Breeding from your Bitch E-Book

Tony Buckwell

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 221

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Breeding from your Bitch covers every aspect of breeding for anyone who might be considering mating their bitch. Written by a vet, this accessible and invaluable book dispels common misconceptions and addresses frankly the issues involved, ranging from the cost, time and effort concerned, through the mating process itself, to ensuring the health and welfare of both mother and puppies. The book covers factors to consider in choosing a breed; choosing a stud dog and the mating process; care of the bitch during pregnancy; whelping and caring for neo-natal puppies; post-pregnancy care and, finally, rearing a healthy litter.

Leseprobe

Tony Buckwell

First published in 2019 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2019

© Tony Buckwell 2019

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.ISBN 978 1 78500 654 8

AcknowledgementsI could not have written or illustrated this book without the encouragement, guidance and assistance of many people. I would particularly wish to acknowledge the expertise, advice and support of my wife, Wendy, without which I would have been unable to undertake the task. I should also wish to thank Mrs Diane Stevens who generously enabled me to photograph her dogs being used at stud, and express my gratitude to my many friends in the South Eastern Gundog Society and the Kent & East Sussex branch of the Utility Gundog Society. Last but by no means least, my special thanks to Angela Gilchrist, the consultant clinical psychologist who first encouraged me to take up writing to help overcome the devastating effects of clinical depression.

CONTENTS

Introduction

1Deciding to Breed from your Bitch

Popular Myths; The Costs Involved; Is Dog Breeding Worth all the Time and Effort Required?

2Planning a Litter, Mating and Confirming Pregnancy

Forward Planning; Choosing a Stud Dog; Health Testing; Mating the Bitch; Confirming Pregnancy

3Care of the Bitch During Pregnancy

Feeding the Pregnant Bitch; Exercising the Pregnant Bitch; Working and Showing Bitches in Whelp; Worming; Coat Care; Preparing for Whelping; Constructing a Traditional Wooden Whelping Box; Nesting Behaviour; Medication; Disease Risks Associated with Pregnancy

4Whelping and the Care of Neo-Natal Puppies

Preparing for Whelping; The Process of Whelping; The First Stage of Whelping; Dystocia and Uterine Inertia; The Second Stage of Whelping; The Interval Between Births; The Third Stage of Whelping; Neo-Natal Care; Congenital and Developmental Abnormalities; Other Developmental Abnormalities; Breathing Problems; Notes on Bottle-Feeding Puppies

5Raising the Litter

The Neo-Natal Period; One to Three Weeks of Age; Post-Parturient Health Concerns for the Bitch; Weaning; Behavioural Development and the Importance of Socialization; Three to Four Weeks of Age; Four to Five Weeks of Age; Five to Seven Weeks of Age; Preparing Puppies for their New Homes

6The Use of Artificial Insemination

The Advantages of Artificial Insemination; Semen Collection; Semen Assessment; Semen Storage; Chilled Semen; Frozen Semen; Insemination; Insemination Techniques

Index

INTRODUCTION

It can be very rewarding to breed from your bitch but this is not a matter to be undertaken lightly. Whilst, in principle, anyone can breed from their dog, whether they should or not is another matter entirely. There are people who will point out the number of unwanted dogs in rehoming centres and claim that breeding further puppies simply adds to the problem. There will be others who believe everyone has the right and that most bitches benefit from having a litter. The moderate view to which most in society would seem to subscribe is that only ‘responsible breeders’ should be producing puppies; people who know what they are doing, take great care to provide for the welfare of their dogs, produce healthy puppies of good temperament and make every attempt to ensure their puppies only go to suitable homes.

1 DECIDING TO BREED FROM YOUR BITCH

The decision to breed from your bitch requires careful consideration and forward planning. Before deciding, you need to be aware of and weigh up all the pros and cons of dog breeding.

In the first instance, before making any decision on whether or not to breed from a bitch, it will be worth asking yourself the following questions:

•Is my bitch fit and healthy and does she have a good temperament? Do I know what health testing is recommended in the breed and can I afford to pay for any necessary prior health testing?

