“It’s a dog’s life,” the saying goes, but you can make your little one’s life even richer. Here are some ideas:

1. Plan playtime. Make a date with your puppy each and every day to help socialize him. Race him to the park, or recite poetry. You choose. He wACill bask in your undivided attention no matter what you do.

2. Take a road trip. He’ll love riding shotgun to the ice cream store, the post office or to pick up bagels. Roll down the window so he gets a bit of a breeze on the way there.

3. Cuddle up. Even if your spouse hates tearjerkers, we’re sure your puppy will embrace them. He also won’t keep track of how many Kleenex you use.

4. Hit the water. Nearly every breed of dog loves H20, so prance through puddles, leap into lakes or race through a river.

5. Give him a bath. After all that wading in the stinky pond down the street, give him a nice bubble bath with specially formulated puppy shampoo.

6. Beat the heat. Exercise with your pup in the early morning hours and enjoy that sunrise you’ve missed the past few years.

7. Walk, walk, walk. To the grocery store. To your neighbor’s house. To the elementary school to pick up your kids. You’ll be surprised what a good time you’ll both have smelling life’s roses.

8. Do a dance. Your puppy loves your moves — no matter how lame they are. Crank up Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy,” clip a leash on him and pretend you are at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

9. Teach him a new trick. Start with fetch and move right on up to cleaning the garage and doing taxes.

10. Tell him about your boss. Or your boyfriend. And everything in between. You puppy will gladly listen to your dish — and he promises never to tell.

11. Snap his mug. You might not be William Wegman, but you’ll both have a ball doing a photo shoot.

12. Check out your local breed club. You’ll learn more about your puppy and meet new friends — for both of you.

13. Register with AKC or CKC. You’ve put in a lot of work teaching your pup to mind (and you’ve already practiced on the cat walk — see tip #8), so go ahead and make things official.

14. Learn to speak Puppy. He is, after all, learning to speak English at your behest. The least you can do is to take time to study his body language so that you know how he’s feeling.

15. Bring a blankie. Make your vacation easier on him by leaving him with a lovey when you kennel him.

16. Let him sniff. Your life isn’t so busy that you can’t let him take an extra-long whiff at the fire hydrant. Such olfactory communication is essential for puppies learning about the world.

17. Tag him. Millions of puppies are lost each year. Make sure yours isn’t one of them by updating his charms religiously.

18. Get him fixed. Animals who’ve had The Operation lead longer, healthier lives. Plus, you’ll be doing your part to curb overpopulation.

19. Let him chew. Yes, it can be a pain, but it is also developmentally appropriate for puppies. Quit complaining and purchase high-quality chews at pet specialty stores then let him have at it.

20. Enjoy your puppy. With all that goes into raising a pup, it is easy to forget to simply be with him. After all, in a few short months, you’ll be missing this phase — chewing and all.

There are three basic patterns of breeding animals: inbreeding, linebreeding and outcrossing. There are several interpretations on determining the point of difference between inbreeding and linebreeding.  Generally speaking inbreeding can be considered a breeding of son to mother, father to daughter, brother to sister, and half-brother to half-sister. Linebreeding is the mating of dogs that are closely related to the same ancestor but are generally not related at all through any other ancestor. When a dog is said to be “linebred” it usually means they are related through both the sire and the dam to one particular ancestor. An outcrossed pedigree would be one in which an individual has no common ancestors in the first three or four generations.

There are other factors that have to be considered besides just a paper pedigree before deciding a breeding.  By selecting by pedigree alone without considering the physical traits of the animals can lead to great disappointments! A complete evaluation of the individuals themselves is essential for any success to be expected. The foundation of a successful breeding program must begin with the physical characteristics of the animals themselves and not the pedigrees alone.

If you study pedigrees of successful breeders, you will see some definite patterns in most all pedigrees that are linebred.  Patterns most frequently seen are grandfather to granddaughter, grandfather to double granddaughter, son to granddaughter and son t double granddaughter, grandson to granddaughter, and grandson to double granddaughter.  Depending on the quality of the mother or father, there will also be evidence of inbreeding in pedigrees that is used to get to reach a desired trait.

