|
Knowledge is Power |
Selecting a Breeder:Before you make a commitment to any breeder, you should visit their kennel. If that isn’t possible ask for references of people that have been to the facility and call them. If it is possible for you to go to the kennel, it is a good idea to spend time watching the prospective parents of the pup you intend to buy. Even though it is not unusual for the parents to be nervous around strangers, they should be at ease and friendly towards their owner. Ask for references of people who have bought pups from the breeder before and talk to them about the behavioral characteristics, health, problems, etc., that they might have experienced with their pup. Ask the breeder if he/she guarantees the pups and if you will be given a written contract. Ask the breeder if he/she will take the animal back should something happen that you can no longer keep the pup. If the parents exhibit behaviors such as aggression, it might be a good idea to look elsewhere. Here are a few things that should make you have second thoughts about buying a pup from a particular breeder.
If the parents are represented as being 98% then here are a few things that will almost guarantee they are not:
A true 98% wolfdog should look like a wolf, there should be little, if any, dog like characteristics identifiable in its appearance. Many northern breeds can be very wolf-like in appearance and some are often mistaken as wolfdogs. Therefore, one should be familiar with the various looks and colorations of Huskies and Malamutes and some shepherds before trying to assess that the parents are wolfdogs. Breeders of the Siberian Husky German Shepherd Dogs Link Page Shiloh Shepherd Learning Center
BREEDING WOLFDOGS:Almost everyone believes that their wolfdog is a wonderful animal. However, that should not be the only criteria considered before breeding. Unless you have a set plan and have chosen your animals carefully, please do not breed. Animals that are bred should compliment one another in looks, health, and temperament. The main goal in breeding is to produce animals that are better than the parents. So You Want to Become a Wolfdog Breeder Making a Difference: Being a Responsible Dog Breeder It's about Animals - Puppy Love Canine Medical Information - Part II If you choose to breed, health screening prior to breeding is recommended. A breeder should strive to avoid problems such as displasia. Having your breeding pair checked for hip displasia through OFA or Penn Hip will cost approximately $100.00 - $300.00 per animal. Breeders should know the background of any animal considered for breeding in order to determine if there are any physical or psychological problems within the line. Problems such as a maloclusive jaw is caused by recessive genes and may not be known unless two animals carrying the recessive gene are bred together. Even though some problems such as displasia can be surgically corrected, the procedure is extremely costly. Whereas, other genetically inherited problems such as liver shunt disease are deadly. Some females are unable to give birth without assistance, and pups must be delivered by c-section. If you are gone (work, etc.) when the female goes into labor, she can easily die before you get home. The stages of Canine Labor When Your Dog Gives Birth Veterinary Medicine - Pregnancy and Birth in Dogs Dog: Reproductive Diseases and Conditions If you think that you will make money breeding wolfdogs - think again. Almost all breeders that breed responsibly will tell you, that they usually do not make enough money to break even. The letter below sets out a few facts that you should think about before counting your money. BREEDER'S ETHICS: A breeder can honestly represent their animals and produce good pups and still not be a good breeder. If a buyer cannot depend on what a breeder has told them, then that person should not be considered as a good breeder. Remember, the old rule - "buyer beware." Any agreement between you and a breeder should be in writing in order to avoid future misunderstandings. Examples of a violation of ethics would be someone putting down a deposit on a pup and the breeder then selling that pup to another person. THE PUPS:If you have decided to breed, a birthing kennel must be readied for the new mother. Shortly before the pups are born, the female should be moved into this specially prepared area. However, she may not necessarily want to go into this specially prepared place. Therefore, the new kennel will need to be dig proof and climb proof. There should be a house or birthing box for her with bedding that will not mold and is not harmful to the pups. The area should be free from parasites such as fleas and ticks and the soil should be treated to get rid of diseases such as parvo. Evangelizing Canine Genetic Diversity Dr. P's Dog Training - Genetics and Breeding Many new mothers are very protective and will not allow you to touch their pups. However, socialization should begin by the time the pups are two or three weeks of age. If the mother will not allow you to interact with the pups, you must pull the pups and bottle feed them. The mother may howl and be depressed for several days or even weeks once you take away her pups. Remember, if the new mother would not let you handle the pups while they were with her, then she certainly is not going to peacefully allow you to take them from her. Once the pups are pulled, they may not like the formula, or may not do well on the formula you have chosen to use. If this happens, you will need to change the formula in order to get them to eat. Diarrhea is one problem you may encounter, and changing or adjusting the formula may be necessary to avoid loose stools. On the other hand, each time the formula is changed, it is likely to cause diarrhea, so all changes must be done gradually. Getting the pups to take a bottle can be problematic because some will not take it at all while others will try to suck too hard and aspirate. If the pup aspirates, then it can easily progress into pneumonia. There are hundreds of things that can and do go wrong when
