How to Become a Certified Dog Breeder

How to Become a Certified Dog Breeder

This post provides the information you need to become a certified dog breeder, including the relevant training and certification programs you need to get into the lucrative dog breeding career.

Read on:

For you to successfully run a dog business, you need to invest your money, time, and efforts into it.

You need to buy dogs, attend a dog-training academy, get a license, and arrange veterinarian care.

The most successful ones are the ones who go for a particular breed. But the business requires patience as it will not flourish overnight.

How to Obtain Dog Breeding Certification and Training

Certification is the only way you can get recognized in this profession. It is capable of bringing you high-paying jobs.

But before you can get certified, you need to enroll in a program that suits your time schedule.

There are many online programs that issue dog breeding certification. Just find one and enroll, bearing in mind that you must successfully complete the program by passing their certification test.

Here are some programs out there that offer dog breeding certification courses that you may check out:

The American Kennel Club (AKC) Certification

The AKC trains a wide range of breeders on best practices, with health testing included. The program allows creation of avenues to find puppies from responsible breeders who are displaying a commitment to health testing.

Immediately after enrolling in the program using the online application process, you will get electronic supplies of web certificate, breed-specific web banner, microchip discount code, and litter registration coupon. There will also be availability of credit to be used on AKC Store at AKC.org.

Canine Professional Programs

The Canine Professional Programs involve learning to train live dogs through e-class discussion, presentation, and video demonstrations.

You are expected to record the video of your progress working with dogs at home, and send it to your professor who shares it in class.

The program is recognized by the council of Certified Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT). This counts for 5 Continuing Education Units (CEU), if you are a CPDT. And the Canine Massage Therapy program is offered through Treetops in Canada.

Other accreditations are on various diplomas:

Associate Dog Trainer (ADT)

The ADT program covers introduction to novice-level dog training. Areas it explores include psychology of dogs (how dogs learn), pet first aid (diagnosis and treatment of dogs), understanding canine body language, and setting up and running a group training class.

Breeding and Genetics

This certification program is designed for breeders who are interested in biology, genetics, evolution, and early environmental influences on dogs. In this course, they will learn links between behavior and origin, genetics, evolution, and biology of the dog.

Canine Massage Therapy

This certification program is designed for students who would like to learn the art of canine massage. They will gain a deep understanding of the anatomy and physiology of a dog, and how they can apply what they have learnt from a safe and effective massage therapy program.

This also involves how and when they can use the knowledge of massage therapy program to set up treatment area, and the use of aromatherapy and other therapies that should not go with massage therapy.

Canine Behavior Consultant Certificate

This certification program involves education and training in becoming a dog behaviorist. What to learn includes dog behavior from theory to application, why and how dogs learn.

Those who are interested in the study of dogs and behavior, dog communication, biology, evolution effect behavior, awareness, reasoning, perception, memory, and judgment.

Dog Daycare Supervisor Certificate

The Dog Daycare Supervisor Certificate is a program designed to educate dog breeders on how they can supervise dog daycare play groups.

Dog daycare is a million dollar business that allows dogs to interact with their own kind for developing and maintaining physical and mental health.

This course provides knowledge about running successful play groups in any setting.

After successful completion of the program, a Dog Daycare Supervisor Certificate will be issued.

Fitness and Nutrition

This certification program is designed for individuals who want to know how they can improve the care of their dogs.

Many a times, these people need the ability to render useful nutrition and fitness advice to their clients.

Key areas such as anatomy, physical development, injury prevention and care, disease states, nutritional reactions, complimentary therapies, and physiology are to be explored.

Professional Groomer

This certification program is made for those who are interested in becoming groomers.

Grooming activities include fundamentals of pet grooming, bathing, dying, health, safety, and taking proper care of dogs.

Students of this course learn how to clip, scissor, and hand-strip dogs. Also included in what to learn in this program are creating, successful managing, and running a pet grooming business.

Dealing with problems, customers, pricing, advertising, marketing, and insurance are also covered in the program.

Licensing Requirements and Procedure for Dog Breeders

Dog training licensing may be required in some states, but not every state makes it mandatory. The requirement you may need to meet depends on the state where you operate.

The following are general requirements for a TDLR dog breeder’s license:

• Must be up to 18 years
• Possession of up to 11 or more adult female dogs
• Must be in the business of breeding dogs to make money
• Selling at least 20 dogs in a year
• Letter of application and fee
• A valid state sales tax identification number
• Must pass a criminal background check
• Must pass a pre-license inspection or possess a class-A USDA breeders license
• New Application Fee – $300.00 (from 11 to 25 dogs)
• Renewal Fee – $300.00 (from 11 to 25 dogs)
• Late Renewal Fees – 1 to 90 days late – $450.00 (from 11 to 25 dogs)
• 91 days to 18 months late – $600 (from 11 to 25 dogs)
• New Application Fee – $500.00 ( from 26 or more dogs)
• Renewal Fee – $500.00 ( from 26 or more dogs)
• Late Renewal Fees – 1 to 90 days late – $750.00 ( from 26 or more dogs)
• 91 days to 18 months late – $1,000.00 ( from 26 or more dogs).

Both new application and renewal fees are non-refundable. Renewal of license requires completion of renewal form, renewal fee, a valid state sales tax identification number, criminal background check, and compliance with any Commission Orders.

A renewal form will be mailed to you 60 days before your license expires. Your license expires after one year. Once your license expires, you can no longer work as a dog breeder unless you renew it.

If your license expires and you fail to renew it after 18 months but less than 3 years, you are required to send a written request to the Executive Director expressing the reason for renewal of your license. And note that this will make double the normal renewal fee. But if your license expires for more than 3 years, you will need to re-apply for a new one. Remember that you may possibly be liable to penalties and sanctions for operating with an expired license.

If your business is located in more than one place, each requires a separate license. The license should be displayed where it can easily be seen.

Dog Breeders Duties and Responsibilities

Every dog breeder should take proper note of different dog breeding tasks he/she is to perform. He/she must know the most appropriate time to mate the dogs, when to feed them and when to administer drugs and medication as the case may be. Even bathing and feeding the dogs are to be timed.

The major functions of a dog breeder include the following:

• Mating dogs with the perfect mates to produce puppies
• Making sales of those puppies when they have reached mature age
• Following breed standards and breeding club guidelines
• Ensuring that dogs are purebred
• Avoiding genetic disorders in offspring.

The Average Salary of Dog Breeders

Salaries of dog breeders differ according to the state where they are functioning. For instance, the hourly wage of dog breeders in California is $20.62, and yearly is $42,900.

While dog breeders in Florida receive an hourly wage of $12.48, and $25,970 yearly, Michigan dog breeders earn $19.62 per hour and $40,810 annually.

In Iowa, dog breeders make $14.46 per hour and $30,080 annually.

Conclusion

The dog breeding industry offers opportunity for a rewarding and exciting career. You can apply information provided in this post to become a certified dog breeder in the fastest possible time.