what are the steps in breeding?i have an 8mth old Eskimo who i would love to breed.She just had her first heat.Do i need to ask her vet about it?

[reeskujo]

A female needs to be at least 2yr.s old before she can be bred.....Health and genetic testing also needs to be done....The dog should also have some titles under it's belt meaning it should be shown,placed or won to receive it's titles....

This also applies to the stud...They should also both be registered with the AKC and their parents should have been health checked and titled as well...

Breeding is much more then putting 2 dogs together...It's expensive and very time consuming....If you've never done it before you need to be mentored...Which means working with an experienced,responsible and ethical breeder preferably on who breeds with your breed of dog.

You also need to be sure the lineage is clean. Unless you're trying to create a special new breed with specific traits, don't just take her out and breed with the first male you find. There's enough mixed breedings happening already. You need to be sure both have a clear lineage, clear health, and that you are either willing to keep ALL of the pups (there may be a lot!) or have responsible homes set up WAY ahead of time.

I have a litter on the ground that is 4 days old... between the cost of parents, vet exams, testing both sire & bitch for gentic diseases through OFA & CERF, brucellosis tests for both, show entries to earn titles, ultrasounds, x-rays, whelping supplies, first vet visit for the puppies I have spent what I would estimate to be about $9,000 + now I still need to pay for 2nd vet visits for all 10 puppies, worming, vaccines, litter registration fees, food for 10 puppies and nursing mom, I am looking at much more cost. And how much will someone really pay for a puppy. You breed for love and to better the breed!! May I also add that this was a very healthy bitch with no complications and very healthy puppies. If you have any problems your costs are even higher...

First, you need to wait until she's two to breed her. In the meantime, though, you should get her into some handling classes and start getting her out to shows. (Either AKC or UKC- while it's not the case in all breeds, in Eskies, UKC is competitive enough to mean something.) Get her evaluated by experienced Eskie people, and start learning about the dogs in her pedigree- their health, but equally important, their temperament- temperament is a MAJOR issue in Eskies, sadly, especially fearful dogs. You should probably talk to your girl's breeder about this- if she was sold as pet-quality, she may have a fault that means she can't be shown (and shouldn't be bred)- and if they don't KNOW any of these things? I'd frankly say spay her and plan to get another dog in a few years to breed from a better breeder and a better pedigree.

Once she turns two, you can get her hips and elbows X-rayed and sent into OFA. (You can have her patellas and eyes done as soon as she turns 1, however. Patellas can be done by your vet, but hips and elbows should be done by a specialist who is experienced in getting good OFA films- having to re-shoot them sucks. And the eye exam you need, CERF, is only done by a specialist vet.) You should also have her DNA tested for her PRA status. Progressive Retinal atrophy is the omst common eye disease in Eskies; affected dogs should not be bred and carriers should be bred only with great care.

By the time she's 2.5, she should at least be part of the way towards completing her championship and you'll have all your health testing results back. While you're waiting on those, though, you can be getting to know the various Eskie lines and deciding what lines you like. What lines consistantly have dogs who are strong in the areas your girl needs to improve on? (And there's no such thing as a perfect dog- even REALLY nice dogs have areas that they could be stronger.) Get to know the breeder(s) who have those lines, and find out how they feel about mentoring someone through their first litter- and that's part of the deal, if you've never done this before. Research puppy contracts and what that takes, and think VERY seriously if you're up to placing puppies. (I'm having screaming-wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-nightmares right now about my upcoming litter- my first- and what if I screw up on screening a puppy buyer and one of MY PUPPIES ends up in a puppy mill or stuck as an outside dog (a miserable situtaoin for collies who are SUCH people dogs) or god forbid, dumped in a shelter..) Having a mentor who will refer some puppy people your way is a godsend- unless I get a REALLY huge litter, everyone of my puppy buyers will be people I've known for 2 years who are well known in collies, and the others are all repeat collie owners wh opreviously bought from my mentor (who doesn't have puppies of her own right now so is sending puppy people my way instead.)

