If you are a dog lover who has a special place in your heart for one particular dog breed, you may decide to devote yourself to bettering that breed. Many times, this involves working with dogs from a particular bloodline to try to create specific traits that will be passed down through future generations. However, many people are uncertain about how to go about breeding dogs.

To be a dog breeder, all you need to do is own an un-neutered female dog or two. In most states, you do not need to even register your kennel if you only have two or three adult dogs. However, being a good dog breeder is more complicated.

First, a good dog breeder will not want to use dogs with major flaws. The breeder may show the dogs to try to obtain a championship before breeding them. This raises the value of the dog’s future puppies, but it also enables the breeder to network with the people who know the most about the breed. Even if your dog does not get a championship, a few wins will make dog exhibitors take you more seriously. This is important because if one of these exhibitors has a dog that has traits that would balance out any of your dogs flaws, you have a good chance of breeding the two dogs to make show quality puppies.

If you are going to breed dogs for many years to come, you may want to choose a kennel name. You should register your kennel name with the American Kennel Club. Most breeders with a kennel name require any of the puppies they produce to carry this kennel name, since this is an excellent form of promotion and advertising for that kennel.

Even if your state does not require it for one or two dogs, you may also want to get a kennel permit. After all, you will want to keep a few puppies to continue your bloodline and will eventually need a permit. It is better to get the permit before you become attached to your puppies than to try to get one after you have more dogs, since neighbor’s objections can cause the state to refuse to give you the permit.

When you breed your dog for the first time, you should look for a male dog that belongs to an experienced dog breeder. Not all dogs fall in love at first sight, and you only have a few days to successfully breed a dog before it goes out of heat. An experienced breeder knows how to introduce the dogs to each other and how to help them breed successfully.

Once your dog has been bred, you will need to take her to the veterinarian for at least one pre-natal visit. Your vet will let you know if you need to come more often. If you want to know how many puppies to expect, the vet can make a guess by feeling your dog’s belly or you can find out exactly how many puppies there are with an x-ray. Be sure to ask your vet ahead of time about the birthing process and how you should prepare. Some dog breeds must deliver by C-section, while others rarely have problems. Don’t forget to ask for pre-natal vitamins to keep your dog healthy.

As the delivery day grows near, prepare a quiet spot for your dog to deliver. You will want to have a whelping box, clean rags, a heating pad and the vet’s emergency number on hand. You can buy a whelping box, but it is easy to make one of your own. The important thing is to be sure you put a small ledge in the box a few inches from the bottom to avoid having your dog accidentally crushing the babies between her body and the box sides.

Once you see those adorable puppies crawling around, you will realize that the hard part is still to come. After all, soon you are going to have to send some of those little fuzz balls off to new homes.

A Bulldog is much more than a pair of sad eyes and droopy jaws, but this dog’s appearance is a major reason for its popularity. The other reason these dogs are so popular is that they have a sweet and gentle nature.

This breed was originally created to help butchers slaughter bulls. Some people used the tenacious nature of the Bulldog to turn their dogs into bull baiters. When this ugly sport was outlawed, people that loved the breed began breeding only the sweetest dogs. Today, these dogs are sociable, friendly animals.

The Bulldog is a medium sized dog, but is still very powerful. These dogs weigh 40 to 50 pounds and stand 12 to 16 inches high. A Bulldog has a squat body, a flat forehead, and large jaws. This breed has dark, gentle eyes. Some Bulldogs have corkscrew tails, but they can also have straight tails.

The American Kennel Club classifies this breed as a member of the Non-Sporting Group. These odd looking dogs have one purpose, to be devoted companions. Luckily, they are well suited to their role.

Bulldogs are the ideal pets for apartment owners. They are very low energy and do not need to spend a lot of time exercising. Of course, they still enjoy taking a leisurely evening walk with their owners.

Of course, like any breed, the Bulldog does have a few flaws. When you live with a Bulldog, you may feel as though you are living in a frat house, since this breed will snore, drool, and pass gas frequently. Sometimes, one of these normally sweet natured dogs will bully other dogs, especially if there is food involved.

Despite their size, Bulldogs can be quite powerful. Because of this, it will be much easier for you to start training your dog as a puppy. Luckily, these dogs are eager to please their owners, although they are not always quick learners. In fact, some Bulldogs cannot understand even the simplest commands until they are six months old.

