How to Select Dogs for Breeding

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Select dogs that are in excellent health. Look for animals that have bright clear eyes, clean skin free from eczema or other dermatological problems, shiny and luxuriant coat, clean ears without cankers and strong white teeth with no evidence of plaque or decay. Also check the body for good bone structure and the legs to make sure they are straight and the dog walks with a natural gait.
Step 2:
Obtain clean bills of health from a licensed veterinarian following your visual inspection of the animals. A stud dog should always be tested for Brucellosis and not bred if he tests positive for the disease. All animals selected for breeding should be current on their vaccinations and parasite free.
Step 3:
Consider the pedigrees of dogs when you are a selecting a breeding pair. Ideally, you will want to have a third or fourth generation pedigree on each animal. The pedigree is your key to the ancestry of a dog and is invaluable when breeding purebreds.
Step 4:
Determine whether you will be breeding show animals or simply quality pets. If you are planning on the production of show dogs, you need to pick a stud and a bitch who have impeccable pedigrees and who are good specimens in terms of their particular breed's standards. For information regarding specific breeds, consult the American Kennel Club's official website (see Resources below).
Step 5:
Decide whether you will linebreed, outcross or crossbreed. Linebreeding is the breeding of non-closely related animals that are genetically similar. This is generally done to improve upon the breed. Outcross breeding is done with two animals that are of the same breed but not related. Outcross breeding is done to introduce "new blood" into a line of dogs. Crossbreeding is the breeding between two separate breeds such as a poodle and a cocker spaniel who together produce a cockapoo.
Step 6:
Select for complimentary traits between potential studs and bitches. Complimentary breeding is the matching of one dog that may be a little weak in a particular area with another dog that has that particular strength. This type of breeding seeks to correct imperfections and, in many cases, produces a more balanced puppy than either of its parents.
Step 7:
Select dogs to breed based on their temperament in addition to their health, as temperament is primarily an inherited trait. You will want to choose dogs that are not overly aggressive while making sure they are also not nervous or extremely passive. You might want to consider having potential breeding canines tested for temperament by a trained individual. Consult the American Temperament Test Society at their official website for more information (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

Try to obtain pictorial pedigrees to give you a visual aid in selecting particular dogs for breeding.

Resources

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