1) National statistics show that only 1/3 of all dogs live out their lives in their original home. As a breeder, ( which is what you will be even if you just breed your mix breed to your neighbor's dog ) are you prepared to take back one or maybe more of your bitch's puppies at any time down the road for whatever reason? You are responsible for these puppies being here you are the one that chose to not spay your bitch , or planned the breeding. If don't plan on having a contract that says you will take back a puppy no matter when, for whatever reason. Then where do you think that puppy will go ? I know where it goes ... to the pound , all the rescue dogs on my page were at one time someone's beloved puppy, and then they grew up. I'll bet Obie was a doll when she was a baby . Would you want one of your puppies ending up in a rescue looking like this ??...THOUSANDS of dogs are put to DEATH every day because of over population . Do you want one of YOUR puppies to end up like that ? Well, these puppies came from somewhere .

2) Why do you want to breed your dog ? There are LOTS of wonderful dogs in the world . Just because your dog is the cutest, sweetest, smartest dog in the whole wide world, doesn't mean it should be bred. Breeding should be done only for betterment of your dog's breed. Health checks need to be done on both dogs. Some common tests are , hips, elbows, hearts,{OFA} eyes,{CERF} thyroid, bleeding disease{VWD} . Lots of things need to be considered, both dogs' strong points, weak points, temperaments, pedigrees. Some genetic problems only show up when two dogs, both carrying the same defective gene breed. Do you know if there are genetic defects in your bitchs' line or in the studs'? Or if breeding these two dogs together will produce the defect? Also take a look into both perspective parents' litter mates . Did every puppy in that litter conform to the standards of the breed?? Did every puppy in the prospective parents' litter's pass all health tests ? Please look at the American Kennel Club standard for your breed, and the pictures there...the parents should look like that. Do they? You wouldn't want the terrible guilt of bringing sick puppies into the world, would you ? By the way did you know dogs can have sexually transmitted diseases????

"There is a widely held belief that "AKC" or "AKC papers" and quality are one and the same. This is not the case. AKC is a registry body. A registration certificate identifies the dog as the offspring of a known sire and dam, born on a known date. It in no way indicates the quality or state of health of the dog. Quality in the sense of "show quality" is determined by many factors including the dog's health, physical condition, ability to move and appearance. Breeders breeding show stock are trying to produce animals that closely resemble the description of perfection described in the breed standard. Many people breed their dogs with no concern for the qualitative demands of the breed standard. When this occurs repeatedly over several generations, the animals, while still pure-bred, can be of extremely low quality"

4) The cost !! Oh my !! the average cost of whelping and raising a HEALTHY Bouvier litter to 9 weeks of age is about $750.00 per puppy for a litter of 8 healthy puppies ( this cost can go up quick if you have any problems). This works out to an estimated cost of $6000.00 and includes only the basics, genectic testing, stud fee, first shots, worming, ears cropped , tails docked, dew claws done, supplies: whelping heat pads, a whelping box, milk replacer, nipples, food for the puppies, vitamins for the bitch, veterinarian prenatal care for the bitch. And of course the additional veterinarian expenses if your if your bitch needs a c-section, or veterinarian care if something is wrong with a puppy. Or heaven forbid, you lose your bitch in whelp ! And the time it takes to take care of a litter & the brood bitch. You can't leave them alone after whelp with mom for, at the very least, the first week for fear she might kill them, eat them, or lay on them .

5) The dangers. Have you thought about the fact you could lose your beloved family pet? Complications while whelping puppies can & does cause death in far too many bitches , mostly due to inexperienced breeders not recognizing signs that their girl is in trouble. Or how about dead puppies? retained pups, infections? All things to consider.

6) I've heard it said many times "Oh, having puppies will be GREAT for the kids!! " I'm here to tell you no it won't . Birth is messy,gross, and painful, not to mention the horror they'd see if Fluffy died, or if she had a grossly deformed puppy. You want your kids to see a birth? YOU have the baby & let the kids watch that !or better yet, go rent the video "The Miracle of Life"

7) You think you might make some extra money ? Not hardly, selling puppies is not a good way to make money. Most breeders lose money on their litters. Buyers back out,and you get stuck with the unwanted puppies. Pups get sick. Entire litters get sick. If the bitch ends up needing a c-section that is a very costly expense. Sometimes mom won't nurse the puppies or doesn't have enough milk. So you get to spend lots of time feeding puppies every two hours. Breeding should ONLY be done for betterment of the breed, not to make money.

8)I know people who say they want to breed thier dogs to get a puppy just like their dog, a puppy to remember their wonderful pet by , or JUST so they have a puppy out of thier special dog . This is a TERRIBLE reason to breed. IF a Dog could be bred & reproduce itself EXACTALLY Don't you think the whole world would be FULL of Show dogs? The point is No two dogs are the same. Won't you be dissappointed if your wonderful old girl's(Who died during whelping) daughter turns out to have the nastiest temperament on the face of the earth? Or if you have to put your darling carbon copy wanna be dog down at 2 years of age due to Hip problems or a heart defect? Even if you get a puppy that reminds you of your dog , what happens to the other 7-8 puppies in the litter? You want to do somthing to remember your dog by? How about helping out in your breeds rescue? or making a memorial contribution in your dogs name to a shelter.

9) Think about spaying or neutering your pet, it really does make a happier, healthier pet. No chance of uterine , ovarian, testicular, or prostrate cancer. No poor unloved, doomed to die puppies. Neutering makes male dogs less likely to roam & get hurt. Spaying means no messy heat cycles with whining crying unneutered males ruining your shrubs, lawns, and possibly attempting to break into your house..

I hope this gives you something to think about. Thank you for taking the time to read this...please think of Obie if you think you want to breed your bitch..... look at her picture again....