Its been a while but Im back. My Rottie Kingston is doing good and he is now at 16 months and about 95lbs. He is a very handsome dog and I get compliments from a lot of people on how overall look. the vet even urges me to breed which was my original intentions when I picked him up. I am looking to start breeding after he hits 2 years old. my main question is, what kind of checks should I get prior to breeding? I know for sure hips need to be checked. his temperment is wonderful. the only down side is I have yet to get him any kind of titles (CD, Rally etc.). Finding a qualified dog here in hawaii is my other obstacle....

Hips,elbows,heart,eyes,and thyroid. But be prepared for some pretty blunt comments about breeding him Collin.

thanks for the heads up. thats good though... I dont wanna be one of those careless breeder types. if its not for me then by al lmeans I am willing to hear why.

Collin,
You're going to hear why you shouldn't breed, and believe me, there are a thousand reasons to NOT breed.

However, here are some things you can do to find both qualified bitches, make connections with other working dog breeders and earn those titles.

Join your local dog breed club, there are some on every island. Then start going to trials and shows. Start training, trialing and earning those legs. That's where you'll find quality people, breeders and dogs.

While you're trialing you can get those health checks done. There are not too many health checks that you can do. Check the OFA (www.offa.org) website for what a Rottie needs to have done, minimally.

Most importantly, keep an open mind and soak up as much information as possible. Breeders, especially newbies, need to know sooooo much about their breed, the other breeders in the area, every dog on their dog's pedigree, etc.

Julie what do you mean by "trialing" in conjecture with "earning those legs". Moreover can a working Rott earn titles before health tests are done?

the hard part is that here in hawaii, the rott club isnt even active. I cant even get a contact number let alone any response. the working lines here are weak. the actual quality Rott lines here are weak. many are BYBs and the rest are way out of breed standard due to breeders trying to "hulk" these breeds...

My first answer is to not let geography get you down. Search globally to do the right thing. Don't settle for what's local. Also be prepared to wait. I've been looking for a quality dog now for a little over 2 years and across 6 countries and have walked away from about five deals for a potential dog for a variety of reasons.

The first mark of a good breeder is having a goal in mind. For me I expect each breeder I want to work with to have different goals, but they need to have a goal. A stated goal gives me an idea of their integrity and their intentions. I would put pen to paper and write down what it is that YOU want.

Breeding should be for yourself. I know alot of people are all about titles (obedience, conf, etc) for proving worth. Again, what do you want? It is after all your dogs, your program, and your choice. Just remember the old saying is true, lie down with dogs and don't be surprised when you get fleas. Depending on what your goal is and how that goal is perceived by others will determine what kind of associations you can have working for you. This is a fact of dealing in the dog world. For instance I don't do confirmation showing therefore according to many other dog breeders I am simply a back yard breeder no matter the health screenings I do, the decisions I make on breeding who to who, etc. This is something I am willing to accept, not everyone has as thick a hide as mine.

Health clearances depend on the breed, what you're breeding for. The usual min is to get your dog's appropriate OFA and Cerf info with the intention of getting a CHIC. Research, research, research and make a choice about what you want to do. Not because we said to but because those tests are important to you for making sure your stock is healthy.

Best of luck in deciding whatever you want to do.

Melissa

 Quote: norman epstein

Julie what do you mean by "trialing" in conjecture with "earning those legs". Moreover can a working Rott earn titles before health tests are done?

Norm, as I am sure you know, trialing is to show your dog in some sport.

When used in conjunction with “earning legs” it generally refers to earning “certificates” in the sport to achieve the title.

SCH has three legs to get the title; OB, tracking and protection all three certificates earned in one day to get the SCH title ( I, II, or III).

In many/most/all AKC activities you need to qualify three different times to achieve the title, and I don’t think you can get them on the same day, but at the least, they have to be earned under at least three different judges. For OB for example, you will get a dark green ribbon for each leg that you earn and you will need three to get the CD.

And yes, the dog can be titled without any health clearances under most clubs’ rules. However, most breed (not sport) clubs require you to abide by their code of ethics in order to breed and register the puppies with that registry. This does not apply to AKC, as their requirement is only two purebred, registered dogs.

