what makes the perfect breeding dog

[juliefurry]

I am not planning on breeding any of my dogs, half my dogs are fixed and the others aren't yet old enough to get fixed. I was just hoping that maybe someone could clarify want a good dog to breed would be? Is it a dog with a good temperment or a dog that is a good specimen of it's breed? Could you justifiable breed a dog with a good temperment that might not be a great example of it's breed? Or could you breed a dog with a not so great temperment that is a great example of it's breed justifiably? I don't plan on breeding but maybe if these question were answered it could help other people decide on if their dogs should or should not be bred.

[bubbatd]

Breeding any dog should be left to the responsible dog breeders. Those who have shown their dogs, know the breed well, and do it only for the betterment of their line or the dog's breed. The dogs should have all the qualifications of the breed, good temperment, all tests etc. Your questions were good......glad you asked !

[showpug]

Like the previous post, dogs that are kept in a breeders breeding program should have th total package! They should have a title in some form of competition. I personally believe in dual titles such as a conformation championship and another title like obedience, herding, field trialing, lure coursing etc. They should also adhere to the standard as far as temperment and conformation goes AND they should only be bred to other dogs that adhere to the standard and are of equal to better quality...with the intention to improve the next generation of puppies. They should pass health screens for genetic problems that are typical to that breed and should be overall sound.

[Fran27]

The perfect breeder will have all that... Personally, I couldn't care less about competitions though, so MY opinion of a good breeder is one that makes sure that the parents have no health problem, have good temperament, and takes lots of time socializing the puppies - and of course is picky about the families the dogs will go to. I want good and healthy pets, not champions.

But I think that nobody will have the same idea of what is responsible breeding.

[Renee750il]

Julie's on a good track. From spending time picking Fila breeders' brains, I've learned that there is no such thing as the "perfect" dog to breed. Very often, when you breed two dogs that seem to be the apex of the breed standard you don't get puppies that necessarily live up to their parents. Very often the best pups come from balancing the great traits and faults of the two parents. For instance, one dog has a great line and is a strong drover, but the temperament is too soft and the head not quite large enough, so you breed to a dog that may not have a perfect line, or as strong a droving instinct, and maybe has an over-large head and a very, very hard temperament and you end up with one or two exceptional pups in a litter of good to above average pet quality pups (usually). That's simplified, and there are countless things to take into consideration and weigh, but you get the idea. And there's a degree of luck, the planets being in alignment, voodoo, kharma, etc. involved.

Or that may just be the way rare breeds are handled because of the relatively shallow depth of the available gene pool.

[showpug]

Originally Posted by Fran27

The perfect breeder will have all that... Personally, I couldn't care less about competitions though, so MY opinion of a good breeder is one that makes sure that the parents have no health problem, have good temperament, and takes lots of time socializing the puppies - and of course is picky about the families the dogs will go to. I want good and healthy pets, not champions.

But I think that nobody will have the same idea of what is responsible breeding.

Fran, she asked what makes a good breeding "dog", not what makes a good dog breeder.

[showpug]

Originally Posted by Renee750il

Julie's on a good track. From spending time picking Fila breeders' brains, I've learned that there is no such thing as the "perfect" dog to breed. Very often, when you breed two dogs that seem to be the apex of the breed standard you don't get puppies that necessarily live up to their parents. Very often the best pups come from balancing the great traits and faults of the two parents. For instance, one dog has a great line and is a strong drover, but the temperament is too soft and the head not quite large enough, so you breed to a dog that may not have a perfect line, or as strong a droving instinct, and maybe has an over-large head and a very, very hard temperament and you end up with one or two exceptional pups in a litter of good to above average pet quality pups (usually). That's simplified, and there are countless things to take into consideration and weigh, but you get the idea. And there's a degree of luck, the planets being in alignment, voodoo, kharma, etc. involved.

Or that may just be the way rare breeds are handled because of the relatively shallow depth of the available gene pool.

Renee...you are right. Good breeders understand balance. There is no such thing as a perfect dog. If you are breeding your female that has certain weaknesses then you look for a male that is strong where she is weak and vice versa (sp).LOL!!

[juliefurry]

how hard is to spot a good breeding dog? Are they easy to come by, or do the breeders usually keep them for themselves to improve their dogs? Is a male breeder more easy to get than female (since the females are usually the more expensive dog)?

[showpug]

Originally Posted by juliefurry

how hard is to spot a good breeding dog? Are they easy to come by, or do the breeders usually keep them for themselves to improve their dogs? Is a male breeder more easy to get than female (since the females are usually the more expensive dog)?

Not easy to spot unless you have spent an abundance of time with that breed and studying the standard etc. Not all show dogs make good breeding dogs, but that is the purpose of showing dogs, to test breeding stock. I will start in the ring and aquire a championship conformation title and then put my dog through MANY health screens and then find a stud that is strong where she is weak and then and only then would I breed a litter.

[EliNHunter]

Females are probably more expensive because of the costs involved with breeding her. The stud comes in, does his thing, then leaves (rings true in human life too, huh?). The female is the one that has to go through constant checkups throughout pregnancy, the special diets, the birthing process, the vetting of both her and her pups afterward. You breed the "degreed dog" for confirmation (their looks), temperment, health certification (eyes, hips, etc.), and if they have extra certifications tied to showing, trials, therapy, etc... all the better.

What do I mean by a degreed dog? One that has been registered and proves all of the above. That's the only time one should breed a dog. To further the breed.