The Functional Dog Collaborative’s Breeder Curriculum is intended to cover all the topics a highly qualified, responsible breeder should be comfortable with. As this curriculum evolves, new versions will be released. We hope to also release a list of resources for use in learning about the variety of topics mentioned here. If you have any suggestions for how this curriculum might be improved, we encourage you to contact us.
The curriculum is in the process of being filled out with details and links to outside resources. The outline below contains links to more details when they exist. If an outline entry is not a live link, those details have not yet been written. (We are always looking for volunteers to help!)
FDC Breeder Curriculum, v1.0.
Deciding to Breed
Responsibility
Time commitment
Daily requirements
Keeping puppies until appropriate homes found
Financial considerations
Summary: how much will you pay overall? Expect to make money?
Costs of health testing
Costs of prenatal, postnatal & neonatal care
Cost of emergency cesarean delivery
Set-up considerations
Access to socialization opportunities
Legal considerations
American Welfare Association and local/state laws about breeding
Evaluating stock
Basic genetics
How simple traits are passed on
How complex traits are passed on (behavioral genetics, genetics/environment interactions)
Alleles, homo/heterozygosity
Dominance/recessiveness, incomplete dominance/penetrance, epistasis, polygenicity
Basics of animal breeding as a scientific field
Heritability
Breeding values
Using pedigree to assess breeding values
Using genetics to assess breeding values
Inbreeding: vs linebreeding; consequences of; balancing genetic diversity with predictability
Considerations when evaluating potential bitches from another breeder
All of the below, plus strong maternal traits (ease of whelping, puppy care, etc)
Health testing
How to determine which tests to do
Best places to go to get tests done (e.g. radiographs at specialist vs private practice; health screenings at dog shows)
Genetic testing
Selecting the right tests for your planned breeding
Evaluating the results of those tests
Basics of how genetic tests work
Coefficient of inbreeding, runs of homozygosity
Interpreting test results in mixed-breed dogs
Making a population plan
Setting goals
Mate selection for attaining goals
Prioritizing different goals
Assessing/prioritizing genetic diversity
Replacement breeder selection
Evaluating structure
Evaluating health
Evaluating performance
Evaluating genetic testing results, and not breeding to the test
Breeding Logistics
Veterinary theriogenologists
Credentials/training
What they do
When to use one, how to manage if one is not nearby
How to find one
Assessing your veterinarian/theriogenologist’s expertise/experience
Mate selection
Knowing lines
Understanding a cross that’s been done before
Trying a new cross
Predicting inbreeding in puppies
Predicting traits in puppies (purebred vs mixed breed)
Planning a breeding
Risk/expense
How to find appropriate ER for them
Pros/cons of spay at time of emergency C-section
Pros/cons of planned C-section
Pregnancy and labor
Managing a pregnant bitch
Emotional needs (stress level management)
Common problems during pregnancy and how to deal with them
Labor & delivery
Puppies
Puppy environment
Neonatal care
When/if to remove dewclaws
Timing/ethics of crop/dock
Puppy health issues
When to see a vet
Specific diseases
Canine herpes virus
Brucellosis
Dysfunctional joints from uterine crowding
Orphans
Singletons
Puppy Development
When to see veterinarian for checkups
Socialization
Selecting a program for puppy socialization vs going it on your own
How to socialize
Importance of first 7 weeks, timing of onset of fear in different breeds
Early neural stimulation (ENS)
How to do it
Evidence and hypotheses in favor
Evidence and hypotheses against
How reliable are they?
How to pick a good evaluator
How to interpret the evaluator’s results
Example evaluations that are available
Puppy class
Training recommendations
Nutrition recommendations
Vaccine recommendations
Selecting replacement breeders (puppies to keep)
New: Matching puppies to people
REtirement
When to retire breeding stock
Pros/cons of spay/neuter at breeding retirement
Electives
Behavior
Learning theory basics
Problem behavior basics (especially as applies to selecting breeding stock and placing puppies)
Pet foundations
Sport foundations
Service work foundations
Dog sports
Competition as a way of evaluating stock
Breeding for particular sports
Natural breeding protocols
Vaccines
Worming
Diet
Vitality assessment