As a breeder, I always find myself trying to determine the best time to breed my dogs. Believe it or not, at one time, I was a beginner breeder just starting out. I didn't have the knowledge of a big breeder. Just like very successful breeders that are breeding high quality dogs, I had to start somewhere. I was blind when I started this adventure. I came from a family that lived on a farm with a variety of pets. I had an aunt that raised German Shepherds. Her dogs were family pets and went to good homes. I also had an Uncle that was raising English Bulldogs and showing at the with AKC with the best of the best in the world. I had wonderful mentors to help get me started. As a new breeder, I would recommended to anyone new trying to start out, to find people close to you that you can trust for loads of information and advice. The Internet is also an amazing and abundant source of information when it comes researching dog breeding. I found that each female is different and each breed is a little different. I waited until my first female was 4 years old to breed her. We competed a natural breeding to an average male about 3 hours away from our family farm. This male was registered and young. He wasn't proven but was registered with potential. The price was right and I wasn't looking for the best of the best puppies; but, healthy and adorable that families would love. In the end, that's exactly what we ended up with. Before you begin to consider breeding, test your female and have your research completed. Have a plan for whelping and a vet with experience ready to help. Then, find a male that is also tested and fits the breed standards you are looking for. Ask lots of questions! 1. Track the cycle of your female. Look for the first day you notice spotting and make a note of it. 2. Track how many months your female goes between heats. I researched that large breed dogs can go 1 or 2 times a year. My females actually go closer to 3 or even 4 times a year. 3. If a natural breeding is going to occur, be prepared to take your female to the male at about one week. If you are doing AI, you will want to start target testing at about day 7 or 8. This type of testing is vital because you must know the day of ovulation to breed your dog. With natural breeding, you can breed 1 or 2 days prior to ovulation and still have success since the sperm can survive up to 5 days once insemination has occurred. With AI, the egg takes 24-48 hours to be ready to be inseminated. Also, shipped semen will not last as long. It may only last 1-3 days. Therefore, proper timing is very important or you may miss an entire litter and have to try again. Yes, I have had this happen. 4. Continue to follow up with your veterinarian. I complete ultrasounds at approximately day 28 and xrays towards the last week. Ultrasounds will determine if a successful breeding did take place. It is very hard to determine a puppy count at this age but heartbeats can be heard. Xrays are used to determine a puppy count. The veterinarian will count skulls and spines. It is important to have a puppy count so you know what to expect when your female is in labor and when intervention or assistance may be needed.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWe have an amazing blended family! We look forward to sharing our life and major events with others that share the same passions as our family. Archives
December 2020
Categories |