Dog breeding

Dog breeding is the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same dog breed in order to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics.

Who is best qualified to be a dog breeder, and what constitutes proper dog breeding is at the core of many arguments in the [hobby]] of dog fancy. Fanciers do tend to agree on what are not good reasons for dog breeding: providing a sex education experience for children, making money and experimental breeding top the list of disparaged motives.

At its best, breeding is a blend of science and art. The skilled breeder has at least general knowledge of dog genetics and health, and in-depth knowledge of the breed standard and conformation points of his chosen breed. Dog breeders agree that care for the development of the breed and concern for the health and wellbeing of each individual animal must be uppermost in a breeder’s motivation.

At worst, breeding can be a slip shod enterprise in which the major concern is profit, with little regard to the health and welfare of the dogs involved. These often take the form of so-called ‘backyard breeders’ (the term for random or ignorant breeding conducted on a small scale), and ‘puppy mills’ or ‘puppy farms’ (larger businesses). It must be pointed out, however, that many excellent breeders run small-scale programs in their homes, barns or back yards, and there are profitable large-scale business operations run with knowledgeable staff and superlative veterinary care, so size and motive alone are not indicative of the quality of the breeding program.

The birth of a litter of purebred puppies is recorded in a Breed Registry. These are maintained by organizations whose primary concern is securing the lineage records of the breed. Kennel Clubs are one example of these, but such registries are not the exclusive province of Show Dogs, as is sometimes thought; the clubs of Working Dogs also maintain records of their dogs’ lineage.

Requirements for the breeding of registered purebreds vary from club to club. Most breed clubs allow for any registered puppy to be bred from once it reaches a suitable age. Some clubs maintain an adjunct or limited register, for puppies of purebred parents not deemed to have the qualities for showing or breeding, or who exhibit a fault. A few clubs, such as the Swiss breed club of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America and the Mini Foxie Club of Australia have additional, strict requirements for the certification of adult dogs before breeding.

See also: Selective breeding