Consider a Cash Crop
(Page 2 of 7)
May/June 1972
By Dorothy Lockard
Joy has Quarter Horses . . . her Bassett Hounds support them. Mimi raises Morgans . . . on money brought in by Dachshunds. Amy keeps Hunters . . . on dollars raised by her Dalmatians.
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None of these people are big breeders. They fit their dogs right into their homes and their family life.
Dog breeding has much to recommend it. One of the nicest things about the business is that it has a beginning and an end. Once a bunch of pups is sold, you're on vacation until the next breeding season comes around. People who live a frugal life might well support themselves entirely by selling the offspring of just three or four good bitches . . . and still have months of work-free time between litters.
The business of breeding dogs offers fringe benefits, too. People who know that you like the animals will ask you to board theirs while they're away from home. This pays $1.00-$2.00 a day easy money. Even better yet, if you're free to do it, is babysitting a dog right in the owner's home. One young man I know is spending this week sitting two Dachshunds . . . with a house to live in, food to eat and a stereo to listen to as his payment. He likes the job.
Some breeders also enjoy the requests they get to judge local pet parades and otherwise appear as "authorities" on canines. Then too, the enterprise allows you to meet many really grand people and make them very happy with one of your puppies. Yesterday a couple stopped by to make a payment on a dog. "We couldn't go to sleep last night," the wife said. "We stayed up for hours trying to think of a good name for the pup. Hope we settle on one soon . . . I'm so tired!" Sharing such excitement is fun.
That beautiful registered bitch you have for a pet can even serve as collateral at the bank. I borrowed money for my Volkswagen on a prospective litter of Cocker puppies!
It's easy to get started raising dogs. That cute little gal you got as a birthday present can put you in business within a year, as can the puppy you just bought to keep your first child company while he's growing up.
If you don't already have a dog, talk to someone who raises your favorite breed. If the individual thinks you really want an animal AND will take good care of it, he'll probably try to see that you get one. You might be able to buy a bitch on terms . . . or even trade some work for a pup. Many breeders have a leasing plan, whereby you're given a puppy or pups (sometimes even the mother) in exchange for taking care of the adult female while she whelps a litter.
You can occasionally find another "no money" entry into dog breeding by talking to your local vet and animal shelter. Tell them to keep an eye out for the breed you want. Our vet remembers me whenever someone has a Cocker to give away. If it's a decent female, I take her and pay the owner the price of the best pup in the dog's next litter, or (if he prefers) give him one of the puppies.
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