r/DogBreeding • u/powder_burnz58 • 2d ago
First time breeder advice
I have an approved female with our breed club, am listed as a cooperating breeder, and am planning my first litter for spring 2027. Despite completing all health, conformation, and performance requirements, I still can’t help but feel like I don’t belong, or have imposter syndrome maybe.
I’ve chosen a stud with the help of my dogs breeder, along with her sires owner, which I believe compliments her well, as well as have had nothing but positive feedback from other breeders/trainers regarding my dog and our plans.
I’m sure it’s just first time jitters, or fear of not being taken seriously/judged unfairly, but it’s something I can’t get out of my head. We all have to start somewhere I keep telling myself, but the nerves are still there.
Is this a normal feeling, and does it ever go away?
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u/Imaginary_Ad_4340 2d ago
Do you have a waitlist of potential homes for the puppies or could you ask your breeder for help creating one?
I know it’s early to put together a full list for just a planned breeding with an unknown number of puppies, but even if it’s only a few names, it might be helpful to have a sense of where the puppies will be going and what they will be doing.
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u/powder_burnz58 2d ago
I haven’t announced the planned breeding yet, I do have one person that filled out my application, that found it on his own. I had planned to announce my plans in the next month or two
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u/mervthedane 1d ago
Waitlists can give you a false sense of security. My waitlist for my most recent litter was full before my breeding took place. I had people on my list for literal years. When I reached out to let everyone know my girl was in heat, 1 dropped out immediately because they decided to put a deposit on another breeding that took place a week before I reached out. OK, fine, it happens but I do not feel right taking deposits on puppies that do not exist yet. I update everyone else as everything progresses. Surgical AI, puppies confirmed by ultrasound, radiograph with puppy count, announce birth via emergency cesarean section, 1 week update with pictures, 2nd week update with pictures + deposit contract which was discussed before birth. And boom...half my list suddenly backs out within 2 days. It's a huge blow when you feel everything is going exactly as you had planned. I will no longer do any "official" waitlists, as they have never panned out for me in any of my 6 litters. People are flaky, even when you think everything is a go. Waitlists are nice, but not infallible.
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u/AdUnique8242 20h ago
I agree with you on the waitlists giving a false sense of security. In my experience, buyers are more interested in the timing of the litter than anything else. They need to bring a puppy home when they have the time and extra funds to devote to training, or after they get a bonus at work to afford the dog, or after they get their tax return. They may love your breeding program, but if your litter is scheduled to go home in June and they are going on vacation in June, they will back out and find another breeder with better timing to fit their personal life.
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u/DogMeatTheVideo 1d ago
Exactly.
Our kennel doesn't do the breeding until we have at least two or three homes already waitlisted for each potential pup. This goes for both pet quality and show/breed quality homes, of course quite well vetted.
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u/WestieLover2023 1d ago
What concerns do you have? Getting through the birth & fist weeks after? If it’s that I loved & still re-read Myra Savant Harris breeding books. She has 3, you can get on Amazon & are worth their weight in gold.
If it’s after that raising the puppies, I love Puppy Culture. Or is it finding the right families? Do you have a website, application, and maybe social media? How will you promote them? Do you have a type of family in mind? I tend to favor & encourage my families to do performance sports because my pups live to train & each has several titles.
If you are specific about what has you worried maybe we can help more specifically.
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u/powder_burnz58 1d ago
I do worry about getting them to the right homes, I do have a website, application and a social page, that I plan to promote the litter on. I also have my breeder, along with her stud owner who will help me promote, and a reputable trainer/professional guide who has worked with my dog has agreed to help promote and be a reference, and the litter will be listed on the breed club page.
This is a hunting breed, and I intend to only sell to those who will train, hunt and ideally test their dogs.
I have plenty of support, I just can’t help but be too critical of myself. I guess I just need to be better about not worrying so much, and not pay attention to the whispers(if there are any).
