If you think you are going to breed dogs or cats to make a lot of money, get out now. This is a business that people do because they love dogs or cats; they want to work with a particular breed; and because this business allows people to spend a lot of time with their canine and feline friends. If you are game, you have to decide which breed you want to work with. City dwellers often choose smaller dogs. If you live in the south, pick a shorthaired breed. If you have a lot of outdoor space, you can choose a breed that likes to run.

Once you've selected the breed, study all that you can about it. Talk to local breeders and check out the American Kennel Club. AKC offers tons of information on its website, including literature about each breed of dog and the requirements that must be followed if you want your litters to be AKC registered. There also is information on how to breed a litter, how to choose a suitable mate for your dog, and how to help with the pregnancy.

If you prefer to work with cats, check out the Cat Fanciers' Association. Its website offers a wide range of information, from how to get started to how to register your litters.

If you want to go into this business, don't underestimate the cost involved. Consider housing, food, and veterinary bills. You are raising quality purebreds, so you can't skimp by buying cheap food. If you expect to earn a decent income, you will have to be in this for the long haul.

Depending on the breed, some dogs can sell for $800 and upward. Some dogs can have up to seven litters in a year. (The size of the litter depends on the size of the dog, and most breeders do not overbreed for fear of harming the health of their dogs.) Small dogs, such as Yorkshire terriers, usually have litters of up to three puppies. Larger dogs, such as Doberman pinschers, can have up to ten in a litter.

If you still want to work with dogs or cats, but don't want to breed them, consider being a field inspector with the American Kennel Club or the Cat Fanciers' Association. In addition, other opportunities exist within these organizations. Following are descriptions of a few AKC careers.

AKC Field Inspector

Penny Butler used to show Doberman pinschers. She has shown dogs for the past 30 years, and participated in conformation and obedience at AKC events. She is on her fifth-generation Doberman. “I love this sport, the AKC, and of course the dogs,” she says. “The AKC is the largest purebred registry. It's a great organization, and I wanted to give back to the people in the organization. They have given me so much.”

Butler now works as an AKC field inspector. She is on the road four days a week driving from Georgia to Florida to South Carolina inspecting AKC-registered kennels. She travels with Lincoln and Brooke, her two Dobermans. “This job is so gratifying,” she says. “I meet people who love their dogs and I get to travel with my dogs. The other day I walked into a Beagle kennel and saw four field champions. It was amazing.”

As a field inspector, Butler can control how a litter is raised by making sure the conditions at a kennel meet AKC guidelines. Her main purpose is to make sure the lineage of the dogs is pure. She does this by taking DNA samples, keeping careful records, and sending the samples and her reports back to AKC headquarters.

“I work four days a week,” she explains. “I have my cell phone attached to the hip, and am in constant contact with my office. It's a lot of travel, but I love it. I have made so many friends, and in some cases field inspectors get to teach breeders how to care for their litters. We want the best for these dogs.”

With Lincoln and Brooke along for the ride, life on the road isn't lonely. The AKC pays for hotels, mileage, and meals. AKC field inspectors earn $50,000 to start, and there are annual cost-of-living increases and benefits. “It's a big stretch from my former life running a custom framing store,” she says of the job she held for 20 years.

Butler suggests that if you are interested in this profession, “you should start by showing dogs. Get to know the people involved. Talk to AKC members and breeders. There aren't many openings, but people do come and go.” Butler herself plans to stay for the long haul.

AKC Judge

American Kennel Club has about 7,000 evaluators around the country. “We teach basic training and good manners to dogs,” says Dr. Mary Burch, an AKC judge and the Canine Good Citizen Director at AKC. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a certification program that started in 1989. Members teach their dogs good manners. It is a two-part program that emphasizes responsible pet ownership. Dogs who pass the ten-step program receive a certificate from AKC.

“AKC is the largest registry of purebred dogs,” says Dr. Burch. (United Kennel Club, the second largest, is another place that employs people who want to work in this field.) “As Canine Good Citizen Director, every day is different. One day I might be working with the media to promote an event; on another day, I might work on data, budgets, or helping to train evaluators at events.” Dr. Burch is a certified animal behaviorist and dog trainer too.

“I have a PhD in psychology and worked with humans for years,” she says. “My interest in AKC began when my husband got me an out-of-control Border collie. I took him to basic AKC obedience training, and got hooked. I learned how to become a trainer and got set up in a community Canine Good Citizen Program.”

Dr. Burch also worked as an AKC judge. “The best way to start is to show your own dogs,” says Dr. Burch. “You get involved at the local level by attending shows and events. Here you will meet judges. You will have to attend seminars and apply for a judging license. You can also ask a judge to mentor you.”

According to Dr. Burch, judges specialize in a few breeds. “You have to start with one breed and become an expert on that breed. Each purebred dog has distinctive traits. For instance, Rottweilers have been bred for centuries to be very protective of their owners and can snap at strangers. If you choose to specialize in this breed you have to learn how to approach a Rottweiler. Same goes for other breeds.”

The Chow Chow provides another example. These dogs are quite reserved, and have limited vision because of their deep-set eyes, so judges and trainers know that it is best to approach them from the front.

AKC judges must have a license from AKC for each breed that they judge. Judging standards for each breed is different. For example, toy, miniature, and standard Poodles are extremely smart and enjoy being around people. They are retrievers by nature and may be judged on their retrieving skills.

Judges can earn about $200 a day; the day rate depends on where you work. Many judges spend a lot of time traveling to different cities to judge dogs at a variety of dog shows. Others do this as part-time work. They may be obedience trainers or hold other jobs.