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Breeding is not for the faint of heart. It is unfortunately
not just a case of saying ‘it would be fun, let have a
litter of puppies’. And it definitely is not a means of
making a bit of extra money!
Breeding requires planning and preparation; it can be
an expensive exercise, not to mention time consuming. Puppies
require a lot of care and intervention from the human to ensure they are healthy and develop good temperaments.
(Super dogs are made, not born.)
When you breed a litter you also collect a few extra responsibilities
you need to take into account.
- To your own dog
- To every puppy born for the rest of its life
- To each puppy’s new family
Things to consider before embarking on this journey
- Are you up to speed on the health issues that may underlay
your breeding?
- Have you done the required health testing for your
bitch?
- Do you have the funds required for a stud fee, extra
feeding that will be required and veterinary care that
may be needed?
- Do you have suitable accommodation for raising a litter?
- Are you able to whelp a litter? E.g. assist the bitch
during the process if there are complications, resuscitate
a puppy if you need to, etc?
- Are you prepared to bottle feed puppies if you need
to? (e.g be sleep deprived)
- Are you prepared for the heartbreak if a puppy dies
or worse, the whole litter starts having problems?
- Do you have the time to raise a litter?
- Are you aware of a puppy’s developmental stages and
how critical the first 8 weeks are? Do you know what
they need from you and from other sources?
- Do you have homes for the puppies, or can you find
good homes?
- Are you aware of the registration requirements for
Dobes? (assuming you are planning to register the litter)
OK. Now I’ve scared you to death and you still want to
breed!
When should you breed your bitch?
Definitely not with her 1st season. Her HD x-rays
can only be taken once she is more than 12 months old and
this is required before breeding takes place. She has not
even completed her own growth until she is approximately
18 months old. My personal preference is to wait till the
bitch is at least 2 and a half, preferably 3 years old.
And please do not breed successive seasons. Think about
your bitch and keep the number of litters to no more than
3-4 during her lifetime. Personally, I usually stick with
2 litters from a bitch.
Selection of stud.
It is unfortunately not as simple as just using the male
Dobermann next door, your friend’s boy or the local champion.
Or at least it shouldn’t be!
Assess (Critique/analyse) our own dog (and you don’t have
to pass this on to anyone else so please be honest!)
Do the same for the potential mates. Check and compare
pedigrees. Are they compatible? Have you done some research
or know what compatible means, and how to raise the odds
that you produce healthy dogs with sound temperaments?
You should understand a bit about the effects of ‘line
breeding’ and ‘out crossing’. Please do your homework!
It is a very good idea to talk to a few knowledgeable
people with Dobes to get help and input. Check our breeders
register and go to shows or contact your local Dobermann
club. It may also be a good idea to talk to an expert or
two with other breeds.
Invest in knowledge: buy a few appropriate
books – and read them. Use the internet.
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