Any dog breeders?

[ReeferMac]

Casual or professional?

I've contemplated doing so as a hobby/casually. Like most things, I'm certain its more work than one thinks, and the economics don't always work out.... a friend started breeding blue heelers, and had several get returned, so now lives in a house with 6 dogs and doesn't breed them anymore. 

I have successfully converted hobbies into $$$. Not get rich money, but I was able to sell/trade enough corals that my Saltwater reef tank was budget neutral. That was a couple hundred bucks every month for those outside the big glass boxes.  From my hobby I was doing anyways. Ditto with gardening/landscape plants.

I have a 2 yr old intact male Belgian Malinois from a breeder in Maryville. Not AKC, but well regarded in EastTN (supplies several local agencies). I'm considering adding a female. Back of the napkin math says 5 pups a year? I paid $1k. Yes: vet bills, food, losses, returns, time, etc. I'm still having a hard time seeing this as a money losing potential? Help talk me out of it!

Thanks.

 

- Kevin

[Hozzie]

There are enough dogs in this world.  The fact that you are looking at this as a simple business should be enough to tell you what you need to know.  
 

Please don’t. 

[Raoul]

For me personally the concept of paying for a dog is foreign. All of our dogs have been rescues. And honestly I believe I'm the one getting rescued.

 

[peejman]

I know a few who do that, the guy you got your dog from and a couple others.  Its a business for him and a hobby for the others. They make some cash as they have fairly high rent dogs, registered dogs. The puppies go for 2-3x what you paid.  They also have kids to help with the work. It'll occupy nearly all your time for 8 weeks. 

Mallagators can be difficult to home. Not everyone has the time, place, or disposition to deal with one. Without papers, I think youd be hard pressed to make much money. 

[tnhawk]

I raised a litter of dalmations years ago.  Of 16 puppies only half survived birth.  A friend of mine raised a litter of great danes.  We enjoyed our dogs but as a business we both found it to be unprofitable.

[Patton]

If you are doing it because you love a particular breed of dog it’s okay.  If your doing it in hopes of making some money you will probably better off picking up aluminum cans to recycle. Some of my close friends did Yorkies for a couple of years and gave it up.  Another friend of mine has breed dogs for thirty years and apparently does okay. He started with Jack Russels and has done Great Danes for a couple of decades.