Breeding puppies from your bitch

From Pet Encyclopedia

[edit] Introduction

So, your interested in breeding puppies from your bitch? There are many things to be taken in to consideration before making this decision, so read on before making your mind up.

One of the most important things to consider is what impact will your bitch being bred from have on the breed. It may seem allowing her to have just one litter will not have much effect, but multiply this by many such litters and it has a huge impact.

It is generally accepted that there are more dogs bred than there are good homes available for, and those bred irresponsibly, accidentally or casually and then not homed to really committed owners, with breeders not willing to take lifelong responsibility are more likely to end up swelling the ranks of rescue dogs, many of whom end up being put to sleep each year.

So bearing in mind the above the only reason any dog or bitch should be used for breeding is to improve and maintain the quality and typical traits of a breed, and to provide dogs needed for some working purposes. There will be plenty left over from such litters to make non working/non show pets.

You can view the kennnel clubs view on responsible breeding [1] and the Kennel Clubs general code of ethics [2] (note particularly points 6 and 7 regarding responsibilities to the breed and ongoing responsibility to puppies). All those who use KC services are expected to be bound by this code.

A Pet owner wanting a pedigree puppy will want to know that it is going to be like it's breed and be typical in looks and character traits.

They will also want and deserve to have a dog with the odds heavily stacked in favour of avoiding hereditary health issues some of which can be tested for by DNA, many other problems only have a test for the affected/non affected status of the parents, but not identify carriers, and still others can only be avoided by careful pedigree research, which requires a deep knowledge of the parents ancestors.

This following article describes what a good breeder/stud dog owner should be, and how the other kind can be identified [3]

Those who breed poor and unhealthy specimens and who fail to carry out health screening have been taken to court and found to be responsible for dogs developing health issues, and those who advertise a litter of pups can be prosecuted by Trading Standards for any misleading information, such as quality of the dogs, breed etc, as the Trades Descriptions Act covers dogs in the same way as it does washing machines. With buyers paying not inconsiderable sums for pups many are quick to follow the legal, route, especially the small claims court which costs them little.

[edit] Should I breed from my bitch?

Before deciding to breed from your bitch, there are a few questions you should ask yourself;

• Do you have the time and space to look after these puppies? Puppies shouldnt go to their new homes until they are at least 8 weeks old and what if your litter consists of over 10 puppies? They will be handful and require a lot of looking after.

• Do you have the money needed to care for the puppies? There are lots of costs involved in breeding puppies, for example health tests for the bitch prior to breeding, stud fees, vet fees, whelping box, dog and puppy food, blankets, kennel club registration fees etc.. It is possible that your bitch may only have a very small litter and if she has difficulty whelping the litter and needs caesarean, the costs involved may be very high, therefore you may not make a profit.

• What happens if you cant find good homes for the puppies? On some occasions you may find it difficult finding good homes for your puppies and may need to take care of them until they are much older than 8 weeks old. Would you be in a position to take back a puppy if one of the new owners could no longer look after puppy?

[edit] Health Testing

The Kennel club and breed clubs run health testing schemes in conjunction with the British Veterinary Association, The Animal Health trust and other scientific and veterinary organisations for the screening of breeding stock for inherited disease.

In the UK, the kennel club has information here [4] you can read to find which schemes are available etc.

Your breeds breed clubs can advise which tests are appropriate. Your Vet may need to be involved in taking x-rays or samples, and other tests you will have to see a specialist. Many GP Vets are unaware of which tests and procedures are appropriate so contact the Kennel club for the breed club details who are best able to advise.

The most usual Tests are for Hip scoring for signs of Hip Dysplasia (which can affect all breeds and non breeds), and Eye testing for the many eye disorders effecting many breeds.

[edit] Paperwork

If she is a pedigree breed she will need to be registered with the Kennel Club. You will also need to check for any endorsements on her registration papers which may prevent you from using her to breed from.

In turn the same should apply to the dog you are thinking of using at stud. You will need to check his paperwork before you agree to the mating.

You should also have on hand your bitches, and examine the studs Hip Score certificate (all breeds and non breeds can suffer Hip Dysplasia so should be hip scored), eye test certificate if applicable (the list of breeds and conditions known to be inherited by them are listed here [5]), and any other health scheme certification appropriate for the breed (your breed club, and the kennel club can advise, some of the schemes are detailed here [6] )

After mating the bitch owner should pay the stud fee.

The stud owner should provide a receipt for the stud service and detail the terms of any free return should there be no pups, for example only the same bitch or another suitable bitch from the same owner. What would happen if the dog becomes unavailable or proves/becomes infertile etc.

An accurate signed pedigree form for the stud should be provided, and also copies of health certificates for the stud.

Stud owner should sign and complete the details on the KC Form I (litter registration form) confirming the mating. When the pups are born you will complete the bitch details and details of the puppies choosing two names for each puppy.

These documents should be available before puppies go to their new homes so it is best to register the pups as soon as it looks like they will survive.

It is a very good idea to permanently identify your pups with a microchip (see your Vet or contact Petlog [7] for details), or alternatively/additionally by ear tattoo. Details of The National Dog Tattoo Registry can be found here [8]

[edit] Finding the best homes for your puppies

Certainly before you mate her, you should already have several firm bookings for your puppies, because beleive me, there is nothing more time consuming or financially draining than having to run on several rapidly growing puppies.

