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4 Tips To Be A Responsible Golden Retriever Breeder
I'm assuming you understand how difficult it can be to get dogs to breed. I'm assuming you understand that there is a host of things that can wrong at every stage, from disease to distraction, to your dam get hormonal and doing bizarre things to birth accidents, doggy deaths, expensive vet bills and all the rest. I could fill 10 articles with the things I have seen go bad. But I'm no talking about that today. Instead, lets cover some of the responsibilities that entail breeding your dog. Join the AKC and local Kennel Club This should be the very first step in your breathing exercise. Before you even remotely consider reading your dog, you want first assimilate a vast depth of knowledge. So join the local club and meet some of the members. Not surprisingly, they will be very ready and welcome to share their knowledge. Asked to help out. Ask to be part of one of the whelping processes. The new learned firsthand that this is a very unpredictable random event. Among anyone's schedule except the mothers. Essentially what I'm suggesting here is that you find a mentor. It may seem like a simple process at first, but in fact breeding golden retrievers is very involved. Following someone who's done it many times before, and helping out, will give you an excellent knowledge of the process. More importantly, it will also give you experience with what can go wrong. Genetic Screening It's important to understand that you should get your dog tested for possible diseases. With Golden retrievers in particular, there are several things that be can be screened for. Not the least of which is canine hip dysplasia. This is actually a fairly straightforward x-ray test that your vet can do. There are some other tests as well, that will rule out the possibility of passing on a genetic defect. It is of course important to understand that these tests while excellent, sometimes produce a false result. It's important to realize this, because as a breeder most of your clients are going to want a guarantee of no genetic diseases. Back to my point at the start, you should only be breeding for the purposes of improving the breed. So it's very important from this perspective that you do these tests. Also, when you choose a sire to breed with your going to want to see the results of that sires tests. Contain Your Dog Heat If you are still considering breeding your female but perhaps she isn't too yet, then you better be prepared to keep her contained while she's in heat. Make sure she's properly secured because you do not want unplanned breeding with the neighborhood male. It's important to realize that males can sense a female in heat from several miles away. If she is accessible during this time, then not only can accidental pregnancy occur, but you can also find the dogs will fight in an attempt to get near her. Be Sure the dog is friendly, outgoing, or fun to be around, is not necessarily a dog that you should breed. This describes most golden retrievers in fact. But if you are convinced to do it, then please do it responsibly. And learn everything you can first. A kennel club is a great place to start. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Wiz Freleng is a Golden Retriever guy. For more information on Golden Retriever Breeder |
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