•Can I afford to pay for a caesarean operation should it be necessary?

•Can I cope with a large litter of, say, eight to ten puppies? Have I the time to devote to rearing the puppies until they are ready to go? Have I the space to provide a suitable area for the bitch to whelp and then to house and socialize older energetic puppies?

•Do I know enough about all that’s involved in breeding and raising a litter? Will I be able to help the bitch through whelping, or can I confidently rely on someone to help me? Do I know how to rear the puppies including their appropriate worming, vaccination and socialization and can I advise their new owners on how best to feed, rear and train them?

•Am I reasonably likely to find good homes for the puppies? There are certain times of the year when it is more difficult to sell puppies, for example either when people are away on holiday or during the colder winter months.

•Am I able to take back or rehome a puppy if it were to become necessary?

Seeing a bitch with a litter like this can make it very tempting to breed from your own dog, but think very carefully and weigh up all the pros and cons associated with raising a litter of puppies before deciding on a mating.

Mature bitches will often show accelerated signs of ageing after having had a litter.

Only when you are in a position to answer ‘yes’ to each of these questions should you contemplate breeding a litter of puppies.

It has been estimated that some 10,000 unwanted dogs have to be euthanized by local authorities in the UK each year and around a quarter of that number, both pedigree and cross-breeds, are held in rescue centres awaiting new homes. You must have convincing reasons to breed from your dog since otherwise you might potentially be adding to that surplus. Ask yourself the question, ‘Why am I breeding from my dog?’ Make sure you are entering this process with no misapprehensions of the claimed advantages of letting your bitch have a litter of puppies and are fully aware of the potential consequences should anything go wrong.

There are a number of popular myths used by owners to justify breeding from their pet bitch and we will be exploring some of these in the following sections. Certainly, if you are breeding with the intention of keeping a puppy, do make sure the mating you plan is likely to produce the puppy you want, aware of the fact that the puppy you require might more likely be secured (at considerably less cost) from a reputable, experienced breeder who has puppies available for sale that are of a suitable type.

POPULAR MYTHS

It will be good for the bitch

Whilst it is true that the incidence of pyometra or endometrial hypoplasia (a disease in which pus accumulates in the uterus – the bitch’s womb) is lower among multiparous bitches (those that have had a number of litters), there is no evidence to indicate that having one or two litters of puppies has any positive welfare benefit for a bitch.

However, there are many reasons to suggest that being bred can prove detrimental to a bitch.

Dogs will occasionally show accelerated signs of ageing after having a litter. Not all bitches are good mothers. Some can become distressed and either ignore or savage their pups; others can be clumsy mothers, a particular problem among some of the physically larger breeds, and will lie on and crush their puppies causing them to suffocate. Bitches can have severe delivery problems and even die in the process, although the latter is relatively uncommon provided they are afforded prompt veterinary attention.

A pair of boisterous Vizsla puppies playing together. Before breeding make sure you can cope with the challenges of raising a litter of active puppies, particularly as they get older and demand suitable space and sufficient resources to meet their requirements.

A bitch should have a litter before being spayed

There is no reason for a bitch to have had a litter before being spayed. Whilst there may be certain disadvantages to spaying very young, immature bitches (notably an increased risk of incontinence associated with altered hormone levels following spaying) there is no physical advantage for a bitch to have been pregnant and raised puppies before being spayed.

It will be good for the children

There is no doubt that it can be highly beneficial for children to experience the pleasure of seeing new life born and be introduced to the chores and responsibilities associated with having to care for young animals. Unfortunately life is not always straightforward and complications can arise. One or more puppies may be stillborn and others may die within the first few days of life. These events are likely to be emotionally distressing and only you can judge the likely effect it might have on your children. Most whelping takes place in the early hours when children are most likely to want to sleep and otherwise be tired and irritable – extremely distracting when you are wanting to give your dog your undivided attention. If the bitch should need a caesarean, this is likely to entail a rush to the vet at times when child minders are rarely available at such necessary short notice. A healthy litter will take up a great deal of your time and sap your energy for several weeks. Hand-rearing puppies will be even more exhausting and caring for sick puppies can prove distressing. Young children are hardly likely to benefit from the reduced level of attention or your increased stress levels on these occasions.

