Thursday, May 31, 2012

pet with option to breed??

A while back I wrote this post in response to an inquiry:  "We want a pet with the option to breed." Hopefully this will help some of the readers understand what responsible breeding means.  These people already own pet Cardigans.
Please understand that this is not being published to puff me up in any way.  I happened to come accross this post when I was looking for something else, and I thought of another Cardigan breeder who has been posting 'helpful' blurbs recently and thought "yes, readers may benefit from this"

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I have been involved in showing and breeding Cardigans for 21 years. I LOVE Cardigans. I LOVE my dogs. Have you been to my web site? (link below) Have you seen all the top accomplishments over the years? Do you see all the health testing and priority given to temperament?  It takes dedication and a lot of guts to be a breeder. Breeding is not for the weak at heart! Go read my blog (link below) about my last litter which was a bizarre disaster...starting with an emergency c-section. I used to be a Vet Tech and I have bred 42 litters to date...so, I know when something is not right. The Vet I had to use was a scramble to find because my Vet was out of town. It was in the middle of the night too- as usual...the vet said that if I had waited I probably would have lost the bitch too. (By-the-way, Nibbs carried 7 pups, I came home with 4 and in the end I had ONE surviving pup and that is with all my knowledge and being home all the time for my animals) Nibbs got spayed on the table-torn and torsioned uterus.

Even without bad stuff after a c-section you usually have a rough go of it for the first 2 to 10 days...sometimes the Mom doesn't have milk or doesn't want the pups since she is in pain...then you have a neonatal intensive care situation. Tube feeding or bottle feeding,keeping everyone warm and no one squished by a Momma that is out of it...etc.

Right now after a series of unfortunate events in my breeding career, I am in the hole financially $5,000. I usually hope to break even. I tell people that you better have about 3 to $4,000 set aside if you want to breed a litter.

Buying yourself another dog to breed, then you will have 3. Of course you keep one pup. Now you have 4. But what about the pups you have left over that people don't buy...or said they'd take and changed their minds.

I have a reputation to uphold as a breeder who does it right and well, works hard at it and continually strives for the top. I have a waiting list filled before I even have a girl bred....

I understand your desire to have puppies from a breed of dog you love. But to really love them is to do right by them. Make sure you are breeding for better dogs not just to fill a desire and hope for the best. Make sure that you don't produce puppies that will be a problem for the new owner....temperament test and match the right family to the right puppy. Make sure that you breed carefully and *(breeder/buyer choice) know if you produce any puppies that are at risk for developing DM (degenerative mylopathy) or PRA (Progressive retinal atrophy) or HD (Hip dysplasia) or high risk for thyroid or addisons or.....etc. Do your best, with knowledge trying not to produce pups with poor socialization or a poor rear or a poor front or? so you don't cause a less than good life for the dog and problems for it's owner by being unaware....

I assume you are thinking of breeding 'A' (their boy dog) to a blue girl(they are hoping to buy). What does the breeder of 'A'. think about this? Why don't you go to your breeder to ask what you have asked of me?

For all the reasons and explainations above and more, no, I do not sell pet pups with the option to breed....
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2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you Katherine..and the several of you who wrote me at my e-mail address. It is hard to be a good breeder at times and so it is great to be encouraged.

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