The Midwoofery Blog

A vet who was never wrong on a puppy count taught me her method. Here’s how to read puppy x-rays, where puppies hide, and how I use the count on whelping day.

More puppy inquiries are being written by AI, not by the buyer. That changes how breeders need to read, screen, and respond. Here's a practical plan.

Your dog's DNA test shows a small amount of a breed you know isn't in the pedigree. Here's why close cousin breeds get mixed up, and when it's worth a closer look.

California's AB 506 makes a puppy contract void if it has a nonrefundable deposit and the buyer is in California. What the law says, what's going around that isn't true, and what nobody knows yet. Any idiot with an internet connection can write about legal matters. Reporting for duty. Take my read on all this with whatever grain of salt you have handy, and talk to an attorney who actually does California animal law. Here's what I can tell you.

I make three guarantees on my first call with a prospective family. Their puppy will bite them. Their puppy will destroy something they love. And their puppy will have accidents in the house. What I can't guarantee is that yelping and going limp will teach that puppy to bite softly, because that's not how any of this works.

We select for hips, coats, and temperament. Almost nobody selects for a dam who can whelp and mother on her own. Here’s why that matters, and what to track.

Most dams eat at least a few placentas during whelping. There are real benefits, real downsides, and the question of how many matters a lot more than whether she eats any at all. Plus a question about post-whelping loose stool that I haven't seen anyone else ask, and one weird thing I learned about human placenta recipes while researching this.

Quick answer: Health testing on the parents lowers the chance of inherited disease in the puppies. It doesn’t get rid of that chance completely. Knowing what testing does and doesn’t catch helps you ask better questions and have realistic expectations. When you start looking at breeders, you’ll see phrases like “fully health tested parents” or “all clearances done.” That’s a good sign. It also doesn’t mean what most people think it means. What does “health tested” actually me

Quick answer: Health testing comes in two flavors. Clinical tests check the dog itself, like hip x-rays and heart exams. DNA tests check the dog’s genes. DNA tests can completely rule out some specific diseases when both parents test clear. But for most of the common stuff we worry about, like hip dysplasia, slipping kneecaps, and most heart defects, there’s no DNA test that clears a dog. For those, testing lowers the risk. It doesn’t get rid of it. Most of us know to run hea

If you are looking for a puppy, you have almost certainly run into the idea that a first cross between two breeds is automatically the healthiest choice. It’s called “hybrid vigor” or sometimes “heterosis.” It comes up in online groups, in short videos, and now in AI answers, usually stated as if it settles the question. The instinct behind that idea is a good one. You want a healthy dog, and that is exactly the right thing to care about. The catch is that the popular version

You have probably had this conversation. A buyer comes to you certain that a first cross is the healthiest dog they can get, because they read about hybrid vigor somewhere, or an AI summary told them, or a video made it sound like settled science. The idea has a clean, confident ring to it. Mix two breeds, get a healthier dog. The trouble is that the popular understanding is being treated like a guarantee, and the real picture is more interesting than that. None of what follo

As responsible breeders, it's not enough to simply raise healthy, physically sound puppies. Our job is also to prepare families — and...

Learn how to support male dogs when females are in season and recognize heat-cycle stress and implement solutions for your breeding program.

I propose we change how we talk about "backyard breeders" (BYB) in a more positive and accurate direction. The term is often used as an...

This post discusses fresh frozen plasma or serum as a replacement for colostrum supplementation and an immune booster for newborn pups.

As experienced dog breeders, you know puppies have specific dietary needs—and getting them started on a proper feeding regimen is an...

Progesterone testing is an important tool for breeders to use when managing their dogs' reproductive cycles. By measuring the...

Also known as phantom pregnancy, pseudopregnancy or pseudocyesis, false pregnancy is a common condition that affects intact (un-spayed)...

Many dogs don't retract their penises immediately after breeding, known as paraphimosis. It's not uncommon for a dog to take some time...

There are several disorders that can affect the fertility of male dogs, including disorders of the penis and prepuce, as well as...