If you are, you better LIKE people, ALOT!

[selzer]

A cautionary note to the would be breeder:

You are willing to put up with heat cycles and the garbage the unenlightened spew when they hear your animal has not been "fixed."

You are willing to muzzle your bitch and hang on to her while she is being bred (in order to protect the stud dog.

You are willing to hold her butt in the air for 20 minutes after the fact because all you got was an outsided tie.

You can brave the green bloody watery yuck, and the mucus/membrane, and all the rest of the messy whelping business, like that black tarry afterbirth poop.

You are willing to go through TONS of newspapers and laundry soap to keep everything clean and smelling fresh.

You are willing to cut a bagillion toenails, while the little monsters squirm and do their best to get you to cut off their entire toe!

Poopie patrol is a piece of cake (once removed).

But there is yet more, you have to be a people person. Not just a people person, you have to LIKE people enough to not go berzerk on them.

There are the good propspective puppy buyers. One went to the dog show with me, visited the pups a bunch of times, did the puppy termperament evaluation, and took the pups to the vet for their first shots with me.

Another went with me to the vet for the second set of shots, and brought her adult son/daughter to see the pups.

A third visited at four weeks, and seven and a half weeks before bringing the pup home at eight and a half weeks.

There are your ordinary buyers that set up an appointment, bring the family, pick out the pup, do the paperwork and go.

Then you have someone who calls and says they can be there in five hours. (I feel real good about the family/pup situation there.)

There are those that had things happen (like getting their toes shortened (ouch)), and having to transfer their deposit.

You get the calls from people who ask "Are they free?" And it takes everything in you being to not say "Are you MAD?"

You get the rude calls from people.

You get the scams.

And then you have the people that spurred this narrative. The people that talk to you for an hour about the pups, set up a time to come and see them.

You change your plans because puppy selling trumps everything else. You rush home, grab the bitch and the lantern and hang out at the end of the driveway so they can find you. For an hour. Then you call them. They do not answer. Stand out there longer. Wave to your neighbors. Call again. "Oh, was that tonight??? I thought it was Tuesday night, but well, I counldn't find your number because I hid it from him, but we discussed it and, well, he already went and got one somewhere else.

When you go to visit a breeder, to see puppies, etc., remember that this is a human being. You do NOT have to buy a puppy if someone shows you some. But if you are not going to come, for heaven's sake CALL!

[SunCzarina]

Some people have hineys where their heads are supposed to be.

Quote:You are willing to hold her butt in the air for 20 minutes after the fact because all you got was an outsided tie.

nope, no I'm not gonna do that. A long time ago I thought breeding might be a nice retirement hobby. Then I learned a lot more. Got a lot older, got a crazy east german puppy at 39 and realized that I might be too old already!

Does it help to say look at the bright side, there's no diapers involved? Wait there is for the girls who aren't going to have puppies this year... Scratch that, did I say scratch to someone with a pile of puppies...

[Jason L]

#2 and #3 ... eeewww...

[amjrchamberlain]

Sue - Excellent points - every one of them!

[allieg]

I once thought it might be a fun hobby till I heard some stories on another site.I thought it was all natural...I'm not a people person so I guess I'm ruled out for a future breeder too.I'll help anyone out that is doing it close by though.Um except for holding the dog for the tie,the owner can do that....

[selzer]

Anyone STILL want to be a breeder???

Ok, so how about when the maiden bitch is ready to go to the stud. Health Checks and titles in place. Temperament testing and even a Best of Breed behind her.

You take her for her brucella test and progesterone, and a vaginal culture. They assure you it will be ready the nest day, so you set it up on Monday and hope to breed on Wednesday. They call and say to test progesterone on Wednesday. You get there and they collect what they need, and you are waiting for the results and ask about the other tests. The go to find them and ten minutes later they produce the Brucella report. Uh, how about the vaginal culture. That did not come back yet. Hmmmm. Uh, well, uh. Ok, I will give them a call....

Ok, ten minutes later they come back and say that there is nothing growing yet, so we will check in 24 hours, and then in 72 hours.

SEVENTY TWO HOURS!!!! That will seriously knock me out of my window. (No spring litter, for the fifth year in a row just is not a good thing.)

A hairied call to the breeder and that is ok, we are still on.

So no tie last night. Heidi was good, the dog was eager, the stud owner was at the tails doing her part, and I am at their heads.

I was back there today. The dog is crazy eager and trying. The girl is flagging and standing, not growling or caring on or anything. An outside tie. Uhg!

Holding the butt in the air. Uhg. YUCK and Hair everywhere!

The stud is led away.

The stud owner comes back with a surgical glove in her hand.

Nooooooo!!!!!!

She positions the bitch and reaches......

The verdict was a vet visit to see if she is open.

The vet comes in with her non spermicidal lube and the vet tech with cleaning supplies, and well, here we go again. POOR HEIDI!!!

She is open, but she is tight. A day or two more, may make a difference. Or, we could AI. AI with the more specific progesterone test will cost $310. Or we can HOPE for pregnancy without a tie.

I have had NO pregnancy with a tie on Babsy, there is NO guarantee even with the AI of her being inpregnated.

In the mean time, my hand and arm was covered with.... uh..... something wet and hair from holding her up in the air. (Yes I did groom her before this session.)

And people ask whether they (puppies) are free. Talk about nasty jobs.

Nope will NEVER be an stud owner -- owning a stud for outside bitches. No, no, no. I am not coming out and probing the nether regions of someone's bitch.

The good news is that Heidi was a little trooper through the whole thing. Other than a few rumbles while the dog was trying to penetrate the small, small area, she was good while two separate women probed her parts. And that while her squemish owner was cringing and wincing and carrying on like a nutter.

[Dainerra]

Selzer, maybe you should contact Mike Rowe. then people might realize what a nasty job it is?

[zyppi]

Thanks for the tips!!

[duramax]

Excellent post, for a non-breeder like me. Somethings ring a bell, being a breeder of Quarter Horses. But you're correct, the biggest pita is a few that you change your plans for, then never show/call. And I always thought breedin dogs was a walk in the park. Heck you all get 5, 6, 7 or more puppies a year compared to my one foal per mare. Sounds like more work for you guys though. I might trade handling jobs when we get a rank mare coupled with a bowed up stallion, maybe !! But muzzling a mean, nasty hormone raging bitch can't be alot of fun either. Again, another great post Selzer. I'm learning more all the time, hanging out here, thanks.

[FredD]

selzer, good post!