Me, I have never breed a litter. Both my dogs are finished CH. I enjoy the competition. Will I breed in the future..maybe. I have lots of time before I make that decision. For me, it’s not just about "show" quality (conformation aka breed shows), but I also want a dog that is smart and can do it’s original job. My "show" dogs also compete and titled in obedience and agility and they do real hunting. So that means, not only do they meet the written breed standard, but they are biddable enough to work with people and yet, can and do perform their original job as hunting dogs.

Personally, I have no use for a dog that is "pretty" and meets the breed standard, if it doesn’t have a brain.

edit: Health clearances should be done, but do depend on what breed you own. Some breeds need to OFA’d other not. Some need CERF’s others not. Not all genetic diseases have testing available.
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Of course not. Just because a dog is shown and/or gets a title, doesn’t mean he/she should be bred. Further, some dogs with titles will, upon having health tests completed, be found to have serious issues that *should* prevent them from being bred (PRA, hip or elbow dysplasia, etc). I’ve seen lots of dogs finish championships who have *nothing* to offer the breed. Nothing terrible about them, but extremely mediocre. Likely finished mostly being shown against equally mediocre littermates…. Besides, some people just like the enjoyment of showing, and don’t even want to get into breeding.

"So when is it okay to breed your dog?"

First, a must is to have clearance for genetic health problems. Minimum for most dogs would be hip X-rays and eyes examined by a canine ophthalmologist, but of course it varies by breed.

Second, both parent dogs should have good temperament. Especially the mother, who has a much greater influence while raising the baby puppies.

Third, the breeder should give written guarantees about health issues covering at least until 2 years of age, and longer for the issues which may take longer to show up. I always roll my eyes at breeders of large dogs whose guarantee expires at 24 months…which is the earliest a dog can be OFA’d. Nice loophole…. The contract should state exactly what happens if the puppy develops one of the health issues, not just be some vague "oh he’s guaranteed", which can mean anything. Or nothing.

Fourth, the breeder should be willing to take back the dog at any time during it’s life. I can’t imagine not wanting to be in control of where my puppies end up, because a part of me goes with each and every one of them. The oldest dog I’ve re-homed was 10 years old (his owner died).

Now, I realize that my above requirements leave open the option of breeding non-purebred dogs. However, since they would also eliminate 95% of the current breeders of mutts or designer-dogs, I don’t have a problem with that. Having loved and owned (but never bred) mutts, I am not one of those snooty people who think that only purebred dogs have the right to live.

EDIT:

Just to clear up a couple of things:

"give away dogs after 5 years of showing bc they are now too old"

No. W place retired show dogs in loving pet homes. Mine happen to be pets their whole lives, and there is no way I could keep everyone and still give quality time to them. The choice therefore is to stop breeding and furthering my efforts in my breed, or to place some (not all) of the dogs who are no longer being shown. I’ve had lots of dogs finish championships that I had no intention of using in my breeding program. Just the fun of showing them. Then I place them with loving families. Those families in turn get a pet that is already well-trained. Not everyone wants to go through the puppy stages. Win-win situation.

"and sell puppies at a lower price when they are not up to par with their champions and then calling them "pet-quality" and these were breeders of CHAMPION bloodlines."

Of course not all our puppies are "up to par". Anyone who claims that all their puppies are top show quality is a liar. We keep the *best* from each litter, to improve on the next generation. No point in breeding that mediocre one who can probably finish his championship but has nothing exceptional to offer. And yes, most of us do sell "pet-quality" at a lower price. Those dogs are sold on non-breeding agreements or spay/neuter contracts. Having a lower price means a wider selection of families from which to choose, very important when your main concern is finding the best HOME for that dog, where he will live out his life as a much-loved family member.
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Some breeds require further testing, such as screening liver or heart problems, no past history in the pedigree of cancer or bleeding disorders, etc.

These things are what differentiates a well bred dog, purebred or not, from a badly bred dog, purebred or not. The dog may or may not be a part of a kennel club and may or may not be purebred (sled dogs, lurchers, curs, etc). The important thing in a well bred dog is that the breeder has done the necessary health clearances to ensure as humanly possible that the dogs are free of genetic health conditions that, if passed on to pups, can be debilitating or even fatal, let alone potentially prohibit the dog from doing the things it was bred to do or to even go for a walk with the family (hip dysplasia anyone?).

You do not have to breed a show dog. However, to show a dog it must not be spayed or neutered. With care you can keep your dog from breeding and show it or title it in working competitions. There is absolutely no obligation to breed.

Also, there is a common misconception that anybody who breeds mutts is a bad breeder by default. This is a dismissively, insultingly false claim. Most competitive sled dogs, for example, are mixed breed dogs–some of them with little to no husky in their recent ancestry. What differentiates these dogs from backyard bred dogs are health clearances, mushers who know their dogs’ pedigrees like the back of their hands, and breeding specifically to fill a niche not adequately fulled by siberian huskies, samoyeds, or malamutes. The same goes for some hunting dog breeders, and it’s how we got the now recognized plott hound.

The quality of a dog’s breeding should not be determined by papers or purebred pedigree, but by the knowledge of the breeder, the care taken prior to, during, and after breeding, care taken to home the pups, and health clearances for their breed or every breed involved in the mix.

The thing is, you’ll be hard pressed to find a reputable breeder outside of breed clubs. Not all mushers take such care breeding their dogs, which is a shame and also why many of these dogs are ill-temperd. The same can be said for breeders of other mixed breed working dogs. But they are out there if you know where to look.

Also, Casey is mistaken in her answer. Reputable breeders charge as much as they do for their litters because health testing can cost a fortune. Many breeds are also predisposed to serious complications during pregnancy and whelping, and the travel and entry fees associated with shows or working competitions also cost a fortune. The cost of the pups helps the breeder recoup A FRACTION of the money they have poured into their dog. Backyard breeders, by contrast, often breed for profit.
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My personal beliefs on this are:
breeders should be professionals who have the dogs best interest in mind (show/ working/ conformation in mind).
Breeding designer mutts should not be allowed – they are mutts & the shelters are full of them (as well as plenty of purebred dogs, too!)
Breeding so your kids can see the "cycle of life" should not be allowed.
PETS ought to be spayed/neutered (unless there is a health reason for the animal).
Puppies/Kittens should not be sold in pet stores.
ANYONE who breeds a dog ought to be regulated and monitored (I realize this gets tough, but hey – this is what I think) – they should be limited to the # of breeding dogs they can have, there should be regulations that are enforced for the conditions the dogs live & breed in (no cages where dogs never touch the ground), there should be monitoring of the number of litters and number of puppies that are produced so the females are not bred at every opportunity.
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If you really wanted to think about breeding responsibly, you would have looked for the best b itch you could get your hands on (and wouldn’t buy at 12 weeks, as it’s almost impossible to know how a puppy will turn out, as an adult and whether she’d be worthy of being bred from). You’d get out there and show her, for confirmation that you do have something worth becoming your foundation b itch. I would never put anybody off breeding, provided they put their time in, learn all there is to learn about breeding, and so on.
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