What goes into a puppy?

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create the hyper furball you brought home? This post will go over everything a breeder does from buying their own prospective breeding dog to sending your puppy home with you!

The first thing someone interested in starting their breeding program needs to do is

research! I’ll say it three times, research, research, research. They pick a breed and then they need to research the AKC breed standard and other breeders who are breeding their choice of breed. What do they like about their programs? What do they not like? What sports do they participate in? How do they prove their dogs? After doing a full review, new breeders need to determine the goals of their program and answer one crucial question: How am I going to improve the breed? All breeders, regardless of other performance goals, should share the same goal of making each generation of dog healthier than the last. This is why, regardless of whether you want a companion or performance dog, buying a puppy from a breeder that completes all the recommended health clearances is so important. There are so many dogs in the world, purebred and mutts, that if we are going to choose to create more we must do so with the intention of increasing longevity and improving health.

Kat's dam and sire

Once you complete all that research, reach out to a few breeders you admire and would like to replicate their practices in your program. Don’t be surprised if they are not interested in selling you a puppy with full registration right off the bat, most good breeders will want to build a solid relationship with you before they sell you a puppy. I go over why in more detail in this post, but to summarize, breeders are very proud of their lines and work very hard to protect them from those that would abuse them. By that I mean, those who do not share the same common interest of improving the health and longevity of dogs. While breeding dogs can be (minorly) profitable, most of the time it is not a financial investment. Breeders want to make sure that those who buy a puppy with the intent to breed them are doing so with the breed's best interest in mind and a passion for the breed, not for financial gain.

And here you are, all of that comes BEFORE your puppy’s dam or sire even come home with your breeder. When the puppy finally comes home, then your breeder has to do all of the things to prove

their puppy is suitable as a breeding dog. What it takes to prove a dog can vary depending on the program and your goals. Some must champion their dog in conformation prior to breeding, others want to see performance titles (like rally, obedience, or agility). All of these things take time, consistency, training, and yes, money. You invest thousands of dollars into each potential breeding prospect prior to health clearances that they may not pass. This is why breeders want their dogs to go to people passionate about breed preservation and not breeding primarily for financial gain. To me, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a goal of being profitable, profit just needs to be secondary to the dog’s and breed’s best interest.

Getting titles on dogs that won't be bred is a great way to build trust with a breeder too!

I find the stage between puppyhood and 2 years old sooooo fun, as long as you don’t stress about the pending health clearances. The training, bonding, and achievements you accomplish with your dog is the true joy, and lets you experience what you hope your puppy buyers experience with the puppies they bring home. Once your dog reaches 2-years old, you can complete all the required health tests. Things like genetic testing can be completed prior to reaching 2-years, but some tests have to wait for their bodies to finish growing. You can submit hip and elbow x-rays to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) prior to them turning 2, but these are considered preliminary results and are not sufficient to breed on. 

So where does this leave us?

• Hours researching the breed, breed standard, and breeders

• Time building a relationship with a breeder

• Thousands buying a prospect puppy (~$3000-$4000)

• Hundreds, if not thousands, invested in training and competing to prove the dog ($30-$40 for every trial competition, travel costs, hotels, and training classes which can be $30-$120 per class)

• Completion of required health tests. For Golden Retrievers this includes OFA hips, elbows ($280-$600), thyroid ($150-$300), echocardiogram ($280), eyes ($45/year), and a full genetic panel (~$130). Each of these must also be submitted to the OFA which is $15 per submission

Next, your puppy’s breeder researches and selects a stud that will complement and improve their dog’s traits and also has all the completed health clearances. For example, when I was planning Kat’s breeding, I wanted to select a stud with a good coat, a strong hock, straight topline, and smaller ears. All of these could produce puppies that adhere to the AKC Golden Retriever standard better than she does herself, and produce healthier puppies. When the stud has been selected, there is often a stud fee and contract that can be between $800 and $2500. The cost of breeding can vary greatly depending on whether you do live cover or use artificial insemination, if you have to travel for veterinary care or the breeding, etc.

Baby Kat 2024

Once a breeding is successful and puppies are on the way, breeders care for the dams, provide special diets, and prepare everything needed for the puppies to arrive. This includes whelping boxes, puppy pads, collars, first aide kits, and more. Breeders also have to be prepared for if the worst happens. Miscarriages, c-sections, stuck puppies or puppies that pass away, all of these things can happen and breeders sometimes have to make tough and expensive choices. After the puppies arrive, you may think they’ve made it through the hardest part, but this is far from the truth. Breeders stay up all night, support dams, and make sure each puppy gains weight, receives socialization, and is kept clean as they grow. While the mom keeps the puppies fairly clean for the first 4 weeks, puppies don’t go home until they are 8-weeks old and they need round the clock care until they leave with you. 

Once puppies are on the ground, you see the fun parts. The cute videos, the little

Picking up Kat and bringing her home (2025)

tongues, the wagging tails, but you don’t see the vaccinations, the reviewing of puppy applications, and cleaning the poop over and over and over again. (Puppies are very poopy, multiply that by 4-10 puppies and it’s poop mania!) Finally, the big day arrives and you are able to bring your own puppy home. I have often heard people ask if moms and breeders are sad when the puppies leave, and so far the answer I’ve heard is a resounding no. As much fun as they are, getting to see someone start their own journey with their new best friend, and no longer having to clean up alllll that poop, is a relief and a joy.

So what do you think? Did you know that all that goes into the puppy you brought home? Let me know in the comments what you learned and what you think the hardest part would be for you.