Whelping Advice For Beginners

[Plucky1 1,119]

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

I have bred terriers every month of the year and you can't beat summer pups, they can go out in a run and the sun on their backs really brings them on,also the bitch will be ready for work come autumn,win/win all round, WM

[jeemes 4,484]

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

That sounds like rubbish to me,and he being a terrierman in winter is more likely to bring infection back with him from hunting days spent with numerous other canines and people.

 

The biggest drawback to blackberry litters is not being able to get them outside when they really should be getting out and getting some sun and fresh air.

[Plucky1 1,119]

 

 

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

I have bred terriers every month of the year and you can't beat summer pups, they can go out in a run and the sun on their backs really brings them on,also the bitch will be ready for work come autumn,win/win all round, WM

 

 

Every month? There's a name for that.....? Peddler haha

 

what a helmet you are,probably never bred a decent litter,without the likes of me there would be no decent pups to buy, you're probably one of those dicks that keep them in a remote sh*thole away from their house in 2" of sh*t,don't knock lads that take time to breed quality, WM

[jeemes 4,484]

 

 

 

Corkman ,do you use a heat lamp in summer months mate .

Yes I do. But only since recent problems with fading puppy or canine herpes.

 

Plenty heat is recommended and it working for me, so to be honest I am kind of cautious to stop for the sake of a few quid. I have noticed pups thrive better under heat so no harm in it. 3 weeks of heat and then they are out of the danger zone.

Cheers mate .I may be a dinosaur where pups are concerned but I'm still a firm believer in nature before nurture and believe that if a pup isn't going to make it it will die regardless of heat or not .I will never mate a bitch out of summers months ,preferrably spring and would rather the bitch and their own tenacity keeps them warm .Honestly I've never had a pup die that made it past a few days .As someone who has never sold a dog in my life ,the numbers game means nothing and small litters are much more what I desire nowadays more than ever .The culling of pups is an emotive one I know but unless I can place a few with what are regarded as decent folk ,surplus pups are culled according to the needs of those in line .There are ,in my opinion far too many pups bred with no owners vetted and ready ,sold to first come first serve candidates whether suitable or not .Rant over

 

 

I agree about too many pups being churned out to unsuitable owners. I'm assuming when breeders talk about culling they mean at birth or shortly afterwards? If that's the case, assuming all pups look healthy, presumably it's just pot luck what stays and what goes? I never choose a pup based on colour and in the past have never chosen based on sex either. For me, assuming they're physically sound, by far and away the most important factor is temperament/character/mental attitude, none of which start to become sufficiently obvious to make a meaningful decision until they leave the nest. I'd be paranoid if culling at birth that I could be removing the best pup in the litter.

 

I always reduce litters down to about four and would never expect any bitch to feed more than six. I always wonder if culls could of been the best IN THE LITTER but thats just part of breeding. In some litters for instance I only want dogs so all the bitches unless I had a friend who wanted a bitch would be culled. In another litter it could be only a bitch I want to keep,so I would keep upto 4 or 5 bitches back to give me the biggest choice and cull all dogs. We only breed dogs for ourselves.I am only interested in the ones I keep,and I would never keep a dog I didnt think was worth breeding from. I will cull pups at any stage if thats what is needed. I would only give/sell a pup to someone I thought would give the dog a good life,otherwise I think a humane death is my responsibility as the breeder.

[Plucky1 1,119]

Jeemes, I would never cull a healthy pup and find your methods both old fashioned and cruel, WM

[jeemes 4,484]

Jeemes, I would never cull a healthy pup and find your methods both old fashioned and cruel, WM

I dont want to get personal but you breed dogs to sell. Pure and simple. A healthy pup to you is saleable. It means a different thing to me thats all. You dont know what happens to most of your whelps that you breed but I do know what happens to mine. To me you are the worst kind in the working dog world. You are a peddler.

[foxbolter 447]

Wm is a ped which I detest but I don't see any point in culling healthy pups without trying sourcing a good home first. When culling healthy pups how do you know that your not culling a good worker to be one day or the best dog you have tried to breed which is the reason we breed . Or do people cull on a fault system in the pups appearance because if that is the case a good working dog who never fails to do is job as no fault at all in my eyes . I think a lot of lads that cull do it so nobody outside they little circle has them because they don't want anyone to have their breeding which I find a little bit stupid find a good source which there are plenty about if you do a bit of homework and good luck to them and just worry about what you are getting out of the sod. I find there is too much jealousy in the dog world in all breeds and normal if someone is jealous they can't be happy with what they have. Another thing I find hard to muster is why do people think it is all about bitches with the outcome of breeding doesn't a dog pay a equal part too which I think it does because if the dogs part comes out in appearance of a pup surely there is something inside the animal that resembles the dogs working traits also but there again I might be wrong again

[chesney 5,451]

I dont think he meant he bred pups every month of the I'd say he meant over the years he had pups produced different months of the year and the summer months are the best for rearing them.

