BREEDING WITH YOUR SAINT BERNARD
"Breeding" is another one of those "dog terms" that is used incorrectly 95% of the time! The dictionary defines "breeding" as; "produce young creatures" or "keep animals so as to produce young ones from them" This means that anyone that owns a female dog, from which they obtain puppies, is a "breeder".
So for the purpose of this article let us assume that by "breeding" we are referring to the mating of two dogs resulting in a litter of puppies. This is a simple statement. From this statement we then have to ask ourselves a very simple question: WHY DO YOU WANT TO BREED YOUR DOG?
Of course, the answer is not nearly as simple! I know that asking 10 people this question could result in 10 completely different answers. As a dog owner of many years and a supporter of animal welfare societies I know that most of the answers provided can be countered with a standard response pointing to the enormous number of abandoned, neglected and euthanized dogs annually. A visit to your local SPCA will provide a chilling and sad reminder of the reality of the dog breeding problem in South Africa.
Simply put: we have too many dogs!
Dogs are not the same as people. They do not have the psychological baggage that humans carry around. Dogs act on instinct and training. They do not "need" to have a litter of puppies. They do not need to have a piece of sausage with their supper. They are at the mercy of their owners, who incorrectly believe that dogs need the same things that humans need.
So, let's look once more at the question: Why do you want to breed your dog?
Answer the following quiz honestly to determine if you should breed your dog: ("Dog" in this case referring to male or female)
I would like to breed my dog because: