Do You Want to be a Breeder?

Puppies are easy to romanticize. A healthy litter can be one of the most rewarding experiences in working-dog stewardship. The reality, however, is that breeding is not a weekend project—it is a long-term program that requires planning, documentation, financial capacity, and a willingness to be accountable for outcomes.

This page is designed to help prospective breeders make informed decisions and establish a responsible path forward using practical breeding principles supported by veterinary and animal-breeding research.

Start With “Research, Research, Research”

Before you breed a single litter, you should be able to answer:

• What are my breeding goals (work traits, temperament, health, longevity, consistency)?
• What problems am I trying to reduce in this population (orthopedic disease, instability, poor bonding, excessive roaming, low fertility)?
• What proof do I have that my dogs should contribute genetically (not just that they are “nice dogs”)?

Long-range goals keep you from breeding “because you can,” and they help you choose mates that move the program forward rather than creating random outcomes.

Find a Mentor and Build a Breeding Network

One of the most valuable steps for a new breeder is to secure at least one experienced mentor who will:

• Evaluate your dogs honestly (strengths and liabilities)
• Challenge your assumptions
• Help troubleshoot reproductive and puppy-raising issues
• Advise on matching puppies to appropriate homes and operations

Good mentors reduce preventable mistakes—especially with first litters.

Evaluate Your Dogs Objectively (Not Emotionally)

Responsible breeding candidates should be evaluated across the full package:

Working suitability

• Attentiveness to livestock, appropriate protectiveness, stability under pressure
• Independence paired with manageability (not “shut down” and not “out of control”)

Temperament and stability

Temperament is a heritable component of behavior. Poor stability can also be strongly influenced by early environment, which makes honest evaluation and careful early rearing essential.

Maturity matters

Many working dogs are not fully “known quantities” until physical and behavioral maturity. Waiting for maturity improves decision quality and reduces the risk of breeding unknown liabilities.

Health Screening Is Not Optional

Even in generally hardy working populations, breeding without screening increases risk to puppies and buyers and can compound problems across generations.

Orthopedic screening: hips (and elbows where relevant)

• OFA: final hip evaluations require radiographs at 24 months or older, read by multiple veterinary radiologists.
• PennHIP: can be performed as early as 16 weeks, providing a distraction index as a risk metric for hip dysplasia.

Importantly, long-term data show that systematic selection and screening can reduce hip and elbow dysplasia prevalence across dog populations.

Genetic testing where breed-relevant

For example, MDR1 (ABCB1) mutation testing is offered through Washington State University’s veterinary genetics program and helps prevent avoidable drug sensitivity risks in affected lines.

Eye exams where indicated

Many breeders use routine eye screening through board-certified ophthalmology programs; if your lines have known issues or you sell widely, this is a prudent step.

Understand Inbreeding, Diversity, and the “Popular Sire” Trap

Every breeding decision shapes the population, especially in smaller working-dog communities.

• Overuse of a single stud can accelerate loss of diversity and increase inbreeding rate (“popular sire effect”).
• Population studies show this pattern is common in purebred systems and materially influences inbreeding trends over time.

Practical guardrails include:

• Avoid concentrating litters on one male
• Track relatedness and keep multiple lines viable
• Breed for functional outcomes, not just pedigree fashion

Reproductive Due Diligence: Testing, Timing, and Contingencies

Brucellosis testing

Canine brucellosis (Brucella canis) is a major reproductive risk and a kennel-management concern. Guidance commonly recommends testing breeding dogs (often including routine repeat testing for active studs and prior-to-breeding testing for bitches).

Timing matters: progesterone and ovulation

Accurate breeding timing often requires progesterone testing. Dogs ovulate after hormonal changes and eggs require additional time to mature, which is why timing protocols differ by semen type (fresh vs. chilled vs. frozen).

Artificial insemination is a tool—not a shortcut

AI can be effective, but outcomes vary by semen type, timing, technique, and individual fertility. Published data show pregnancy and whelping rates differ across fresh, chilled, and frozen-thawed semen, with frozen generally requiring the most precision and sometimes showing lower or more variable success.

Whelping and the First 8 Weeks: The Work Begins Here

Breeding responsibly means being prepared for:

• Emergency veterinary costs and late-night interventions
• Neonatal loss risk and failure-to-thrive management
• Sanitation and infectious disease control
• Appropriate early development environments

Early experience shapes later behavior. Research emphasizes that the puppy socialization period (often described around 3–12/14 weeks) is highly influential for later behavior, and management during this window affects long-term outcomes.

Some early-handling protocols (often marketed as “ENS”) have mixed evidence; recent controlled work suggests effects can be variable and context-dependent, reinforcing the need to prioritize fundamentals (health, stable routines, appropriate exposures) over gimmicks.

Placement Is an Ethical Obligation, Not a Sales Step

If you breed, you are responsible for:

• Screening buyers realistically (operation fit, fencing, labor, expectations)
• Providing written guidance on early bonding and adolescence management
• Using contracts that protect welfare and reduce preventable rehoming
• Remaining available after placement

A common reason dogs fail in the field is mismatch, placing a puppy into a situation that does not fit its development stage or the producer’s management capacity.

Do Not Breed to “Make Money”

Breeding done properly is expensive. Even when a litter sells well, costs and risks can erase margins quickly:

• Health testing
• Reproductive veterinary services
• Whelping supplies and emergency care
• Feed, parasite control, vaccines
• Time (the largest cost, and the one you never recoup)

If your plan depends on profit, you are likely to cut corners—and corners are exactly where welfare and reputation failures occur.

A Responsible Breeder Checklist

Before breeding, you should have:

• A mentor (or advisory group) who will be candid
• Clear breeding goals and written selection criteria
• Verified health testing appropriate to your lines
• A brucellosis testing protocol
• A breeding contract (stud agreement and buyer agreement)
• A whelping plan and emergency veterinary plan
• A puppy development plan through at least 8 weeks
• A placement screening process and long-term support plan