What goes into being a good breeder ?
I know there is a big misconception out there among pet owners, so I would like to take a couple of minutes and hopefully shed some light on the matter of quality AKC puppies and what goes into them.
I am writing this first hand, but bare in mind, when I refer to myself, I am really speaking on behalf of all GOOD breeders everywhere.
I wake in the morning and my day begins with taking all of my fur babies out to potty. That doesn't mean opening the door for them to go out. This means dressing accordingly for the weather and taking myself out there with them. I scoop their feces as they go. You will never find feces in my yard. NEVER !
If it is raining, I then proceed to dry them all off before they re-enter the house from the porch. If there is fresh snow, then I have to comb all of the snowballs from their hair. This can take about an hour. Now multiply that by 5 times a day.
Now it's time for their breakfast. Cleaning puppy pens and nursery and making sure all have fresh food and water.
Laundry. Oh boy do we have laundry. Multiple loads a day and there are only 2 people in the house. Yes, potty pads, dog bedding, whelping mats, doggy panties, wraps & towels.
Grooming; oh my, do we ever have grooming. Every day there is combing, topknots to redo, baths, haircuts, nails to trim.
Puppies to photograph. This is usually a 2 day event. It is not as easy as one thinks. I probably take 50 - 100 shots of each pup in hopes of getting a few that are not blurry.
Attention and play time: They all require this.
A good breeder does not buy and breed $200 dogs. We pay in the thousands for a pup when we buy one and we choose wisely. If we don't and the pup grows up not to be breeding quality, then that is money lost and the dog is found a good pet home.
We not only have the cost of our dogs, but we also have a ton of expenses that the average pet owner probably doesn't think about when looking for a puppy.
1. Food
2. Treats
3. Monthly flea & heartworm preventatives.
4. Wormings
5. vet costs & medications
6. Supplements
7. Toys for adults & puppies
8. Crates & carriers
9. Exercise pens
10. Whelping boxes
11. Whelping mats
12. Potty pads
13. Towels
14. Grooming supplies
15. Whelping supplies
16. Vaccinations for adults
17. Vaccinations for puppies
18. Vet check ups for puppies
19. Water & electricity for all of the laundry & grooming
20. Heating bill on my nursery alone is running about $75 a month during winter months.
I didn't even touch on costs when something goes wrong and a c-section is needed or an adult or pup encounters a major medical expense. Nor, did I mention the countless hours spent on marketing and dealing with people who only waste my time.
Then we have the cost of spays and neuters when we retire one of our dogs. I have a couple of males here who have been neutered for going on 2 years and I am still looking for the best homes possible. This is 2 years of expenses on them after they are no longer breeding. I do not mind and I am definitely not complaining. It is my choice to keep them as long as it takes until I am confident I have found the right home.
Last, but certainly not least :
1. Registration fees of our dogs
2. Registration fees of our litters
3. DNA testing
4. Color testing
5. Any health testing one might do.
6. Replacement of furniture or anything else that may get chewed on.
7. Lots of extra expense and hours spent on cleaning and supplies.
Many people don't know that females usually wait until bedtime to go into labor. This means being up all night with no sleep, whelping puppies. God forbid we get one that isn't strong enough to nurse. This means round the clock feeding of that puppy or puppies, every 2 hours. This can mean days or weeks with very little sleep.
So if you wonder why we have to charge what we do or if you were under the misconception that all we do is sit around and let our dogs breed and rake in money, now you know. I can guarantee you that if I divided what I make by my hours put in, I am working for less than minimum wage and I love doing it. The unconditional love I receive on a daily basis is why I do what I do. That is my real paycheck. The happiness and love it brings to a lot of families in the form of a happy and healthy puppy is my bonus.
Written by Roberta Byrd
Reprinted by permission
I know there is a big misconception out there among pet owners, so I would like to take a couple of minutes and hopefully shed some light on the matter of quality AKC puppies and what goes into them.
I am writing this first hand, but bare in mind, when I refer to myself, I am really speaking on behalf of all GOOD breeders everywhere.
I wake in the morning and my day begins with taking all of my fur babies out to potty. That doesn't mean opening the door for them to go out. This means dressing accordingly for the weather and taking myself out there with them. I scoop their feces as they go. You will never find feces in my yard. NEVER !
If it is raining, I then proceed to dry them all off before they re-enter the house from the porch. If there is fresh snow, then I have to comb all of the snowballs from their hair. This can take about an hour. Now multiply that by 5 times a day.
Now it's time for their breakfast. Cleaning puppy pens and nursery and making sure all have fresh food and water.
Laundry. Oh boy do we have laundry. Multiple loads a day and there are only 2 people in the house. Yes, potty pads, dog bedding, whelping mats, doggy panties, wraps & towels.
Grooming; oh my, do we ever have grooming. Every day there is combing, topknots to redo, baths, haircuts, nails to trim.
Puppies to photograph. This is usually a 2 day event. It is not as easy as one thinks. I probably take 50 - 100 shots of each pup in hopes of getting a few that are not blurry.
Attention and play time: They all require this.
A good breeder does not buy and breed $200 dogs. We pay in the thousands for a pup when we buy one and we choose wisely. If we don't and the pup grows up not to be breeding quality, then that is money lost and the dog is found a good pet home.
We not only have the cost of our dogs, but we also have a ton of expenses that the average pet owner probably doesn't think about when looking for a puppy.
1. Food
2. Treats
3. Monthly flea & heartworm preventatives.
4. Wormings
5. vet costs & medications
6. Supplements
7. Toys for adults & puppies
8. Crates & carriers
9. Exercise pens
10. Whelping boxes
11. Whelping mats
12. Potty pads
13. Towels
14. Grooming supplies
15. Whelping supplies
16. Vaccinations for adults
17. Vaccinations for puppies
18. Vet check ups for puppies
19. Water & electricity for all of the laundry & grooming
20. Heating bill on my nursery alone is running about $75 a month during winter months.
I didn't even touch on costs when something goes wrong and a c-section is needed or an adult or pup encounters a major medical expense. Nor, did I mention the countless hours spent on marketing and dealing with people who only waste my time.
Then we have the cost of spays and neuters when we retire one of our dogs. I have a couple of males here who have been neutered for going on 2 years and I am still looking for the best homes possible. This is 2 years of expenses on them after they are no longer breeding. I do not mind and I am definitely not complaining. It is my choice to keep them as long as it takes until I am confident I have found the right home.
Last, but certainly not least :
1. Registration fees of our dogs
2. Registration fees of our litters
3. DNA testing
4. Color testing
5. Any health testing one might do.
6. Replacement of furniture or anything else that may get chewed on.
7. Lots of extra expense and hours spent on cleaning and supplies.
Many people don't know that females usually wait until bedtime to go into labor. This means being up all night with no sleep, whelping puppies. God forbid we get one that isn't strong enough to nurse. This means round the clock feeding of that puppy or puppies, every 2 hours. This can mean days or weeks with very little sleep.
So if you wonder why we have to charge what we do or if you were under the misconception that all we do is sit around and let our dogs breed and rake in money, now you know. I can guarantee you that if I divided what I make by my hours put in, I am working for less than minimum wage and I love doing it. The unconditional love I receive on a daily basis is why I do what I do. That is my real paycheck. The happiness and love it brings to a lot of families in the form of a happy and healthy puppy is my bonus.
Written by Roberta Byrd
Reprinted by permission