27/08/2024
Please read this!
How a Breeder Spends Their Time
Yesterday evening we spent over an hour clipping puppies’ nails and taking (not very good) pictures, so I could finally name the youngest litter. Somewhere in there, I also spent half an hour scooping puppies out of their whelping box, tickling their tummies and kissing their round noggins as I said their names before setting them on the floor… and then I wiped down the floor, changed their blanket, and repeated the process as I set them back inside. As they get older and poop/pee more, the frequency of cleaning their area increases – because puppies will roll in their mess and stink if I don’t. If the weather’s good, once they get older we’ll be able to put them in an x-pen outside part of the day to ‘air out’. Carrying them all outside or taking a group for a romp out in the yard so they can explore can take another hour out of the day.
I’m often answering emails or messages late at night when I should be in bed. How long it takes me to answer varies greatly, not only due to time constraints, but sometimes because I’m waiting to hear back from someone else, waiting to evaluate the puppies, or am trying to decide if I have what the person needs or if they’re a good fit for an Aussie. I may also be at a show or trial or training my own dogs.
So far with our current litters (4 and 2 ½ weeks old), I’ve had to 1) order toys, shots, dewormer, and microchips, 2) set up litter eye exams, 3) take care of tails and dewclaws, 4) update the website with parent info and puppy pictures, 5) correspond with a few dozen people inquiring, 6) register each litter with AKC and ASCA, 6) get up throughout the night during pre-labor, labor, and the neonatal stage the first few days to check on babies and let mom out to potty.
Then there was all the pre-planning before the litters ever happened, like writing inquiries to stud owners and figuring out potentially what the best cross was, vet visits for the girls for testing, then driving to another state to drop off and pick up the girls…
None of this includes the regular health/genetic testing, training, and showing or trialing of our dogs, which help us learn more about each individual dog and what is out there beyond our own breeding program. It’s a lot. But we’d like to think it all matters and helps us produce better dogs.
Before pups go home, we’ve hauled them to the eye doctor to check their peepers (while they scream to get out of their crates) and that’s usually half a day gone. We give them shots and deworm them. Take them for a vet visit if they’re flying. Clean their area X times per day. Play with them. Take them for walks, give them baths, cut their nails again and again, brush them, take pictures and videos and post them…
When pups are 7-8 weeks old, we spend insane amounts of time evaluating both their structure and their personalities. I feel like observing them over a period of time and on different days gives a more thorough feel for each pup’s disposition than a one-time temperament test. And this is extremely critical in helping match puppies and owners and why we don’t divvy them up strictly by color or s*x. Everyone has different goals and experiences, so it’s important owners get an energy level and character that will fit with their lifestyle and plans.
This is also the point where I lose sleep, because I’m running a hundred scenarios in my head of which puppy might go where. While I don’t let people blindly pick by looks and will rule out some pups for certain people, I do like to give them some choice when possible. It’s like dumping the pieces of a puzzle on the table and one-by-one fitting them together until the picture is complete. I know new owners get anxious at this final stage because they’re anticipating which puppy will be theirs, but trust me, it’s even harder on my end, because I was cursed to be born a people-pleaser and hope-hope-hope everyone will be happy in the end.
On pick-up day (or week, rather), people are scheduled to visit. This is also crazy, because they sometimes come from far away, or have other things to work around like family matters or work schedules. They’re here for anywhere from half an hour to three times that, interacting with puppies, asking questions, selecting one… and then comes the paperwork.
Then there’s the lifetime support. Caring breeders want to hear from you down the road and are there to answer questions when you don’t know who to ask.
I’m positive I’ve left some things out. Probably important things. But I believe educating prospective owners helps them understand what goes into breeding dogs thoughtfully, lessens anxiety (theirs and mine), and lets them know why breeders can sometimes take days to respond. Raising a litter is like taking on a more-than-parttime job, on top of your actual work and time spent with family and one’s own dogs.
Speaking of which, I need to get back to my actual job right now… as puppies cry in the background.
