Why Breed a Litter? Have you really asked yourself this question?

Breeding a litter of puppies is not a task to be taken lightly and requires a considerable amount of responsibility, time, effort and money.

You may think that letting your bitch have a litter because it may calm her down or because she suffers from false pregnancies will help her get over these problems, unfortunately this is not so. These problems can often be made worse by having a litter i.e. the chances are that if she experiences false pregnancies during subsequent seasons, it is likely to be made worse by the fact that she has experienced whelping and producing milk for her puppies etc.

It is also not a good enough reason to breed from your bitch just because you think she is beautiful to look at or has the best of temperaments. These attributes are usually down to the experience and dedication of the breeder who actually put the time and effort into breeding your bitch.

If you really are serious about breeding it is always advisable to seek advice from the breeder of your bitch, it is likely that they will advise you if your bitch is suitable for breeding and help to answer the many questions you may have.

Finding the right stud dog for your bitch is most important and reputable breeders have the knowledge required to be able to help you choose the right one for you and your bitch.

If you do decide to go ahead and breed it is ultimately your responsibility as the breeder to offer help, advice and after care to all your new puppy owners, not just while they are puppies, but for the rest of their lives and if the worst comes to the worst you should at anytime be prepared to help re-home any dog that you have bred, irrespective of age and not leave this up to the overworked and under pressure Breed Rescue Services.

So think long and hard before breeding with your bitch, if done properly it can be extremely rewarding, if not it can be a nightmare waiting to happen.