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actually, yes I DO breed. German Shepherd Dogs. Dog breeding is something that is a lifetime love for those who want to do it well. You don't just start off with selling $200 pups without papers and build a reputation from there. The only "reputation" you are building is that of a backyard breeder. You might not start selling pups at the same price as someone who has proven over 30 years that they produce quality dogs but you don't charge just a couple $$ more than the local rescue either. You start off by purchasing the best quality dog that you can affod. So, usually a slightly older pup that has been health-tested and passed her OFAs at least. And has a good level of basic obedience and (in the case of working dogs) has proven thats he has the instinct drive and ability to do the job that she was born to do. Then you spend about a zillion dollars (I don't add up my dog expenses. It would make my husband cry!) training, working, titling that dog to get her (and your!) name out in the community that you hope to sell dogs to. In your case, that would be by entering every event related to dog sleds. You would likely also enter UKC weight pull events and other related activities. Maybe even carting as a side fun hobby if that floats your boat. Then you start looking at stud dogs. You go through every generation of the pedigree and you learn every detail about the dogs in it. You find out what kind of workers they were. You find out about missing teeth. You find out if any pups were born with cryptorchidism. You find out what the hip/elbow scores were. Eye tests. You dig out all of the dirt that you can find behind that dog and you compare it to the faults in your dog's pedigree. You look for a dog that doesn't share any weaknesses with your dog and is the best match for her strengths. A dog might be a great distance runner but if almost every other dog in his pedigree is a sprinter, he is most likely not going to father the next distance champion. Once you have been involved in the dog world and people (at least locals) know you and your dog then you can start planning to breed. You line up potential buyers (at least close to twice the amount of pups you expect to have). You might even end up giving away a few dogs to those you know in your competitive field - you want to get your dogs and your name out there "HEY! I bred these dogs and look what they have accomplished!!" That way, your next litter will have even more interested in it. You keep on working your dogs, even dogs that you don't intend to breed. You do obedience. You go to events as a spectator and you learn how to evaluate dogs. You learn how to guess, at a glance, if a dog is going to have what it takes. You get with a breeder who has been producing quality dogs for years and ask them to help you learn how to evaluate a litter of pups for what you want to do. You learn how to match each puppy to the best home. You learn how to know, at 8 weeks old, who is likely to be the next champion and which pup will be happiest in a pet home, camping with the family and being loved on by a pack of kids. You are dealing with living creatures. Animals who, if you cut a corner or think that a test doesn't matter, will be the ones to pay the price for your mistakes. No, you aren't going to be perfect. Shoot, even if you do every thing right, nature has a way of making it go wrong from time to time. But to not do everything possible to insure that those pups are not only born healthy but live their entire lives to the fullest extent is cruel. It leads to suffering on the part of the dog. There is nothing so heartbreaking as watching a dog who has the drive and fire to work being confined in a body that isn't up to the task. A dog who keeps pulling despite the pain, hiding it until he is out of the harness (or out of the field). Who you see struggling to push his body to do things that he can't do even though he is still a young dog. The heartbreak the owners feel when they have to make the decision to end that suffering because, even though his body is weak, he keeps pushing and makes his health problems worse. Or the dog that in the middle of a happy game of fetch at the park suddenly falls over of a heart problem. The owner who wakes up in the dead of night to a puppy having a seizure.