08/07/2024
Getting a brand new puppy or thinking about breeding?
Part One - Why is the breeder breeding, and how have they prepared.
I thought I would explain what I do with my puppies and my dogs from a breeding point of view. I'll do a few posts over the next few days
Everyone does things differently but I'm hoping this will create more awareness and understanding and enable puppy buyers to ask questions to breeders.and make better decisions when buying a puppy.
I'm still fairly new to this, this is my 6th litter in the last 15 years
Firstly before I breed, it will be to keep one myself or for another breeder such as with Pebbles litter, I will also already have a list.
Breeding puts your bitch's life at risk, make sure you're fully prepared to take that risk.
Have you got the finances to cover emergencies. Because if you haven't you will definitely be putting your bi***es life at risk. It's currently between £3.5k and £4k for an emergency out of hours C-section.
The worst case scenario is you lose your bitch and the puppies and you're just left with a broken heart and a big vet bill.
If I'm breeding a bitch she must be fully health tested. It can be hard to find a fully tested dog that ticks all the boxes especially in working cockers but there's absolutely no excuse IMO for your bitch to not be tested.
Fully tested is a grey area. For example in cockers from a Kennel Club point of view they recommend
1) DNA tests, FN AMS and PRA.
2) BVA Eye Test and Gonioscopy. The BVA eye test is only valid for 1 year and the Gonioscopy for 3 years as they just look at the eye on that day and things can develop, progress and change.
Many people will view, just DNA or DNA and eyes as fully tested.
However there is a new illness in cockers called Paradoxical Pseudomyotonia (PP) which the Kennel Club haven't added to the list 'yet' but it's available.
My dogs are also Hip and Elbow Scored and have had their patellas checked by an Orthopedic Specialist both awake and under sedation.
For me fully tested includes hips and elbows as there are problems in the breed. Some will argue there is not.
Cockers are stoic and these joint issues often manifest themselves behaviourally as in aggression, hyperactivity, OCD repetitive behaviours and overarousal because putting yourself on an adrenaline rush eases the pain. It's like self medication.
Just looks like a drivey cocker.
What's also important with health testing is the results. Learn what the results mean. What does a DNA, clear carrier and effected mean, what's a good hip score, what do the Gonioscopy grades mean.
I've seen when looking for a Rottie for my stepson that some people advertise as fully health tested and the dogs have failed the tests or have poor results. I only knew this because I checked the results in the Kennel club website and then questioned the breeder, who gave me reasons and excuses that would probably be acceptable to a puppy owner who doesn't really understand it all.
However I walked. My stepson has a fabulous Rottie now, he's beautiful, healthy and has a temperament to die for 🖤
Health testing is not a guarantee your puppy will be healthy but it means the breeder has done their best to be informed about the health status of the parents and attempt to avoid certain problems developing.
For example you may get a puppy that develops hip dysplasia from parents with low scores. However you are statistically less likely to.
It's not all about health testing though as there's welfare, temperament and genetics to consider. Don't just assume if the breeder is health testing they are breeding responsibly. I've met many aggressive puppies from aggressive parents that are fully health tested. It's not just how you raise them.
A puppy will inherit the genes from its parents, these will play a part in its health, its construction, size and build and most importantly its temperament and working ability.
A puppy will inherit behavioural traits from it's parents. Puppy can inherit traits genetically passed down as well as newer learned behaviours. If a bitch is in an impoverished or stressful environment and is scared and defensive because it's not safe or she simply doesn't feel safe. She will, from a survival point of view pass that need to be in defense to stay safe to her puppies in order for them to survive too. Stressed bi***es also pass cortisol through the breast milk to the puppies.
Then there's the breed standard, is this being taken into account, can the parents do the job they were bred to do. People will breed for different reasons such as money, different sports and activities, pets, fancy colours, just because their mates dog down the road is convenient to use. I have bred this litter to keep a puppy to trial. They probably won't make a good pet for long walks in the countryside.
Then there's COI, this is short for the Coefficient of Inbreeding. Kennel Club registered puppies will have a COI.
In working cockers it's average is quite high compared to other breeds, some people will breed to a low COI where parents are as unrelated as possible and some for a higher COI to breed more related dogs and get what is called type. The higher the COI the more risk of doubling up on dodgy genes while doubling up on good or excellent genes.
Moving onto the bi***es welfare, is she sound and solid in temperament, is she matured herself.
Letty is 3 years old. I would never breed a bitch under 2 years old because I just don't know enough about them yet temperament wise and they are often just not mature enough themselves. Letty definitely wasn't ready for a litter at 2. I'd decided not to breed her, however this last year she has flourished and matured on and she's worked a brilliant season. So I made the decision to breed this year. She's been a super mum too.
The hardest part of breeding is to be able to step back and look at your pet you love objectively as breeding stock.
I think all my dogs are incredibly awesome but they are not all breeding stock quality.
I like to ask other experienced people's opinions who I know will be straight with me and not look at my dog through the rose tinted spectacles that I do 🖤
Thought I'd start at the before breeding part. Hope this is helpful
Jane Ardern BSc Hons KCAI WG
*Not checked for typos
