LAB NOTES
# 4 – READ BEFORE YOU BREED YOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER **
Breeding isn’t a way to make money, nor is it an
eight week commitment. Breeders hold an important
responsibility – to preserve and care for the quality of
a breed. If you are interested in breeding, please read
on and carefully consider the following questions.
1. Is your dog a purebred dog, with a pedigree
from a reputable registry (CKC or AKC)?
Remember, though, that the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) or
any other registry is
just
a registry. It does not mean that dogs are worthy of
being bred.
2. Where did you get your dog? If you're
thinking of breeding, it should be from a
reputable/ethical breeder who has been in the breed for
a number of years and has proven success in their chosen
venues generation after generation.
3. Did you get a 3-5 generation pedigree with your
dog? You need to be aware of your dog's ancestral
lineage, and both the benefits and disadvantages of the
lines. If your puppy was purchased from a
reputable/ethical breeder, you should have received a
pedigree from the registry when your puppy was
registered.
4. Are there a significant number of titled dogs in
the last three generations? A pedigree that boasts a
few 'red' names doesn't mean a thing, and irresponsible
breeders often use one or two champions to prove that
the pup is 'quality'. Titles are issued by registries
(CKC or AKC), as well as by other dog performance
organizations (agility, rally-o, NAHRA, HRC)
5. Does your dog have a stable temperament typical
of the Labrador Retriever? No Lab who is being
considered for breeding should be shy or fearful, nor
show any aggression to dog or man.
6. Does your dog adhere closely to the breed
standard?
The aim of breeding should be to better the breed, so
your dog should follow the blueprint of the ideal
Labrador. A good way to judge this is to show your dog
in conformation shows, and then judge how successful you
were.
7. Is your dog healthy and certified (OVC, OFA,
Wind Morgan, Penn Hip, CERF, OptiGen) free of genetic
diseases? Are his/her parents and grandparents?
If you cannot answer yes to all 7 of these
questions, the only responsible thing
to do is get your pet neutered!
If you can answer yes, then you may have a dog of
breeding quality. However, if you are not actively
involved in some area of competition with your dog
seriously, (conformation, field, hunt, obedience,
agility, etc.) please think very carefully about WHY
you want to have a litter. There is a tremendous
amount of cost and responsibility involved in being a
reputable breeder. If you do have a breeding quality
dog, then you need to ask yourself the following
questions.
1. Are
you prepared to watch your pet die during whelping
or during a cesarean section, should something go
wrong? This happens more often than the average person
realizes.
2. Are
you strong enough to deal with stillbirths, deformities
and the myriad
of other things that can go wrong with pups, such as
problems during birth? For example, what if a pup
becomes stuck in the birth canal, you can’t get your
female needed veterinary help in time, and both your
female and all the remaining unborn pups die, right in
front of you?
3. Are
you financially able to pay for the stud fee,
progesterone tests for timing breedings, travel to the
stud, feeding the Dam and the litter with premium food,
litter vaccinations, time off work to care for the
newborn litter, CKC/AKC registration of the litter and
all puppies, as well as emergency vet care for mom and
the entire litter? Depending on the litter size and
whether or not there are any problems, these costs can
easily run from $1,200 - $3,000 and up. For example, an
emergency Caesarian Section in the middle of the night,
will cost upwards of $1500.00 , whether any of the
puppies are saved or not!!
4. Are
you willing to take back every puppy that is ever
whelped should a problem occur in its new home? Are you
able to refund the buyer’s money if a puppy is
discovered to have a genetic defect?
5. Do
you know how to do your best to ensure that every pup
goes to a
responsible and loving home?
6. Do
you have the ability, desire and financial means to
show your pup in the conformation ring, run her in field
tests and compete with her in obedience? If your dog
doesn't have the ability to prove herself in all of
these disciplines, she shouldn't be bred.
7. Is
the annoyance of having a female dog in heat twice a
year for three weeks going to drive you crazy? Do you
understand your female must not be bred before all
clearances are in place, i.e. before 18-24 months of
age?
8. Is
there a secure place in your house and on walks
where you can ensure that she is not going to be bred by
another dog when she's in heat? Accidental breedings to
another breed dog only adds more mixed breed puppies to
the pet overpopulation problem.
9. Are
you prepared to put your pet at higher risk for
mammary tumors and
pyometria (a potentially fatal infection of the uterus)?
If you are, then continue with your research. You
should join local and nationals breed clubs. Learn
everything you can from long time breeders in those
clubs. Consider spaying this pet, and going on to breed
in a few years, when you've increased your knowledge.
Remember, breeding should be
done to IMPROVE THE BREED. You should NOT
breed because
-
you want her to have a litter or two so the kids can
see the miracle of birth Why not rent a video or do
some internet research on it instead?
-
you want a puppy just like her
-
you feel you need to recoup what you have spent on
her. Chances are, you won’t – you’re more likely to
spend far more money than the puppies will bring in”
-
your neighbors and family want a puppy from your
pet. Why not go to the local shelter or Rescue
group and rescue a dog without a home?
-
you want to make money selling puppies! This is what
unethical puppy mills and back yard breeders do. Do
you want to add to this problem?
Done properly, breeding purebred dogs is a very
expensive pursuit from which you almost NEVER recover
your money and time invested. If it is not done for the
love of and improvement of your breed, it should not be
done!
Please, for the sake of the dogs, don't breed for
the wrong reasons and never for greed.
** Reprinted with permission of the
authors. Written by S. Anderson , Sher-Mi Labradors
(www.sher-mi.com) and L. Klodt, Waterdown Labradors
(www.waterdownlabradors.com ). Reproduction in whole or
part, without the express permission of the authors is
prohibited.
March 2006
