While going thru my local newspaper I came upon this clip and decided to post it-

New Breed Standards:A Britain's Kennel Club has announced major reforms to breed standards and accepted breeding practices for purebred dogs.  The changes come in response to concerns that purebreds have serious health problems as a reult of breeding for the show ring.  Prominent among affected breeds is the bulldog, the Chow Chow, the Chinese Shar-pei, the German shepherd and the Labrador retriever.

This was posted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Thursday, January 15, 2009.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the DNA testing of dogs, specifically breeders versus buyer’s mentality, but there is no way to deny that DNA testing can significantly help any dog breed. The problem with breeding is that is has been going on for so long and certain breeds are genetically predisposed to certain problems, some of which can be quite serious. Reputable, responsible dog breeders have always made a point of not breeding dogs which display any of these problems, but this is no longer enough. The problem with this technique, as breeders have been noticing for quite a while now, is that you can still end up breeding a carrier of a breed specific health or behavioral problem without even knowing it – the carriers never necessarily exhibit the symptoms of the problem itself, but they pass it on to their puppies, and then breeders are left with a litter of whelps which are either carriers themselves or ultimately develop the problem.

With DNA testing, it is now possible to test for certain genetic defects and problems. That way, breeders can end the cycle and they will no longer have to take chances which inevitably result in breeding a carrier and making his or her progeny suffer for it. Given that the ultimate goal of the good, responsible dog breeder is to make every litter of puppies better than his or her parents, these DNA techniques give them a much better chance to do this. They will be able to get closer and closer to achieving the Breed Standard, something that it has long been understood could not ever really be reached. Now, it is potentially possible – or at least more possible than it has ever been before.

There are several crucial things to consider before breeding your dog. These are things that you need to be aware of and familiarize yourself before you take the first step towards breeding your dog – in fact, knowing some essential facts should be your first step. The population for domesticated pets is getting incredibly out of control, and it is important that all dog breeders be aware of that problem and make responsible decisions with the animal population in mind.

To begin with, neither AKC registration, CKC registration, UCK registration, nor any other type of registration is an automatic indication of dog qualities. To be perfectly honest, there are a lot of dogs out there which simply should not be bred. Breeding, especially pure breeding, has been going on for a very long time, and some of the progeny in certain breeds are really showing the effects of that. Some of them have defects when it comes to bone structure, health, behavior, and personality, and these defects should not be passed onto another generation. That is something you need to consider before breeding your dog: how healthy is he or she? Does he or she have any such health problems? The top goal of every good breeder is to meet the Breed Standard. You should only seek to improve the breed.

If you are thinking about breeding your dog as a way to make money quickly, then you need to think again. Becoming a breeder initially costs much more money than it will ever make. It is an investment of time, love, patience, care, and money. Think about it: sires, dams, and puppies all need their shots; regular vet check ups; food; shelter; proof of quality; et cetera. You may have to pay stud fees, there may be complications with a dam’s pregnancy – nothing is impossible, and the possibilities are endless.

In order to find a reputable breeder, you first need to recognize and familiarize yourself with what a reputable is and what a reputable breeder does. Anyone can take a male and female dog, mate them together, and breed puppies, and a lot of people do actually do this, then they sell the puppies for far more than they may be worth. It is thus important to research and look into all the breeders from whom you are thinking about getting a dog. If it is a truly good breeder with a steady, respectable reputation, then he or she will not mind that you ask questions – in fact, he or she will likely encourage it!

There are some personality traits and practices you need to look for when choosing a good breeder. For starts, the dog breeder you choose should be responsible; he or she should take extremely good care of all of his or her dogs, whether they are part of the breeding stock or the litters. In order to be considered responsible, a dog breeder should provide several things, beginning with satisfactory companionship for his or her dogs. They should not just be baby making machines or dollar signs instead of puppies. A reputable dog breeder loves his or her dogs, and shows them affection, interacts with them, and gives them all the attention they need. A reputable dog breeder pays very close attention to nutrition, providing healthy food and fresh water; he or she will provide sufficient shelter as well, in addition to immunizations, adequate veterinary care, grooming, exercise, and socialization.

A reputable dog breeder should not be some Joe off the street who simply threw two dogs together and had them mate. He or she should belong to some kind of breeding club, whether it is a national club, a local club, or both. Furthermore, he or she should strictly follow the breeding club’s Code of Ethics.

Dog breeding is not an endeavor which should ever be taken lightly, and it should never be done for the wrong reasons. For instance, if you are in it for the money, then stop now. If you want to breed your dog because you want a puppy just like him or her, then stop now. If you cannot or are unwilling to invest the time, patience, love, care, and money necessary to become a dog breeder then stop now. If you are interested in breeding your dog just once, “just for fun,” or just for the experience, then stop now. Becoming a really good, reputable dog breeder takes years and there are several crucial things to understand.

To begin with, the goal of all good dog breeders should be to meet the Breed Standard; that is what you should always strive for, whether it is possible or not. No one has ever bred the perfect dog, but trying, always, to get as close to healthy perfection as you possibly can is the key. You need to really sit down and think about why you are considering dog breeding. The best dog breeders do so because they love dogs and are fulfilled by spending time and effort on and with them. It takes true commitment and a deep love for dogs, because that way, you know that their health and happiness will always be at the forefront of your mind.

