The Costs And Investments Required In Dog Breeding

By Teri Champigny

Have You Thought About the Costs And Investments Required In Dog Breeding?

If you are serious about becoming a top quality dog breeder, you should know that to come close to the breed standard you would have to be in it for at least the next 20 years. Good breeders deal with only one or two breeds.

Before you start breeding you should be fully aware of the financial costs. Dog breeding is an expensive hobby and should be pursued by those who are in it not for the money but for the love for dogs. Remember that the financial returns are not always great.

Costs Of Breeding:

Even a small breeding kennel costs a lot. What kind of food will you be feeding your dogs? What kind of housing will you provide? If you are an animal lover, you would definitely want that the best food and care is  provided to your canine companions and this costs money. Then you would also have to consider veterinarian fees. Do you have a veterinarian that you can trust? Does the veterinarian allow monthly payment plans to cover emergencies and unbudgeted expenses? You would also have to consider the cost of insuring, advertising, phone bills, finding homes for puppies, etc.

Every breed has its own health problems. As a responsible breeder you have to check for the presence of any genetic problem in your dog and this costs money. Let us take the example of the Great Dane. A Great Dane has to be registered through OFA-Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. The x-rays will show if the dog has any hip-related problems. The OFA procedure will cost you around $150.

You would have to do the CERF, which is the registry of eye quality, and it has to be updated regularly. The examination is done by a specialist veterinarian ophthalmologist. The procedure costs $30 per year and this is exclusive of the fee charged by the specialist.

The Cardiac test would cost $100. Thyroid function test is around $80. If you are thinking about Artificial Insemination, you would have to bear the cost of the DNA profile and Microchip. The dogs have to be registered through AKC. Prior to every breeding, you would have to check your dog for Brucellosis, a sexually transmitted disease.

A stud fee can cost around $500-$2000. If you are thinking about going for artificial insemination, you would have to start the progesterone hormone level tests on the female shortly before she starts accepting the male. These tests have to be done everyday until the female starts ovulating. Each test costs around $30. You should have to have the semen collected, frozen, and shipped to you at the right time. This procedure will cost you another $200.

When the litter arrives you would have to bear the veterinarian costs. This is an experiment that costs a lot and even intrepid dog lovers have to stop in their tracks for the sake of the expenses and time spent.  And we still have not taken into account the cost of building a kennel, lighting it, heating it, etc. Dog breeding is a serious and expensive business. It also requires much time and patience. Definitely for the half-hearted.