Breeding
Preparing the Bitch
What do I need to do before I breed my bitch?
This is really two questions. What should I do before I decide to breed my bitch and, then, once that decision is made, what do I do next.
Okay, what do I do before I decide to breed my bitch?
Before you breed a dog, you need to decide whether or not that dog is an appropriate candidate for breeding. First of all, no bitch should be bred before the age of 2. They are just not physically mature enough yet. Let them grow up and develop before they go through the physical strain of breeding, carrying, and whelping puppies. This shouldn't be a problem however, because you'll be plenty busy during those two years. Your dog will be in preparation for breeding for the first two years of her life. Everything you do for her, including providing quality nutrition and health care, obedience training, showing, working, and loving will make her a better mother and help her to produce a healthier litter.
I can see why nutrition and health care are important concerns, but how do those other things make her a better brood bitch?
They are all important in different ways. The most important is probably the last one. Pregnancy, delivery, and puppy raising are very stressful on a dog and knowing that you love her really does make her job easier. For one thing, she'll trust you to help with the puppies, rather than feeling that she needs to defend them. The obedience training comes into play in the strangest ways. Sometimes a female will get overly anxious when her new puppies start crying: being able to put her on a down stay so that she is giving them ready access to what they want (food!) will give you great peace of mind. These are just a few examples of why all this preparation is important.
Okay, but what about showing and working, how can those have any effect on her qualities as a brood bitch?
There are two reasons why a brood bitch should ''get out of the house.'' First of all, she'll be a happier dog if she has activities in her life and gets to go places with you and do fun things. If she's happier, she'll be a better mother. It's that simple. Secondly, you need to have some way of knowing that your bitch is worthy of breeding. That sounds very judgmental, but I'll remind you that we are discussing responsible breeding here. That means that we are breeding to better the breed. The best way to ensure that you are improving the breed is to only breed quality animals to other quality animals with an eye to minimizing faults and strengthening good qualities. We'll discuss more on choosing a stud dog later, however, you also need to choose your brood bitch. If you are starting out with your first dog, you'll need to look long and hard at her and decide if she's worthy of breeding. This has nothing to do with how much you love her -- obviously you do -- this has to do with bettering the breed. This can be a difficult decision to make when your heart is involved. Hearts tend to fuzz up our vision so that faults are minimized and good qualities are enhanced. This is where the idea of showing and testing our animals originated. These events give us a better idea of whether or not our dogs are worthy of breeding. But, keep in mind, everyone has their own standards and they won't all agree. Some people won't breed a bitch until she's a Champion in the show ring. Some people don't consider a bitch worthy of breeding until she's got her Master Hunter title or her Utility Dog title. You have to make these decisions yourself, keeping in mind the idea of bettering the breed. At the minimum, you should have her evaluated by another, more knowledgeable pair of eyes. Her breeder would be an ideal choice, however, that's not always possible. Any experienced breeder in your particular breed should be able to help you evaluate your bitch honestly and without the rosy glow of love changing your perspective.
Okay, I'm satisfied that she's a quality bitch, worthy of breeding, what's the next step?
Hold on there! Not so fast! This is a long process, remember? There is another reason you need to wait until your bitch is over two years of age. Health Checks! You'll need to have various health checks done in order to determine whether or not your dog should be bred. The necessary health checks vary from breed to breed and you should consult a good book on your breed or a knowledgeable breeder to determine what tests you'll need to have done.
The most common tests are:
Joints: Have a veterinarian x-ray your dog's hips, elbows or other joints and submit those x-rays to the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) for evaluation. If your dog's hips are rated Fair, Good, or Excellent, your dog is normal and can be bred. If they are rated dysplastic, please discuss this diagnosis with your vet and spay your bitch as soon as possible. Hip Dysplasia is an often painful joint disorder that can be treated in various ways. It is hereditary and no dog that is dysplastic should be bred.
Eyes: In many breeds, a disease called PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) is a serious problem. A board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist can examine your pets eyes and ensure that they are normal. This test must be done on an annual basis. Since PRA is a progressive disease, a dog can be fine one year and show symptoms the next. Eye examinations can then be sent on to CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) for certification which must be renewed annually. There are other eye diseases (such as cataracts) common to different breeds as well; you will need to research to find out what is applicable for your breed.
Others: Your breed may well have its own genetic timebombs. You will need to research your specific breed in order to know what testing you need to have done before considering breeding your bitch.
Brucellosis: This is a canine venereal disease that can be transmitted in other ways as well. Even virgin dogs or bitches should be tested prior to breeding. Most stud dog owners require recent brucellosis tests before allowing breeding to occur. They will generally have tested their dogs within the last six months. If they haven't tested their dogs in the last six months, ask that they do so before breeding to your bitch!
You should require all of the same testing from the stud dog owner as well as providing it to them. More on choosing a stud dog, below.
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