I hope this is ok to include, I've just found it in a Yahoo group I'm a member of?

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A BREEDER ....

So you want to be a breeder do you? Good for you! That's what I
am, a breeder. But before you decide to go ahead and breed
dogs,here are a few things you need to know, and a few things
you need to have.

1. You'll need to be willing to clean up vomit, urine, faeces,
chewed up couches, ruined shoes, and destroyed garbage cans.
Then you'll need to be willing to do it all over again the next
day, and the next, and the next....

2. You'll need a strong stomach, to be able to stand the stench
of rotting foetuses aborted mid term by your pregnant bitch
you've been waiting two years to breed. You'll need that strong
stomach when you look down on the occasional deformed monster
your bitch gives birth to, and you'll need it when you humanely
destroy that same puppy.

3. You'll need a strong heart to be able to nurture and love
your healthy puppies until they're ready to be sold into the
hands of strangers who may abuse, neglect, starve, beat, or at
best ignore them. You'll need that strong heart when even the
puppies that go to good homes end up run over by accident, or
put down from illness. You'll need it when the tears of those
good owners are pouring their way into your heart.

4. You'll need lots of room to be able to keep bitches in heat
away from stud dogs, stud dogs away from each other, and
puppies away from everything. Don't forget about those last
two pups that you couldn't find homes for, or the rescue dog
your breed club begged you to take in, or the pup from your
last litter that the owners decided just wasn't right for them.

5. You'll need to be able to stand grief and loss. Like the way
you'll feel the first time you lose a bitch during labour, and
realise that it was your decision to breed her that killed her.
You'll need it when you explain to your kids why the miracle of
birth has a dark side as well.

6. You'll need an employer that will understand if you have to
take time off work because your bitch died in labour and you're
tube feeding the new puppies.

..........Wait a minute you're saying by now! Give me a break!
All you breeders are the same. You only tell us the gory stuff,
the stuff intended to scare us off breeding forever. What about
the money? I mean you guys just don't want anyone else to
compete with you.....

Oh yes the money, glad you mentioned it.

7. You'll need money. Lots of it. Probably lots more than you
have, especially if the above mentioned employer didn't turn
out to be so sympathetic after all. Lets do some math shall
we? Vet bills, Caesarean section, stud fees, registrations,
shots, worming, puppy check ups, special diets, whelping
gear.... Let's say an average of $2500 per litter, if nothing
complicated arises. All this must be paid out before the first
puppy ever sells, assuming that they're not all stillborn, in
which case don't forget the cost of autopsies. Even if every
puppy in the litter is show quality (we can all dream after
all) and you find each one a dream home, you're still going to
lose about $750 per litter.

.........Wait! Where are you going? I didn't tell you about
show fees, or handling, or picking the right stud dog, or
government forms, or AKC registrations, or dog runs, or irate
neighbours, or city licenses.......>>>>>>

mmmmm where do I sign....NOT

You know - I think that this post ought to be the first thing that guests see when they start to post about wanting their pet to have babies......  surely Admin could think of some link so that it pops up as soon as anyone posts "Thinking of breeding from our girl/stud wanted/should our girl/boy be a mummy/daddy"

How about it Admin??????

It would save an awful lot of us getting on our high horses!!!

Margot

I think there is only room for one Bradley in this world

Couldn't stand the heartbreak of some of it.You must be dedicated folk to your breeds.
Jean

That really is true.  Why is it so many people think that all you need to breed a dog is a bitch and a shed?

it forgot to mention

1)extra food mummy will eat during pregnacy
2)milk you will give her insted of water
3)special and expensive puppy food and milk
4)All those new toys that are smal for the puppies but after two weeks bigger ones are needed
5)the warm vetbeds that you buy to keep the puppies warm and they chew into a thousand peices!

and thats just to name some more of the costs!!!!!:) 

Rox

How poignant...I bred from my bitch for the first time this year and I can honestly say it's not something I would choose to do again - and apparently we had it really easy!  Ha ha!  The bitch had an easy pregnancy, gave birth to 6 healthy pups within 3 hours of going into labour - didn't need an ounce of assistance, vet delighted with her and babies but no-one can prepare you for the time and effort it takes into ensuring their health and comfort (both them and mum) - I was truly truly exhausted.  Heavens knows how the poor bitch felt!!

Well done to all you breeders who are committed and dedicated...I take my hat off to you.

Juliet

I too can say if you are in it for the money, get out NOW!!  So far my Golden's litter has cost $1740 (approx. 700 pounds) in vet bills.  This doesn't include extra food, puppy milk and puppy food, worming, vaccinations etc.  In addition to the $1740 I still have to add stud fees.  The total will be well over $2200.  At the end of a very traumatic and heartbreaking 3 weeks I have one puppy, whom I will be selling to a friend for $300 (120 pounds).  Yeah there's heaps of money to be made....NOT!!!

A couple of other thing missed out:

The bitch only having one pup by caesarian section that subsequently dies, and the bitch screaming for three weeks solid - day and night

The owner who has had their dog for six years and rings you out of the blue (it is invariably the ones who won't stay in touch) and tells you the dog has to go - Now!!!   As you have a strict rule that you always try to take your pups back you cancel your holiday (the first in three years) and take him in.

Christine

how very good of you to point out all of the bad points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but dont forget there are some rewarding points to it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1