Starting a Kennel? 3 Important Steps for New Dog Breeders to Take

The ethics of dog breeding have been heavily discussed over the last couple of years – and for good reason. Unfortunately, the dog world is full of irresponsible people who throw themselves into breeding and selling without having even half of the knowledge and experience necessary to run a humane, successful kennel. In this blog, we inform you about 3 important steps for new dog breeders to take.

In many regions, the number of investigations into illegal dog breeding has increased, and many believe that stricter regulations should be put into place.

If you want to breed dogs, you must do it safely and take care to do your research before jumping into it.

If you don’t quite know where to start, this article will take you through three important first steps to take when embarking on your breeding journey.

Research, Patience – and More Research

Far from everyone is suited for breeding dogs. But if you’re certain this is your calling, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to become a decent, credible dog breeders.

It isn’t nearly as easy as it may seem to you, and there are many things to consider and steps to take before getting started. 

First and foremost, thorough research is a must. For instance, you have to make sure to get your dogs checked.

If they have undiscovered health issues, these can end up getting passed down to their future litters – which not only results in expensive vet visits for you, but also reduces your dogs’ quality of life.

You must also be patient. Sometimes, it takes a long time before your breeding efforts succeed, and sometimes, it doesn’t happen at all.

Putting pressure on your dogs to get it moving might just stress them out, delaying the process even further – so prepare yourself to accept any scenario. 

Establish Trust With Potential Buyers

With all of the horrible stories of puppy mills circulating, potential buyers often come to breeders with a long list of concerns.

So, as a breeder, it’s important to establish trust and build a connection with the possible future dog owners that come your way. 

Something that immediately puts potential buyers at ease is a professional, trustworthy business identity. A great way to start building this is by finding a name that strikes the balance between cuteness and professionalism aad is easy to remember.

If you’re finding it difficult to come up with the right name yourself, get inspiration from businessnamegenerator.com or ask friends or family for suggestions. By then tweaking some of these, you’ll have a shortlist of solid options to choose from.

Another way of building trust is by providing answers to frequently asked questions and giving relevant advice – not just about each puppy, but also about food, grooming, exercise, etc.

This is also why doing thorough research on your particular breed is so important: You have to know it like no one else in order to provide potential buyers with excellent customer service.

Do Your Paperwork

Lastly, in order to establish a successful kennel, you must of course also have your paperwork in order. While many breeders do sell their puppies without providing any papers, this sends all the wrong signals and seems highly suspicious. 

Let potential buyers know that you have nothing to hide by giving them all the papers they need.

You’ll need papers documenting the sale, a pedigree, and registration of the puppy in order – as well as papers proving that you’ve gone to the vet to make sure that the puppy is healthy.

All of these are crucial for establishing yourself as a credible breeder, so make sure to have them in order for each puppy from the beginning.