This is the hardest part of breeding and the one that causes the responsible breeder the most heartache.

The more careful you are about vetting potential owners the less chance you have of the homing going wrong, and having to face re-homing and rehabilitating former pups who may be juvenile delinquents, have behavioral problems, or worse still had been mishandled deliberately but more often due to ignorance.

What you want is knowledgeable and preferably experienced new owners. For those applicants that are first time owners you need to be sure they know exactly what the responsibilities and realities of owning a canine infant are.

Even people who have had dogs before tend to remember the sensible well behaved adult they owned of knew in their childhood.

What they get with a puppy is a blank page, an infant that is of a different species and many misunderstandings between the two can occur, and sometimes cause the relationship to break down.

You need to be available to help new owners with these problems.

Where you choose to advertise your puppies is entirely up to you, but what you need to remember is the type of audience for any media you choose.

Breed club advertising will most likely reach an audience of breed owners,a nd more often than not any wanting a puppy especially from your litter will probably have already registered an interest.

Your best to have your name with your breed club puppy list co-ordinate. Breed clubs generally receive enquiries from people that have done their homework, and know that breed clubs have stricter standards, and usually codes of ethics within which it's members breed..

The Kennel Club puppy list will tend to attract potential owners who are more than likely trying to find a reputably bred puppy (though sadly they are often unaware that all KC registered pups are not bred by ethical breeders).

There are canine magazines which the general public buy and will attract people who have given purchasing a puppy some thought.

Local Newspapers and free adds tend to attract impulse purchasers as well as a few good potential owners who simply don't know how to find a puppy. Sadly these venues are most often full of advertisement from back yard breeders and puppy farmers, and some good breeders prefer to boycott them. Others are of the opinion that potential owners deserve to have good breeders from which to choose and carefully word their adverts to contrast with the 'usual' emphasising health testing, blood lines etc.

Having your own website is a good idea, but bear in mind the impression people may get from it, and the one you are trying to convey.

There are also many canine websites on which you can advertise or have a breeder listing, and many people now use the Internet as a research tool.

Wherever your enquiry comes from you need to vet carefully taking into account all you are told and learning to read between the lines.

Questions you may want to ask include:

Who will care for the dogs on a daily basis, if owners work what firm care arrangements will be in place so the pup does not spend more than a couple of hours alone.

How active is the family. Those leading a sedentary lifestyle are hardly suddenly to make a radical change and go hill walking with a Husky.

Are thee children or frail adults in the family, or likely to become part of the family in the foreseeable future.

Have they secure garden and are there likely to be conflicts with neighbours, bedrooms overlooking the dogs exercise area etc.

What happened to their last dog/what other dogs/pets do they own.

[edit] Providing Aftercare for your puppies

The care and rearing of a litter of puppies is a huge subject, and there are many books on this.

Your best source of advice on this subject are experienced good breeders of your breed, and no doubt either your bitches breeder or the stud dog owner will be able to help and advise as well as the breed club who probably have articles on the subject in club publications.

There are some things that are common to all pups but a lot of things can vary according to the needs of the breed and their development.

There is a lot to consider before bringing a litter of puppies into the world, not least of which is to understand having to cope with a litter of puppies until they are turned 8 weeks old, is certainly no picnic.

By the time they are 5 weeks old, they are noisy, often dirty and smelly from trampling in their own poo in their haste to get their heads in the food dish.

They need space to run, play and exercise as they can't and won't want to stay confined to the whelping box from the time they are born to the day they leave for their new homes.

All bitches require somewhere quiet warm and private to whelp.

After birth most breeders keep a close eye on pups for signs of problems. some breeds make very natural careful moths some don't and without being watched almost constantly until their eyes are open may be neglected or crushed by the mother.

All pups need warmth at first as they are born unable to regulate body temperature, but some quickly require less heat, and others need it.

All pups once their eyes are open need to be in a busy area of the house to gain maximum benefit of socialisation and habituation with human d homes and activity.

As pups become mobile they will need more space. Some breeds can effectively be reared using a large puppy pen, many others will soon be unhappy being confined and need safe space and shelter while they spend time outdoors.

The age at which pups are physically and mentally ready to leave for new homes and require more individual attention also varies.

With many this will be around 7 to 8 weeks, with others like some toy breeds they should not be homed until 12 weeks of age

[edit] Legal Requirements

Since 1999, under 'The breeding and sale of Dogs welfare Act' ( See here [9] ) people who breed five or more litters in any 12 month period need to be licensed via the local authority. Even if you breed less than five litters per year, you may need to be licensed if the local authority deem that you are breeding for commercial gain.

Breeders who are Licensed must undergo inspection, keep detailed records, must not breed from any bitch under 12 months from when she last whelped or take more than six litters from her.

The kennel club also has rules as to the age and number of litters a bitch may have, and individual breed clubs will have generally even stricter limits for their members, based on a given breeds welfare and needs.

[edit] External Links

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/7837.asp - Breeding and whelping advice

http://www.phouka.com/puppy/bdr_ethics.html - 10 Rules of Ethical Breeding

[edit] References