Sooo...You THINK you want to be a "BREEDER"?

All of us think of having puppies as a wonderful experience -- NOT ALWAYS.... In addition to the bitch and puppies possibly dying, it's expensive.....

POTENTIAL COSTS OF HYPOTHETICAL BREEDING

Evaluation of a CH bitch prior to breeding:

Hips Checked

$90.00 - $150.00

Examination (heartworm check, urinalysis, stool, brucellosis check pre-breeding vaccine boosters)

$60.00 - $120.00

Breeding:

Health certificate if bitch is being shipped

$16.00 - $30.00

Lodging/boarding fees if bitch is shipped

$10.00 - $20.00 p/day

Shipping Fees or Artificial Insemination Fees (including ICG kits, fed-ex charges & vet fees on both ends)

$400.00 - $600.00

Stud Fees

$800.00 - $2,000.00+

Pregnancy and Whelping:

Veterinary care, including but not limited to:

Ultrasound

$40.00 - $60.00

X-rays

$60.00 - $100.00

Whelping box and paraphernalia

$50.00 - $200.00

Puppy Care: {pups are kept for 8-12 weeks typically}

Food (puppy food, formula, etc.)

$100.00 - $160.00+

Shots ( 3 rounds, assume 6 pups @ $20-30 each)

$360.00 - $540.00

Examination fee (l day check and later check)

$20.00 - $60.00

Ex-Pen(s) Crates (to transport dogs/train)

$50.00 - ?

Bones, toys, bowls, nail clippers, etc.

Varies

Most likely all expenses are not listed. What is represented is no doubt the minimum cost. Possible income from puppy sales (assuming 5 @ $250-500 for the average person not well know within breed circles) would be $1,250 to $2,500. I'm afraid this may be overly optimistic with the current economy, or not taking into account the loss of pups, or no pups.

Further Considerations:

If the bitch needs to have a caesarian section
(barring serious complications like post-natal hemorrhaging)

$450.00 - $800.00

If the bitch can't nurse the puppies require tube/bottle feeding every 2 - 3hours.

During whelping you need a veterinarian on stand-by and experienced help available to assist with whelping.

During the first 2 - 3 weeks, someone has to be available to feed/exercise the bitch frequently (every 4 - 6 hours) and keep puppy area clean.

Complications can include: pyometra (uterine infection), abort/absorb pups, mastitis (inflamed mammary glands), which often ulcerate, and can become infected and kill your pups and bitch, difficulty with delivery (fetal retention, inertia, placental retention, hernia), eclampsia (milk fever), prolapsed uterus, or need for a C-section. Any complication can be life threatening for the bitch. On occasion bitches need to be spayed during these complications.

Although this may appear to be a break-even proposition there are some things we haven't considered. Perhaps the most notable is that the costs don't decrease very much (only the shots and puppy food) if you have 0-2 puppies but the income will decrease significantly. Another issue is the time commitment. It takes many hours of time to care for and socialize a litter of pups, and in the event that all your pups aren't sold by eight weeks, you have extended that time as the pups will need to be separated to grow up bonded with people rather than each other.

Please take this information into consideration BEFORE you decide to have "just one litter". AND IF YOU DON'T RESCUE, DON'T BREED! Spend some time in your local Humane Society or Animal Control Office. They can always use volunteers AND you can get your 'puppy fix'!