Breeding Dogs...the good, the bad, and the scary

Repeated the breeding...

2010-05-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

The last breeding didn't turn out so hot, but it was the bitches first litter, so I decided to repeat the breeding. Same bitch, same stud dog. The reason to repeat was the stunning specimin of the singleton puppy I ended up with from the first breeding. An entire litter of those would be most welcome. The last litter was the first litter that had ever proved difficult.

Unfortunately, the second litter proved equally devistating. This time around, we still needed to have a c-section (lots of pushing, but no pups) and there were 3 puppies, which was lovely. The bad news is that two of the puppies died before they could turn 2 weeks old and the third one needed to be "helped" for the first 4 weeks with supplimentation, including tube feeding and bottlefeeding. He is 5 weeks old now and seems strong, but he is much smaller than I think he should be. He is eating solid food now and we just wormed him.

As a result of two bad litters, I have decided to place the bitch. I am not interested in putting her, or me, through any more difficult whelps, despite the quality she seems to produce. I figure a good pet home for her will be, in the long run, in her best interests. She is pretty easy going, so I'm sure she will do well. I am keeping her daughter, Grace, in hopes that she may have a more positive experience. Her grandmothers and great grandmothers on both sides have always done quite well, so maybe her mother is a fluke.

Ona high note, I have decided to import a dog from Czech. Rep...Etna, one of 11 puppies will be shipped to the US next week. I am hoping my new lines will prove more fruitful.

Grace turned 8 weeks...

2009-12-27T05:59:00.000-08:00

This week, my singleton puppy that I had struggled to keep alive, turned 8 weeks. What a rewarding time. The dogs are all getting along well and they all get along with the pup. I have arranged a setup for the puppy to have close access to the dog door and she is using it, which is wonderful. She had already been to the vet for her first shots, has been wormed twice, and made not a peep when the vet implanted the microchip.

Microchips are a wonderful tool! I have now 5 Berners and while I can tell the difference between my dogs, to other people, my dogs all look pretty much the same. Dog tags are a lovely idea, but collars come off and the chip is permenant.

When I was first getting into the breed, I looked high and low for a breeder that would work with me. I knew I wanted to breed Berners from the beginning, but breeders were so...'closed' and I had a heck of a time. I finally imported my first bitch and went on from there. It is so important when thinking about breeding to do it correctly. It is necessary, for the benefit of the program, as well as the breed as a whole to choose nice dogs AND perform clearances in order to improve the likelyhood of actually producing healthy dogs. Breeding unhealthy dogs or even 'unknowns' is more likely to produce unhealthy dogs which over time gets worse, not better.

I understand more and more why Berner breeders are so 'closed' as I have had enough bad
experiences with 'potential puppy owners' to almost decide to stop breeding all together. It can be very frustrating.

I would like to write to write articles on the following topics: What to look for in a breeder....So I have a puppy, now what?....Dog Food, it's NOT all the same....Why a fence?....
Seems like a good start. I am also open to suggestions.

Introduction....

2009-11-07T13:18:00.001-08:00

I have been enjoying the hobby of breeding dogs since my first litter in 2002. My interest lies purely in the realm of responsible breeding, by choosing breeding stock carefully, researching pedigrees, testing for and breeding away from genetic ailments, and enjoying my dogs as a part of my family. My dogs live in the house and have access to a dog door 24/7. They are fed a top quality diet and maintained in such a way that they are given lots of attention and stimulation.
All dogs should be so lucky.

I decided to start this blog because in the short time I have been breeding (only 7 years now - 7 litters), I have had a lot of experiences, both good and bad, and I wanted to share my knowledge. Many breeders, especially in my breed, are very guarded with information, despite their claim to have an open database of information, and I want people to have a source for researched information without fear of judgement or repercussions. Please do feel free to email me with any questions you would like answered and I will do my best to answer in a thorough and timely manner.