A friend posted this on Facebook and I thought it was really worth re-posting:

Maybe I'm crazy - but I don't see anything?

Check again- it didn't upload right the first time, but I fixed it after the first 30 seconds it was posted.

Very cool. We should send this out to all the BYB's in my area

Like! I have seen that before, but still good!

So true! I re-posted on FB.

I wanted to breed, but after reading this article I don't think I have a dog to breed. I love him just the same.

prentiss80 wrote:

I wanted to breed, but after reading this article I don't think I have a dog to breed. I love him just the same.

Just because he isn't breeding stock, doesn't mean he isn't wonderful. Someday I hope to breed, but I am leaving it to the pro's until I am 100% certain It is what I want to do. Those are little lives! I wouldn't want to bring pups into the world without knowing the genetic diseases in the pedigree, temperaments, solid structure etc. That doesn't mean my dogs aren't wonderful...but they are very happy fixed

Hmm. That's very one sided.
I agree with genetic disease testing, temperment, and good background, but some of the best real-world working dogs aren't purebred dogs, and certaintly aren't as well papered as some of the best AKC/CKC/UKC conformation dogs.

I.e. Seppalas, Tamaskans, Alaskan huskies, Eurohounds, Mackenze river huskies, Dingo saturated Kelpies, Non-standard Kelpies, and ACDs, Working GSD's, Lab/GSHP dock dogs etc..

I absolutely support responsible working dog breeding. There is no reason you can't take the same time and effort in selectively breeding mixed heritage dogs as in purebreds, and sommehow have it not be beneficial to the species as a whole. Just because there are more irresponsible mixed breeders than purebred breeders, doesn't mean there aren't legitimate people out there to.

I completely agree Megan! Not all of my dogs are breeding quality but that doesn't stop me from loving them endlessly and have spayed/neutered the ones that I don't plan on breeding. I too plan on breeding, but only if/when I'm sure they are what I want to be breeding, their health clearances are obtained, and they prove themselves in the ring and on the trail. Not only are these little lives but also representatives of the breed. I want to be sure that they are not only healthy but also quality to the breed standard and functional to the breed's original purpose.

To be honest I know that there is alot of start up cost in breeding. My husband and I both love our dogs. And my little Mikka we think by far has the most human personality along with basic animal/survival personality. She is like a Diva Hillbilly. LOL We do want to breed her and it is basically to give the breed to the world as well as try to breed out some of the health problems. Meeka is only 4 months old so this whole breeding thing wont be till far into the future and that is also permitting it even happens too. I will want a full exam done by the vet and explain to him what I will try to do in the future. If it is too much of a risk on her health I am perfectly fine getting her fixed. I also want to go through a stud service as well at first. So then I know through the first litter if this is even something that I would want to take on. I would much rather have just her and a litter to take care of than her, the stud, and the litter. Alot of people bash me for wanting to do this. They say that for anyone to breed a dog while there are tons of dogs in the pounds across the U.S. is very irresponsible. However I am starting this with all of the right intentions. I do not by any means plan on getting rich off of it. If I do make money and grow as a business without selling out morality, dignity, and ethics with myself or the dogs that would be a plus. To be honest alot of people also call me weird (other than my USDA who is a vet) because I would rather work with animals than humans. If I do ever actually make money off of it I am not greedy I would be happy to make enough money to keep my animals spoiled and enough so I could possibly quit my job and devote my life to them.

