To Breed or Not to Breed

Accepts the Risks

Breeding is not all happy. If you own a female, you must be willing to wait until she is physically mature to breed (about two years old). To breed too soon is like a teenage human having a child. They are not physically ready or emotionally. To breed to old is like a woman having her first child later in life. Males also must be at least two. You cannot get hips certified until they are two years old at least. Dogs of both genders must be fully mature and in top shape before breeding.

You must be willing to be in close contact with your vet from the moment of mating. There is so much that can happen and that you should know. There are nutrition concerns – pregnancy and nursing is taxing on the female body. There are risk factors – some breeds are prone to birth complications and almost always require medical intervention. I remember hearing an English Bulldog breeder state 99.9% of all English Bulldogs litters are born by C-section due to the physiology of the breed.

Even in a breed not prone to birth complications, they can arise and be costly! Many breeders will have their vet x-ray (radiograph) a pregnant female to get an idea of how many pups, their placement, etc. A big pup could get stuck in the birth canal. A retained pup (not born for some reason) can die and cause massive infection as it decays. A female may die during delivery.

Are you willing to hand rear a litter of pups? This is NOT easy and very tiring. What if your female has poor mothering instincts? Will you take over? Are you willing to accept that you could lose your dog and her puppies? What if one is born deformed or has a problem show up weeks down the road – then what? Are you willing to have you children see the miracle of death? I have only scratched the tip of the iceberg…

If you own a stud dog, you will have someone's dog in your care for seven to ten days. You must ensure her safety, ensure another dog does not breed her, and that any of her needs are attended to. What if she will not breed naturally? Can you Artificially Inseminate?

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