Breeding from your bitch

If you are thinking of breeding there are many things that you need to consider before going ahead. It is a very rewarding experience; however it requires plenty of time, patience and money. It is extremely important that if you are going to breed that you follow all the proper guidelines as we want all of our future dogs to be happy, healthy and fit.

If you decide that breeding is not for you then you can always get your dog spayed. This will prevent unwanted and/or unplanned pregnancies. If you want to know more information on this then contact either your breeder or your vet.

If you are considering breeding, have a look at these questions. If you can confidently answer yes to all these questions then the time may be correct for you to start breeding from your bitch.

(1) Have I got the time to spend looking after the bitch throughout the pregnancy and then the time (approx 8 weeks) to look after the litter once born?
(2) Do I know enough information to inform new owners on caring for their new puppy? Information on rearing, diet, exercise and training?
(3) Can I afford to pay for the medical checks that the bitch will need and if necessary pay for medical checks for the litter?
(4) Do I know enough to help the bitch during the whelping, if necessary? (for more information on whelping see below)
(5) Can I cope with a large litter of puppies? Do I have sufficient knowledge to rear the litter correctly with regards to worming, vaccinations etc?
(6) Would I be able to find good homes for all puppies? Am I in a position to re-home or take back any of the litter?

If you feel that you are confident to start breeding then check out our hints and tips below.

Responsible breeding

It is important to be a responsible breeder, you can achieve this by:

 Making sure each new litter are an improvement on their parents
 Giving careful consideration to health issues, temperament and soundness
 Planning ahead of each mating so as to ensure that each puppy produced will be bred in the best environment
 Making yourself available as a point of contact to new puppy owners

Before mating your bitch it would be advised to take her to the vets to be fully checked. Your vet will be able to look for any possible conditions that her litter could inherit, e.g. hip dysplasia and eye conditions. Different breeds of dog are more or less likely to be prone to certain illnesses. It is very important for both shire and dam to be tested before mating.

Breeding Restrictions

You must make sure that your bitch doesn’t carry any breeding restrictions. If she does then you will need to contact her breeder and get these removed.

Matching/finding a stud dog

When trying to find a stud dog you must look into the compatibility of the pedigree pairing, make sure that the stud dog has also had the relevant inherited checks. A dog could also carry breeding restrictions so be sure to get this checked with the stud dog’s owners. It is a good idea to spend time with the dog to see his temperament; you do not want to choose a snappy, moody dog to father your new litter! It is advisable to make sure that you have a written contract with the dog’s owners before mating occurs so that everyone is clear of any costs that may be incurred or indeed any money that may be made!

Mating your bitch

The average day to mate a bitch is between the 11th and 14th day of her season. Sometimes judging the correct day proves to be very difficult. Some can be ready to mate on day 7 but some bitches may not accept the dog until day 21.

Some tell tale signs that your bitch is in season are:

* Loss of appetite * Spots of blood
* Frequent urination * Swelling around the vulva

There are two stages of a bitch’s season: pro-oestrus and oestrus. During the pro-oestrus stage you will see spots of blood and this is when she may reject a dog. However once the discharge changes to be pale yellow in colour the bitch will welcome the dog.

If necessary it may be better to have an ovulation test done by the vet to find out the exact date on which to mate your dog.

It is best to introduce the bitch to the dog whilst they are both on leads. If you get an aggressive reception from either dog it is best not to continue. Therefore it is recommended that you have a stud dog ‘in reserve’.

Once the dogs seem comfortable with each other, take them off their leads and leave them. The whole process can take just under an hour to complete. There are two stages but they will not necessarily go through the second stage.
Firstly, the dog will mount the bitch and will ejaculate. During the second stage, the dog will dismount but they will be ‘tied’ together. The dog and the bitch will be in a tail to tail position when ‘tied’. Do not attempt to separate them at this time. This can last up to an hour. There are in effect ‘locked’ together and the dog will continue to release semen. This second stage is not essential for conception to take place, however the second release of semen is far richer in spermatozoa and therefore there is a higher possibility of conceiving.

Make sure that you get all the dog’s information especially if you have travelled a long distance as this may be the last time that you see him and his owner.