Jennifer, I'm sure your heart is in the right place. However, I assure you that not only will you not make money, but you will lose a lot of money. That is why breeding (done the responsible way) is considered a hobby.
If one has a dog they think may be breeding quality (not just confirmation but also the other traits that make up the breed), it needs to be proven. (Just because *I* think my dog is perfect doesn't mean she is in the eyes of others). That in itself is costly and very time consuming (traveling large distances and staying in hotels every weekend, or buying an RV or paying a handler).
Most vets do the x-rays for testing hips/elbows is under anesthesia (because the dog must be absolutely 100% still). Then those get sent off to the OFA for evaluation (along with their fee). The eye testing must be done by a board certified ophthalmologist (not just a regular vet). Furthermore, that needs to be done annually until the dog is well into adulthood (around 5) because some genetic eye diseases don't show up until later in life. So if a dog is 3, proven in the show ring (and/or other event), OFA, CERF, etc... one still runs the risk of later finding out after the pups have been born and gone into their new homes that some genetic issue came about.
Then there's finding the right stud - one who is not only an excellent example of the breed but (equally or perhaps even more important) is also right for the bitch in type and pedigree so that one is not doubling up on faults (no dog is perfect). Often this isn't just whatever dog happens to be winning the most shows, so it takes a lot of research to find him. Not only should he be clear of genetic issues, but every dog in his pedigree and other progeny of dogs in his pedigree should be. Usually that 'just the right dog for my bitch' lives far away and comes with a large fee.
Then after all that time, effort, and money, there is the litter itself... the risk that something will go wrong during the birth, the sleepless nights, etc... One should already have a wait list of carefully screened homes.
So what I am trying to say is if one has the right breeding stock, the time and money and is willing to sacrifice friends and family (trust me on this one!) then more power to you, because those are the kinds of breeders we need.

I'm going to share my opinions with you, and you probably won't like what I have to say, but here goes.

jennmreeves wrote:

We do want to breed her and it is basically to give the breed to the world as well as try to breed out some of the health problems.

I'm honestly not sure what you mean by 'give the breed to the world.' This breed has been around for hundreds of years, and you are not giving the breed to the world. You are selling 1-7 puppies to 1-7 people. Breeding is not a gift to the world, nor should it be seen as some grand gesture of charity. Breeding because you love your dog and her temperament is selfish. I think everyone has had a dog in their past that they totally adored and wished they could clone, I know I have. However, she is not the only great husky on the planet, and not breeding her doesn't mean I'm depriving the world of something. There are thousands of dogs that have been bred because someone loved their dog and thought they should pass on his great personality that are being killed every single day.

jennmreeves wrote:

So then I know through the first litter if this is even something that I would want to take on.

You should know BEFORE you have the first litter if this is something you really want to do. These are lives in your hands. Would you have a child thinking, 'well i'm not really sure, but I'll know after I have the kid, if its really something I want?' What will happen when (when NOT if) the people that buy your puppies can't handle or care for them? Will you take them back and find them new homes? Will you keep in touch with them? Will you genetic test the parents? A full vet exam will not uncover those types of problems in dogs. AND the standard hip and eye tests can't be done until the dog is 2 years old. If you breed before that, you'll be breeding blind, no pun intended.

jennmreeves wrote:

If I do ever actually make money off of it I am not greedy I would be happy to make enough money to keep my animals spoiled and enough so I could possibly quit my job and devote my life to them.

You are kidding yourself here. Someone with breeding experience would be able to give you a much more in depth answer then I will be, but here's my take. Stud service will cost you a puppy or the dollar amount of a puppy. Setting up a welping area, vet checking and feeding will cost money. DNA, CERF, and OFA certs will cost money, and the list goes on. Quite frankly if you ask any breeder if you can make money doing this, they will tell you not to quit your day job. Plus, this puts a different light on your motives. If you are serious about breeding, there are people here that can tell you what they look for when selecting a breeder to buy a puppy from, but just because you love your 4 month old puppy, does not mean she is good breeding stock. Not to mention her temperament will change as she goes through her adolescent phase.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.

Jennifer I think you need to read the sticky So you want to be a breeder. It may (I hope) change your mind.
https://www.itsahuskything.com/t1043-so-you-want-to-be-a-breeder

I'd also like to add that once you breed a female, and she has puppies, her temperment can drastically change. And I mean drastically. So the temperment you are so in love with right now, may not exist after she's had a litter. I wouldn't want my dog's temperment to change, so I fixed her.

