Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ

Before breeding a bitch or even planning to breed a bitch, please
    consult a veterinarian. The information contained in this FAQ should
    in no way be construed as a substitute for veterinary care and advice.
    Further, you should make an effort to find a veterinarian who is
    familiar with canine whelping issues. Because so many people are being
    responsible and spaying their bitches, fewer veterinarians are
    comfortable with whelping puppies. Surprisingly, emergency clinic
    veterinarians are more likely to be familiar with whelping issues.
    This is no doubt because of the well-known maxim that, given a
    preference, dogs will whelp at 2 am when the regular vet clinics are
    closed. Again, please consult a veterinarian before doing any
    breedings. As with people, pre-natal care is important in bitches.
      _________________________________________________________________
                                      
 Table of Contents
 
      * Introduction
      * Preparing the Bitch
      * Choosing a Stud Dog
      * Paperwork
      * Breeding Timeline
      * Pregnancy Timeline
      * Preparing Your Whelping Kit
      * Whelping the Litter
      * Raising Puppies Timeline
      * Finding And Dealing With Puppy Buyers
      * Health Guarantees
      * Financial Considerations
      * Resources
       
      _________________________________________________________________
                                      
 Introduction
 
    Breeding a litter of puppies is a task to be taken very, very
    seriously. You are producing life of your own volition for a wide
    variety of reasons. Some of those reasons will be good ones, some will
    not. But this decision should be thought through very, very carefully.
    Before reading further, please read the Breeding Your Dog FAQ. Also,
    this document should be taken only as a starting point. If after
    reading this document, you still want to breed your bitch, I strongly
    suggest that you get and read at least some of the books listed in the
    resource section.
   
    Further, I recommend you consult with your bitch’s breeder for
    guidance in this matter. Dogs should be bred for one reason and one
    reason only: To improve the breed. If you are reading this with the
    intention of breeding to make a quick buck, educate the children, or
    to fulfill your bitch’s feminine needs, please don’t breed your dog!
    Seriously, as you’ll learn as you read on, done properly, breeding is
    rarely a money-maker; more likely a money drain! Children can become
    educated much more fully than you intended when something goes wrong
    in a breeding. Losing the bitch and all her puppies is probably not
    the lesson you intended but it happens all to frequently. And, of
    course, as to the last one, most bitches really want to be your
    beloved companion 24 hours a day, so if you really want to make your
    dog happy, spay her and spend more time with her! But, if you are
    determined to go on, then please read this FAQ thoroughly. It covers
    the responsible breeding of dogs to produce quality puppies and give
    them the best start in life.
   
    If you have a dog that is pregnant right now, please do not use this
    FAQ as your sole source of information. Look for a qualified
    veterinarian in your area to assist you with whelping the puppies.
   
    The information in this FAQ has been obtained by my own experience,
    research through the literature and by talking to knowledgeable
    breeders. Many thanks go to Vicki Blodgett and Terri Herigstad for
    being so willing to share their hard won expertise. Also, I’d like to
    thank Cindy Tittle Moore for her support of my first solo FAQ project.

opyright 1996 by Liza Lee Miller. All rights reserved. You may
    download and print a copy of this file for your personal use. Further
    distribution must be with the explicit permission of the author.

Preparing the Bitch