by Megan Clark

Created on: November 21, 2008

The first thing that must be realized is that there is a distinct difference between a dog breeder and a dog owner. Dog breeders are dedicated to their breed and the preservation of that breed's distinct characteristics. They not only know the history of the breed and what the breed was developed for, they are also very aware of the breed's standard, temperament and health problems. Breeders will only allow their animals to reproduce after careful pedigree research, and then only if they believe that the mating will result in the next generation being as good or better than the parents. Because tracking lineage is so important, dog breeders will only breed registered animals, and will only register their animals through reputable organizations. Breeders also rarely own both parents of a litter because they seek to find the best possible mate for their animals, wherever it may be. Rather than being thrown together simply because one is male and the other female, they are very carefully matched based on physical and temperamental characteristics. They often breed to animals located in different states or even different countries. The parents of a litter are carefully screened for any hereditary health problems before being allowed to breed. Breeders are very upfront with potential owners about the diseases present in a breed in general in and their specific lines because not only do they care about the welfare of their animals, they want to be able to monitor the puppies they have produced for any signs of the diseases they struggle so hard to eliminate.

Breeders spend a considerable amount of time and money training, showing, health testing, and finding the right mate for their animal. The health of their animal is of primary importance and they often have smears, ultra-sounds and other pre-natal care expenses. They take days off work to be present for the birth of their long anticipated litter and spend much time and effort evaluating and socializing each puppy. They will never sell a puppy before 8-12 weeks of age, and often wait until later so they have time and opportunity to watch and carefully evaluate each puppy. Breeders know they are losing money on each litter, but they don't care. This is their hobby, their passion and they do it for the love of the breed. Breeders understand that not every puppy in a litter is breeding quality. The best pup(s) in the litter are retained and allowed to grow to their full potential before being evaluated as future breeding

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