|
PRINCIPLES OF PROPER BREEDING
Onyekachi Omenuko
Most
people that buy dogs initially do not think of breeding their dogs. They just
want a pet, a companion or a guard dog. However, mistakes sometimes do happen
and they find out that that lovely little pet of theirs is pregnant and then the
journey begins. Some other people deliberately set out to breed dogs. Some
because they believe as is gaining ground today, that dog breeding is
profitable. Others breed because they want to continue the line of dogs they
have and extend it to their friends. Some also breed because they are dedicated
to the development of their chosen breed. Whatever reason or circumstance that
leads one to become a breeder, breeding is not as easy and as simple as it looks
and sounds. Perhaps that has been responsible for the poor quality and the mixed
breeds we see being sold to people all over Nigeria today. The first question
one needs to ask him/herself is, why do I want to breed? The answer to this will
decide whether you will be a successful breeder or a backyard breeder. The
second question is, do I have the time to devote to actually breeding? Time and
resources are essential for successful breeding and without it there is really
no point. Another question would be, do I know enough of dogs and the breed I
want to enable me go into successful breeding? If one does not know enough about
dogs one can breed but the quality and the health of the dog will not be
maximized. Knowing about the breed is the corner stone for success in any
breeding programme one adopts.
Responsible
Breeder
The first
thing is to consider whether you will be a responsible breeder or not. A
responsible breeder by our definition is someone who not only knows and
loves the canine world but also knows enough about the various breeds to
have in mind that breeding for purity and continuity of a breed is and
should be the only goal. Once a breeder is in it strictly for the money, by
our definition this person is not a responsible breeder. All responsible
breeders and by extension good breeders have respect for the origin and
purpose of the breed they have chosen to breed. Without this respect,
breeding falls flat on its face and will be mired with problems, issues, bad
litters, returned puppies, abandoned puppies and unkept dogs.
It is important therefore as a first
step to decide that you want to be a responsible breeder, choose the breed you
wants to breed and research around the breed so that you know all there is to
know about the breed. Whether you wish to breed a German Shepherd Dog, a
Rottweiller, a Bull Mastiff, a Boerboel, a Doberman or even the smaller breeds
such as the Maltese and Lhasa Apso, knowing the original purpose of the dog is
critical. There are many materials on the various breeds and there are people
who have the original stuff you can talk to. Fortunately, Dogs World Magazine
has features on breeds and you can look up the issues or book an appointment to
talk to someone who knows the breed you wish to have.
Knowing as much as there is to know
about your chosen breed I very important. This is crucial since most breeds of
dogs today were “created: by mans and have their own health and temperament
issues. Knowing your breed has to do with knowing the breed type, which is not
easy and knowing the breed standard alongside what the breed was originally
created to be like and achieve.
Choice of
Dog in a Breed
Let’s jump to
the fact that you have crossed this hurdle in your decision making and you
have chosen a breed. It is important that you choose a dog which best
represents this breed, in other words choose a purebred dog and not a
mongrel. A pure breed dog gives you a jump start in terms of the breed’s
inherent characteristics as shown in temperament and breed standard. A
mongrel on the other hand though may be the most loving dog you’ve ever had,
may have some health and temperament issues which you are not aware of and
can surface in its offspring. Health and temperament is one thing all
responsible breeders are constantly aware as a high factor in success or
failure of a breeding programme.
In choosing a dog for your breeding
programme know that you are choosing a foundation stock that will determine your
name and define your kennel as well as what you stand for. This is not a
decision you should take hastily and it is also a decision that will cost you a
lot of money in terms of traveling to see various litters, going to dog shows to
understand the breed type and characteristics. Choosing a foundation stock, be
it one dog or two, has to be done with all deliberate analysis and
understanding. When in doubt research or ask those who are more knowledgeable in
the breed. When you choose ensure it is a dog that fits the breed standard and
has the temperament and health that will guarantee you success.
In choosing a foundation stock, it is
advisable you choose from one where the history of the parents up to three
generations are clearly known and defined. This gives you a representation of
where your dog is coming from and where you should be headed. It is like a road
map on how well and far you can go in order to achieve the best stock or at
least be known as one of the best concerning the breed.
When to
breed your bitch
One of the
most common issues in Dog breeding in Nigeria is the issue of when to breed.
