Medical Checks before Breeding
You must make sure the bitch and the stud both are free from brucellosis before breeding them. Brucellosis causes eventual sterility in both sexes (sometimes non-obviously) and can cause a litter of puppies to be aborted or die shortly after birth. In addition, brucellosis is on occasion transmissible to humans via the urine or feces of an affected dog. Between dogs, it is most commonly passed in sexual intercourse, although an entire kennel can be infected through contact with secretions.
The sire should be in excellent general health. The dam must be in good health, to withstand the stresses and rigors of a pregnancy. They must both be up to date on their vaccinations.
Temperament
Never breed any animal that has temperament problems. In particular, this has been the cause of the degeneration of many breed’s general temperament: Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers, and so on. If your animal is untrustworthy around people, overly aggressive to people, excitable, or is a fear-biter, do not breed it. If it is shy or submissive, don’t breed it. Look for happy, confident and obedient animals, and consider carefully the particular temperament requirements for your dog’s breed.
There are a variety of tests to indicate a dog’s temperament. Many of the working breeds have a temperament test (for example, the Doberman’s WAC test) for their breed. AKC has a Canine Good Citizen test (open to all dogs) that gives some indication of the dog’s temperament (and, yes, training). Therapy Dogs International and other Therapy Dog clubs have temperament testing that does try to separate out actual temperament from training. Obedience titles can be (but are not necessarily) an indication of good temperament.
Pedigree Research
You must carefully consider each dog’s pedigree for compatibility. Try to select strengths to offset weaknesses. Do not allow your bitch to be bred to an unsuitable dog, and conversely, be picky about the bitches you allow your dog to breed. This phase alone requires considerable research to find a suitable candidate, and you should definitely work closely with a knowledgeable person, ideally the breeder of your dog. Simply because two dogs “look good” or even *are* good does not mean that they necessarily complement each other: suppose they are both carriers for the same disease? Suppose they both have a tendency to overbites or other disqualifying faults?
Be honest with yourself. If your dog is not a good representation of its breed, do not let it reproduce. It is much easier to improve a few faults than to try and get excellent pups with a mediocre dog. Check the breed standard for your dog and ask a knowledgeable person for their evaluation of your dog.
We’ll return the the importance of scrutinizing a pedigree in the genetics section below.
Wilcox, Bonnie (DVM). “Things to Think about Before Breeding Your Dog.” DVM, printed in various newsletters.
