(EP:33) Breeding Dogs and Raising Puppies- Things We Learned Along The Way!

Full transcript for Episode 33: (EP:33) Breeding Dogs and Raising Puppies- Things We Learned Along The Way!.

Tyce

Hey everyone, welcome to the Bird Dog Podcast. My name is Tyce. I've been breeding dogs for nearly 30 years — Labs, Golden Retrievers, and pointing Labs — and today I want to walk through what we've learned about breeding dogs and raising puppies the right way. This is not rocket science but there's a lot to know and a lot of places to cut corners that you shouldn't.

Before you ever talk to a stud owner, start by honestly evaluating your own dog. What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? Does it like water? Does it have retrieve desire? Is it soft or bold? Is the energy level appropriate for the homes these puppies are going to? A dog that's a fire-breathing dragon and never turns off might be perfect if you're breeding for field trial homes, but if your puppies are going to mostly be family hunting dogs, you want to balance that energy with an off switch. Don't breed two high-energy, loud, or water-shy dogs together. Whatever traits you combine, you're going to amplify them. The goal is to produce puppies that are better than mom and dad — stronger where mom was weak, consistent where dad was strong.

Health clearances come next. I use Paw Print Genetics (pawprintgenetics.com) for the genetic panel. You enter the breed, order the panel, and they mail you a swab kit. You rub the cotton swab on the inside of the dog's cheek, collecting cells, and mail it back. They return a report showing whether your dog is Clear, Carrier, or Affected for each genetic condition common to your breed — things like EIC, CNM, HNPK for Labs; ichthyosis for Goldens; eye and neurological conditions in various breeds. Clear means no issue. Carrier means the gene is present but doesn't express itself in that dog — carriers can still be bred, but only to a clear, not to another carrier or affected dog. Never breed carrier to carrier.

For OFA certifications: hips and elbows at two years of age, not before. The OFA won't recognize results until the dog is 24 months. Your vet takes x-rays, sends them to the OFA, and you get back a rating. For hips: Excellent, Good, Fair, Mild Dysplasia, Severe Dysplasia. I want Good or Excellent. Fair is borderline — technically breedable if the dog comes from strong hip lines, but not something I'm excited about. For elbows you want Normal. Eyes need to be certified by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist — they dilate and check for cataracts, eyelid issues, and inherited eye conditions. All of this documentation matters and raises the value and credibility of your litter.

Once your dog is cleared, find a stud that complements your dog's weaknesses. Contact the owner, share your dog's health history and lineage, ask about their dog. A good stud owner is going to want to know what you're bringing to the pairing. Get on their radar early — tell them your female's expected heat cycle and ask if they'd be interested. Once she comes in heat, reach out immediately. Progesterone testing can tell you the optimal breeding window and can save you a wasted drive or a missed tie. Some breeders do live breeding, others use chilled or frozen semen. If the stud is across the country, AI is a realistic option with a good vet and good timing.

Once puppies are on the ground: cleanliness is everything. The whelping area should be clean. Anyone who comes to see puppies should take basic precautions — if you want to be strict about it, a diluted bleach spray on shoe soles before entering is not overkill. Parvo is the main thing to protect against. Get that first vaccination done on time — around 7 to 8 weeks, with a booster 3 to 4 weeks later. Waiting too long for the first vaccine is a real risk. I've seen people lose entire litters to parvo because they delayed. Some breeders in high-risk situations start as early as 5 weeks. Don't wait on this.

Do it right or don't do it. There are too many poorly-bred dogs already. If you're breeding to make a quick few hundred dollars or just to give your kids the experience, that's the wrong reason. Do it to improve the breed, to produce healthier dogs, to put good animals into homes where they'll be taken care of and used for what they were built for. When you've done the health clearances, the genetic testing, the careful pairing — you can ask more for your puppies, and the people who pay a little more tend to value the dog more. Match the puppy to the right home. Don't just sell to the first person who shows up with cash. Thanks for listening.