​The first week with newborn puppies is all about laying the foundation for a healthy, thriving litter. During this crucial stage, the mother dog does most of the heavy lifting, but our job is to make sure all her needs are met so she can focus on her puppies.

​As we prepare to welcome a new litter, I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes look of our costs and steps involved in ethical dog breeding. There’s a lot of misinformation out there about what goes into breeding, so we thought this might give you a better idea of the true financial and time commitment we invest in our puppies.

1. Pre-Breeding Costs

The first two years are full of normal dog cost while your puppy is growing. You have the cost of buy the dog, vet care, monthly prevention, insurance, training, grooming, titles, etc. Then you have extensive health tests to complete prior to breeding to ensure both the female and male dogs are in top condition. This includes genetic testing, OFA certifications, and other health screenings.