It will calm her down

There is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that having a litter of puppies has any influence on a bitch’s temperament. Many dogs show a tendency to become calmer with increasing age and maturity but this is just as true for male dogs as for bitches, and in bitches that have never had a litter. Any apparent calming effect associated with pregnancy and lactation is purely coincidental and likely to be a temporary change associated with the bitch’s preoccupation with the process of pregnancy and nursing her puppies.

Temperament is dependent on a variety of factors, particularly genetic (dogs can inherit behavioural traits from their parents), management (the way in which you raise and train your dog), environmental and also how mature she may be at the time.

A further consideration should be the fact that bitches that are hyperactive and excitable whilst pregnant and lactating are likely to pass the trait on to their offspring. They are likely to be no different afterwards and all you will succeed in doing is thereby perpetuating the problem.

You are more likely to succeed in reducing a dog’s boisterous and excitable behaviour by enlisting the help of a reputable dog trainer and/or behavioural counsellor than you are from letting her have a litter of puppies.

Temperament should be a prime consideration in deciding to breed from your dog. A calm, steady temperament is likely to be passed on to the puppies.

I will be able to keep a puppy that is just like my bitch

If you really want another dog that will, as far as possible, replicate the characteristics and features of your bitch, then you are likely to be disappointed if you plan on breeding from her and keeping a puppy. This is because the pups will share genes (the molecular units of heredity) from both the sire and the dam and there is no guarantee whatsoever that they will necessarily inherit the best features of both.

Ideally select a stud dog that has been health tested and found to have satisfactory results, that is known to pass on characteristics you desire and with a genetic background that complements that of your bitch.

Breeding to a stud dog without a clear understanding of his genetic background is almost certainly likely to produce disappointing results. Without knowing something of the sire’s prior performance at stud your puppies could potentially inherit all of his worst points and none of your bitch’s good points.

The most likely means of getting another dog that is similar to yours is by acquiring a sibling, either a brother or sister from the same litter, or a puppy from a litter produced by repeat mating her parents.

To make money

Although they won’t always admit to it, this is certainly one element that often motivates people when they decide to breed a litter of puppies. It is very tempting, knowing the price people will expect to pay for a puppy, to multiply that figure by six or more and assume there is a nice little profit to be made in dog breeding. Unfortunately life isn’t always quite so simple and responsible dog breeding, particularly from pedigree dogs, is a costly exercise – one where you can all too easily find yourself significantly out of pocket.

Whilst it is certainly true that some people make money out of breeding dogs, these will be people who regularly breed dogs of a type that are relatively easy to sell. At the extreme end of the market, profits from puppy farming come at the cost of the animals’ welfare. The situation for someone breeding responsibly, producing one or two litters from a pet bitch, can be entirely different.

THE COSTS INVOLVED

There are a variety of costs that should be taken into account when breeding from your bitch for the first time. Assuming she is a pedigree dog, registered with the Kennel Club, and you wish to register her puppies, the likely expenses that you might reasonably expect to incur will include the cost of:

•The stud fee (typically equivalent to the cost of a puppy)

•Any necessary veterinary health testing (for inherited and other breed-predisposed conditions)

•Worming and veterinary antenatal care for your bitch

•The extra food required during pregnancy and whilst the bitch is lactating

•An appropriate whelping box and plenty of soft, washable veterinary bedding

•An infrared heat lamp and/or heated pads for pups to cuddle up, especially at times when their dam is not with them

•Worming the puppies and your lactating bitch

•Kennel Club registration for each puppy

•Food for the puppies after weaning

•Any advertising costs

•Microchipping, preliminary vaccination and veterinary checks on puppies prior to sale

•Cost(s) of the extra care and vaccinations for any pups unsold after eight weeks.

Do not underestimate the costs involved in breeding and raising a litter of puppies like these Hungarian Vizslas. Try to realistically budget for the financial costs, including a suitable allowance for any likely contingencies.

