Thinking of Breeding
Posted: 16 Mar 2014, 12:45
As there have been a few posts recently on the topic of breeding I thought it worth putting up some information that should prove useful to anyone contemplating starting out in breeding or considering having a litter of puppies with their pet dog.
Ideally the decision to start breeding will be taken after years of experience with the chosen breed and under the guidance of an experienced mentor which could well be the breeder of the bitch you have agreed is suitable for breeding. The breeder/mentor will be able to advise and support regarding choice of sire, the practicalities of mating and whelping and possibly also with the choice of suitable homes.
However there are also resources available to help anyone contemplating breeding in deciding whether this is a path they are able to follow successfully and with the welfare both present and future of bitch and puppies as a priority. A useful book to start is The Book of the Bitch by J.M.Evans and Kay White:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bitch-J-M- ... +the+bitch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This offers a vast amount of useful information on the health and anatomy of female dogs and the practical aspects of mating and whelping together with diagrams and explanations of the complications and difficulties that can be associated with birthing.
The Kennel Club also has a couple of guides for novice breeders with a checklist of questions to give some idea of the aspects of breeding that need to be taken into account by anyone thinking of having a litter or using their dog at stud:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... -breeding/
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... g-at-stud/
The Kennel Club also have the Assured Breeder Scheme which a new breeder can choose whether or not to join but, even if you do not wish to be part of the Scheme formally, the requirements are in my view an absolute minimum that a quality breeder should be fulfilling:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... rs-scheme/
Of course breeding does not end at the point of the birth of the pups and the on-going commitment for a good breeder is to the vital 8+ weeks when the pups are still in their care. The responsibility for the health and happiness of these young dogs is a huge one and the breeder should be committed to raising the puppies in an enriched environment to be self confident and resilient. The Puppy Culture protocol is an excellent guide to this:
https://shoppuppyculture.com/pages/puppy-culture-1
There is also the interviewing and vetting of potential new owners which can be quite stressful and does require care, tact, and also a good sense of intuition as to which people are those most likely to have the best interests of the puppy you have bred at heart, who will love and care for that dog for the rest of its life and whose passion for the breed is hopefully as great as your own. Ideally you will remain in contact with the new owners, know how your pups are developing, possibly meet up with them occasionally - and always for the lifetime of the dog be available for advice support and if necessary to re home that dog should anything disastrous happen in the lives of its owners which means they can no longer keep it themselves.
Breeding dogs is a huge commitment in time, energy, mentally, physically and emotionally. When it all goes well it is a wonderful and rewarding experience to bring new lives into this world and see them grow and develop into happy dogs in new and loving homes. Without total commitment to the health and lifetime happiness of the bitch and pups, breeding is not something to embark upon at all.
Ideally the decision to start breeding will be taken after years of experience with the chosen breed and under the guidance of an experienced mentor which could well be the breeder of the bitch you have agreed is suitable for breeding. The breeder/mentor will be able to advise and support regarding choice of sire, the practicalities of mating and whelping and possibly also with the choice of suitable homes.
However there are also resources available to help anyone contemplating breeding in deciding whether this is a path they are able to follow successfully and with the welfare both present and future of bitch and puppies as a priority. A useful book to start is The Book of the Bitch by J.M.Evans and Kay White:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Bitch-J-M- ... +the+bitch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This offers a vast amount of useful information on the health and anatomy of female dogs and the practical aspects of mating and whelping together with diagrams and explanations of the complications and difficulties that can be associated with birthing.
The Kennel Club also has a couple of guides for novice breeders with a checklist of questions to give some idea of the aspects of breeding that need to be taken into account by anyone thinking of having a litter or using their dog at stud:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... -breeding/
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... g-at-stud/
The Kennel Club also have the Assured Breeder Scheme which a new breeder can choose whether or not to join but, even if you do not wish to be part of the Scheme formally, the requirements are in my view an absolute minimum that a quality breeder should be fulfilling:
https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-br ... rs-scheme/
Of course breeding does not end at the point of the birth of the pups and the on-going commitment for a good breeder is to the vital 8+ weeks when the pups are still in their care. The responsibility for the health and happiness of these young dogs is a huge one and the breeder should be committed to raising the puppies in an enriched environment to be self confident and resilient. The Puppy Culture protocol is an excellent guide to this:
https://shoppuppyculture.com/pages/puppy-culture-1
There is also the interviewing and vetting of potential new owners which can be quite stressful and does require care, tact, and also a good sense of intuition as to which people are those most likely to have the best interests of the puppy you have bred at heart, who will love and care for that dog for the rest of its life and whose passion for the breed is hopefully as great as your own. Ideally you will remain in contact with the new owners, know how your pups are developing, possibly meet up with them occasionally - and always for the lifetime of the dog be available for advice support and if necessary to re home that dog should anything disastrous happen in the lives of its owners which means they can no longer keep it themselves.
Breeding dogs is a huge commitment in time, energy, mentally, physically and emotionally. When it all goes well it is a wonderful and rewarding experience to bring new lives into this world and see them grow and develop into happy dogs in new and loving homes. Without total commitment to the health and lifetime happiness of the bitch and pups, breeding is not something to embark upon at all.