hi i was wondering if anyone has any information on breeding my patterdale terrier bitch, shes 2 and half and i am hoping to breed her when she comes into heat in summer. any information welcome thanks

Welcome! There is a LOT to think about when making the choice to breed a dog. These are just a few of the things to think about.

> Is she a show or performance champion?
> Will breeding her help improve the breed?
> Does she have all her health clearances (including hips, elbows, heart, eyes, thyroid, patella, DNA, Brucelosis, etc.) It is very costly to do these tests but NOBODY wants a puppy from a dog who is not tested and breeding without testing you could very well produce puppies who are blind or crippled.
> Do you know all about the care of a pregnant bitch?
> Do you know hwo to whelp a litter and how to handle whelping emergencies?
> Can you afford a c-section (many small breeds require them), 2 + vet visits for your bitch and 2 + vet visits for the puppies plus worming, QUALITY food, vaccinations, registration, etc.
> Are you willing to loose your bitch to produce these puppies? I know a few bitches who have died whelping!
> Can you afford the stud fee of a Champion dog who also has ALL his health clearances?
> Can you handle the emotional and physical needs: including no sleep for weeks, cleaning all day long, loosing puppies, hand feeding puppies, etc?
> Are you OK with blood? Whelping can be a bloody, messy process and deformed puppies can be very disturbing to look at... I have heard several reposts of puppies born "inside out" with all their organs on the outside!

Breeding can be very rewarding, but it is also stressful, sleepless and even heartbreaking!

Originally Posted by orangedog

Welcome! There is a LOT to think about when making the choice to breed a dog. These are just a few of the things to think about.

> Is she a show or performance champion?
> Will breeding her help improve the breed?
> Does she have all her health clearances (including hips, elbows, heart, eyes, thyroid, patella, DNA, Brucelosis, etc.) It is very costly to do these tests but NOBODY wants a puppy from a dog who is not tested and breeding without testing you could very well produce puppies who are blind or crippled.
> Do you know all about the care of a pregnant bitch?
> Do you know hwo to whelp a litter and how to handle whelping emergencies?
> Can you afford a c-section (many small breeds require them), 2 + vet visits for your bitch and 2 + vet visits for the puppies plus worming, QUALITY food, vaccinations, registration, etc.
> Are you willing to loose your bitch to produce these puppies? I know a few bitches who have died whelping!
> Can you afford the stud fee of a Champion dog who also has ALL his health clearances?
> Can you handle the emotional and physical needs: including no sleep for weeks, cleaning all day long, loosing puppies, hand feeding puppies, etc?
> Are you OK with blood? Whelping can be a bloody, messy process and deformed puppies can be very disturbing to look at... I have heard several reposts of puppies born "inside out" with all their organs on the outside!

Breeding can be very rewarding, but it is also stressful, sleepless and even heartbreaking!

hi yea i know all about these but thanks for putting them all down for me to double check.
i am really looking for information on how long in to bleeding it is you can put them with the stud to breed them.
my bitch is a very bonny dog(look at my pics off the black 1) but as you know a patterdale terrier can not be registered as a pedigree, she is very healthy, i also have all the time in the world to spend with her so i would be keeping a close eye on her at all times through out the pregnancy and birth, onwards. thanks for the info

I have no intention of being rude but if you need to ask that VERY BASIC question you have not done nearly enough research and are in no possition to breed. I would advice you get involved in a local dog club, become active in area dog shows, find an experienced breed mentor and then in a few years re-evaluate if you have enough information to breed a litter. I researched for more then 10 years reading every book, working with other breeders, going to every breeding and genetics related workshop and class I could find, talking to vets, etc. before I ever bred my first litter. After all those years of study I was able to responsibly breed a litter of healthy puppies.