In addition, a contingency fund must be available to cover the cost of an emergency out-of-hours caesarean operation and any other emergency postnatal care that may be required by your lactating bitch or her puppies.

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to take into consideration the possibility of having to take unpaid leave from work should you need to be with the puppies at any time.

The cost to you

The true cost of breeding a litter, of course, is more than financial.

The greater cost is the physical and mental effort you will have to put into the exercise, even if everything goes smoothly and according to plan. Don’t underestimate the additional stress and strain that you will find yourself having to bear if anything should go wrong. It will be very distressing if you find your bitch requires emergency medical attention, or if the puppies become sick, especially if some should die, or if you are left with unsold puppies.

Probably the two most personally challenging aspects of breeding a litter of puppies, however, will be the time involved and the associated mess that you will need to clear up.

The time and mess factors

A pregnant bitch requires your absolute and undivided attention throughout parturition, during the whole time from when she first shows signs of going into labour until several hours after her last puppy is born and successfully suckling. This whole process can take at least twenty-four to thirty-six hours, usually longer, meaning you will be getting very little sleep during this period.

Thereafter a responsible adult needs to be on the premises at all times, able to attend to the bitch and her puppies for the next seven to eight weeks.

Ensuring that puppies are kept clean, fed and generally well cared for is an enormously time-consuming business.

When they are weaned you will be feeding the puppies at least four meals a day. The number of meals fed at this time will primarily depend on the breed of dog (smaller puppies tend to be given smaller meals, more frequently) and whether the bitch continues to suckle the pups or you remove her entirely.

This is only part of your responsibilities. Most bitches make a good job of cleaning up after their pups; at least they do until the pups start to be weaned at around three weeks of age.

Everything changes at weaning.

From this time onwards, the bitch will cease cleaning up after her puppies; this becomes your job. As fast as you clean them up, they will get messy again. The cleaning-up process takes place every time you feed (four to six times daily), and in-between where necessary. This process is no fun at all and only seems to get worse; the bigger and livelier the puppies, the less fun and more challenging the cleaning process. You will need a mountain of newspaper and what will seem like a lake of disinfectant and detergent. You will require endless patience and limitless endurance because just when all seems clean and tidy at last, you will likely have to get right up and start all over again.

This is hard and smelly work.

IS DOG BREEDING WORTH ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT REQUIRED?

Assuming your dog is fit, healthy and of a suitable temperament, there is no doubt that it is extremely satisfying, having taken the trouble to select a suitable stud, to breed puppies that are likely to improve on the qualities that your bitch already displays and, potentially, pass on those characteristics to future generations.

The primary reason for many people to breed dogs is to keep a puppy and in doing so improve on the qualities displayed by their dog or dogs. If you either exhibit your dog in the show ring and/or compete in working tests and field trials, it can be even more rewarding if either your puppy or another from the same litter excels in either discipline.

Furthermore, if the breed is rare, by carefully selecting a suitable stud dog you can help to further improve and propagate the breed.

Dog breeding is psychologically and emotionally rewarding. Pets can greatly influence how we feel about ourselves, and life in general. They are ‘teachers and healers of extraordinary talent’. Research shows that pet owners have greater self-esteem, are more physically fit, tend to be less lonely, are more conscientious, more extraverted, and tend to be less fearful and less preoccupied than non-owners.

Research shows that dog ownership is good for people, and breeding a puppy that you can successfully train to work in the field or go on to successfully compete in the show ring will further provide immense satisfaction.

Everyone needs to feel needed and have something to care for and pet ownership can be a very effective means of satisfying that need. Families surveyed before and after they acquired a pet reported feeling happier after adding a pet to the family. So extending your experience of pet ownership by breeding suitable puppies that in appropriate homes are likely to further enrich the lives of other people, will in itself be an extremely rewarding experience.

It is also very satisfying to learn how well your puppies are doing in their new homes and to find how content their new owners are with their progress and how they are turning into valued companions either around the home or, if it’s to be a working dog, around the farm or on the shooting field. Dog owners generally have been shown to have more and better social interactions and many dog breeders will tell you how some of their new puppy owners have subsequently become life-long friends.

