If you have a female dog, then you may be thinking about breeding her. Of course, you will also want to be sure you are doing what is right for your dog, so learning as much as you can about dog breeding will be important. Here are some things you want to be aware of with regards to breeding dogs:
Litters should be bred for a purpose – There are already more dogs in the world than there are owners for those dogs. Each day, many dogs are euthanized in animal shelters because they can't find owners who want them. This is why you want to be sure you are acting as a responsible breeder and not what is commonly referred to as a 'backyard breeder.' Litters should be bred to purebred dogs with proper health certifications, good lines and full registration. You need to know how to breed for good qualities and how to make sure you are breeding out any bad qualities. This means you should do a lot of homework before breeding your dog. You should also make sure you have a network of people you can turn to in order to ensure you have good homes lined up for all the puppies.
Certain breeds are prone to having difficult labors and being high risk – A lot of breeds out there are known for having high risk labors and deliveries. One of the more common reason some breeds have a harder time giving birth is due to the size and shape of the puppies heads. For example, Boston Bull Terriers, Chihuahuas, Bull Dogs and Pugs often have a very difficult time delivering naturally and end up needing cesareans. If your dog is having a hard time, you want to get them in to the vet right away, so they can intervene before it costs your dog and the puppies their lives.
What happens if your dog needs a cesarean - If you have a dog that's at a higher risk of needing a cesarean, then you want to be sure you have a veterinarian who will be on call, or you can possibly schedule one if the vet feels it is going to be necessary. After you take the momma and the puppies home, you want to watch her and make sure they aren't bothering the incision site. The good news is they will heal rather quickly. Make sure to keep your other dogs away from the momma while she is healing and make things easy on her. For example, if she is normally upstairs, you may want to move her and the litter downstairs, so she can use the bathroom without climbing all those stairs.
Contact a clinic, like Pitts Veterinary Hospital PC, for more help.