Numerous people across the world love to keep dogs as their pets. They will do everything to keep their dogs in the best of health. These people also like to breed their dogs, either to increase their numbers or to make money out of them. However, most of them do not have a fair idea of how to breed healthy dogs and land themselves into problems. Therefore, if you are one of them, and if you need to know about the ways to breeding healthy dogs, you must follow some good advice.

One of the foremost things is choosing the right mate for your dog. While choosing the right mate, you must see whether it is compatible and possesses good temperament. Both the male and the female should be healthy and must have no genetic faults, which may potentially jeopardize the health of their puppies. Moreover, you must be sure whether the female dog is healthy, as it will determine her pregnancy and the process of birth. In this case, you must support the female dog with healthy supplements and nutritious food to ensure healthy birth. Better health will enable them to stay healthy during pregnancy as well.

Pit Bulls are definitely the most sold and purchased breed of dog in America. Pit Bulls, or more specifically the American Pit Bull Terriers, are still preferred by Americans for their agility, strength and faithfulness, in spite of the recent bad press.

Pit Bull breeders are usually well-equipped with the knowledge of genetics and the technique of dog breeding. Pit Bull Terriers may be bred to be silver, blue or the rarer merle colored; or they could be bred to have blue glassy eyes or red noses. Its a mix and match process to produce qualities that may be desirable enough to fetch a huge price. This kind of breeding is called show breeding.

Breeders widely advertise their puppy and adult Pit Bull dogs on the net. The rarer the dog, the higher the price. Blue coated dogs and merle coats are much in demand. Plus, there are seasonal trends that buyers look out for in Pit Bulls like wide mouths, shorter statures or drooping cheeks. A merle or a blue puppy could fetch something like $5000.

However there are some Pit Bull breeders who breed their dogs to be more aggressive and tenacious so that they could be used in dogfights. Bets are laid on dogs in these events and though this is an objected activity, it still goes on discreetly. When a breeding farm labels its dog as 'game-bred', it means that the dog has been bred specially to fight. This nefarious activity has brought several dog breeders a lot of heat.

A small breeding dog is the perfect pet for all of us who live in little cubbyhole-like apartments. Larger dogs, when stuffed into such flats, usually spend their time galloping from one end of the flat to the other in less time than you can say Indiana Jones and, with time, come to dolefully detest their utter existence. So don’t bother with Retrievers and Grey Hounds, let them laze in lush green lawns of farmhouses that are ideal for them. Instead get a dear little Chihahua or a Daschund. Most small breeding dogs don’t measure any more than 10 inches in height. Due to their portable size, they are…well…portable for starters..and can also adapt to smaller living quarters more comfortably.

However, before you jump the gun and run to the nearest pet store to buy one for yourself, you had better sit down and do some research about small dogs. Not all small breeds are suitable for everybody. Many of them are what are called ‘Toy dogs’ and they are not the right kind of dog for everyone. Also, take into account the other people in your home before deciding on the kind of small dog that you are going to get. If you have children, take the time to select the breed will be the most suitable. Some small breeds do not get along well with children and many are too fragile for rough play with children. Small dogs can often require more care and attention than larger ones, too.

Puppies start learning immediately. Reputable breeders are aware of this and are very involved in doing early training prior to you taking the pup into your home. They do constructive socialization, introduce the pup to the home environment and may even do some early potty training. A well-mannered, easily trained puppy is one of your goals and the first step toward that goal is the selection of a good breeder.

Most people who sell puppies in the newspaper are not professional breeders. They may have a litter or two, maybe even keep one and sell the other puppies. While there are exceptions, in most cases these are well meaning people but just are not adequately experienced in preparing the puppies for adoption. Then, of course, there are the not so well meaning people who are just looking for the profit and are doing very little if anything to prepare the puppy for a new home. They are simply waiting for the puppies to get old enough to sell. And we have all heard of “puppy mills” which should be avoided completely.

Many puppy mills sell to pet shops. As tempting as it may be to get the puppies out of this environment, this is not the place to select your puppy. No amount of training will be able to overcome some of the problems you may encounter in these puppies. You must be even more diligent in your search for a good breeder than you were in deciding with which kind of dog you want to share your life and home. Of all the people raising puppies, there are relatively few who are experienced and focused on maintaining and breeding for the best characteristics of one or two breeds. No, it is not just people who want show dogs who need to look for reputable breeders. Your goal may very well be to merely find a healthy, physically fit, mentally sound pup to enhance your life. The way to have the best chance of doing that is to buy from a reputable breeder.

So how do you begin your search? Ask a vet for recommendations; ask acquaintances who have dogs with characteristics you like, check yellow page listings (remember, you are looking for a breeder, not a pet shop), check the Web.

The Goals of Dog Breeding:

Good temperament should be the first goal in breeding. Every breeder should be on the lookout for shyness, fear of strangers, refusal to leave a common environment, fear of unexpected changes and excessive activities in their dogs and decide if they want these characteristics to be passed onto the puppies. These signs can easily be inherited by the offspring and breeders should understand the effect of genetics on the puppies. However, good temperament is usually present in the ancestral genes and is believed to be dominant traits that can be passed on to puppies.

The Fallacies:

The commonest mistake that a breeder makes is to put a female dog and a male dog together in a room and leave them alone to let nature takes its course. This may not ensure a litter of puppies. It is important to know when the female dog will achieve sexual maturity first to ensure that she gets impregnated. The first period of heat usually occurs anywhere after six months to 12 months of age but this period is not the best time to breed the female dog. She is not quite mature at this time. It is more advisable to wait for the second period of heat to ensure that the female dog is ready for pregnancy.