By Mary Jane Anderson

To breed or not to breed, that is the question. To some dog owners, the answer might seem simple enough, either wait and see or spay or neuter your pet. However, at a closer look, the decision you make might change your life with your dog.

Let us first consider the possibility that you might like to have an offspring of your faithful companion. There are several factors you must know before breeding your dog.

The first point to consider is your dog’s pedigree. A pedigree will tell you your dog belongs to a recognized breed of the American Kennel Club. But, having a pedigree does not necessarily mean that your dog should be bred. Only by researching the dog’s family tree will you find what his or her ancestors have accomplished in the breed and working class. The lineage usually goes back to 3 or 4 generations but for breeding purposes, the information should go back 6 or 10 generations. What will this information tell you?

A dog’s achievements in the breed and his working abilities are abbreviated before and after their name in the pedigree: Am/CA CH Molly of Happy Fields Farm CD OFA-GS-123. This dog has a championship in America and Canada. A champion is considered superior in conformation and temperament of the breed.

A dog holding a CD (Companion Dog) degree has passed a test for obedience and reliability. OFA certifies the German Shepherd had her hips x-rayed. Certification is awarded only for normal animals 24 months of age or older. Owners of dog breeds that fall into the high-risk group should breed only animals of normal hips and a well-documented background of normal hip joints in parents, grandparents, and littermates. Hip dysphasia is a serious hereditary defect.

Do you know the physical defects in your breed? All breeds have them! Your dog might have been lucky but she or he might carry the hereditary defects in their genes to pass on to their offspring. Therefore, you must have a sound working knowledge of genetics. In breeding, both dogs must have an excellent background.

If your dog’s pedigree is sound, the second point to consider is if you are knowledgeable about the care of a female dog going to have puppies. Would you be able to cope with a difficult labor? Do you know that the cost of proper care of one puppy is approximately $100. If your dog has 10 or more puppies, it would become quite costly. This figure is only if no problems arise at their birth or at the early stages of development.

Finally, do you have the time to screen your prospective buyers so your puppy will be placed in a responsible home where the puppy will be loved, grow old, die, and be remembered as a beloved friend? Or will the puppy be left to run free, tied to a tree day and night, or given to a shelter where hundreds of thousands of pure-breed and mixed breeds are put to sleep each year. Also, what would happen if you must keep a puppy or two for 6 months until you find the right owner?

As you can see, breeding is a very serious undertaking with many hours of time and effort involved. Now, let’s look at the second alternative, spaying and neutering. A female dog will be in heat about every six months and lasting for approximately three weeks. Her discharge will attract many un-neutered dogs. Also, your dog is more susceptible to a life-threatening infection of the uterus and breast cancer. If she is spayed at about 6 or 7 months old, these medical problems will be greatly reduced. If a male dog is neutered between 6 and 8 months old, there can be a change in his behavioral problems such as roaming and fighting as well as preventing prostate diseases and cancer of the testes. The cost of spaying or neutering a dog depends on the age and weight of the dog and whether the female has gone into heat.

The decision is yours. The key to understanding the question is the knowledge of genetics, improving the breed standards, and what is the best for you and your dog.