consecutivelitters

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Vets are expert in animal disease - they are not necessarily expert in animal management outside of their area. Like any undertaking (including veterinary practice) breeding dogs requires practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge. You will have more practical knowledge of breeding than your vet in only a couple of years and if you read widely your theoretical knowledge will soon challenge most practitioners.</div> <bR> <div> The other thing I would like to comment on it the issues of breeding age and how often to breed. </div> <bR> <div> At university - in our animal reproduction course - I was told in no uncertain terms that, contrary to "breeders ethics" there is no scientific reason for not breeding a dog on its first and subsequent heats. "As long as the bitch is fed well they will continue to grow normally through pregnancy" was Dr Wright's advice. Admittedly this was 25 years ago but when I started breeding I assumed this advice was valid and that I could, safely and without causing harm to my dogs, breed them on their first cycle. </div> <bR> <div> I'm happy to report that theory held up! I have never had a "dystocia" (difficult whelping) in any of my Labradors, they are all fit healthy dogs and to date I have never had any health problems associated with reproduction. </div> <bR> <div> I think that I have an advantage by breeding small poodles to large Labradors - the puppies are much smaller than purebred Labs and being F1 are very vigorous puppies - so it may be that I have just been lucky and that the theory that I was taught at vet school is not universally valid. </div> <bR> <div> I'd be interested to know what health problems you are finding to be reported as likely problems in dogs bred earlier than 2 years - what were your vet's concerns Karen B? It may be that they are concerned about weight on growing joints perhaps? I suspect that many breeding problems are a result of "inbreeding depression" - the "opposite", if you like, of hybrid vigour - which results in fertility and reproductive problems in many purebred dogs.</div> <bR> <div> The argument that 2 years is required before one can be sure that dogs are HD free is valid - Juliane knows more about this than I do and might like to comment on this (an example of an educated breeder doing the research). Certainly if I was planning to breed on from my dogs I would be screening my bitches and taking this into consideration when deciding on the choice of breeding age.</div> <bR> <div> In my little poodles I wait for at least one heat - the little girls are so tiny and mature so early that I "feel sorry for them" - this is anthropomorphic and is a different thing to actually being concerned about the health of the dogs. A couple of times when accidents have occurred (as inevitably they do if a pup comes on heat a bit earlier and with less fanfare than expected and there is a quick dog around!) these tiny bitches have whelped naturally and without complications - although I do find that my pure poodle puppies are much less vigorous than the labradoodles and they do throw the occasional birth defect.</div> <bR> <div> It is probably an appropriate place to question on your question about "regular breeding" Rochelle. Yes I was being a bit euphemistic - the condemnation of breeding on every heat is so universal that even I am a little reluctant to "come out" on this issue. But the fact remains that breeding on every heat is what dogs are designed to do by nature and that the "unnatural" practice of preventing regular pregnancies is actually bad for bitches!</div> <bR> <div> Radical stuff I know but if you don't believe this then ask your vet the following:</div> <div> 1. Does pregnancy postpone the onset of Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia and reduce the incidence of mammary tumours in entire bitches</div> <div> 2. What are the adverse health consequences for a normal healthy bitch from breeding on every heat? </div> <bR> <div> My approach and my advice to clients who want to breed their dog - mostly backyard pet owners wanting to breed a litter or two for fun - is to breed early and breed regularly until you have bred the puppies you want - then desex your dog. IMNVHO this is the approach that is in the best interest of the bitch with regard to diseases associated with reproduction. </div> <bR> <div> I believe that the current 'breeder ethics' which limit the breeding age and frequency of litters are designed to limit the puppy population (not a bad thing) or are based on 'feeling sorry for the bitch' rather than on science.</div> <bR> <div> Since this is already a ridiculously long post I may as well add a bit of theory to back up what I'm saying:</div> <bR> <div> When a bitch comes on heat she will go through a series of hormonal changes - rising oestrogen, drop in oestrogen then rising progesterone and high levels of progesterone for about 2 months. The unusual thing about dogs compared with the other species we deal with is that these hormonal changes are the same whether the animal is pregnant or not. The long “luteal phase” with high progesterone is what produces “pseudopregnancies” and rather than being abnormal or unusual and needing treatment pseudopregnancy is what happens when a bitch is not mated.</div> <bR> <div> In a pseudopregnancy the uterine lining thickens as it does in pregnancy but in pregnancy the lining does not get “hyperplastic” - it doesn't thicken or secrete abnormally. In each successive pseudopregnancy this thickening is exacerbated. Pregnancy therefore protects against Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia.</div> <bR> <div> I am not sure why pregnancy is regarded as being protective against mammary tumours. In humans my understanding is that it is because the predisposing factor is the increase in breast tissue with the influence of oestrogen every month but in dogs the hormones don't change much whether the dog is pregnant or pseudopregnant. I assume it is actually lactation which is protective.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> I'll stop now …. Sighs of relief all round!</div> <div> All the best </div> <div> Kate</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>..............................................................................................................</I></div> <bR> <div> Kate Schoeffel BSc(Hons) </div> <div> BVSc </div> <div> Nyora, Condobolin NSW </div> <div> 2877 </div> <div> AUSTRALIA </div> <div> Phone: 068 95 2511 </div> <div> A/H: 02 6896 2935 </div> <div> Fax: 02 6895 3851 </div> <div> Email: nyora@westserv.net.au</div> <div> website:  www.family-pets.com</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=16.25% BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="1d0b60603.jpg"> <div> .</div> </td> </tr></table></body>