Is breeding a 'full time' job..

It's a long way off yet as Boo is only 10 months old but we are considering breeding her once or twice.

Looking for a bit of advise really? if it is something you would advise for a couple who work full time? I've always had male dogs before so never dealt with breeding or caring for new born pups but it is something I would love to do!

I would recon you better re-consider... If you can take about 3 weeks leave then it will be ok. Especially during the first 3 weeks puppies and dam do need constand supervision, purely because the mortality rate during this period is high, and can prevented if supervised. The dams step on/ and lay on puppies very easily, and because of the size difference (dam to pup) is HUGE, they won't even realise that they are laying on puppies. Remember, a fully matured bitch of around 60kg's, is pretty much to that of an avarage fully grown woman. A woman's baby weighs around 3kg's (normal healty baby). A saint baby weighs around 650g. So you can see how she won't even be aware of laying /sitting on a puppy. One also have to monitor that all babies get milk (if it's a big litter), and even assist with nursing them by bottle if as especially large litter (10+), and ofcourse that all stays warm and close to mommy!
From around 3 weeks, the mom to baby ration is about that of a human (babies weighing around 3kg's), can walk, see and hear, so then it's much easier, as they can get out of moms way, go to mom for warmth, see the teats to get nursed etc.
So ya, if you cannot be with your dog for atleast 2-3 weeks, I'd rather suggest you reconsider.

its a full time job from a week before to the day they leave!!!

its certainly something you would need to be mega organised with, ive known people to do it by booking off holiday etc, but its still very hard work,

a friend has just bred her bulldog- 9 beautiful babies were born here, I kept them until they were 3 weeks old and then they have taken them back and managed with holiday time off from work.

im just about to do the same with a different bitch again next week, I whelp and get the pups to a certain age then there owner will take them back...

a whelping service maybe what you need or a very helpful family, but without making it all doom and gloom , when things start to go wrong family sometimes cant cope... and don't want to be the ones " in charge" while pups are ill or dying, so be sure they wont jump ship when things go wrong.... hopefully they wont!!!



I wont go into if you should or shouldn't breed your girl, that's your choice , but certainly do your homework with the stud, have your girl health tested at a year and then start to decide, also look at if you can afford a section etc if it all goes wrong and theres no pups to sell at the end of it.

should you wish to call me to discuss it at any time id be happy to talk you though it all, before you decide

cheri xxx

Thanks Cheri

It won't be for a while yet as she is only 11 months. What do you see as a good age for her first litter?

Will have a long time to look into it and who knows circumstances may have changed by then so I may have more time to be at home with her.

We got her from some good friends of ours who bred St Bernards and Boxer dogs (not together) so it may be something they might be intersted in doing for us anyway.. I guess there are options to look into. I would like her to be a mum.

cool

what kennel is that? ive studded out to a couple people who own boxers and bernards

cheri

They are in Mayland in Essex?? I don't think they are registered breeders.

is your bitch kc registered?

Its a 7 day 24hr day job & you are left totally exhausted after.

A bitch really should not have a litter before the age of 2. Pedigree research must be done to rule out any known chances of problems that could occur later. As cheri says, Hip/elpbow scoring is a must & should be done no sooner than 1 year & 1 day (BVA Regulations) & when you receive the scores back then you need to compare them to the Breeds average.

A good stud that is compatible with a low co-efficient when bred to your girl must be sought too. Theres lots to consider, costs, health, tests, studs, could you take any back if they find themselves homeless because the owners cant keep for whatever reason ..... & i think most important ....the reason to breed with her.

When you say the kennel she comes from are not 'registered' what do you mean? If the kennel she comes from didnt register litters, and your girl is not UK KC registered, then i dont think its a good idea to go that route.

Plenty of info about the breed ailments on the Health & welfare website http://www.stbernardhealth.co.uk/

Please do ask lots of questions, we are always happy to help

Is that your girl in your profile pic?

Thanks for all your replies..

There is a lot to think about and take in!! I'll definately have to do my research before we consider it!

Yes that is her in my profile picture.

The family we got her from are not breeders. I mean they breed but I'm pretty sure they don't have KC register?

Boo isn't KC registered? I don't know how to go about doing it or finding her family history??? I wish I had done more research before we got her as I am pretty clueless!!! but my other half just came home with her one day so I didnt really have a chance!!

Did you see both her parents? or your hubby???

you cant register her, its something that the breeder has to do, and can only do if the parents are both st bernards,kc club registered also, and no endorsed.

