Help!!! OH wants to Breed Wherry - Now!!

[Coco]

 

OH took Wherry to the vets this morning as she is in season and her bits are VERY swollen. The blurry vet advised him to breed her - NOW, like the next few days!!!!!.     
I get a call this morning from him telling me this to which I tried calmly to put him straight. He said, 'How hard can it be to find a dog for her? There are plenty about'        Arrggghhhhh!!!!

Well, it descended into quite a row. I tried the nice approach and said 'well, you won't be able to sell the pups if you don't do it properly' but he just said - 'Oh, I don't think I'll have any problem there'

This is after I bit my tongue at Sunday dinner with his parents telling him he should breed her and his Dad saying 'You could have 2 or 3 litters out of her'
I've sat there in the past and given my views and I may as well be taking to a wall, they don't listen, like litterally, don't pay attention like I'm some stupid hippie.

I know it's a bit pot kettle as before I knew anything about breeding I'd probably have been just as bad (though I always knew you couldn't just find any old stud) but now I know better but as 'the vet' has told him to do it he thinks it's OK.

It looks like I'm the only one who knows how terrible an idea this is and I can't believe he is thinking about doing this to my baby though essentially she is his and there is little I can do about it. I want to kidnap her!!      Hopefully, since we are going away it won't happen but I can totally see his parents who are baby sitting and he sorting it all out. Apparently 'MIL's cousin has a really nice Cocker"         

What can I do?

[emilyjw]

Am I right in remembering she has an under bite or something like that? Maybe go down the route of this being very likely in pups which could make it more difficult to fid them homes..

You're in a really tricky situation, one thing to bring up is who will spend the time looking after Wherry and pups.... especially if they need to be hand fed etc, does your OH have the time to do this?

[jools]

God, what a situation to be in! Can't you get him to read some online stuff about the perils of breeding? You're not in an easy situation, Doll and I'd be looking at the bg picture if I were you. 

[Coco]

Yep - you are right! And I though we'd agreed but the vet seems to think it's ok so now he has done an about turn  

I know he would expect me to take care of the pups, he absolutly does not have the time but then he could send her to MIL's or a Breeder he knows of that takes the mum and pups untill weaned.

But if I say I want no involvment what so ever and he (I should say they as I think this is very In-law led) goes ahead then i'm totally away from it and God knows what they will do, well, I know, it'll be this Cousin's Cocker.

My only hope is that he will speak to a vet friend who has a Boy Cocker (that he thinks will be ideal     ) and she will set him straight but it seems that in certain circles it's acceptable.

[Coco]

I'd be looking at the bg picture if I were you. 

?? You mean him? He is just naive and uninformed and because the Blurry stupid vet has said it's ok he believes the 'expert' + his parents are saying it's ok. I'm not so much angry at him except in terms of he not researching it but I can see why he would take a vet's opinion over mine. As I say, i'm the only one saying there is anything wrong with it. He is quite easily lead by the greater margin. 

[Beth]

  I'd kidnap her... at least until she's out of season.

[emilyjw]

Even if he mates her there is a chance it might not result in pups...

[Steelygirl]

Flippin eck! Can you report the blooming vet??? My vet is really advocating neuturing all dogs, thought all vets would have this opinion!

[Beth]

Just remembered that a vet i saw once told me i should breed Lucy. 'Cause she doesn't have a heart murmer and they're so common in the breed.

[Cob-Web]

Has she been eye screened/Optigen tested and hipscored?  Maybe you could point out that he could be responsible for breeding puppies that are destined to go blind at a young age if he choses to do this without any consideration  

I would be so angry that I would probably leave, with Wherry, until her season was over....and deal with the consequences later   Ignorance is no excuse - you have explained the risks and rather than listen to you and do any research or himself, he has obviously decided that he knows best  

As for the V.E.T - I would write a strongly worded letter to the RCVS explaining how irresponsible you consider one of their members to be by advising that she can be bred from with no idea of her health status - never mind the fact that he obviously didn't explain the risks involved in mating (infection) and whelping  

[Nicola]

Can you show him the responsible breeding sticky thread on here? Show him the Just One Litter site and how many litters there are advertised on UK Gundogs and in the Shooting Times. Why does he want to breed her? If he wants another Wherry go back to her breeder for another pup. If it's for money then he needs a serious kick up the @rse. Point out all the things that could potentially go wrong and the onus which is on a responsible breeder to research breeding, genetics and bloodlines properly to find the right stud AND to take back puppies that they have bred at ANY stage in their lives. TBH I'd probably just go mad and tell him not to be such an irresponsible idiot and leave breeding to people who do it properly... not sure how well that would go down though!

I'd be having words with this vet about his irresponsible attitude as well    Is he advising all his clients to breed their dogs??

[Steelygirl]

I agree with cob-web - kidnap her and hide her, cos from your post it doesn't sound as if you talking reason to him will make any difference. especially as you'd be the one to look after them.

[Slave of Baxter]

Has she been eye screened/Optigen tested and hipscored?  Maybe you could point out that he could be responsible for breeding puppies that are destined to go blind at a young age if he choses to do this without any consideration  

Turn it round on him.... act dead keen and ask him for the money to have all the health check/tests done....  would that change his mind?? 

(oh and tell him you will need a bit more set aside, in case it is a cesarean birth, and for the pups vaccinations and insurance etc)

[DennyK]

Agree, agree, agree with everything said so far.

Is there the equivalent of a "morning after" pill that can be given to a bitch (and if so, over what time frame after the mating) to prevent pregnancy/terminate a pregnancy?  

You say that Wherry is "his" - why?  Did he own her before you met?

I don't want to sound like a Relate relationship counsellor, but it seems as though there's a really serious issue here about disrespect, and him completely ignoring you and giving credence to his parents and the vet.  The issue is that he won't respect your views on something important to both of you and is not willing to compromise.  I'd try tackling him on that basis - that you've read a lot on here, and elsewhere - things that have been written by the kinds of breeders who invest in expensive gene testing and other tests before deciding whether their dog is healthy enough to breed from - and you've got a better understanding than the vet on this.  Stand up for yourself.  But also tell him it's an issue of disrespect - like you insisting you have the right to demand to have a baby, disregarding any worries or concerns he might have.  

If all else fails - yep, I'd take her away till out of season.  I'd also go to see the vet face to face and see what was really said.  He (your OH) might be bull**it*** about what was said because his dad has reignited the idea of a few thousand pounds of easy money per litter, two or three times over.

And if you do head this off at the pass this time: book her in for spaying at a different vets' practice in three months' time.  See how he likes THAT bit of disrespect.

TBH: I'm a pretty placid person, but if my husband did this (and I don't mean to imply that this is what you should do), I'm not joking - it would be a divorcing matter because I'd feel as if I'd been held in such contempt.

Grrrrrrrr

[Pammy]

How old is Wherry?