Are you a good candidate to become a Value Added Breeder?
The fact is, you might not be ready to add the kind of value to your puppies that make them superior canine companions. I’ve learned how to recognize a breeder whose current situation won’t work in just a few questions.
If we took out all the breeders that didn’t consider these questions before attempting to value add their puppies, it would raise the bar significantly.
So here are five simple questions to ask yourself before you even think of selling your puppies as “value added”.
-
Do you like talking to people?
You have no idea how many breeders are into their dogs, but see owners as a necessary evil, and dealing with them, an ordeal. To be a successful value added breeder you must like people and genuinely care about them. It won’t take long for owners to suss you out if you are not into people. This means being able to explain why you do what you do, being happy to talk to your customers, answer their questions, and giving them the opportunity to check you out. The best owners will have a lot of questions and will also want to see first-hand how your puppies are being raised, including meeting the parent(s). Successful value added breeders will also be regularly posting about their dogs on their Facebook page.
-
Are you home-based?
If you work full-time away from home, value added breeding is not going to work for you. That’s because it does require regular input of time and attention during the day. For a start, your puppies should be born in a busy part of your home like the living room or kitchen so they grow up accustomed to household noises and smells, and can be handled regularly during the day. All this is necessary to peak socialization. And toilet training a litter of puppies properly also means being around to let them out several times a day to go potty and to play. Plus of course you need to be willing and able to walk your breeding dogs every day to keep them happy and healthy.
-
Can you commit to healthy breeding?
Aside from heavy socialization, the other main pillar of value added breeding is to never inbreed. That includes line breeding. It’s not negotiable. If you have been line breeding for several years you might find it hard to change. If that’s you, value added breeding is definitely not for you.
-
What scale are you breeding at?
Value added puppies are family-reared puppies. If the size of your dog breeding operations precludes family rearing your puppies, then value-added breeding is not for you.
-
Are you organised?
To be successful as a breeder, especially if you are value adding, you must have reasonable organization skills. If your life is a mess, forget it! Or get your life issues sorted out first.
And to optimize your success you also need to be motivated enough to learn some cool empowering skills like DIY artificial insemination and DIY canine fertility testing.
99% of breeders who fail don’t address at least one of these questions. Too often, they haven’t considered any of them. And I want you to succeed. So please, do yourself a favor and honestly answer these 5 questions before you present yourself as a breeder, let alone a value added breeder. It’ll make a world of difference to your chances of success.
Think you’re ready to learn more about becoming a Value Added Breeder? Enrol now in the free online 8 day course.
Return from R U Ready to Be a Value Added Breeder to Home page.
Be First to Comment