Breeding
Making the decision to breed your dog carries with it much responsibility. Puppies are not just possible money sources, but little lives with their own personalities, wants, and needs. They are not disposable if they become too much trouble. There are inherited problems that show up in Siberians that are not in the best interest of the breed to preserve. Before you breed you dog, are you prepared to:
- Have your dogs eyes checked by a canine Opthalmologist and cleared of inherited eye defects and diseases (juvenile cataracts, corneal dystrophy, progressive retinal atrophy, etc.). Also, have the littermates of your dog been checked and are they clear? What about your dogs sire and dam and their littermates? Your dog’s grandparents and their littermates? Cataracts, the most common problem, are recessive, which means your dog can check clear but still be a carrier. If bred to another carrier it will produce affected dogs. Reputable breeders will not breed dogs with affected littermates or other close relatives because chances are they are carriers. They will also err on the side of caution – if they cannot find out about littermates or close relatives they will not breed the dog.
- Have your dogs hips x-rayed and cleared of Hip Dysplasia, either through OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) or by the PennHip method. Your veterinarian can explain how each method works. Dogs cannot be cleared until they are 2. Again, reputable breeders will not breed affected dogs or dogs with affected close relatives.
- Spend whatever money necessary to assure a healthy litter. This can be anything including prenatal vitamins to a cesarean section if the bitch has trouble. Purebred dogs are more prone to problems than mixed breeds. What with the stud fee, health tests on the bitch, prenatal care, etc., we generally have an outlay of anywhere from $500 to $1000 before the puppies ever arrive. This does not include the peripheral expenses of building a whelping box or other preparations. After the puppies arrive, shots and other veterinary care add up quickly. Generally we recommend 2 to 3 sets of shots before puppies go to a new home. A slight case of upset tummy, when multiplied by 6 or 7, can be expensive. And you cannot guarantee that you can sell puppies for enough money to cover your expenses – generally a litter costs about $2000 when all was said and done.
- Provide a home for the lifetime of each of the puppies. Reputable breeders may place dogs, but they are always willing to take them back should something happen and the new owners are no longer able to keep the dog. We got one dog back that we bred because her owner died of cancer. Sometimes people get divorced or their circumstances change so that they are no longer able to care for the dog.
- Take the time to screen new homes carefully. Just because they have the money to buy the puppy does not mean they are a good home. We have hung onto a dog until he was 8 months old until we found the perfect home.
- Sell any pet quality puppies on a spay or neuter contract. At any given time, there are at least 3 Siberians in local shelters waiting to be put down. They come from all situations. Many of them were produced by well-meaning people who loved their dogs so much they wanted them to reproduce themselves so other people would have a dog to love. They are in the shelters for a variety of reasons; they were running stray, their owners no longer wanted them, they have health problems, etc. There are too many dogs out there for the available homes. Please make sure that any dog you produce does not add to the overwhelming and already existing population.
- Lastly, to face the possible death of your bitch and/or the puppies. In the four litters we have produced, we have lost three puppies to unusual circumstances and had three litters by cesarean section (the last, the bitch nearly died because of a ruptured uterus). The puppies produced are awfully cute, but death is a reality of life and the birthing process is very traumatic for all concerned.
We do breed occasionally, when we need a new dog to show. Breeding has not been a pleasant or moneymaking experience. After our last experience five years ago, we will not be breeding for a while. If you are considering breeding because you want another dog and love Siberians, please consider adopting a dog from Siberian Husky Rescue or getting one from a reputable breeder. You will love it just as much and it will be a lot easier and less expensive in the long run.