Jennifer where did you get your dog? If you got her from a truly reputable breeder, the only way you would legally be able to breed her is if you bought full rights when she was a puppy. If you didn't buy her from a reputable kennel....well think about it.

I understand you love her. I love my Sheba and I think she is amazing! She has amazing drive and is already showing amazing working drive. Does that mean she needs bred though?? No, it does not. Would I love to have little Sheba clones that have her drive and her personality?? Maybe, maybe not. BUT she is not a breeding candidate. Now why isn't she? She was a rescue from a puppy mill. So far, we have been lucky with no genetic/health issues or structural issues. She has her faults, as does every dog. By not knowing what kind of dogs are in her lines, I would be bringing puppies into the world and have absolutely no idea how they would turn out. Sure I could get her OFA/CERF tested, but that means vertually nothing when she has no pedigree to tell me if her grandmother or great grandfather had hip issues from hell. Issues skip generations. Just because your girl has a decent temperament, there is a chance her puppies will be nothing like her. Think about it. A Grand Champion can produce a litter and they could all be out of standard. Now think about what could happen with a dog that isn't from the show world. A dog that hasn't been tested in the ring/in a harness. There is a lot more to making a bitch a good breeding candidate then her personality.

Also, your girl is still a young puppy right?? There is no garuntee that how she acts towards you now is how she will be when she grows up. While it is a good indicator, things can change.

You will never make money breeding. That is a very naive and foolish thought. People who have dedicated years to breeding barely hit even with every litter. Breeding is not a "job" in the sense that it will provide food for you and your family. It does not work like that. Puppies are expensive, as you know with your ONE puppy. Multiply that by 8, just to be safe. Then you have the costs of a whelping area, all of the correct tests you will need to put your girl through, and stud fees. Stud fees cost hundreds of dollars. People with proven studs will not breed their dog to just any bitch in heat. They will only breed to proven bitches with a pedigree. It doesn't work like how you think it does.

As for giving the breed to the world.......are you aware how many Siberians there are in shelters?? Who die everyday? Are you aware of how many Siberian only rescues there are?? How many REPUATABLE kennels there are that breeds?? That is a poor excuse for breeding. There are more then enough Siberians in the world. I get that you want people to experience the breed. But this breed isn't the easiest breed to live with. It takes a special type of person to be able to not only live with these breed, but to allow it to thrive. These dogs can't be owned by everybody. These dogs are not lawn ornaments; nor are they the kind of dog that will be content with one 15 minute walk a day. These dogs take DEDICATION, hell, all dogs do. Not every dog breed is made for every person. I couldn't live with a Chi. They are so annoying in my opinion. Also, they are one of the most common mixes found in shelters. Do you really think other people didnt have the same though process you do?? There are enough Siberians in the world that need homes as it is. You really don't need to add to that.

Now the one thing I really hope you take away from this is that nobody is being mean or gaining up on you. We just love our breed and want to leave the breeding in the hands of professionals. Professionals who have spent years studying genetics and who give hours to finding the right dog/bitch to compliment their current animal. We all love our dogs. But loving them doesn't equate to us having the right to breed them just because we love them.

eander83 wrote:

Jennifer I think you need to read the sticky So you want to be a breeder. It may (I hope) change your mind.
https://www.itsahuskything.com/t1043-so-you-want-to-be-a-breeder

Very interesting article, there is truly a lot to think about if you are going to breed!

Actually, You could make plenty of money breeding - if you aren't health testing, showing or never have a C-section (plus many other breeding related fees). That is why we have mills and BYB.

Jennifer,

I think you will find that most of us will not support you in this endeavor, but not because we hate breeders. We simply feel our breed only benefits from ethical breeders who health test and prove their dog as breeding stock within a ring or on the trail.

Breeding is very difficult and requires that you know the ins and outs of the animals pedigree, including any disease that may have popped (even seizures and cryptorchidism...these can't be health tested). Although you love your pup, it is not safe for the breed to jump into breeding with a dog who doesn't come from a line that has been tested or at least has the ability to be researched. Personally, I will only work with breeders who will disclose full health information. If there dog has had a seizure I want to know.

