[R-Teddy]

Originally Posted by gracielove

Your dog, though adorable, is not show quality. I'm sure the breeder you bought her from told you that you can breed her but if you do you will be breeding pet quality to pet quality without any real knowledge about the genetic weaknesses of either of the parents.

Purebred dogs are genetically manipulated creatures that only reproduce the characteristics of the breed if carefully bred according to specific guidelines.

AKC registration does not tell you the quality of your dog. It only determines that your dog is purebred IF the breeder was honest. There are show, breeder an pet quality purebreds. A good ethical breeder will sell less than perfect pups as pets with a spay/neuter contract in order to prevent the breeding of less than quality stock. Even with that they still produce pet quality pups though not as far off standard as you will find from breeders who do not know what they are doing.

You have a very cute little girl but she should not be bred for quality and health reasons. I know it sounds like a fun thing to breed little dogs but it is a business that can be very dangerous to your pet as well as painful to the pups you may produce.

If you feel you really want to show and breed purebreds then try attending some shows and meeting some good ethical, experienced breeders. It is a costly business. You have to be able to invest in expensive foundation stock and travel quite a bit in order to show your pups. Most people who are really dedicated to the idea find someone already in the industry that will teach them how to show (it's not easy. Some people hire professional handlers) and they help that person with the dogs and learn as they assist. You need a good foundational knowledge in genetics and you also need to know how to groom a show coat. There is a lot to it.

Do your little girl a favor. Spay her and enjoy her as the wonderful pet that she is. If you really want a show dog save your money and study genetics and the show industry. If you are still interested in breeding and showing contact someone in your area that is involved in a local conformation club. These clubs put on local AKC sanctioned dog conformation shows. You can find them on the clubs tab on the AKC website. Hopefully you can find someone who is knowledgeable and experienced that will teach you the ins and outs of the whole thing.

Personally, I prefer to enjoy the results of the hard work and dedication of a reputable breeder rather than jumping through the hoops that a really good show/breeder has to do.