There are too many people in this world who are hoping to make some quick money by putting up a sign that reads "puppies for sale." Unfortunately, there is a market for puppies all the time so it’s almost like an addiction; they have luck selling one litter so they are in a hurry to have a second and so on. When the puppies don’t sell and start growing, it is rare to see a sign in these people’s yards that reads "dogs for sale" because at this point they are usually free to a good home.

A responsible breeder does not breed just so he can put an ad in the paper to sell his puppy or puppies. The responsible breeder makes sure the breeding dam receives the correct nutrition and extra vitamins and supplements she might need during her pregnancy. The dam has no control how healthy her pup will come out; only the breeder does.

For new breeders who want to be responsible for their puppies, there are many things they should be aware of. One of the first things a new breeder should do is to plan way ahead; when he or she is checking out the dogs for sale ads, special attention should be paid to the pedigrees and backgrounds of both the parents.

We have bred many instincts out of our domesticated dogs. I find even some breeders don’t get this but we cannot pick and choose which instincts our pups are born with so it is our job to help imprint them correctly. It is also our responsibility to be there when the pups are born. And rather than having puppies for sale ads, many times good breeders have already sold an impending litter to good, loving, responsible homes. These breeders will never have older dogs for sale unless it is on purpose; an example is trained dogs that are imprinted, socialized and prepared to be working dogs.

Why talk about instincts? A responsible breeder knows the parents, breeds for physically and emotionally sound pups. Knowing your breed bitch is important. One of my East German Shepherds, Whitney, is a great example. Yes, I purchased her by researching dogs for sale on the web, but I also sent for her pedigrees and photos of her ancestors. I had her x-rayed when she was of age to make sure she was healthy in all ways before she was bred.

When we got Whitney, she was a six-month-old puppy and she had the energy of ten dogs. Literally, it was like she lived off caffeine or something; it was nothing to come upstairs and find her proudly standing on the kitchen counter like she had conquered a mountain.

Because of her high energy level and her pedigree and the way we’d imprinted her for 18 months, I was confident she would have quality puppies. I bred her with my West German Shepherd male who also had great lines and imprinting. He came to join our family when he was 3 months old.

I had the whelping bed ready for the puppies and I had already put out the word there would be puppies for sale before the breeding and had several good homes lined up. I have found that the first litter for any dam can be a bit traumatic but Whitney’s first litter would have all died had I not been there.

As responsible breeders, we not only care for the pups, we care for the emotional needs of our dogs. I monitored Whitney’s temperature and her behavior and realized that she was going to deliver at any time so I moved the whelping bed into the living room so I could sleep on the couch. I dozed off and a couple of hours later Whitney jumped on me waking me and I heard a noise and looked and there was a new pup in the whelping bed. Luckily its sac had broken because Whitney was so startled by this puppy she wanted away from it. I gently forced her back into the bed and held the pup for her and aided her in cleaning off the after birth; once she got started on that part, it was as if those instincts to clean up the pup and tear off the umbilical cord came to the surface. As with other dogs, I had to make her let the new puppy nurse; I even gently pushed the puppy’s paws against her to help the labor keep going.

Whitney had 6 puppies and with each one, she jumped out of the bed and took off. She was excited out of her mind - literally giddy with joy. So much so she could not hold still. Only 4 of those puppies lived, I’m sad to say. This was a huge learning experience for me. It took a lot of work to get Whitney to be comfortable lying in one position for more than ten minutes and even with my attention and the rounded plastic pool, she managed to suffocate one pup when I fell asleep on the floor by the bed. I snuck the pup out so it would not depress her.

Sadly, though I had up to 8 puppies sold and it turned out to be a magnificent litter, yet another one died when Whitney leapt into the whelping bed and literally sliced one across the belly with a toe nail. This one was hard on me as I had to remove the pup and hold it and love it until it passed.

Please don’t be eager to put up that puppies for sale sign just to make money or think that what your female dog goes through is "nothing" and all instincts will take over because that is not the way it happens. Each pup needs your help; each whelping dam is different from the next. Breed responsibly but be prepared to spend a lot of time and energy taking care of your dam and her pups.