There is a LOT involved. :P Doing it right takes a ton of time and energy and money- and it's worth it, but if you're not going to take the time to do it right? Please don't do it. The world needs no more BYBs.

I thought I'd responded to this, but I guess not. :P

Firstly, she's too young now- but that's good. It gives you time ot get some of the MOST important stuff done. Spend the next 6 months learning to show her and get her out to some AKC or UKC shows and getting the opinions of more experienced Eskie people about her strengths and weaknesses. (UKC is not considered reputable in some breeds, but it's competitive in Eskies and you'll be able to find someone there to help you.) Finishing her championship is a good idea but it's not everything- points will work fine. (You also might want to get her CGC and/or some performance titles, please. These prove stable temperament and aren't THAT hard to train for- and Eskies unfortunately DO have a problem wiht temperament.) Start learning more about Eskie structure and temperament, and figure out where you'd like to improve on your girl- and there WILL be something. If you (and your new friends and judges) CAN'T find anything, you are either luckier than any person has been in the history of dog shows and you should start playing the lottery immediately.

Your girl's own breeder should be a good resource here, and you probably need to check and see if she was sold on a non-breeding registration (UKC) or limited registration (AKC)- if that's the case, you need to talk to her breeder and have that lifted before you can show her- and they may or may not be willing to. Some will require money (the difference between a pet and show pup) but most won't do it, money or not, if the pup does not meet THEIR definition of showable, breedable quality. If the breeder can't tell you about your dog's strengths and weaknesses (or those of her parents?) This is not a good sign for your girl's quality as far as breeding goes. If she's not registered, or she's registered with any other registry? Please spay her and find a reputable Eskie breeder to get a pup from (I can give you some referrals if you'd like) and start with THAT girl with the plan of showing and breeding her someday.

When she turns one, have her patellas checked (your vet can do this) and have her DNA tested for PRA through Optigen. You can also go ahead and get her CERF'd- a specialist will need to do this. Here's a list - CERF - ACVO Clinic List . Once you've got those results, you can move forward. If she's a PRA affected or has bad patellas, she should not be bred- please spay her and enjoy her as a companion. If you really want to breed, you'll have met breeders at the show who may be a better lead for a healthy AND typey dog than her breeder- you'll be in a better place to select one, too. If her patellas and PRA status are okay though, you can start talking to stud dog owners (if she's a status B, you'll want to breed to a PRA clear boy, if she's clear, you can breed to a carrier if you want to, although I don't see much reason to, there's too many nice boys who are clear- it's not like CEA in collies where the clears are few and far between.) Find a stud owner who is responsible and well-respected and who is willing to mentor you through your first litter and hopefully longer. Someone who is willing to refer puppy buyers to you will be ideal as you won't have much of a reputation for buyers to find you by yet.

You can also use the time you're waiting to figure out the exact wording of your puppy contract, who you are willing to adopt/sell to (what about families with tiny children who think their 4 year old can be responsible for a dog or who are expecting a baby? people with an unfenced yard? people whose last dog died from being hit by a car on a walk? people who want to feed a kooky vegan diet? ;P Friends and family may say they want a puppy and they may or may not come through- don't count on it!) You also need to think seriously about the responsibility- are you goint to be around in 12 years if one of your puppies, now a senior, suddenly loses his home? Breeding a litter means you are ALWAYS a safe home for your own puppies, no matter how far in the future.

Sound like a lot of work for something that essentially happens 'in nature' all the time? It is. But the world doesn't need any more breeders who are going to do a half-assed job. Doing it RIGHT is really rewarding- you've got the time and presumably the disposable income. But if you just want to breed her to the nearest Eskie male with balls and have some cute puffball puppies to sell to your neighbors and in the newspaper? Don't. The world has no shortage of crappy breeders who don't GET that they are the cause of the pets who die in our shelters. Don't add to the problem.


Cait