When researching a pedigree for breeding purposes, you should look for an animal that is inbred or linebred on your ideal individual in your breed. Remember, if you linebreed or inbreed on a mediocre dog, you will only produce more mediocrity! Only those animals that are of “superior” quality should be selected for inbreeding or linebreeding. Careful consideration should be made for the selection of the breeding female. Think about it – where a male becomes the sire of hundreds the female becomes the mother of tens.   Since it is much easier to trace a distinctive type among the comparatively few descendants of one mother, it is possible to make valuable use of female influence.

It can be difficult to obtain a stellar bitch to start out with; most of us start with an “average” bitch.  The best breeding practice to take in this situation would be to mate her with a stud whose structure approaches the ideal, thus “breeding up” through him.

No two people will select for quite the same traits within a breed, it is an evolution.   People all have different focus areas, some can be on a head, others, fronts, still others, soundness, until a “look” for the breeder is established.  A well established breeder’s dogs can be easily picked out in the show ring.  They are stamped with their certain “look”.

Breeding to the top winner is not always the road to success, as a top winner is not always a consistent or even a good producer.

The third pattern found in pedigrees is the outcross. Usually a breeder of an established line will only outcross for a definite purpose.   The initial attempt of an outcross utilizing two “excellent” animals can exhibit many of the good points of both parents. When these puppies make their debut in the show ring and are successful, many breeders rush to make similar breedings. Unfortunately, without a clear cut purpose in mind, the resulting generations of this outcross will often show a great lack of uniformity – which will leave the less experienced breeders at a loss of what mating to make next. This only further helps to make the breed one of differing types in size and proportion.

It is imperative for the beginning breeder to obtain some knowledge of genetics and also a complete understanding of the breed standard of the breed to which he is committed. Not until these two steps are taken can one be considered serious in his protection and advancement of a breed instead of just wanting to play the “game” of winning in the show ring.

There’s something about adopting a puppy that makes you want to yell “Carpe diem!” Perhaps you’re inspired by the vigor of his youth—or maybe it’s that you can’t possibly do any thumb sucking while catching a falling vase. Given your new attitude, reading lengthy articles about dog behavior by acclaimed animal trainers might not rank. So, here’s our Top 10 list of the Things You Should Know about your new pup. Read quickly. He has to pee again.

#1  Puppy-proof your home. If your pal is right this second chewing the wires of your computer, you’ve got a problem. Pups are biologically predisposed to munch on anything and everything to help them cut their teeth. That includes wires and all sorts of other dangerous stuff. Hide or put away anything you would not want a toddler eating or pulling. Survey the area when you’re done on hands and knees (his eye level) to make sure you’ve done a good job.

#2  Introduce your family slowly. Do not spring your new pup on the extended clan at Cousin Heddy’s bat mitzvah four hours after you picked up your pooch from the breeder. Instead, let him adjust to your normal routine for a couple weeks then gradually make the rounds. In fact, you’re better off taking things slowly at home, too. Keep him in one room for a day or two before giving him a grand tour of the house. Resident pets should make short “visits” to his kennel for a couple of days to sniff him out before you allow them to play together. Don’t worry; there will be plenty of time to take family photos later.

#3  Don’t feed him human food. We know your father made your childhood Cocker Spaniel scrambled eggs every day for breakfast, but that’s probably why Taffy didn’t live very long. Be a grown-up and buy Eukanuba. Our food is specially formulated based on your puppy’s weight and nutritional needs. It includes a perfect balance of protein, carbs and, yes, even antioxidants.

#4  Housetrain him properly. Cleaning up after a puppy that has piddled is one thing, having to muck up your own living room regularly for the next 12 years is another. Take the time early on to housebreak him in an appropriate fashion. This requires discipline on your part—just about every hour. Don’t forget to reward him when he does his business in the right place. Even if it is 3 a.m., you want to encourage that he did the right thing by waking you up.

#5  Socialize him. You cannot tolerate a pet that nips at your nanny. She will quit, and then you will have to stay home with both the kids and the dog. Take time now to regularly go to the park for play dates so that your pup has the opportunity to meet and greet many different types of individuals—human and canine alike.

#6  Teach him to be obedient. You’ll enjoy your pup much more if he’s not driving you mad with his barking/jumping/begging. Spend time each day giving him lessons on how to be quiet, come, sit, stay, etc. Once you do that, then you can enter him in the Annual Beach Babe Frisbee Competition.

