I recommend spaying and neutering of all pets. This will not change a dog's personality or behavior except in a positive way or cause him/her to gain weight. A neutered male dog is unlikely to lift his leg in the house. Marking behavior, is common for intact males to go crazy around in-heat females. A spayed female does not produce any discharge, which unspayed females may permanently stain carpets, during heat cycles. Male dogs can smell a heat miles away and you wouldn't want your female to accidently get pregnant. Fixing your pet, also prevents them from getting urinary cancer. It is much healthier in the long run to alter your pet which it will really help stop sexual behaviors, and marking in the home. Here at R Crested Tails all sold pets are enforced to be spayed/neutered at age 5-6 months, this is to prevent over population and accidental breedings.
A lot of people think that breeding is very easy. Ask yourself this question “Why do you want to breed?” to have cute puppies to play with? the reality is it can be a lot of extra work, and cleaning, and isn't always a fun job. If you think you will profit from breeding then think again! Breeding, whelping, raising and selling a litter, is a serious commitment, that requires a great deal of time, energy and exhaustion. Being a breeder can mean making life and death decisions about the animals you love.
Are you ready for this type of change? The time involved with animal care means less time with friends. Their are also vet expenses that come with it. Dogs generally whelp puppies in the middle of the night. It is NOT uncommon for cresteds or Chihuahua's to need a C-Section and an emergency trip to the vet can be very costly.
After the puppies birth, more of your time will be needed, in monitoring their health and the health of the mother. The first two weeks after birth involve extra precautions in the monitoring of both mother and pups. And you may have to stay up all hours of the night bottle feeding, with get very little sleep. Once the litter appears to be out of harms way within that 10 day period, your time will be spent cleaning the house, changing their whelping pen, and socializing puppies and experience the joy of listening to them whine at 2 a.m. for attention, and Oh yes lot of cleaning!
As puppies enter the weaning stage at 5 weeks of age you are needed more than ever! Pups need to be fed a special soft food so they don't choke, Pups being weaned make huge messes and more time than ever will be needed in order to keep them clean. You'll need an hour from start to finish for each feeding alone, as you won't believe these little guys they love to follow you as your trying to clean the mess and sometimes it can be quite stressful.
Where will you whelp your puppies? These two breed of dogs absolutely can not be whelped in the garage or outside. Your house will become a nursery for at least 8 weeks and the noise and odor level will persist during this entire time. Some bitches are not good mothers and will abandon their pups. Your time will then be needed in the hand-feeding of these pups. Occasionally there is a bitch who needs exceptionally careful monitoring as some have been known to kill puppies. Post-whelping discharge on the mother can stain any kind of carpet. Furthermore, puppies need lots of contact with people. Someone needs to be home full-time during the 8 weeks. Failure to do this can result in temperament problems and hard-to-place puppies.
As far as putting money into litters can you really afford it? At least $1,000.00 is necessary to cover the basic costs of having a litter. Stud fees, veterinary care (which includes shots, litter care, pre and post-natal care) feeding, advertising, etc. can add up fast. Should the mother or babies develop serious problems you will need to spend even more money. It is not uncommon for both breeds to have just two puppies. and due to popularity it is not always easy to sell. People may tell you that they desperately want a puppy but disappear when it's time to actually buy. In an average 2 week-running ad you may expect about 4 phone calls, three of which are just people calling to ask questions. As a result you may have puppies in your home much longer than you originally intended and the costs keep mounting. If you're not a good financial planner and neglect to anticipate the $1,000.00 up-front investment then you will find that creeping costs that breeding may not be suited for you and can even put you in the hole.
A huge part of this business is dealing with all types of people. Are you ready to select Forever homes? After spending weeks with your puppies, you may find that when it's time to let go there will be an emotional price to pay. It's easy to get attached to these little loving guys. Interviewing new potential owners can be a less than delightful experience also. People need to be carefully screened and educated. Not everyone is suited for this breed and its important to ask particular questions to ensure the dog is being placed in their forever homes. Interviewing and making wise choices for your babies can be stressful. There is nothing more devastating than to have someone you have carefully chosen call to tell you that the puppy died when it was hit by a car.
As a breeder you have the further obligation and sometimes legal responsibility of guaranteeing your pups. Many states have puppy "lemon laws". If you are not prepared for the costs of a lawsuit you might find yourself in jail. It is also possible, a few years down the road, to receive a phone call asking you to take the puppy (now adult dog) back. This type of phone call is preferable to hearing that the cute bundle you sold is now in the local pound and/or was put to sleep because the owner didn't want it any more. As a breeder it is your responsibility to take the dog back no matter what and sometimes you may end up stuck with that dog.
Breeding may bring about some personality changes in your dog. Some females become extremely protective of their pups and a neighborhood kid can be bitten as a result. Lawsuits are NOT FUN! (They are also not cheap.) Some bitches go through a postpartum depression after the puppies have been taken away. This may even get to the point of destructive behavior. Males can undergo personality changes after being bred. A male may have never lifted his leg in the house he may decide to begin this behavior after breeding. Weight gain can occur in both males and females after being bred and the sleek look that you one loved so much can suddenly disappear sometimes never to be seen again.
Pedigrees are an asset and can help you make decisions on how to breed. Making the right choices in breeding can be hard, even if that choice is not to breed. Temperament and health considerations are important but so is structure. Each breed has a standard of perfection and dogs should be bred for that standard. If not carefully bred, it is possible to end up with giants or too tiny. Pedigrees alone cannot tell the whole story. A knowledgeable person can tell you the history of your dog's ancestors. You need to find out about seizures, leg problems, temperament weaknesses, etc. This information cannot be found by merely glancing over a pedigree. Although breeders health test against genetic issues there are no guarantees that the dog will be totally free from hereditary defects. Structure is extremely important.
So think twice before you decide to get into breeding your dog it can be very time consuming,expensive, and an emotional drain. Of course being able to share the breeds with others is what makes this job rewarding and I personally enjoy raising quality puppies. At the same time there is much more that should be considered before getting into breeding and I hope this information helps!
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