Page 136 - One Thousand Ways to Make $1000

When ill they must be segregated and carefully tended not only for
humanitarian reasons but for financial reasons also. The dam must be cared
for especially at whelping time and the puppies must be given a great deal of
attention. Then there is weaning which means more work. However, if you
really like to handle dogs, all this work will be interesting and therefore not
drudgery.
For advertising you will need to have some cards printed for prospects who
come to see the pups, the local paper should carry your advertising, and every
merchant in your vicinity should know that you are a breeder of Scotties,
Bostons, or whatever breed you intend handling. An advertisement in the
Sunday morning edition of the largest circulation newspaper in your city, or
if you live in the suburbs or country, the nearest large city, will often bring
prospects. Be sure to include your telephone number.
Many small breeders raise dogs as a side line and manage a full-time job also.
In this case, someone else in the family must have the routine care of the
dogs. One interesting example is that of a laundry driver in Chicago who
worked six days a week for one of the largest laundries in the city. He and his
wife lived in a little cottage on a three-acre place on the edge of town. Both
of them were unusually fond of dogs and hunting. Having purchased a fine
English setter for their hunting trips they decided to put him at stud. The
charge made for this was $25 and in addition they received two male puppies
from the litter, each of which sold for $35. The dog was bred again at the
same charge and two pups again were sold for $35 and $40. With this money,
they purchased a cocker spaniel of good blood lines and placed him at stud.
The first two pups they received, a male and a female, sold for $35 and $30,
respectively (the female usually brings a lower price than the male puppies).
Later a female cocker spaniel was purchased which came from a blue ribbon
line and the litters from this pair sold from $35 to $45 a puppy.
Fresh eggs from his own chickens, rich milk from a near-by farmer, careful
feeding and plenty of sunshine gave his puppies good bone and muscle and
shining coats. They practically sold themselves “on sight.” Naturally, his
customers were told about these puppies when they were available and many
orders were received through their “word-of-mouth” advertising. A friendly
arrangement with a “training school” for hunting dogs gave him some good
leads and at the same time provided the school with the names of those who
had made recent purchases of puppies.