Dog Breeding Secrets Sitemap

01. Considerations - In a small town of Missouri a dispute had arisen over the killing of a dog by a neighbor. After all the witnesses had been heard, a young lawyer by the name of Vest, who later became a United States Senator, got to his feet and addressed the jury on behalf of the owner of the dog.

"The best friend a man has in the world," said Vest, "may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful.

02. Genetics - The history of dog breeding is a large subject, and to deal with each separate breed would entail a volume in itself. Here I shall give only a brief outline of the history of research in genetics, with a few remarks on the evolution of some of the better-known breeds.

To begin with, the dog goes far back into antiquity. Just where or when he first originated it would be impossible to say, but we do know that he is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures.

03. Breeding Aims - The mark to be aimed at in dog breeding is improvement —improvement of your own stock, improvement in the quality of the puppies which you raise, and finally, improvement of the breed itself.

Many owners argue against the purebred dog. They maintain that mongrels must be smarter than thoroughbred specimens, because performing dogs are practically always mixed breeds.

04. Choosing A Bitch - The majority of those who commence breeding dogs in a small way start out with one bitch, and working from there gradually enlarge their kennels. So let us start from the beginning, with one bitch.

How does one go about choosing his first bitch? As a rule, more factors enter into this choice than any subsequent one, for in many cases the beginner is looking for a pet as well as a bitch that he can show or use as the foundation of his kennel. And there is another factor which does not enter into later purchases—the question of what breed to start with.

05. Choosing A Stud - The choosing of a dog embraces all the points already considered in the choosing of a bitch. As with the bitch, pedigrees are of vital importance—not just the names on the family tree, but the knowledge of all the characteristics of every dog in it. In most cases it will be impossible to fill in the picture completely, but every bit of available information should be obtained and fitted into its place.

06. Handling A Stud - A major selling point of one of our big milk companies is that their cows are contented. Any animal, whether cow or dog, will yield much better returns if it is happy and satisfied with its lot in life. Keep all your dogs contented. They react to the weather very much as you do. They like the cold, but they need proper care to be able to meet its rigors.

07. Mating - As a general rule, a bitch comes in heat every six months after her first period, but there are many exceptions. I have one bitch whose seasons come every seven months, while others vary, with sometimes five months and sometimes as much as seven or eight months separating them. The duration of these periods varies also, though the normal time is from two to three and one-half weeks.

08. Gestation - Let us assume that your bitch has been bred to the stud which was chosen after careful thought and much searching of pedigrees. What is the next step? The answer is again: Keep the bitch in good health. The first consideration when starting your kennels was to get good stock, and the next is to keep that stock at all times in the best of health.

09. Whelping - There is an old saying among dog breeders that "nature makes the pup, but man makes the dog." This is true to an extent, but as breeding becomes more scientific, the part which man plays in making the pup is increasing. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that however important the part of man may become, nature will always bear the greater part of the load. A pup conceived by artificial insemination is not eligible for registration, so nature still has a very necessary part to play and the studs need have no fear of a lay off!

10. Post-Natal Care - When the last puppy has been whelped the bitch will lie quietly, recuperating a little from the task which she has just completed. Then she will commence to clean herself, and a short time later to look for her puppies. They may now be given to her, after her nipples have been sponged with boracic acid solution.

It is a wise precaution to keep the litter under observation for a time after they start nursing. Frequently puppies have to be started on the nipple. I have often seen them expending all their young energy looking for food, and not knowing when they found it. If this should happen, open the mouth of the puppy gently and insert one of the dam's nipples.

11. Young Puppies - One element which enters into modern breeding of which we have made no mention, is the changed environment which domesticity brings with it. The dog is no longer a wild creature, and the changes which come with his altered way of living may well enter into and interfere with nature's plans. Even when breeding under ideal conditions, your predictions will sometimes miscarry.

12. Weaning - The puppy comes into the world blind, and lie remains that way for nine days. This is nature's method of ensuring that he will not wander away from his mother and come to his death from cold or hunger. His blindness also protects his eyes while he is very young and has not yet acquired the ability to protect them himself by keeping out of the way of the sharp little claws of his brothers and sisters.

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