A Bulldog has a bit of a reputation as a chow hound. This breed likes to eat. However, you will need to be sure that you do not let your Bulldog overeat, since obesity can lead to serious health problems. Other health problems these charmers face are allergies, hip dysplasia, eye problems, and breathing problems.

Bulldog owners need to be especially careful to keep their dogs out of the sun. These dogs can overheat easily, which can prove fatal. Also, since this breed is prone to breathing problems, Bulldogs should never be walked using a choke collar. A harness will help you prevent their already small tracheas from being damaged.

With their short coats, Bulldogs need very little grooming. However, the wrinkles on their face require careful cleaning. If you do not keep your Bulldog’s wrinkles clean, he could develop skin infections, not to mention a nasty odor.

If you want a loving family pet and can overlook the fact that your little guy is a bit odoriferous, then a Bulldog may just be the right breed for you.

When you shop for a purebred dog, you will probably notice that many breeders use the initials AKC when they talk about their purebred puppies. What exactly is the AKC? These initials stand for the American Kennel Club, a registry for purebred dogs born in the United States. The AKC holds dog shows and obedience competitions, helps maintain breed standards, and registers puppies of recognized breeds. The AKC registers dogs from over a hundred different dog breeds.

For a dog to be registered with the AKC, the breeder needs to have AKC papers for both parents. Each litter is registered as a group shortly after the puppies are born. When the puppies are eight weeks old, the breeder gets a registration application for each puppy. This form goes with the puppy to his new home. The new owner chooses a name to register the puppy under and sends the application in to the American Kennel Club.

The AKC has divided the dog breeds it recognizes into eight different groups. These groups are the Sporting Group, the Hound Group, the Working Group, the Terrier Group, the Toy Group, the Non-Sporting Group, the Herding Group, and the Miscellaneous Class. Each dog breed recognized by the AKC is placed in one of these groups and will compete in its breed and then its group in the show ring.

Dogs in the Sporting Group are an active, hard working bunch. These dogs need plenty of exercise, since they were bred to spend long hours spotting and retrieving game. Some popular members of the Sporting Group are the Golden Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel.

The Hound Group also is made up of dogs that work with hunters to catch game, but these guys are all about the chase. Hounds can be slow and methodical, like the Bloodhound, or fast and impatient, like the Greyhound.

If you are more concerned about protecting your home, you will want to take a look at dogs in the Working Group. These big dogs are powerful animals with strong protective instincts. Doberman Pinschers and Rottweilers are just two of the dog breeds in this group.

Dogs in the Terrier Group love to hunt mice and rats. This group includes the dour Scottish Terriers and the personable Miniature Schnauzers.

The Toy Group may be made up of dogs that are small in size, but their hearts are just as big as those of any other dogs. The Yorkshire Terrier and the Miniature Pinscher are both Toy dogs.

Dogs in the Herding Group have a strong herding instinct. The Collie and the German Shepherd are members of this group.

The Non-Sporting Group contains dogs that don’t quite fit anywhere else. The Boston Terrier and Standard Poodles are members of the Non-Sporting Group.

The final group, the Miscellaneous Class, is where the AKC puts breeds that are still proving themselves. The Redbone Coonhound is a member of this group.

While the AKC may be the most popular kennel club in America, it is far from being the only kennel club. If your dog is not registered with AKC, you may be able to still register it with another group. The United Kennel Club, the American Canine Association, the Canine Kennel Club, and the North American Purebred Dog Registry are a few other American kennel clubs.

Of course, foreign born dogs have ancestors, too. There is some type of dog registry in most countries. Most dogs born outside of the United States must be registered with their country’s breed registry and then brought to the United States before the AKC will consider registering them.

British dogs are registered through the Kennel Club, while dogs born in Australia are registered by the Victorian Canine Association, which is part of Australia’s National Kennel Council.

The Canadian Kennel Club, or CKC, is Canada’s version of the AKC. Dogs registered with the CKC do not have to come to the United States to be registered with the AKC.

As you look into the different registries available, just remember that even if you can’t register your dog, the most important thing about him is not his pedigree. Enjoying his loving, loyal companionship is more important than knowing who his ancestors are!