Before you embark on a hobby or career as a dog breeder you need to learn about some of the fundamental issues involved.

You need to set yourself some goals, and this applies to all areas of your life as well as dog breeding.  You should place good dog temperament at the top of your list of requirements.  The dogs you breed should have a good temperament in order to make it easier for the new owners to take care of them.  You will be responsible for your dog's behavior, and you will need to look out for problems like shyness, nervousness, or an unwillingness to leave the home.  Characteristics like these are very easily passed on to pups.  Genetics is all important when it comes to dog breeding, and you must ensure that only good characteristics are passed on to the pups.  Check your dog's genetic ancestry to make sure it possesses a good temperament.

Many breeders leave male and female dogs together in a room in the hope they will mate, but this is wrong.  First of all you will need to make sure the female is sexually mature enough for pregnancy.  The heat period usually starts when the female is anywhere between six and twelve months of age.  Nevertheless, it is not a good idea to start breeding your dog at such a young age.  Ideally she should be at least two years old before you start the breeding program.

By choosing the perfect parents you have a much better chance of producing good pups.  The parents should not suffer from any inherited or in-born faults.  Learn about your dogs? genetic history by checking out their ancestry.  You need to make sure the mother will not display any negative characteristics such as shyness or aggression.  It is the male dog which determines the sex of the pups through his chromosomes.  As a breeder you need to ensure the male dog doesn't harbour any reproductive problems because any defects will be difficult to correct.  If the male has a low sperm count it will be much harder for the female to become impregnated.

Before you start a breeding program you need to check the ancestry of the dogs you'll be handling.  You need to determine the dominant, recessive, and mixed characteristics of both dogs.  Dog breeding can be a highly rewarding activity, both financially and emotionally.  Before you start you should be mentally and physically prepared.  Why is this?  Well, dog breeding is an activity which requires a lot of research.  You will not be able to succeed without adequate preparation.

There are many advantages to dog breeding.  You can produce a large number of pups to keep at home or to share with friends and family.  Puppies make great gifts, or if you prefer you can sell them.  Good natured, intelligent pups are easy to sell.  Since many households have dogs you should have no trouble finding owners.

Now that you've learned a little about the fundamentals of dog breeding you carry out some more in-depth study on the subjects of line breeding, out breeding, and cross breeding.  Read as many books and other educational materials as you can find, and don't forget to ask the experts for advice.  Local vets and experienced breeders will be able to help you.