Do I HAVE to own a male and female dog to begin my breeding program?
NO!
I laugh at times when those who are new to breeding assume that they MUST own a male and a female dog to get off the ground. Don’t get me wrong, I know that boy + girl = babies… but there are so many ways to structure an effective breeding program (we list 7 here!!!)!
And guess what? Some require less TIME! Some require less upfront costs! Some are less noisy! Some are less risky! Some are more simple and others more complex!
Looking at all the options will help you determine the best fit based on how much time and money you want to put into the program to get it up and running, while meeting your most important goals and needs.
Option 1: The Bachelor (1 Male Only)
-Lowest time commitment
-Lowest start up cost (no whelping supplies needed, fewer day to day expenses)
-Lowest physical space requirements to handle breeding
-One drawback is the lack of variety in your program. Because of this, it is advisable to choose a top quality, niche stud. Be sure he has every genetics and health test recommended for the breed.
-Simple breeding- no travel, no progesterone tests, no puppies to raise
-Lower financial gain as compared to some other options. Financial gain comes from stud fees. Although stud fees for a specialized, high quality male can be as high as $2500 or more, most stud fees are around the cost of one puppy (around $1000 to $1500). Low quality males may stud for less, but it is not recommended to stud out a low quality male at all.
-Easy! No need to separate breeding dogs or juggle heat cycles.
-Special skills needed- Recommended to master various breeding techniques- natural tie, Artificial Insemination, shipping semen, etc. as well as to understand how to recognize the best timing for breeding.
-Noise level- usually low unless he cries for a female in heat. This can be intense noise. This should only be a problem if you are boarding a visiting female. Many stud owners do not board the females at all, but instead have the female visit for each breeding- lasting for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Option 2: The Bachelorette (1 Female Only)
-Moderate time commitment
-Moderate start up cost, including purchasing the female, health and genetics testing, stud fee to get the pregnancy, any medical bills, and of course needed whelping supplies
-Moderate space requirements for mother and puppies. A whelping box can take up to 4 feet by 4 feet when puppies are young (smaller breeds may need less space and large breeds may need more space). When puppies grow older, they will need more space to run and exercise.
-No variety in your program, but you can change studs to add variety from litter to litter. Be sure the mother is top quality and health/genetics tested to be sure your lines are pure. Select top quality studs.
-Breeding can be difficult when you only own one female. It can be more difficult to recognize when she is ready to breed since you cannot watch her behavior with other dogs. The breeder may also need progesterone tests, often need to travel to stud, and pay for stud fees.
-The financial rewards from a litter of puppies can be greater than stud fees. However, the income comes in a relatively short time period, not consistent payouts. It is important to budget carefully to be sure you have enough capital to give the puppies everything they need. It is also worth noting that a litter of puppies contains inherent risk- unforeseen vet bills, for example, could require all of the breeder’s profit. It is possible to loose money in a litter of puppies instead of profiting. If the overall goal is to better the breed and not to make money, this is no problem!
-No need to separate breeding dogs
-Must master the art of whelping and raising puppies. A breeder should be educated on the intricacies of the breed, the heat cycle, puppy gestation, whelping, puppy development, training, grooming, and how to find a great family for every puppy.
-Noise level- moderate. Puppies can be loud as they get older, but well exercised, well fed, comfortable puppies aren’t usually too loud. Kennel training puppies can be quite noisy until the puppies self soothe.
Option 3: Monogamous (1 Breeding Pair- 1 Male and 1 Female)
-Moderate time commitment
-Moderate start up cost
-Moderate space requirements for mother and puppies
-No variety in your program as the same couple will breed every time. Choose top quality, niche parents. Be sure they are the perfect pair for each other and have passed all genetics/health testing.
-Usually simple breeding as the pair can mate on their own without assistance (usually). There is no need to travel, the couple may not require progesterone testing if they breed well independently, and no stud fees need to be paid out (although you can collect them from other breeders who would like to use your stud!).
-Earn money from both selling a litter of puppies and selling stud services, maximizing your earning potential. Continue to keep in mind the financial risks and remember to put the betterment of the breed above all else!
-May need to separate breeding dogs when raising a litter of puppies (avoid aggression between the parents as mom will be protective of the puppies or aggression from the dad directed towards the puppies) and/or to prevent breeding during a heat cycle. This can be quite difficult to separate dogs 24/7 for an extended period of time. Some breeders prefer to ask friends or family to house the male for these times.
-Recommended to master various breeding techniques- natural tie, Artificial Insemination, shipping semen, etc. Must master the art of whelping and raising puppies.
-Noise level- moderate. The male is usually quiet unless he cries for a female in heat. This can be intense noise. With the dogs living together, this could be a difficulty during the peak times of heat- especially if you plan NOT to breed on that heat cycle. Puppies can be loud as they get older, but well fed, comfortable puppies aren’t usually too loud. Kennel training puppies can be loud until the puppies self soothe.
