Some things to think about

Breeding a litter can be a rewarding and delightful experience. Hopefully the puppies will be born without complications at a reasonable hour, Mum and babies will be fine and fantastic homes will be lined up waiting for the puppies when they leave you at 8 – 9 weeks of age …………… but it is not always like that.

This page is intended to make you think about what you are letting yourself – and your bitch – in for so that you can weigh up the pros and cons before making a decision.

****Make sure that you have the facilities to dock your puppies as vets will no longer dock puppies*****

Is your bitch Kennel Club registered?   If not it is not really advisable to breed on from her.
  Having KC registration at least ensures that you have a recorded history of her parentage.  
Without this you have no accurate knowledge of where she is from and whether or not her ancestors
were purebred Dobermanns.   Any KC registered dog should not be mated to an unregistered dog.
How old is she? Is she clear from hereditary defects? Have you obtained veterinary advice regarding
the probability of her being able to give birth naturally or the possibility or needing a Caesarian?

The WDC lays down guidelines regarding the ages between which a bitch may be bred from;
you should also note that the Kennel Club now has age and frequency criteria for registering litters from a bitch. You are advised to have your bitch’s eyes tested to ensure that she is free from PHPV and vWD

Do you understand the risks involved? You could lose some or even all of the puppies. Although thankfully it doesn ’ t happen too often, you could lose your bitch. If you lose your bitch but the puppies survive, you will need to hand-rear the litter; this involves feeding every three hours DAY AND NIGHT!

Can you afford to breed a litter? Lots of people think that breeding a litter is a means of making some money. This is rarely true and if things go wrong you may find that you need to spend a lot of money. The stud fee for the dog, extra food for the bitch during her pregnancy and while feeding the pups, weaning the puppies, food for them until they go to their new homes – these are normal expenses. What if the bitch needs a vet at 2am (call-out charges) or a Caesarian at 4am (depending where you live this could cost £ 300 - £ 500!)

Are you aware of the work involved? Lots of lovely puppies scampering around the floor look cute on someone else ’ s carpet but they create lots of additional work: clearing up mini-wees and mini-poos, washing and drying bedding, cleaning out the litter-box at least once a day, preparing 4 or 5 meals a day, watching them eat so no-one gets pushed aside or poos in the food bowl, mending the things they’ve broken or torn, making endless pots of tea for the visitors who come to meet them, finding creative things for them to do so they don’t eat the carpet or each other ……… if you enjoy it, it’s wonderful. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it isn’t hard work!

Can you find good homes for all the puppies? Many of the friends and family who always wanted a puppy "just like yours" find it is not convenient just when the litter is due. You will get lots of phonecalls, many from people you wouldn ’ t trust with a stuffed teddy bear, let alone a puppy. Everyone needs to be vetted, they need to visit so you can see how they react with the puppy (and with your bitch). Do the children seem frightened of the dogs? Is it obviously just Dad who wants a DOBERMANN and Mum doesn’t fancy the idea at all? If you have any doubts, it could be that the puppy will be back with you (or even worse, on Rescue or being put down) within a year

JUST LOOK AT OUR RESCUE AND WELFARE PAGES THEY COULD BE YOUR BABIES IN A YEAR OR TWO.

Are you prepared to take responsibility for all the puppies you breed and re-home them if necessary? Can you take them back until a new home is found? or can you afford to pay kennelling fees?

Perhaps you think this is all nonsense and you will go ahead anyway. Well, she’s your bitch and no-one can stop you. But if you have had second thoughts and would like to discuss all the issues involved, please contact your vet, another dog-owner who has already bred a litter or any Committee member of this or any other dog club.

Please read the Code Of Ethics in conjunction with this leaflet so that you can see the responsibilities you have as a RESPONSIBLE dog owner.

 

 

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