trying to bottle feed pups. You should have a veterinarian standing by because
chances are that you are going to make at least one visit to the vet’s office
during the next few weeks. Whether you mix your own formula or buy a milk
supplement, the cost Puppy Formula:One can goats milk mixed with an equal amount of Pedialyte (or water). 3-5 heaping Tablespoons plain Danon’s Yogurt. (The yogurt must have active culture) 1 dropper of Poly-vi-sol baby vitamins (human) 1 package dried Knox Gelatin dissolved in small amount of hot water 1 small jar of beef baby food (without onions or seasoning) 1 Tablespoon white Karo syrup Variations of this formula include rice cereal for babies and an egg yolk, some breeders substitute canine Red Cell for baby vitamins. (The rice cereal and egg yolk are usually added after the pups are a few weeks of age.) Mix well in a blender and refrigerate. Each pup should be fed two ounces every two or three hours. At 4:00 in the morning, it is often hard to remember which pups have already eaten and which ones still need to be fed. Remember - this has to be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the first several weeks of the pup’s life. If you can leave the pups with the mother, they still need to be handled daily in order to socialize them to humans. Before pups leave your property they should have at least one and possibly two sets of their puppy shots in order to avoid parvo and other diseases. Many times pups may harbor the virus, and the stress of leaving can trigger the virus. SELLING THE PUPS:The pups should be sold prior to breeding. Contracts should be signed, returned to the breeder, and deposits received for all of the pups before you allow the pair to breed. (Numbers vary - but normally 7 or 8 is the recommended number that should be pre-sold.) You should be prepared to keep the pups in case a sale falls through. Too, you may find yourself in a situation where you have sold 4 males and 3 females, but when the pups are born you only have 1 male and 6 females. It is not uncommon for buyers to back out of sales, or for the pair to produce exactly the opposite sex of what you have pre-sold. In order to find the best homes for the animals you produce, you should have a list of questions prepared for prospective buyers. There are many many things to consider when screening a potential buyer. Below is a partial list of things you should know about a potential new owner.
The above questions are only a few that should be asked. It is a good idea to talk to other breeders and ask them some of the problems that they have experienced in the past when selling pups. BREEDER’S RESPONSIBILITIES:
In other words, it is your responsibility as a breeder to equip the new owner with all the information that is needed to be a successful and responsible owner. If that means being available for the life of that animal should the buyers have questions, then you are obligated to do so. Breeders should prepare educational packets and give them to the new owner when they pick up their pups. The packets should include information on containment, behavior, training, and a list of books and/or web sites with information that will assist the new owner in raising their new pup. BEFORE you decide to breed take the time to visit with a responsible breeder that has successfully bred for a number of years. Ask questions, discuss your breeding plan and see if they can give you suggestions or help you avoid potential problems. THE CONTRACT & SPECIAL CLAUSES:When preparing your contract, you should think of exactly what you want the contract to accomplish. For instance, breeders that have worked to establish a line of wolfdogs known for being physically sound and having excellent dispositions do not want that line marred by allowing offspring from that line to be bred to aggressive or unsound animals. Therefore many feel that it is necessary to control future breeding of animals they produce. Breeders that do not include spay/neuter clauses, often reserve the right to approve all future breeding of the animals they produce. Those breeders will include a clause in their sales contract that any animal they sell cannot be bred without written consent from them. Other breeders include clauses that the animals cannot be bred unless they have been health screened. Others may require either Penn Hip or OFA certification guaranteeing that the hips are sound prior to breeding. It is not always easy for a breeder to keep up with buyers. It is easy for pups you produce to end up in rescue and be put down. One thing a breeder can do to avoid this is to micro-chip the pups prior to them leaving their premises. The chip will cost between $8 and $15.00. An additional fee of about $15.00 - $20.00 is required for registration of the chip. The breeder can register the chips with the company data base and list the buyer as the first contact and the breeder as a second contact. Therefore, if any of your pups are surrendered to rescue, the rescue will be able to contact you. Once again - PLEASE remember, you are responsible for every animal you produce for the life of that animal
|
Send mail to pamthompson@valornet.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|