Whatever you do, the way you do it will make all the difference.
Practical Help For The Thoughtful Breeder.
Be prepared and do everything with excellence! This page contains FREE educational information and breeding related topics that every breeder should be familiar with and understand.
Need something you don’t see on this page or on our website, email us and I’m sure we can help you!
Read
Here you will find our recommended reading material for anyone who decides to seriously pursue breeding. Start your professional bookshelf with these gems!
Prepare
There are things every breeder should have on hand to ensure the most successful outcome with breeding and raising litters. These are our recommendations.
Communicate
Communication is critical! These are our recommendations for templates you will use regularly. If you are not sure what to write, we have a template package on the resource page.
Printable Document Resources
Estrous Cycle & Timing For Breeding
Know when to begin progesterone testing and when to breed! This document walks you through testing, timing, and how it relates to natural, transcervical, or surgical AI.
Know what happens inside the body during each stage of pregnancy.
A very serious and life threatening infection in the uterus. Must be treated quickly and aggressively.
Weekly deep cleaning of the kennel or dog environment will help to reduce and eliminate potential issues with bacteria and disease. Follow these protocol for weekly disinfecting.
BNC is a common issue and one that has become a hot topic with breeders who see a questionable increase in removal of baby teeth. This is our article based on experience and a “wait and see” approach.
Example Sterilization Email Reminder For Puppy Families
Need a little help figuring out what to say when reminding families of their contract requirement? Here is our email used by many other breeders.
Follow these basic rules when trying to take portrait photos.
Breeding Better Dogs
You need to consider the whole dog (conformation, health, and temperament) and not just focus on one trait.
Carrier Dogs & Managing Breeding Part 1
What does being a carrier of a disease or trait mean and how do you make breeding decisions using this information?
Carrier Dogs & Managing Breeding Part 2
Strategies for breeding, test matings, autosomal, sex-linked, polygenic……what does it all mean?
Website listing disorders by breed and alphabetically. Every breeder should know the most common diseases and disorders for the breed they are working with, and know what testing options are available to them.
Reproductive
A very serious and life threatening infection in the uterus. Must be treated quickly and aggressively.
Breeding, whelping, & puppy care! Myra has extensive experience and knowledge that is invaluable for the new and seasoned breeder!
Video tutorial. When do I start progesterone testing? What do the numbers mean with in house versus lab testing? When do I start breeding?
Estrous Cycle & Timing For Breeding
Know when to begin progesterone testing and when to breed! This document walks you through testing, timing, and how it relates to natural, transcervical, or surgical AI.
Know what happens inside the body during each stage of pregnancy.
Low sperm count or volume? Other stud dog issues? What are the main problems that cause fertility issues with stud dogs and what can you do?
Virus-Bacteria-Disease Management
Highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Brucella canis. Sexually transmitted disease that causes infertility and abortions. Test before any breeding to protect your breeding dogs.
Using FFP with weak newborn puppies, fading puppies, or sick puppies, can make all the difference in helping your puppies survive and thrive. This is Jean Dodds’ sheet on how to use FFP. Order directly from Hemopet or other veterinary blood banks.
No one wants to deal with this horrible issue, but if you do you will need to act quickly to save your puppies. The Colorado Parvo protocol is a document every breeder should have ready to access when needed.
Sudden wobbly puppy? Back legs unstable? No other real symptoms or diagnosis? Could likely be Neospora Caninum. Treatment with Clindamyacin will show improvement within 24-48 hours typically!
Neospora Caninum - Description & Treatment
Canadian Veterinary Journal - May 2007 - Clindamyacin
CHV in a puppy younger than 3 weeks old is fatal. Understand what to watch for and how to treat. Symptoms include: incoordination, labored breathing, loss of appetite, green/yellow stools, and painful abdomen.
Juvenile Cellulitis - Puppy Strangles
Know the signs of puppy strangles! Swelling on the face, bumps, pustules, crusting, lethargy, and join pain that results in a puppy that wobbles and doesn’t want to move.
Dog Diarrhea: What You Need To Know
What’s really going on when your dog has diarrhea?
Behavior & Training
Dog Training & Behavior - Patricia McConnell PhD
Our favorite behaviorist and trainer that has resources that help with nearly every training or behavior issue. When families need help, send them to her website!
The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
Behavior, obedience, training. Material published in over 25 languages around the world!
The Art & Science of Animal Behavior - Sophia Yin
Veterinarian, behaviorist, expert on Low Stress Handling
Simple, easy to follow, practical puppy training resources for pet families.
Videos
How To Tube Feed A Cleft Puppy
No one wants to be faced with raising a cleft puppy, but if you have one in a litter are you prepared and do you know how to tube feed? This YouTube video shows how to tube feed. Our Breeder Package has a formula document and record for keeping track of when you’ve fed and puppy weight gain.
Progesterone Testing For Canines 101: In House Vs Lab Test
This is a wonderfully thorough explanation of progesterone testing. When to test, what the results mean, when to breed, and comparison of in house vs lab test results. Video is shared by a very experienced breeder who oversees an ICSB location in Canada.
***It is recommended to consult with a reproductive veterinarian for your specific situation.
How To Fly With A Puppy In Cabin
This real life example YouTube video walks you through the process of what you need to do to fly with a puppy on an airplane and everything you will experience on the trip. Wonderful video to share with your families that plan on picking up their puppy in person and flying them home in cabin.
One of the simplest puppy training resources available! A combination of written explanation, photos, and QR codes that pull up demonstration videos right from a phone! No other training resource currently provides all these in one offer.
“THE PRACTICAL PUPPY BOOTCAMP: WEEK ONE”
For more training help and free resources to provide to your puppy families, visit her website at The Practical Puppy
