Reading for potential breeder

[Coastie01]

Hey all! I am considering becoming a responsible breeder. I am thinking 10 year plan here, so in the mean time what should i be reading/doing to prepare for this. I would love to have a smallish breeding kennel with 2 maybe 3 litters per year so i that i can focus on really developing the pups before sending them to their homes. I understand the responsibilities of only breeding dogs/bitches that conform to the breed standard and are titled so as i put earlier in the post what should i be doing to prepare for this? Thanks I would love to hear from our breeders on here and not to single anyone out but if Chris wants to respond i really respect your dogs/kennel.

[fuzzybunny]

Great question. I myself have a 10 year plan and would like to breed as well. I'd love to hear from knowledgeable sources that could help me prepare.

[lhczth]

Go out and learn about the breed. Read everything you can get your hands on. Go watch trials, shows, talk to breeders, talk to handlers and owners, especially the old-timers. Get hands on experience raising your own puppy (or puppies), training, working, titling or dealing with the heartbreak of that dog not working out. The more you learn and experience the better choices you will make when you do finally start breeding. And, always remain humble. You will never know as much as you think you do.

Wanted to add that all the reading in the world won't totally prepare you without the actual hands on experience.

[selzer]

Join a training club, and a breed club. Get to know the people and the dogs. Almost all of my books are pre-1990, I am sure there are probably better ones out there, but they are not easy to find.

I still drag out the strickland/moses book The German Shepherd Today at times.

There is another, the German Shepherd a genetic history, I think that has good descriptions of a lot of dogs as well as good information on how diseases like hemophia are passed.

I tend to read/collect books by various trainers as well.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

In the first year or two you could volunteer for rescue. You get to see lots of things - meet lots of dogs, learn about screening, you could even foster a litter.

[jaggirl47]

Sue, The German Shepherd, a genetic history is excellent! Very, very good read. One of our club members has that book and whenever we are at her training facility, I always have to scan through it.

[Chris Wild]

As far as reading goes, some must haves would include:
Canine Reproduction and Whelping by Myra Savant-Harris
GSD: A Genetic History by Malcolm Willis
GSD in Word and Picture by Stephanitz

But reading alone won't get you even close.

Best thing to do is everything in Lisa C's post. Serving as a whelp helper, even with a different breed, via volunteering with rescue or mentoring under an experienced breeder, can certainly be beneficial in terms of the hands on part of breeding and whelping itself. But when it comes to learning about the breed in order to make good breeding decisions, that requires working dogs, seeing dogs, talking to people about dogs, etc...

[fuzzybunny]

Thanks for the excellent suggestions!

[BlackthornGSD]

There's some good books about breeding dogs, gestation, and whelping. That's definitely useful and important info to have. I don't know that I'd recommend a specific book--I'd probably try to find one with the most up-to-date info on canine reproduction.

[Coastie01]

Thanks everyone for your response. I really appreciate it. Keep em coming if anyone has anything else.