I want to know how a good breeder handles everything, do you know?

Question

Where do they put the mom and the pups? Do they put newspapers in there with them? When do they first bath the pups? When do they give thier first shot? When do they start to ween them? What do they feed them when they start to ween them away from the mom., Do they moisen the food with something. Do they give them water with tthe food in a seperate bowl? When adn how often do they worm them? What to do when they want out of thier space and cry? Where to put them when they are cleaning up thier area? If I missed anything can you please put it in here also? When can they let the pups leave the house to go to a new home? Can they put the pups outside in a cage for short periods of time to let them get fresh air or will that hurt them? Could parvo be in the air? If the pups fight is that ok? Should a pup growl? When selling the pups what should the process be? Example, find a buyer and then what. What should they send to the new home with the pups? Thanks so much.

Answer 1

1) For the first 2 weeks, our mama dog and puppies stay in the whelping box. It's a box with high walls and bumper rails so the mother can't crush any of the babies against the wall, and it gives a quiet separate place for the babies. The box goes either in my parent's room or my room. After 2 weeks, we set up a puppy pen for them - plywood runs along one wall, with a large X-pen clipped onto it creating a large pen. The pen goes in the same place as the whelping box, but it takes up a lot more room ;) On one end, there's a crate for the babies to sleep in, along with blankets and toys. The other half is covered in newspapers, which is what the babies go potty on. A sheet of linoleum goes under the whole thing to keep things clean. The pen is where the pups stay when we can't watch them, when they're sleeping, etc. The rest of the time they're playing in the living room, in the yard, etc. (of course with us watching!)

2) Yep, newspapers cover about half the pen so the babies can use it. For the first 2 weeks in the whelping box, Mama cleans up after them. By the way, the floor of the whelping box is covered in blankets.

3) First shots are usually around 5 weeks old. We start wiping the babies down with washclothes at a few weeks old, but they don't start getting real 'baths' until about 5 weeks old. Until them, Mama keeps them clean.

4, 5) Weaning begins around 3 weeks old. We start with a soft puppy mash, made from soaked dry puppy food, water, and a little yogurt. At first it's very very soft and mushy - as the puppies get older, we lessen the amount of time the food soaks so it's a little crunchier, and add a little less water. As we feed more of the solid food, Mama lets them nurse less. It's a gradual process, and the puppies are fully weaned at 7 weeks old.

6) There's a lot of water in the food we give them. However, we also clip a shallow pail of water into the end of the puppy pen, so they can drink anytime they're thirsty.

7) They're usually wormed every week, starting around 4 weeks old.

8, 9) Usually when they wake up, they start jumping around in the pen and cry to be taken out. Like I said, we usually take them outside to play, or out into the living room. This happens several times a day, as it also gives us a chance to clean out the pen, replace soiled newspapers, etc. We have a few separate x-pens, so they can stay contained in a safe area when we're cleaning the pen.

10) Our pups leave at 8 weeks at the youngest, normally around 9 weeks.

11) Like I said, we start taking them outside in our yard around 4 weeks of age. They have a ton of fun playing outside, they get fresh air, and they also get to experience a ton of new things - grass under their feet, leaves, trees, sounds of a bird tweeting, etc. It's also great for socialization that way!

12) We've never worried about parvo, so I can't really say - we've never had a problem in it in all our years with dogs. I know it's a virus, but I honestly don't know more about it because I've never worried about it!

13, 14) It's actually good for the pups to fight and growl. It builds their muscles, and they learn how to properly socialize and interact with other dogs that way. Say one pup bites another too hard - the bitten pup will yelp, and the other puppy learns that biting too hard is a no-no.

15) The selling process is very intensive. Long story short, an interested buyer will contact a breeder, inverviews go around both ways to be sure the breeder is reputable and the buyer will be the best home possible. The buyer often comes to visit the litter when they're a few weeks old, and the buyer and seller can meet and talk some more. The buyer gets a chance to meet the litter and mother. If everything checks out, when the puppies are ready to go to their new homes, the buyer pays and signs the seller's contract and takes home their new puppy.

16) We send each puppy home with a gift pack - it usually includes a small bed, toys, cookies, a bone, etc. It's just a little parting gift we send with each puppy. After all, they are our babies we're entrusting to others!

Every breeder has a different system, of course. This is how we do things.

Answer 2

1.  Just prior to whelping, the dam is isolated in her whelping box.

2.  The whelping box has newspaper, and old towels for mom to nest in.  No newsprint after the pups are born.  I use blankets then.

3.  The pups are washed with only a washcloth prior to weaning.  They get a full bath prior to leaving for their new home.

4.  I give Bordetella at 4 weeks, and DHPPC at 6 weeks.  They are wormed at 4 weeks, as well.  If I saw no worms, I take a sample to the vet's to make sure there are no more worms at about 6 weeks, and worm again at that time, if necessary.

5.  I start to wean at about 4 weeks (using ground up kibble and warm water), and continue to let them nurse.

6.  I gradually take the food from a mush consistency to a little firmer.  They continue to nurse.

7.  I offer completely dry kibble, with a shallow bowl of water at about 6 weeks.  (Since mom has been gradually less challenged, she is about dried up by now).

8.  I've never experienced a pup that wanted away from the litter.

9.  I put pups in a towel lined laundry basket while I clean.

10.  I don't let pups leave the litter before they are 8 weeks old.

11.  If the weather is good, I let them play outside after 6 weeks of age.  I also don't allow potential buyers to see them until after their 1st shot.  And I let them exercise in an x-pen, not a cage.

12.  Parvo is a virus that doesn't survive outside of a host animal.

13.  Puppy fights are quite normal, it is the litter's way to teach each other that there is a "pecking order".  If a fight becomes too intense, I will break it up, and mix the two pups in with other groups in the litter.

14.  It is perfectly normal for pups to growl in the litter, as someone is trying to play the bully, and it doesn't get very far with the littermates.

15.  I have a five page form that has to be filled out, and returned to me, before I let someone even see the pups.  The form includes what breeds have been owned, what happened to the prior pets, and vet releases, so I can talk with their veterinarian, regarding how serious these people are.  I have turned potential buyers away, if I don't think they are a good candidate for my breed.

16.  I buy plush toys for each puppy, and they are with the pups then I send one home with each pup (unwashed to keep the smells), to help the pup acclimate to its new home.  Also, they get a bag of the puppy's food that they were weaned on.  Also, if they don't have city water, 2 gallons of my water.  The first is used undiluted, and as the second is being used, they add their own water to fill the gallon.

Of course, they get a pedigree, papers, and a bill of sale.

Hope this helps you.

ADD: I also sell almost all of my puppies by referral.

Answer 3

Google would also be a good resource for you or your local library might have books on dog breeding related Q & A.  

Answer 4

It looks like you are testing people who call themselves breeders. There are some good and some bad breeders. You gave yourself away with your first question, where do they put the mom and pups? You then write, do they put newspapers in there with them. That tells me you know what the answer is. If you want answers go to your veterinarian. Ours told us what should be done.

My one point is the disgust in "breeders" who use the female only for money. Never breed the female in her first heat cycle. Never breed the female back to back to back to back. I advise you only breed the female twice, but make sure you breed her skip then breed her. Yes, I have had a female and a male to breed her. I never used her for profit  

Answer 5

I take it that you are asking out of general interest not because you want to start breeding.  As good as some people are on here you will not learn how to become a reputable breeder by asking here.  Anyway you would need to write a book to properly answer all your questions so looking on Amazon might be a good starting point.

Answer 6

Here's a good place to start.

http://www.learntobreed.com/

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