We have heard a lot of tales as to when to breed and we have also heard
advice given by supposed experts on when to breed. It is important that to
get the best out of your dog you should know when to breed it. Here we are
not talking about the period during its heat cycle when you should mate the
dog, we are talking about at what age should you mate the dog.
Universal wisdom on this, and based on
extensive research by quite a lot of dog organizations and veterinarians have
all agreed that the best age to mate your bitch is between her 18th
and 24th month (1year 6 months to 2 years ) of age. This most times
will correspond with her third or fourth heat. Unfortunately a lot of so called
breeders have ruined their dogs by crossing them on first heat, between their
first 6 to 9 months of age.
It is at the period of between 18 and
24 months that your female dog has reach correct maturity and its skeletal
structures are firm enough to carry a pregnancy while at the same time its
maternal instincts are at its best. Also health wise it has reach full growth
and there will be no risk of stunting its growth as will happen when crossed far
too early in its life. Don’t be in a hurry to breed your bitch, let her mature
and let the qualities for which the breed is known show.
Having your dog live long and produce
the best for you is a big consideration. Knowing your dog’s heat cycle is also
part of this. Most dogs come on heat every six months; the Basenji comes on heat
once a year and some dogs have been known to come on heat every four months. It
is your duty to know when you dog come on heat and when to introduce it to a
stud. Generally acceptable introduction time is from the 10th day
after the heat begins. Of course if you don’t know when the heat began, you
won’t know when the 10th day has reached.
Choosing a
stud
In crossing
you dog with a stud it is also important you choose a dog that compliments
your bitch. What we mean here is a stud that has the advantages where your
bitch has disadvantages. The idea is to produce puppies that have much more
advantages than they have disadvantages and the only way to do this is to
choose the stud carefully. That very lovely stud down the street may have
the greatest vicious streak you can think of and unless you are only
breeding for ferocity then you would do well to avoid him. Also that very
nice looking male dog of your friend’s may not be the same breed with your
dog though he looks magnificent, he may also have inherent health problems
that using him will transfer to your puppies. So choosing a stud is as
important and choosing your breeding stock – the advancement of the breed
type and character are most important.
To compliment this is the issue of
line-breeding, in-breeding and out-crossing. Breeding of half brother and half
sister is known as line breeding, breeding full brother and sister, father to
daughter or son to mother is in-breeding and where the two dogs are not related
but of the same breed this is called out-crossing. For each type of breeding
there are merits and demerits. It is the duty of the breeder to find out what
exactly is to be achieved in the breed by using any of these breeding styles.
However it is advised that in-breeding should not be embarked upon by anyone who
does not have all the in-depth knowledge of the two dogs and their genetic
history. Though line breeding resembles inbreeding, the risk of intensifying
undesirable traits is lower.
If you are breeding to correct faults
and produce better dogs then the choice of which of these programmes is all up
to you. An advice here will be to research more into these programmes as well as
knowing your breed of dog very well.
Managing
the period of pregnancy
Having gone
through all this and crossed you bitch successfully, you have between 63 and
65 days in most dogs, to wait for your litter. During this period the health
of the mother is the most important thing as an unhealthy mother will
produce unhealthy puppies and subsequently unhealthy dogs. The task of
keeping your bitch health rests with you with consistent advice from your
vet. Feeding and exercise are crucial to a successful delivery of a litter.
Locking up your bitch or tying her legs will do much more harm to the bitch
than good. The test should be whether your bitch is looking splendid in
pregnancy or is she just looking worn out and overdrawn.
Nutrition for your bitch also has to
take into consideration the un-born puppies. As you feed your bitch also know
that you are already determining the health or otherwise of your puppies.
Balanced diets and the necessary supplements will be required at this time to
ensure her immunity is stable and that the puppies get important nutrients off
her as they develop. During this stage, your vet also becomes quite close to you
in monitoring her health.
Being prepared for the whelping at
least one week before the puppies are due is an important thing. Sometimes
puppies come in the middle of the night, we have had puppies at 2.00am and if
nobody is prepared for this then you could have a disaster and all the years and
months of preparing will go down the drain. Get all the necessary things ready
and monitor the movement of your bitch once her time is near. Keep her in your
sight and near her whelping place or box, obvious signs would be restlessness,
panting, shivering and her temperature will drop. She will begin to scratch and
prepare her whelping place and all the time experiencing discomfort.
The
real work starts when the puppies arrive but that is another issue for another
edition.
|