I am not going to bash you, but I truly, truly hope you rethink this decision.

The kennel that i got her from is a reputable kennel. I paid for breeding rights. I looked at medical records of her mother and father. Then also looked at medical records of her grandfathers and grandmothers on both sides of of her mother and father. I had a friend of mine (who has been a vet for 40 yrs.) look at all the paperwork and make a trip with me to the kennel. I have also asked if I could possibly have any info of people who have bought puppies from past litters and possibly see any medical records of those past litter puppies. Not only do I have my friend who is a vet but I also have another vet to give a second opinion that has 34 yrs. in the field as well. That second opinion vet is almost like the family vet who has worked on different pets my family has had since we moved here from California (about 16 yrs. ago).

I have a wonderful husband as well as family and friends who support the idea as well as offered help if I should ever need it. Every day I spend at least 2 hours reading everything that I can about the breed. I am aware of laws and regulations. I am aware of permits and licenses. Any breeder in the USA that I have found in the last two years and has a website is on my favorites list. I am friends with a woman that use to breed malamutes who gives me advice and I also go to a local breeders property that breeds malamutes to shadow her. It may be a couple more years before I ever find a dog that I would feel to be worthy to breed with Meeka, heck it may be that I never find that male dog. It may be that Meeka wont be able to breed, fit to breed, or even ready to breed. So many factors go into breeding her that only time will tell if it can even be done. I don't count that it WILL happen. And if it happens that it does not happen it is no big thing. If it does happen even then it would be no big thing either. I don't plan on getting myself over my head due to I only plan one one litter at first and see how that goes and make further choices from there. Meeka is only 4 months old and I already have 8 families wanting to adopt if I choose to do it. In reality I have probably about 13 families wanting to adopt but only 8 that I approve of. I would never put a pup into someones hands if I did not approve of them since I have already put in alot of time, effort, and money into just getting Meeka.

As far as the comment give the breed to the world I guess I might have picked better words for it. What i meant by that is the fact that I put alot of time and effort to find Meeka. I found through my search so many breeders that ran puppy mills or would breed in ways that I did not agree with. I would like to make it just a little bit more easy for people that in the future are kind of like me who want a breeder and not a puppy mill. I am fully aware of how old the breed is. But better words could have been chosen.

Er just want to say 'medical records' IS NOT health testing. The parents, grandparents, etc should be OFA and CERF clear.

And just because you want to be a reputable breeder for other people isn't a good reason. There are plenty of reputable breeders out there already.

Just my two cents.

May I ask who the breeder is?

I would have thought that by saying medical would be summed up saying I did look at all of this. Both parents and 3 of the grandparents were champions in shows and one of the grandparents was part of a sled racing team that won some races. And like I have said she is only 4 months old. Would I like to do this? Yes. Will the stars align for me to do this? No. It is possible and probable. It possibly could happen but probably not. Most likely I just spent countless hours looking for a dog that I loved from a wonderful breeder that gave me all the information that I could ever ask for. Most likely I spent alot of time and money traveling back and forth. Most likely I spent money that went down the drain for a dream that can not come true. I think it is kind of funny how I say that I would like to breed and instantly people think that I am some moron that has never done their homework on any of it. I think that nobody read the comment 'If I make money' key word was IF. And if there are alot of good breeders out there then why did it take me so long to find my perfect pup from a breeder that I agreed with that has a good reputation. There were alot of pups I looked at that I liked, then there was the living conditions, reputation, and all of the records and paperwork correct. I wanted the best that I could get. I end this statement most likely I have had in total cost (hotels, gas, breeding rights, cost of pup, toys, custom stuff, classes, ect...) about 7,000 dollars for a dog that is only going to ever be a very loved family pet. Am I upset about any of that NO. I am happy doing all of that. Money was no object when it comes to her. It was no object in getting paperwork perfect. Money was no object in paying for a privacy fence around my house so she can play outside. Her personality is by no means perfect. Shoot because of her love to pull and and I was holding on to her leash with one finger my finger was broken. She sheds everywhere. I can never fix my hair because she will just mess it up again. I have went through 5 pairs of shoes and can not own nice clothes. She poops in my husbands house shoes. I can not fold clothes around her. And she knows how to open doors and comes into the bathroom to try to hop in the bath with me. Nothing and no one is perfect we all have our thoughts on what is perfect. Just like there is no such thing as a normal family because what is normal in my eyes would not be normal in another persons eyes.

