I'm not a breeder, but I have attempted to breed my babies this past heat in October. It isn't an easy feat by any means and sometimes it just doesn't come out the way you plan it. I couldn't achieve a tie and truly felt defeated and realized that it just wasn't meant to be, that I needed to research and learn more.
First and foremost, I purchased a very informative book by Muriel Lee called The Whelping and Rearing of Puppies, I cannot tell you how many times I have jotted down notes and read this book and still I feel I don't have all the right answers (probably never will) Also you should do a lot of web research, and talk to other breeders. It's good to get as much information as you can, and this forum is a wonderful place with very helpful people.
I'll try to answer some of your questions you posted in my own experiences so far:
1. What are the things that some people don't think about?
It's not as easy as some people may think. You can have two of the most wonderful babies who may or may not be able to have a litter. It might take several attempts to achieve a pregnancy and there may or may not be complications. You, the breeder, have to have financial savings for anything that may arise, testing, x-rays, c-section, emergencies etc.
2. What are all the costs associated with breeding an akc litter (registrations, tails, dew claws, shots, etc)
It truly depends on your vet and the area in which you live.
6. My AKC boy is about 4 lbs. If I were to purchase a girl that reached an adult weight of 5 to 7 lbs, that would be an acceptable match, correct? I definitely want healthy weight
[COLOR=green! important][COLOR=green! important]puppies[/COLOR][/COLOR] Unless you are getting an older female I don't think there would be anyway to guarantee how big she may or may not get. You cannot just go by the parent's weight or what a breeder can speculate. When we got Rhianna she was 3lbs 12oz she was already 6 months old. I was told that she would possibly weigh between 5 - 6 lbs, since mom was 5 1/2lbs and dad was 4 3/4 lbs but that it wasn't a guarantee. She is now 6lbs 12oz at 19 months old. I wanted to add that how you feel about breeding now, most likely won't be how you feel about breeding when you get your little girl. I know for me, I was all gung ho about having a litter and wanting a litter and knowing that I would make a good breeder, etc., but after you go through the heat cycles (you need at least 2) and you see how it affects your boy and what your house is like for 21 or more days with keeping them seperated until breeding can take place, it's a LOT of work and it takes a LOT of patience and earplugs and alcohol . . .LOL http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/l...rey_loader.gif