a litter for my dog

[tooters]

Hi.  I hope somebody can offer some advice.  Although i've had cocker spaniels for many years, i have never experienced a litter of puppies.
 am presently the very proud owner of an orange and white bitch, called Molly,
We we are very keen for her to have a litter of puppies but don't know where to start, as we obviously want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
She is now 3 years old, her seasons are not particularly regular so it's difficult to know 'the right time'.
We live in the Bristol area and would very much welcome any help or advice that anyone can offer.

[Jane S]

Hello Tooters

Deciding to have a litter is a big decision as I'm sure you know. Have you read our FAQ on Breeding a Litter? You can find it here : http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewt...opic.php?t=3428 If after reading this, you are still keen to breed from your Molly, your first purchase should be "The Book Of The Bitch" by Evans & White. You should then contact Molly's breeder for advice on suitable stud dogs but only if he/she is an experienced, reputable breeder. You will also need to  get Molly eye-tested to ensure she is clear of the hereditary disease PRA & check any stud dog you choose is also tested. Testing cannot be carried out by your own vet but by a specialist - more details here : www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/health.htm

If you need any more info, just ask

Jane                    

[cindere528]

Hi Tooters, I second all that Jane says, but I will also add that breeding has just as much chance of being heartbreakingly unsuccessful as it has of being a happy occasion.  It can also be outrageously expensive if things don't quite go to plan.  I say leave breeding to the experienced breeders & just love Molly as she is which I'm sure you do.                    

[PennyB]

And then there's whether you could cope with dogs/pups being returned if owners have problems rather than passed around the free ads.                    

[tittyfaloo]

Hi Tooters, I don't want to dishearten you but I would leave the breeding to the experts. There are so many things during pregnancy & birth that can go wrong. My Mum (experienced breeder of Shih Tzu's) had to hand rear her last litter of 5 as their Mums womb ruptured, had to be removed and then she rejected the babies. To say my Mum was like a walking zombie would be an understatement. Her life went on hold for at least 7 weeks.
Samantha x                    

[Luvlylady]

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[PennyB]

My grandfather bred cockers but I have no desire to do so.

You have to be able to deal with every possibility to do it properly (no pups, death of the mother, illness, rehoming, taking back pups that haven't worked out in their new home, etc.). Those that breed just one litter don't always do it for the right reasons (don't want anyone jumping on my back for this one) as the reasons for doing so aren't often in the best interests for the breed. Its OK saying but someone's got to start somewhere but if they start with e.g. cuteness or she's a lovely dog then that's hardly the basis to breed. I believe that if someone does this they do it seriously and not half-heartedly.

There's an ad in my local free paper from someone desparate to find a stud dog for their cocker, which says it all.                    

[Jane S]

Penny's right - you have to go into breeding for the right reasons and armed with as much information as possible. Everybody does have to start somewhere - there is no history of dog breeding in my family or Andrew's but when we started, we read everything we could lay our hands on about Cockers & breeding & also had what the Americans would call a "mentor", someone with years of experience in Cockers, who advised us & stopped us making what could have been a disastrous choice of stud dog. Many owners who think it would be a good idea to have a litter from their pet Cocker don't realise that it's not just a matter of finding any old male Cocker to use at stud, it has to be the right one. I had an email the other day who wanted a stud dog NOW for her Working Cocker bitch & it was obvious she would have accepted any dog as long as he could do the business                    

[Gilly]

I can only echo what Jane and the others have said. I agree we all have to start somewhere and as someone going into breeding for the first time I can only say that I would not be doing this without the help of my "Mentor"  :wink: who has immense experience and who is guiding me along the right path. I am going into this with my eyes wide open and have thought long and hard about the implications. I also think it is important (for me anyway) to do things "by the book". Butty will be having all the relevant health screening etc, and so will the stud dog that I use  :wink: I hasten to add that If I had been told that Butty was not ideal for breeding then I would not be doing it in the 1st place. There is so much more to breeding than putting any dog and bitch together.
I can't stress enough the importance of having someone who really does know what they are talking about guiding you and helping you make the right decisions                      

[Luvlylady]

after owning quite a few  cockers we decided that we would like a litter so we have all beed reading as much as possible my freind breeds corgis i know its not the same as a cocker but im sure she has a good idea of what to exspect although there are different things we need to find out about breeding cockers quite often ill ask on here or ill come across what i need on the web . things like never breeding partis with solids . hopefuly when were ready it will go smoothly we dont feel like just jumping in then thinking what went wrong  :?  as for finding a good stud dog we shall ask the breeder see what she has to say i know exactly what your saying about the stud dog , some people dont read anything and just asume its a male that will do  :roll:                    

[shonajoy]

Can I ask what motivates you, Gilly, and the others who are considering breeding?

I'd be interested to know, I couldn't stand the work involved.                    

[Gilly]

What motivates me is to be able to produce, happy, healthy puppies that are a good example of the breed. I will be keeping one puppy for myself which I hope to be able to show, although there are no guarantees obviously  :wink: I want to be proud of the puppies I produce, and first and foremost I want them to be happy, healthy and have excellent temperaments, which I am sure they will have as Butty has a lovely temperamant and so does the stud dog I have chosen when the time comes   I am also happy to say that I have 100% committment from my husband, family and friends to                      

[Luvlylady]

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[Hel]

My god   - sorry, couldn't find a smilie for bashing my head against a wall......                    

[Gilly]

I hasten to add Nicole that my reasoning isn't anything like yours i'm afraid