Option 4: Harem (1 Male, Multiple Females)
-Large time commitment! Sometimes, 2 litters of puppies may be born near the same time which doubles the amount of work needed. Sometimes, 2 litters of puppies may be born one right after the other which can limit vacation time or otherwise “tie you down” for an extended period.
-High start up cost- all the whelping supplies, purchasing multiple top notch dogs to become parents, and completing all the necessary health testing on each dog. It is important to note- if a dog does not pass health testing, he or she should be pulled from the breeding program regardless of how much money is lost on that dog. It is much better to produce high quality puppies!
-Need lots of space for multiple mothers and litters (including the possibility of needing to separate mothers and puppies from each other and from the male).
-Variety in this breeding program comes through females. Choose the stud FIRST and then choose females that compliment him wonderfully (even though females are different from each other). As always, select the best prospects that show excellent characteristics.
-Usually simple breeding- No need to travel, may not require progesterone testing if the couples breed well independently, no stud fees to pay (but you may collect stud fees from other breeders who want to use your male!).
-Earn money from both selling a litter of puppies and selling stud services. There is less risk because your eggs are not in one basket. If one female does not get pregnant or has a small litter, for example, there are other females that you could choose to breed. There is less likelihood of financial loss. As always, bettering the breed is more important than money.
-May need to separate breeding dogs when raising a litter of puppies and/or to prevent breeding during a heat cycle. Dogs of same gender may get competitive with each other which can lead to aggression. It is said that “males fight for breeding rights (during a heat cycle) and females fight for breathing rights (more likely to hold long-term grudges).”
-Recommended to master various breeding techniques- natural tie, Artificial Insemination, shipping semen, etc. Must master the art of whelping and raising puppies.
-Noise level- moderate to high. Puppies can be loud as they get older, but well fed, comfortable puppies aren’t usually too loud. Kennel training puppies can be loud until the puppies self soothe. Having multiple litters at once increases the noise level. The male is usually quiet unless he cries for a female in heat. This can be intense noise.
Option 5: Orgy (Multiple Males, Multiple Females)
-Large time commitment (very similar to Harem- plus extra males)
-High start up cost
-Need lots of space for multiple mothers and litters
-Lots of variety. Choose well rounded, top quality breeding parents. You will have freedom and flexibility with many possible pairings
-Usually simple breeding in terms of the actual pairing- no need to travel, may not require progesterone testing if the couples breed well independently, no stud fees to pay… but the complexity arises because both studs will want to be with every female, on every heat cycle. A responsible breeder must separate the dogs to ensure that each female has a healthy number of litters and that some heat cycles are skipped if desired. It will also be the breeder’s job to avoid dog fights between males or females.
-Earn money from both selling a litter of puppies and selling stud services. Low financial risk.
-It is likely- almost guaranteed- that the breeder will need to separate breeding dogs at some point. This could be when raising a litter of puppies or during a heat cycle. Dogs of same gender may get competitive with each other which can lead to aggression or protective mothers may challenge other adult dogs.
-Recommended to master various breeding techniques- natural tie, Artificial Insemination, shipping semen, etc. Must master the art of whelping and raising puppies.
-Noise level is moderate to high (see Harem)
Option #6: Sorority (Multiple Females, No Males)
-Large time commitment
-High start up cost (expenses to purchase multiple top notch breeding females, cost of health testing, and all whelping supplies)
-Need lots of space for multiple mothers and litters
-Lots of variety. You can choose from a world of available studs to find the best match for each female individually. As always, choose the best studs with health testing completed.
-Breeding can be difficult- you will need progesterone tests, often need to travel to stud, and pay for stud fees.
-Financial risk is softened by having multiple females. It is important to budget carefully as income will come in large chunks in a short time instead of consistent payouts. Always save money from one litter to the next to be sure you can properly care for the next group of puppies and handle any emergency vet bills that may come up.
-You will never have to worry about separating a male and female during a heat cycle. You may have to worry about separating females when they have puppies to avoid any aggression caused by protective mothering.
-Must master the art of whelping and raising puppies.
-Noise level- moderate. Puppies can be loud as they get older, but well exercised, well fed, comfortable puppies aren’t usually too loud. Kennel training puppies can be loud until the puppies self soothe. Having multiple liters at once increases the noise level. You will never have to worry about a male crying for a female in heat.
Option #7: Frat (Multiple Males, No Females)
-Low time commitment
-Moderate start up cost
-Low physical space requirements to handle breeding
-Lots of variety. Choose studs that are top quality but who have distinct unique qualities from each other. This will help them each match well with various females who are looking for a stud
-Simple breeding- No travel, no progesterone tests, no puppies
-Earn money with stud fees (No large pay days from selling puppies but also less risk and more consistent income)
-No need to separate breeding dogs unless males have aggressive behaviors due to competition for visiting females in heat.
-Recommended to master various breeding techniques- natural tie, Artificial Insemination, shipping semen, etc.
-Noise level- usually low unless he cries for a female in heat. This can be intense noise. When a female visits stud A, it’s very normal for stud B or stud C to feel upset.
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