I would really not consider breeding from a dog that isn't registered and you have no history on, you may end up walking into huge amounts of issues, breeding her to a relative or such... I believe selling non reistered pups isn't that easy also as buyers want some assurances that the pups are healthy- though of course the kc papers alone never means a pup is healthy...

of course no one can stop you, and should you go ahead id still advise, as I would with any breeding if I could help.

cheri

I can only reiterate what Cheri has said.

Breeding is not something to be taken lightly with pedigree, registered dogs & im sorry to say that i doubt  Boo is a full pedigree St Bernard . I have seen a dog just like her that was a cross between a St Bernard & Golden Retriever. Theres a few about now apparently.

You cannot register cross breeds, unless its the activity register for agility, working trials etc & only full pedigree dogs can be registered by the KC but the breeder has to do that, plus the parents have to be KC registered also.

Like i said before, when breeding you have to ask what your dog can offer to the breed in terms of health, pedigree & what the health problems are in the family history & what to avid etc.

Shes a very pretty girl, & i think she should just continue to be the focus of family life & forget breeding her. Its a full time job, with very long hours, huge expence, little time for yourself & if you work full time too, it could just be one great disaster after another & i doubt that anyone will mate her given that its questionable shes a full pedigree & you cant provide any proof

I have only seen her mum, she was a full St Bernard but again i'm not sure she was KC registered. All we know is her Dad was called Khan and apparently a St Bernard too but i have my doubts. She isn't very tall and looks identical to another dog from a litter which was a cross with a Newfoundland.. so I am almost confident thats also what she is..

I'm not intrested in breeding her for money. To be honest it's just personally because I'd like to keep one of her pups.

I've had dogs in the past and we have a Jack Russel also who I love to bits and I try to tell myself I don't have a favorite and it sound so awful to say but there is just something about Boo i have completely fallen in love with her.. As i've read in Cheri's posts about Daisy she has stolen my heart!! I've never had a dog like her before!!

Thank you so much for all your advise and no doubt i'll be in touch for more advise in the future.. She's only a year old and i'm not even going to think about breeding her for at least another year so long time to think about it all yet

x

personally id prompt you to reconsider.

you don't even know if her dad was a st Bernard, a newfoundland , a boxer or even a mixture or none of them...

all those breeds carry different problems, hips elbows kidneys heart.... its just not worth even considering

if you did still insist, I guess to be at least half an ounce responsible ( which I think you couldn't be if you bred her) she would need to be hip scored, elbow scored, Cu Tested, and heart tested this alone would cost about £750 .

I really wouldn't breed her, the complications are unknown as you've no idea what she is, I asked if she was reg as I assumed she wasn't even a reg st Bernard as did Kathy.

if you want a puppy buy a nice registered kc one from health tested parents one, and if you want to breed tell the breeder, don't breed a bitch that could cause unmeasurable heart ache to you and all that you sell the pups too.

of course its not a definite that their will be problems , but the risk of all the unknowns just isn't worth it.

enjoy her as a pet

cheri

We will definately be reconsidering, Like i said I am pretty clueless and had no idea with what is involved and the impact it could have on not only us but like you said people we sell the pups to!!

I plan to enjoy her for who she is and even if she's a St Bernard/Newfie she's still my Boo

Thank you so much for all your advise

Maybe one day my other half will let me get another one and if we do I will deinately be coming to either of you too.

x

I had a litter of st bernards x newfies ( ACCIDENT!) they were all black, beautiful pups.... and loved because of what they are....

3 pure black just like newfs, 1 black boy with white "Bernard " markings, and one smooth black girl with Bernard markings!

what I will say is, if ever you buy a bitch to breed make sure the breeder knows your plans, firstly as they may have endorsed the bitch- which means you cant register pups without them allowing you( likely they will have conditions for you to meet), and also as you will give them the chance to point you to the better bitch in the litter, rather than the one you may like for whatever reason but may not be the best for breeding- remember when you breed that reflects on the breeder so they want the best bred from and will help you choose.

cheri

All of the litter Boo was from were all Brown and White apart from one, who has same markings as Boo just black and white.

We never got her with the intension of breeding, my other half fell in love with her the moment he saw her too, he didnt even go round there with the intention of getting a pup at all he just went to 'have a look'

Do you have any pictures of the Bernard/Newfie pups? This is the boy from Boo's litter - Ted.