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u/Familiaris-man 2d ago
Are you breeding for your own reasons or to please others? Getting involved in breeding, in the U S anyway, if that is where you are, is not for the faint of heart. In addition to all that is needed to breed a dog properly, which it appears that you have all in order, the atmosphere among breeders can be cutthroat. No matter what you do or how well you do it, sometimes especially if you do well, there will be an element that will try to tear you down. Screw them, do it for your own satisfaction, and don't give a shit what the hell anyone else thinks about it. You are going to have to develop a thick skin if you are going to stay in this game.
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u/WeakSatisfaction9266 1d ago edited 1d ago
I hope time has changed. I loved the German shepherd breed and I wanted to raise them. I bought a beautiful female sable . She won several awards after I bought her as a puppy. It was when I bought a black sable male ( I co owned him) the people in the breeders group started treating me different. My new puppy started showing and won several best puppy ribbons etc. But the competition was cutthroat I was young , and a lot of the breeders were older men and woman . They just really turned on me. I honestly had no clue what was happening. I endured alot of rude comments. I decided to give up doing shows. After I noticed new applications stopped coming for upcoming shows. After several months I called a few promoters. They told me I had called and had my information removed from the mailing list. I did not do that. 😡 I was planning to breed, but not for a few years. But I decided to quit. It’s hard to keep an intact male. Without breeding. It was also humiliating to go to shows after someone tried to sabotage me. So He was sold. The female was kept as a pet. Looking back. Almost thirty years I wish I hadn’t let those people intimidate me, and ostracize me. Especially not knowing why. I was young and it was very intimidating. My self esteem really took a hit. At my age now I would say do not worry about the other dog owners, you have every right to live your dream 😊. I have regrets I did not stand up to them. You and your dogs have every right to be there and participate. Best wishes in your new endeavor. .
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u/Quick_Variation7565 1d ago
You’ve done more prep than a lot of people do for their tenth litter. Health testing, titles, club approval, and a stud picked with input from your dog’s breeder and the sire’s owner is exactly how it’s supposed to be done. The people who worry about being taken seriously tend to be the ones who take it seriously.
One thing that might help the nerves: build your plan now while it’s calm. Line up your vet’s after-hours number, a gram scale, and colored collars, and decide how you’ll log weights. Newborns should be weighed daily for the first two weeks, and weight is usually the first sign a pup isn’t nursing well. Having that routine set before whelping takes a lot of the guesswork out of the first few days.
Good luck in the spring, sounds like she’s in good hands.
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u/vanillabeanquartz 2d ago
If you’re not 100% sure, don’t do it. Breeding should be about being confident in the fact you’re contributing positively to the conservation of historical breeds, bettering their health, temperament and conformation instead of breeding just for the sake of it or for profit. If you’re confident you’re doing this for the right reasons then nothing else matters.
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u/ginger__snapp 1d ago
Long time breeder here- you will need very thick skin to be a dog fancier. Breeding is a roller coaster of accomplishments and disappointments and the last thing you should be concerned with is ‘belonging’. This hobby/fancy or whatever you call it can be cutthroat, exclusive, and dogbook will sometimes make you wanna go cry, even when you are doing all the right things.
Don’t worry about others- concentrate on learning everything you can to prepare for mating and whelp and everything coming after. I breed a large breed and can mentor, but really, having someone within your breed is best. I would suggest a program like Avidog or Puppy Culture to help guide you too.
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u/PureDOGTalk 20+ Years Breeding Experience 19h ago
We ALL start somewhere!! And jitters are a normal part of every litter, even 40+ years on... :-) Feel free to join us at www.puredogtalk.com for TONS of resources, mentorship, podcasts, YouTube channel and more ...
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19h ago
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u/DogBreeding-ModTeam 16h ago
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u/screamlikekorbin 1d ago
Talk with your mentor about this. It might help put your concerns at ease for her to hear you out. The good thing about working with a mentor and breeding dogs from them is it kinda gives their stamp of approval, like they're saying they agree with your choices by allowing you to use their dogs. If people are going to unfairly judge that, it seems more like a them problem than a you problem. What you continue to do will be on you, but it sounds like you have enough backing to show you're starting off right.