Breeding Dogs Guide | Complete Dog Breeding Plan

Planning to Breed

Making the decision to play a part in producing a litter of puppies is not something to be taken lightly. Both sire and dam must be high-quality, healthy, strong and typical specimens of the breed which complement each other. If one parent has an anatomical fault which needs improvement then the other should be free from that fault in an attempt to eradicate it. Pedigrees must also be studied: not just of one generation of dog but several.

Age is a consideration which is partly dependent upon the breed. No bitch should have a litter below the age of 18 months and as a general rule it is wise to have a first litter by the age of four. The upper limit for breeding from a bitch is usually seven years in Britain.
 
The long-standing idea that a bitch should be allowed to have a litter for her own good is pure myth. She can just as easily live a full and happy life without ever having produced puppies so owners who are planning to breed for this reason alone should rethink their plans.

Routine worming for the bitch is advisable before she comes into season. She will only be ready for mating for a few days while on heat — usually three to five. Before and after that time she will not be receptive to a dog's advances and her vulva is unlikely to be large enough to permit comfortable penetration. When a suitable stud dog has been selected and his owner has agreed to a mating, contact should be made again on the very first day of the season to give notice of an approximate date of mating. Mating should always take place at the stud dog owner's home and frequently two matings are given, with a day's gap in between. Any contractual arrangements should be agreed by both parties in writing. Often a stud dog owner will agree to a mating at a subsequent season if no puppies are produced.

The mating
Dogs differ in their approaches to a visiting bitch, and the bitches in question can vary too. In an ideal mating, the two will show an interest in one another and frolic around a little before the male mounts the bitch. However, it is not always so easy as this might appear, especially in the case of either a maiden dog or a bitch, which is one of the reasons why it is inadvisable for two inexperienced dogs to be put together for a mating. At a successful mating, after penetration the dog and bitch will usually be tied together for some minutes, usually about 15, but this can be as long as an hour. The union should be supervised at all times and the bitch not permitted to attempt to pull away for fear of injury to the dog. Eventually the bitch's muscles will relax to release the dog and they are often left together for just a few moments afterwards before being separated. It is very important to realize that if a bitch is mated by more than one dog, there is very strong likelihood that some puppies will have one sire and some another, so it is imperative that a bitch is not allowed to come into contact with any other males.

The pregnant bitch

Following a mating, a bitch's size and behavior changes little for the first five weeks, at which time some abdominal enlargement may become noticeable. Until then her food intake will be fairly normal, but it must be of high quality throughout her pregnancy. She should also be allowed to have her usual amount of exercise to keep her in good form.

Around the seventh week, her mammary glands begin to enlarge and she will already have been eating increasing amounts of food for a couple of weeks. Meals must be smaller but more frequent.

She will need access to a quiet place to rest and should be introduced to her whelping quarters no later than the eighth week as the gestation period is 63 days, although puppies can be produced a few days earlier or later. An ideal whelping box allows the bitch ample space to turn around without stepping on her puppies. A guard rail is essential around the sides of the box so that she cannot inadvertently crush the whelps. These rails can be removed as the puppies grow larger and are better able to fend for themselves. Placed in a warm place and raised slightly from the ground to prevent draughts, the box should allow the bitch to get in and out of it easily, and at the same time it must be sufficiently high to prevent the puppies' escape. An adjustable and detachable front to the box is useful so that when the puppies do get up on their feet, they can have access to a small additional play area in front of the box.

Condition
The bitch's coat should be kept in good condition in pregnancy, though she should not be subjected to long grooming sessions. During the final couple of weeks she will take less exercise and must be discouraged from jumping. During the last 24 hours of her pregnancy she may refuse all food, her temperature will drop and she will become restless, scratching up her bedding. All this indicates that whelping time is close; notify your vet in case a house call becomes necessary due to complications in the birth process.

The whelping
The ease with which a bitch is likely to whelp depends to a large extent on her construction; breeds with larger heads or other over-exaggerated features being more likely to encounter problems than others. At some births assistance is needed, while in other cases a bitch is best allowed to do all the work herself, but one must be on hand to supervise and assist if necessary. Some breeds have a greater incidence of caesarean sections than do others, again depending on construction.

New mothers can be thrown into confusion until the first puppy has been born and is suckling, and in certain breeds it is usual for the owner to break the sac which surrounds the puppy and to cut the umbilical cord. In other breeds this may not be necessary. Advice must therefore be taken from established breeders as to what sort of whelping problems one is or is not likely to encounter. Obviously all those breeding litters with due forethought will have read extensively and taken breed specialist advice. Breeding courses are also available and well worthwhile.

The newborn puppies
Puppies need to suckle from their dam as soon as possible and should be carefully observed, without too much interference, to see that all are suckling successfully and thriving. It is sensible to check for cleft palate at birth. A gap in the upper palate would be felt with the little finger and although a young whelp may be able to suckle, it is unlikely to cope with solid food. Some breeders weigh each | puppy at birth and monitor weight gain over the first two or three weeks.

For the first couple of weeks at least, a dam should be allowed to enjoy her puppies without intrusion from a stream of inquisitive visiting neighbors and friends. There will be plenty of opportunity to show them off when they are a little older and when the dam will not be so possessive about them.

Almost all - around 90 per cent – of the newborn puppy's life will be spent sleeping and while asleep there will be a good deal of muscle twitching. This is normal and is essential in the development of muscles. Puppies' nails are very sharp and should be cut regularly with nail scissors to avoid discomfort to the bitch. They are always born with their eyes closed but these generally start to open between the ninth and eleventh day, though to begin with they will not focus properly. At birth the ears are sealed but these are usually open between the thirteenth and seventeenth days; from then on they will be responsive to sound and the world will slowly start to come alive to them.

Weaning
Weaning usually commences during the third or fourth week, firstly with milk-based meals and then with the gradual introduction of meat meals on an alternate basis. Four meals per day will eventually be decreased in number and the puppies should no longer be dependent on their dam for food by the age of about seven weeks.

Dew claws and tails
For people breeding dogs to close specification. Veterinary advice must be taken regarding removal of dew claws and tail docking. People breeding dogs purely as family pets may not consider this relevant, but in some breeds, removal of dew claws is a requirement of the breed standard. In others they must remain, while in most the choice is left with the breeder. If the decision has been taken to remove them, this must be done on the third day, certainly not later than the fourth. If you do not ask the vet to visit your home, puppies may be taken to the vet's surgery but the dam will need to go along too because she will be distressed if they are taken away from her for any length of time. Under no circumstances, however, must she be with or within earshot of the puppies whilst the claws are being taken off for she will be unnecessarily distressed by their cries. Puppies miraculously stop crying within a matter of seconds so she will soon find herself back with them again.

Because laws and opinions vary regarding tail docking, specialist advice taken from within the breed is important. Also, because in some countries legislation has changed recently, advice regarding tail docking needs verbal clarification because that read in a book may already be rather out of date.

Care of the dam
A bitch raising a litter of puppies will need all the care and attention due to her. Her meals must be of high quality and offered fairly frequently, in small portions. Liquid must be available, ideally containing powdered glucose. A raw egg yolk (the white should not be given) seems always to be appreciated and will benefit her. To guard against eclampsia, most breeders also like to give calcium. The author personally gives calcium in liquid form from the day of whelping and finds this is lapped up easily if mixed in with the egg yolk.

There are medical problems, such as eclampsia, metritis and mastitis, which can occur in unfortunate cases, so your vet should have the opportunity of checking the bitch soon after birth, following which you should always be alert to changes in behavior which may signal trouble.