Collin, there are so many things I could say but my post will be long and others can say it better. So I will leave it at this.

1. Why do you need to be active with your Rott club? Surely there are other working dog clubs that are not Rottie specific. Schutzhund clubs, for example.

2. Do not set a breeding deadline (example, "I want to breed my dog when he is 2"). A two year old dog is really still young and you don't always know his full potential. It is simply not enough time to get him fully titled either. When he is 5 he will produce the same pups as he would when he is 2, only he will be more proven (training wise). Do NOT be in a rush to breed him, and especially do not do it for the money.

3. There are millions of Rotts out there. What makes your dog worthy of passing on his genes? ("he's a beautiful dog" is not good enough. There are millions - litterally - of beautiful purebred and mix breeds in shelters and rescues). I'm not being facetious here, this is a question you will need to ask yourself and know the answer for the owners of the bitches and pups.

4. What responsibility will you take if a pup goes to an unsuitable home? Or the new owners move and decide the pup can't go with them (a VERY common reason given for getting rid of a dog). Or the dog is too much to handle? Will you put all the responsibility of dealing with, placing, and screening puppy homes to the bitch's owners?

5. At minimum, health clearances mentioned by Steve and obedience titles. For myself a CD is not good enough. Take him through to UD if you are going to do obedience. I firmly believe only "dog people" - should breed dogs, in other words, you train, title, trial and work the dog. A CD title is only the beginning, and doesn't prove that much. Consider (optional) titling him in more than one discipline, i.e. AKC obedience, rally, agility, tracking if you do not want to do bitework.

Bringing new dogs into this world is NOT something to be taken lightly and NOT something you should do because your vet/neighbor/barber told you to. If my vet tells me to feed Science Diet, that does not mean I am not going to do my research to see what is involved and whether that is a good decision for myself and my dog.

ETA: Don't even THINK about breeding until you have a pre-screened waiting list of excellent homes committed to taking a puppy.

Think long and hard, do not rush, and in the meantime concentrate on your dog and give him the best life possible. You can always breed later but you can never un-breed.

From an old Rottie person: Do your homewk slowly and carefully and look at your dog objectively and really study all aspects of what the breed is **supposed** to be (preferably using German breeding standards, not American please!). most dogs (of any breed) should just NOT be bred--at all. if everyone bred their beautiful dog, we'd be up to our eyebrows in dogs. there are already SO many unwanted, misunderstood, mishandled pups/dogs out there.

if you get involved with a working dog club you would hopefully be able to get a temperment test/eval done first, then all the health screens (and i would not limit myself to OFA--haha--i would go with Pennhip and the other hip cerfs that are not so subjective!). if he passes all those things, then get some titles.

producing puppies is a HUGE resposibility. not only getting them into quality homes (which are not in abundance!) but also what you will do if the dam has 12 pups and you have 3 buyers. raising a litter is a LOT of work. you have the expense of getting tails done at 3 days, initial vaccines(if you are not going without), food, advertising---this is all in the first 2 weeks after birth. doesnt count the prior cost of proving the parents in whatever discipline you choose, or the health screens. so you are really financially involved before one pup is sold.
If you are only planning to stand him at stud & not have a female, you are still 50% responsible for the puppies that are born. be prepared that if the dam owner sells those pups to unscupulous people, it is YOUR dog's name out there. if the dam is not screened or titled---problems will be blamed in whole or in part on the sire.
with a breed like the Rottweiler you alwayas have to be careful that the wrong type of person with the wrong plans might call either for a puppy or a breeding to their female--i would get references frm their vet. many people buy these dogs (& other similar breeds) for bad reasons.

i would suggest subscribing to a Rottweiler magazine---research everything you can, read the OLD books. and REALLY, if you decide to do it, get educated on breeding itself and wheping a litter.

keep in mind that in today's economy and with a limited market in Hawaii i would think selling hi-quality (read: expensive) puppies will not be easy. also consider how much handling, socialization & exposure to things you ought to do with a litter before the pups are old enough to leave.

all things to consider. breeding is not for the uneducated or the faint of heart & for sure not for the money.......