeding stops. This is the average length of time for the entire heat cycle.
Breeding Considerations
- On average, most female dogs will have two to three litters in their lifetime.
- The size of a dog litter mainly depends on the dog’s body size, as bigger bodies can carry more pups. Some small breeds only bear one puppy at a time.
- A good breeder is very knowledgeable about the breed, health, genetics, and standards.
- It is generally irresponsible to sell puppies without breeding rights unless stated clearly in the sales contract. This prevents later registration with kennel clubs.
Breeding Guidelines
- Bitches should ideally breed after their second or third heat cycle, usually around 24 months of age. Males can wait until the bitch is old enough.
- Formal licensing is not usually required to breed dogs. However, breeders need to follow state guidelines based on factors like the number of dogs.
- Breeding dogs requires research on the breed, genetics, health, and standards.
Steps for Breeding at Home
- First, decide the goals of your breeding program then select partners.
- Organize the mating and prepare for pregnancy.
- Learn about the breed to make good decisions on characteristics for successive breedings.
- Avoid ‘kennel blindness’ – focus on strengths, not faults, of dogs.
- Educate yourself thoroughly before beginning a breeding business.
Breeding Tips
- Have them meet to ensure rapport before mating.
- Know if the female is in heat – this signals readiness to breed.
- Learn what dogs can breed safely based on breed and size.
- Sustained business growth may require more organized kennel runs.