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"Before breeding your dog you must think about it carefully, there are plenty of dogs being euthanized every day due to
lack of owners. You should be sure that you can provide a home for any unwanted puppies and that you can place puppies in good homes. You also should try to evaluate your dog before you breed it as there are many
genetic diseases which occur and is best not to breed animals who do develop them since this will probaley be carried to their offspring. Breeding dogs can be rather expensive and you must be prepared financially for
any complications" I just want to give some basic guidelines to those who are thinking about breeding. It is important
to plan ahead to ensure the health of both the breeding bitch and her litter. First you need to make sure your bitch is healthy and mature enough to cope with the pups. The best time to breed
is between 3 – 5 years. Then you have to choose a suitable stud dog. I suggest you find a dog that has proven himself first, you then need to look at his background both medically and behaviourly.
Do not choose a male dog that is significantly larger than the female, as this may produce very large puppies which can cause complications or make it impossible for the female to give birth. You
have to mate of course at the right time, which is between the 10th and 15th day. A good male dog will usually refrain from mating with the female until she is actually ovulating. Ovulation tests may
be performed with a home testing kit or your veterinarian may test your dog for you. Remember all bitches are different and they should (not all), flirt with the male and move her tail to one side and
stand in front of the male, if they are ready to be mated. Some may need more assistance than others, especially if its there first time. If both dogs are getting on with each other the best thing
to do is to let them run around in a secure place like a garden playing with each other and flirting with each other. This is the best way for the mating to happen. Remember when the mating does
happen always take some photo's for proof and never ever try and part the dogs as this could damage them, wait until they come apart naturally. But always be present while your dogs are
mating because one dog may become aggressive and cause physical harm to the other. Also the dogs penis swells up when it is inside the females body, and if he tries to remove it before
copulation is over, one or both of the dogs may be hurt. Although the female's body determines the number of puppies in the litter, it is the male's sperm that determines the sex of the pups. It may be quite easy to determine whether your dog is pregnant because she will appear pregnant.
At 4 weeks you may beable to feel the puppies or your veterinarian can also perform an ultrasound for you. Often it is reccommended that pregnant dogs are on a high protein diet. Many people begin
feeding pregnant dogs puppy food about two weeks before the puppies are born. That way the puppies and mother recieve an added nutritional benefit.
There has to be a suitable place for your bitch to whelp. If she is a housedog it has to be a quiet area. The last thing she will need is a lot of commotion going on. You might choose to build a
wooden whelping box with newspaper in the bottom, rather than a blanket as the pups can get wrapped up in it and suffocate. The whelping box should be big enough that the dog can lay inside
it comfortably without laying on top of any of her puppies. The gestation period lasts about 61-63 days. Signs th at your dog is about to bear her pups include the refusal of food, panting, restlessness, rearranging, digging, or moving nesting material in
the whelping area, watery vaginal discharge and contractions. The dog may stare at or lick her vagina, or she may try to hide in a dark place. If labour or pushing has continued for more than 2
hours with no resulting puppy, it is probaley necessary to call your vet. This will also be advisable if the mother passes a bloody or dark green fluid before any puppies. When the last
puppy is born, the dog will begin to appear more relaxed and may even leave to box to relieve herself, although most bitches won't like to leave their new born puppies.
The majority of bitches deliver their pups without any help. However there are times when intervention is needed, you must be prepared to help if needed and know what to do! Most resent
any sort of intrusion and should be left alone keeping a close eye on everything without making the bitch nervous. You should have
a veterinarian you can call during whelping for advice and a simple whelping kit at hand. If everything goes to plan you must then make sure the bitch is producing good quality milk and
cleaning the pups properly. If the pups are crying all the time it is fairly obvious that they are not getting sufficient food from the mother. She may even have rejected them, persivere in putting the
pups on her teats to try and get her to produce milk, again giving her lots of encouragement. However if this fails to work you may have to tube feed them, which is hard work and a full time job.
If you have any other dogs in the house you must make sure they are well away from her as they get very protective and may attack the other dog even if they normally get on fine. It is your job
making sure the whelping box is clean and dry every day. Making sure all the pups are gaining weight steadily and that the bitch is happy and getting plenty of food. It's a full time job for the
next 6-8 weeks until you find suitable homes for the puppies. When they have gone to new homes it doesn't stop there, you must be prepared to take the dog back if the owners decide they cannot
look after him anymore whatever age it is. It is important to vet the suitability of the potential owners. As a dog lover go with your gut instincts as it is very difficult and often cruel to rehome a
Stafford as their natural character is one based on trust and loyalty. It is very rewarding but if you are doing it for the money your doing it for the wrong reasons. I have
only covered a very small proportion in what's involved in breeding, so if you have any specific questions do not hesitate to e-mail me here and we will try and answer your questions.All our litters will be advertised on the pups for sale page. We update our site on a weekly basis and all the pictures of the puppies will also be updated on a weekly basis. |