#7  Get her fixed. Unless you honestly want to become a breeder, do us a favor and make The Appointment. While the science experiment is fun for the entire sixth grade class, you’ll be the one who has to clean up after all those puppies. At four o’clock in the morning. While your 12-year-old daughter cries hysterically that she cannot possibly give up any of the babies.

#8  Get him fixed. If you think your neighbors are a little standoffish now, wait until your Golden Retriever has impregnated their AKC-registered Tibetan Terrier.

#9  Exercise him. Depending on their breed, puppies need a decent amount of exercise to stay in good physical and mental health. Start your day early with an extra-long walk then wind down at night with a stroll around the block, leash in hand. He’ll blow through energy that might otherwise be destined for your new couch pillows, and you’ll be able to save money by cancelling your gym membership.

#10  Make time to play with him. Puppies are hugely social pack animals and need your undivided attention for some time each day. Relax with your pet by throwing a ball, teaching him a new trick or cuddling in bed with him. Studies have shown that developing relationships with pets relieves stress thus leading to improved human health. Besides, you can clean out your closet another day.

Now go outside and let him do his business. Don’t forget the treats.

First up in the introductions of the Eukanuba Pure line is Puppy Growth.  Do you have a new puppy and are looking for something that doesn’t contain fillers, corn or artificial preservatives?  Eukanuba Pure Puppy Growth doesn’t contain any of that!  It does contain DHA from natural fish oil for smarter, more trainable puppies and natural FOS for your puppy’s healthy digestion and to support strong defenses.  As with all the Eukanuba Pure formulas, this bag is resealable!

29% Protein and 18% fat with chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, this extraordinary formula will help you find the freedom in natural nutrition.

This formula is available in 4.5lb, 15lb, and 30lb bags.  It is only available in the US.

Ingredients Panel:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), Rosemary Extract

What is Success?

When a breeder “does well” they are most likely referring to the consistency in their breeding plans, personal satisfaction in doing what they do and positive feedback they have received from seeing their puppies go to happy owners… and success in the show ring.  NOT how well they are doing financially selling puppies!  Plus there is tremendous satisfaction when a puppy buyer calls you back a year later and tells you how happy they are with their dog.  

Costs to Expect

The expense of operating a kennel is a big consideration that simply should never be underestimated when considering whether or not to get into this business seriously. You must consider nutrition, housing, veterinary care, pet sitters, insurance, advertising costs, show entry fees, transportation, etc, etc…  The list goes on and on… 

Medical Expenses

Along with housing expenses, there are also medical expenses.  Every breed has different hereditary or medical concerns that need to be screened thoroughly before a dog can medically be determined to be breeding quality. 

Here are some examples of common health screenings and medical expenses that can occur before a dog is bred (these can vary greatly based on breed and you will be able to easily research and identify the needs for your particular breed):

1.)     Evaluation of hips by the OFA-Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.  This consists of x-rays that show the hip joints and associated bony components and any deviations from normal.  A score of Excellent to Dysplastic is given by the OFA upon reviewing the x-rays.  If your dog doesn’t pass, then they are not breeding quality. Dogs must be at least 2 years old before they can have this registry done (when the growth period is complete). A newer hip evaluation, called the PENN HIP procedure is also used to evaluate the hips.  This method shows any laxity of the hips, the dog should score high and well above the medium.

2.)     CERF- this is the registry of eye quality; a Board Certified Veterinary Specialist in Opthalmology must examine the eyes for any hereditary defects.  These are conducted annually.

3.)     Cardiac- a heart evaluation that is conducted by a Board Certified Cardiologist usually at a University and usually needs to be updated yearly also.

4.)     Thyroid Function- This blood test can be done through your local veterinary hospital and is a one-time evaluation. 

5.)     DNA and Microchip are very important.  These need to be registered through AKC (The American Kennel Club) or CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) and are a must if you plan on using Artificial Insemination. DNA profile and Microchip expenses vary greatly.

6.)     Brucellosis- This test needs to be run prior to each breeding.  It will show if the male or female are carriers of this sexually transmitted disease.

7.)     Vaccination – take your dog to the veterinarian for any vaccinations and a preventative worming before your dog is to be bred. 

Before you consider breeding, you need to determine if you truly have a dog that is worthy of being bred. The primary goal of breeding is to improve the breed.  Just because your dog is AKC registered doesn’t mean it should be bred. This dog breeding business IS serious stuff!

Please share a comment with the costs that you have encountered with breeding.