I am sitting here with my mouth hanging open reading this. Soooo much to say. Soool much as already been said, which I see went into one ear and out the other. Sad.

Jennifer,

I noticed you skirted the question of who the breeder was of your pup. If you are proud of your research, then by all means, share.

The one thing that I cannot believe anyone has touched on is your statement about "growing your business". Business? Seriously??? Breeding dogs professionally and responsibly will never be a business. It's a very serious HOBBY. What is a breeding business??? PUPPY MILLS.

Not ONCE has you mentioned your desire to show your dog in any format. Even with a great pedigree, STILL, does not make for determining breeding stock. I think RARELY is someone's first bitch their foundation bitch.

What else bothers me is you paid extra for breeding rights. There are lots of "reputable" breeders out there that charge extra for breeding rights.....not necessarily a good thing,.
Ethical breeders to do just sell a dog with breeding rights to just anyone. The majority of the time, unless the show home is established a bit, show prospects are sent out with co-ownership for the protection of the dog.

I would like to know who your breeder is as well, I think that would lend to your credibility if you would share that with us.

As far as 'assuming you're a moron,' I don't think any of us would have said that or felt that. Your original post was somewhat vague, so it was hard to tell if by saying you did your homework, you actually did your homework, or just read the wikipedia page about Siberian Huskies. Or if by saying vet exam you meant, OFA, CERF, and genetic testing or the usual look in the dogs ears, mouth, and listen to her heart exam. Papers is also a very vague term, do you mean the actual health certs for the parents, or do you mean the akc papers? Generally when someone says 'her papers were in order,' they mean akc registration, and I don't think it was an unfair leap or assumption for us to assume you meant that, and, as I'm sure you are aware, just because a dog has akc papers doesn't mean he/she is a breeding quality dog.

You have to understand, that everyone here is very passionate about this breed. Many of us currently, or have in the past, worked with and volunteered with rescues. So to hear someone cavalierly say they want to breed hits a nerve, and due to the vague nature of your op, it came across as just that. I can't speak for everyone, but for me, I am not against breeding, but I am against uneducated breeding, and breeding for the sake of. I am purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder who is coming home this weekend.

In terms of good breeders out there, I think there are a lot of great breeders in the US. I think that the reason that they are hard to find is simply that with current technology, most people use the internet as their primary search tool. From my search a few months ago, I learned that a lot of breeders don't have websites, or if they do, they are minimal and don't have much information. My breeder has a website, but it hasn't been updated in some time, and her computer skills aren't very good. Every email she sent me was short and in all caps, because she didn't realize her caps lock was on. I think the best way to find a breeder is through word of mouth and recommendations. Attend a show, reference the SHCA list and call the breeders. Obviously you found a breeder you like and trust so this isn't necessarily to advise you in any way, but just my experience in my search. I think its hard for everyone to find a breeder, I mean this puppy is going to be part of your life for (hopefully) 10+ years. Obviously you know that and put a lot of thought into your choice, as did I.

I'm sorry that my tone was confrontational, and I certainly don't think you're an idiot. However, when you come to a forum devoted to a breed and full of passionate people and state you are going to breed, you have to expect a response. I want to educate, and if I think I can make a difference and keep 5 more puppies from being born into an unfortunate future, I will say what I can to do so.

I also wanted to say that I am not assuming you are a moron. Misguided in your thoughts, yes, maybe. I don't know you personally, and I don't assume I am morally superior, either.