Edited July 23, 2016 by chesney

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

It may well appear strange to some to cull pups but its even stranger to me that people sell pups to complete strangers without a second thought .Someone referred to certain lads being touchy about anyone having their breeding lol,is it any wonder in a world full of messers and pushers that a lad with decent stuff be choosy who they go to .If the time is taken to mate a decent bitch with a decent dog then why is there doubt about any of the litter ,beats me .Far too many terriers bred from unknown stock to supply to those who arnt really fit to own a gerbil .

[taz2010 1,297]

good post foxdroppper,i use oxitocin for the bitch gets the pups out chicker and helps heal the uterous find it a great bit of kit

[jiggy 3,209]

Even if i reared a litter of pups in the house i would still use red lamp 150 watt usually i find 250 watt a little to hot and have it the right distance with room for the pups to move away if too hot. canine herpes or puppy fading syndrome is a sexually transmitted disease and a large amount of dogs carry it unknown to the owner because it is ownly dangerous to pups under 3 weeks old and thrives at low temperatures. Ive seen a dog breeder lose 3 full litters in one year because of it and the same thing happened the next year because of lack of knowledge. A red lamp is a must for 3 weeks and regardless of outside temperature if the dog can move away from it if too hot its certainly not going to do them any harm been there unless you dont like your electric bill going up by 30 quid in which case id question your attitude. Ive spoke to dozens of dog breeders and none have ever lost pups to puppy fading syndrome because of the correct use of lamps. Let the old dinosaurs that say let nature take its course stay in the dark ages they are the first people to go running to the doctor for medicine if they sneeze. If a weak pup gets a helping hand to survive the first few days it doesnt mean he wont make a hardy adult dog and the runt can sometimes turn out to be the best worker from the litter because he fought harder than all the rest to get to where he is unlike the biggest lazy dog who had it easy using his weight to push in for milk.

Edited July 23, 2016 by jiggy

[hjckcff 1,738]

i have to be honest i dont have the stomach for culling. hence the reason ive not bred a litter in over a decade. when i did breed a few litters a high percentage of the pups ended up in homes that ended up unworthy of a decent dog. culling would have been a kindness on hindsight. this is despite trying to get good working homes. anyone who doubts the quality of working homes. check out . the working dog sites on FB. or go look through any classifieds sites/pages. then check out the rescue sites. there are some good folk in the working dog world. but for every good owner there will be a cunnt.

[skycat 6,173]

i have to be honest i dont have the stomach for culling. hence the reason ive not bred a litter in over a decade. when i did breed a few litters a high percentage of the pups ended up in homes that ended up unworthy of a decent dog. culling would have been a kindness on hindsight. this is despite trying to get good working homes. anyone who doubts the quality of working homes. check out . the working dog sites on FB. or go look through any classifieds sites/pages. then check out the rescue sites. there are some good folk in the working dog world. but for every good owner there will be a cunnt.

 

And some pet homes turn out to be just as dreadful. There are idiots in all walks of life, and that's one of the reasons I hesitate to breed again. People lie all the time when they go to see pups. You'd have to have a lie detector test and strap them into a chair and interrogate them harshly if you want to be 100% sure that the pup will go to a good home, working or not. I used to think I was a good judge of character, but a couple of mistakes cost the welfare of pups. I don't like to think that I was responsible for dogs having a crap life.

A very long time ago I worked in a dog rescue, and the lengths that some people go to in order to get a dog defies belief. There was an occasion when a family came to ask about a GSD. They were told it wasn't suitable for a home with young children. Ten minutes later a different woman approached, on her own, saying she was interested in the dog. Trouble was, when it came to giving her address for a home/fencing check, she gave the same address as the first family! When questioned further, she admitted she was trying to get the dog for her daughter, who lived with her, along with a couple of small children.

 

Years later, I sold a lurcher pup to a very nice older couple, who had their grandson with them, on holiday, they said. Horrible spoiled brat. Two days after taking the pup home, she phoned to tell me to come and get the pup (400 miles away) or she was taking it down the local rescue as the child, who, it turned out, did live with its grandparents full time, hated the pup.

 

I could go on, and on.

[jeemes 4,484]

That is exactly my point Skycat..You can never be sure its going to a good home,but on the other side why should I be be quizzed when going to buy a pup. I could say to the breeder "you know you are the one getting rid,so if you were that bothered why dont you keep it yourself". This is my point,if you are not breeding for profit you simply dispose of the surplus. If you cull it you know it was done right in a way the whelp had no distress. If you sell to anyone,and that is somebody you do not know very well then you risk the dog a very bad home. A few years ago I let a pup to someone I thought I knew. I got the lurcher pup back at less than 12months with enough scars for a 6 year old. I could not believe it,but its there.

Your right that book of the bitch is a very good book btw.

[skycat 6,173]

I think that when anyone sells any type of live animal, they should be trying to ensure that the animal is going to a home where it will be cared for according to its needs. I would sooner kill an animal myself than knowingly let it go to a home where it will be abused, neglected. It's a difficult issue, and one where we risk going into very murky waters if we try to argue for greater control over who keeps an animal, because the anti-hunting brigade would say that working dogs are abused, when we know they are fulfilling their genetic potential if they are worked properly, and that they might become frustrated and difficult if they didn't get the work/stimulus they were bred for ... in the case of terriers certainly, and sometimes with lurchers as well.