Here's a site that I found called "virtual breeding". Have you ever read those books were you have to choose what to do next, and then you turn to a different page and see what happens? That is basically what this is. In VB, you are going to "breed your golden retriever bitch, raise the pups, and found out all the things that can go wrong". You can choose what you are going to next, and such.

 I do not like to preach to potiental breeders about all the dogs that are abandoned and put down each year. For the seven of you who don't know about this, it is estimated that around 4-6 million dogs are euthanized every year because they have been carelessly abandoned. Although I know this is very important to take this into account, so many people are told this so many times that it has worn off it's shock effect.

 So the thing I remind most potential breeders is the dangers to their dog and the financial expenses. There are so many things that can go wrong, depending partly on the breed. I once heard that about 99% of bull dogs have to have a c-section because of their physiology. And that's not even the beginning. If the dog you want to breed your bitch/dog to has an STD and you don't know it, chances are that it will be passed onto your dog. Your bitch could have complications, and could possibly die, or something can go wrong with the pups and they will die.

 Financially, most breeders consider themselves lucky if the money they make off selling the pups meets the amount they spend on them and the bitch. Not including genetic testing that should be done, and the time you will spend taking care of your puppies. What if the bitch has a problem and can't feed the puppies? You will have to spend the next couple of days hand feeding them and stimulating the pups to go to the bathroom, every hour, night and day.

 I am not trying to bad mouth back yard breeders. Many nice people breed their dogs, weather unaware of the risks or not. I do not believe people who do not do the proper testing and have not researched breeding should breed, but it is their freedom and choice to do so. Actually, I'm not even trying to discourage you. I'm just giving you the facts.

And so, without further adu, I present "Virtual Breeding"

www.geocities.com/bluegracepwd/virtualbreeding.html

There is also a Virtual Breeding 2:

www.geocities.com/virtualbreeding/vb_2.html

And here is a few questions for potential breeders:

www.learntobreed.com/questions.html

Also, here is a list of some of the wrong reasons why some people breed:

1. I want my child to whitness the 'miracle of birth'

 Then rent a nature video. Actually, having a young child witness puppies coming out of that area of your dog with blood and other bodily fluids everywere probably isn't going to leave the lasting impression you want to on your child. And besides, what if the puppies die? What if your own dog dies? Not only that, but your bitch may give birth while everyone else is away, thus missing the 'miracle'.

2. Puppies are SOOO cute!

 Puppies also take a LOOOT of time and energy. What if your bitch doesn't produce milk? Are you willing to spend every hour feeding the puppies? And remember puppies grow up fast and may not be so cute. Can you find homes for them after they grow up?

3. I want to make some extra cash.

 Psh, make money by breeding dogs? Not likely if you do it right. Add up how much you will spend on booster shots, extra food, and vet trips, and even if something doesn't go wrong, you won't make much. Also, add up the costs of genetic testing, a possible C-section, and possible emergency vet trips. You might not even get any income if something goes wrong and all the puppies die. Maybe in Foofoo Land you can, but here on earth the only people I have heard of that make a good amount of money are puppy millers and a handfull of back yard breeders that probably aren't doing as much as they should for their dogs. You may mike a little, but not enough to really count.

4. I want my bitch to have a puppy that will replace her when she dies.

 All dogs are different, and there is no way that you will get another dog that is just like Fluffy. Even if you were to clone her, there are so many things that can happen were the puppy will be totally unlike Fluffy. Gene scrambling and different environment situations all play a part. The old is not the new.

5. I want to see what I'll get by breeding two different breeds together.

This excuse is so bewildering and lame that I really don't know what to say to it. (And people wonder why mixed breeds are more common in shelters) If you really want to see what a mixed breed looks like, do a google image search.

Again, I am not against good breeders that do it for the right reasons, who do it right, and know what they're getting into. I respect good breeders (usually called "hobbyist" breeders) and have no problem with them whatsoever.