[Aurora_Bell]

Have to spread the rep. But at least she will have correct info if she comes back... As hard as it would be to answer the questions, it's only the dogs that would suffer in the end.

[shazamataz]

I have been on the dog show circuit for many years now so I know what makes a quality, healthy dog.
My answer is don't breed and get her spayed but if the OP really is dead set on breeding then hopefully we can help her do things right.

I know if I bred a sick puppy, or a puppy that turned out having problems later in life, or even that one of the puppies I sold ended up in a shelter and I didn't do everything I could to prevent it I would just feel awful.

[Lucky098]

I'm going to post something :) Sorry if it has been stated prior.

The myth that dogs need to be bred once in their life time to "settle them down" is just that, a myth. Your dog does not need to be bred, your female does not need to welp puppies. In fact, a lot of breeders will state that the personality of the dog will change dramatically after a litter.

You said that you have taken this female in. Is she a rescue dog? If so, then she definitely doesn't need to be bred. Genetics are a very important thing to consider when breeding your dogs. Confirmation is another important factor to consider. With your breed, having a weak back is a very bad trait to pass down the line. Think of it this way, would you knowingly pass down a genetic disease to your child? Knowing that that child has a 90% chance of getting that disease? Same thing in dogs. You need to make sure BOTH dogs are healthy and able to produce healthy puppies, which in turn, will have the ability to produce healthy puppies themselves.

Breeding dogs is meant to enhance and make the breed better. Not so your children can experience the miracle of life. If you're breeding for those purposes, then I'm sorry to say, you have no business breeding. You don't need to be a breeder who breeds strictly for show dogs, there are plenty of breeders who breed for utility. Do both dogs show charactureistics of what Doxies are bred to do? If either dog doesn't show those capabilities, once again, they shouldn't produce.

I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, but breeding dogs is a very serious matter. This is no different then the day you decided to have children. A lot of thought does go into it. A lot of money goes in to it. And you need to be prepared for the worse. You need to be ready to do the midnight emergency vet visit for a c-section.

You need to understand that there are a lot of puppies in this world that are killed each day due to overpopulation. Its not just in the US, its everywhere. Breeding your dogs, if not homed properly, is just adding to the overpopulation.

If you really want to do the puppy thing, why not sign up as a foster home/volunteer and request a pregnant female. Believe me, a shelter would jump on that! You'd be able to do the puppy thing. You'd save lives.

Puppies are fun. I'm not going to lie. I help run a rescue. We've got two litters right now. One litter is 8wks the other is 3wks. They're adorable, but very expensive. Them and mom go through a 35lb of Pro Plan puppy every two weeks. Each bag is close to $40. Not to mention their shots, worming and bedding. They also need to be properly socialized with people, that takes a lot of time. If you work a lot, you won't have the time or the energy to deal with these guys once they get older. I believe it is by law (and if its not where you live, you should do it anyway) that puppies cannot be sold under 8wks of age. There is a lot of reason behind it. Just because that puppy is eating solid food, doesn't mean its ready to leave mom yet. Puppies at this age need their litter, need their mom.. Its what helps them become a better, more confident adult dog. A lot of people sell their pups the min they eat solid food. A lot of behavior issues occur because of that. Between 4 and 8wks of age, a lot of socializing behaviors develop. Basically the dog learns to be a dog. Please don't be an irrisponsible breeder (if you do decide to breed) and sell your pups at 4wks old. That is the absolute worse thing you could do for them. Give them a fighting chance to be good dogs!

I'm not an advocate of back yard breeders. I think there are too many of them, and a lot of them are not responsible pet owners. If you do decide to breed, please be a responsible pet owner and do the right thing. You don't need fancy titles to be a good dog owner, or a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders look out for their puppies for life. Are you prepared to do that?