new daschund breeder

Question
I will be breeding my mini dachshund in a month.
Please give me all the things i need to know and more.
Thank you

Answer
Hi Laurie

First any breeder, regardless of the breed, should know the lines behind their dam and stud.  At least three generations on both sides is recommended, although you can get throw backs from further back.

You want to know about any inherent genetic disorders, any traits in their health including tumors, mange, temperament issues.  With Daschunds especially, you want to know about structure problems, epilepsy and deafness. It's important to remember what ever is in a dogs pedigree will come out in the pups.  

As new breeders, it's good to have a list of potential homes for your pups.  Currently the "fad" for pocket pooches is skyrocketing so you want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Talk to your vet about early spay/neuter and have non-breeding contracts in place.

And most importantly, make sure your female is in top mental and physical health.  Supplement her diet with salmon oils and high quality kibble.  Make sure she's been checked over by a vet to ensure she is healthy and physically capable of whelping a litter of pups.  Have the male tested for brucellois so not to infect your female.  Put your female on a low dosage of penicillin to clear up any infection that is visible, or more importantly, not visible, for seven to ten days.  And realize that, a breeding female is a different animal than a beloved house pet.  Once she is bred, her temperament may change, her health may be in jeopardy, depending on the size of the male, complications in pregnancy and whelp.

Good luck