10/19/2022
EDUCATION TIME!
No preamble this time. We’re getting right into it.
Breeding is traumatic. Read that again. Breeding. Is. Traumatic.
At some point when you breed you will experience trauma. It might be your first litter, it might be your fifteenth. If you breed with any sort of longevity…you will experience trauma.
You will lose puppies.
You will lose one of your girls.
You will lose both at the same time.
People will be cruel to your dogs and not all buyers will keep in contact no matter how much you try.
You will deal with human beings who won’t like you because you won’t sell them a dog, because you breed animals they don’t like, because they may be racist towards BIPOC, because they don’t like disabled people. Any number of reasons, really.
You will deal with the stress of vet bills when an unexpected whelping complication occurs. You will deal with overzealous mamas who get urine burns on their lips.
You will deal with animals you bred being sick, despite how hard you tried to avoid it. You will deal with upset owners who were expecting perfection because unrealistic standards are ascribed to breeders who health test and title.
I make no apologies for the dogs I’ve bred over the years. I have regrets and sadness over certain occurrences, but I am not sorry for the dogs I’ve created who bring their owners joy.
I have experienced trauma.
If you choose to breed, you will too. And you need to decide how much you can take.
**Credit to Marcato German Shepherds for the original post**