I have not read all the replies, but I want to say this: Breeding is not, i repeat, NOT to be undertaken lightly. So much needs to be considered.
DH and I have been discussing things with our boys' breeder(They are Borzoi). Cooper is neutered, and has never been shown. He is a beautiful, typey example of his breed, and has fantastic health and temperament. Many, many attributes about him are something that many lesser breeders would have chosen to showcase, and breed. He has a fantastic head, beautiful front assembly, and his temperament is among the best I have encountered. Yet, his rear is too straight, which affects his movement. He is sound, but not correct. Because movement is so very important in this breed, his breeder neutered him, and placed him with us as a companion.
His litter-brother, Manero, is also very typey and beautiful. He has a pretty head (though there are faults), a VERY nice front, and when well-muscled, a nice rear. His coat is to die for. He has a very nice temperament, as well. He is also an AKC champion, and will soon be a UKC champion (just needs two competition wins!). Hopefully, we can get to Canada, and show him to a Canadian championship as well, but that depends on money.
Right now, we are weighing our options, debating on *if* he will be bred, and to whom.
But evaluating all that is to evaluate is not easy. There are so many things to consider, such as how the male's physical attributes will complement the bitch's and vice versa. And it's not just them to consider, but those further back in their pedigree, as well. But then you have to consider temperament, health, etc.
THEN, the breeder really should be experienced, so he/she can assist, if necessary. This is especially true if you have two inexperienced individuals.
Wait, what, you say? Won't instinct guide them?! NOT ALWAYS! Same is true of whelping. Would you know what to do if a pup were presented breech? Or if the dam's labor slowed or stopped? What if she wants to hide under the basement stairs?
And, worse yet, what would you do if the dam did not produce enough milk to feed her puppies? Or if she developed mastitis? Or worse, if she died in whelp? Would you have the wherewithall to care for a litter of 6 or more puppies, feeding them every hour, cleaning them, etc?
Breeding is not something to be undertaken lightly. There are so many things to consider, and I have barely scratched the surface. But if you are not prepared to do extensive testing to rule out certain hereditary conditions, screen applicants thoroughly, to ensure your pups going into a good home, keep puppies you can't place, etc, you ARE NOT ready to breed a litter. And, you must also be prepared to lose the bitch in whelp. It CAN and DOES happen!
Here is a good link for you to check out. It really illustrates the realities of breeding a litter: http://www.geocities.com/virtualbreeding/
And here's another one, with many links illustrating the realities of breeding: http://learntobreed.com/
Oh, yeah, in addition, people who intentionally breed mixed breed puppies are thorns in my side. But even though I have not read all the replies, I won't go there, because I am quite sure others have...
**ETA: I just saw how old this thread is. Well, whatever. I thought about removing the text of my post, but I will leave it, in hopes that someone else will see it at some point, and learn from it.
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