Finally, of course, if all goes well you may even be able to make a modest amount of money from the sale of the litter.

2PLANNING A LITTER, MATING AND CONFIRMING PREGNANCY

So you have read the first chapter, and been able to answer ‘yes’ to all of the questions. You have decided that you are thinking of breeding puppies for good reasons and are determined to go ahead; what initial steps do you need to take?

FORWARD PLANNING

It is useful to plan ahead with some realistic understanding of the necessary timescales. Waiting until your bitch is in season and ready to be mated before selecting the stud dog and arranging the mating is unlikely to achieve optimum success. However, by understanding the overall process and estimating how long each step will take, you will be able to plan ahead and anticipate any potential problems.

Forward planning will ensure that your bitch won’t whelp when it’s least convenient or you won’t have a large litter ready to go at times when people are least likely to want to take on and train a new puppy. Forward planning is also essential to ensure that the pups will be raised in the most appropriate environment, that the bitch is fully vaccinated, up to date with her vaccinations and wormed prior to mating and again before whelping.

The preparatory phase, selecting the stud dog and having all necessary health checks carried out (outlined in this chapter) should be undertaken well in advance of any intended litter; certainly nine to twelve months in advance of mating your bitch.

It is important to understand your bitch’s strengths and weaknesses; her good and bad points. Try to get an informed opinion from a reputable breeder and take advice concerning a suitable stud dog that will complement her good points and/or compensate for any weaknesses.

CHOOSING A STUD DOG

Finding a stud dog is a fairly fundamental requirement. A careful choice of stud dog will be essential. No doubt the process of selecting a suitable dog from the many that may potentially be available would appear to be a daunting task and whilst in many respects this is true, there are certain points to bear in mind that, when taken together, will help narrow the choice considerably.

Do your homework

Learn about any problems that are within your breed (such as hip dysplasia [HD], progressive retinal atrophy [PRA], and so on). Do as much research as you can to learn about any inherited traits you are hoping to change. Should any of your bitch’s unwanted traits be inherited, you do not want to use a stud dog that may also have the trait and therefore not be able to correct it.

In order to gauge the risks of a stud dog carrying a recessive gene, you would need to examine the stud dog’s ancestry; its pedigree. When it’s an unwanted trait that is inherited polygenically (caused by several genes when combined together), it would depend on how badly the stud dog is affected as to the outcome of the pups not inheriting the gene and the best way to establish this would be to check out the stud dog’s siblings.

Know your bitch – her strengths and weaknesses

Be honest with yourself and be as objective as you can when it comes to assessing your bitch’s strengths and weak points. Know what’s important and prioritize which traits you consider to be good, and which you would like to pass on in her pups.

Get an honest opinion of your bitch from a few breeders. Find out what they think; what do they consider to be her virtues and which are her faults. Get several breeders’ opinions of a good choice for a stud dog that will enhance your bitch’s strengths and correct any particular weaknesses. Your aim should be to use the dog that is most likely to correct any of her weaknesses and seek to avoid one that will undermine or dilute any of her good points.

You have to bear in mind that the chances of finding a stud dog that complements your bitch 100 per cent are low, so it is far better to focus on her weaker traits when looking for a stud dog. Certainly it will be important to find a dog that does not share her faults because, ideally, you will be seeking a stud dog that has a track record of correcting such weaknesses in the breed.

Health issues, soundness and temperament

Ideally both bitch and dog will be fully health tested so that you can be confident that in breeding, you are unlikely to pass on any inherited problems to the puppies.

Ask your vet to perform a physical examination and give advice regarding your bitch’s suitability for breeding. Most bitches should be at least a year old before mating and have had at least one normal season. It’s usually advisable, however, to breed from her a little later, once she’s fully mature, typically after she has had at least three to four normal seasons. Usually this will mean she is between three to six years of age. It is not advisable to start breeding an older bitch and certainly not beyond the age of eight. Knowing she cycles regularly will help you anticipate when she is likely to come into season, at what time she will be ready for mating, and when any puppies will be due to go to new homes.