By Rick Spoerl

As the car drove away with the last pup of Xena’s litter I breathed a sigh of relief. Why would an amateur dog trainer have a litter in the first place?

My first litter came as a surprise. As I returned from a Lake Erie fishing trip I went to let my two dogs Buster and Xena out of there kennels and I noticed a large hole ripped through the chain linked fence that separated them. There they were, together in Xena’s kennel looking relaxed and smoking cigarettes (not really). I immediately checked her, and sure enough she was in heat. You see, Buster had chewed a hole threw the kennel to get at Xena, who had gone into heat while I was gone. He had been in her kennel for about two hours. For some reason I thought, "Maybe, just maybe he didn’t breed her".

Xena was well past her heat and I didn’t notice the swelling of her vulva or any blood before I left. She is one of those dogs that always bled very little and her heats throughout her life were never predictable.

They were both well bred genetically clear black labs from different lineage. The problem was Xena was only a little over a year old, it was her first heat and not only was she in the middle of her beginning training I didn’t need a litter of puppies.

If I knew than what I know now, I would have taken her to the Vet had her checked and the pregnancy stopped. But instead I let it ride, hoping she wasn’t pregnant.

Soon after that she began to pork up. I took her to the vet, had her x-rayed and sure enough, puppies were soon to be born.

Accidents do happen. When they do, each individual must make their own decision. Keep the litter or abort it. There are a lot of reputable breeders out there trying to do the breed justice. You can save yourself a lot of money, work and hardship by researching pedigrees and breeders and purchasing a pup rather than breeding your female to obtain the dog.

There are also very good reasons to breed. Financial gain isn’t one of them. Sure you might make a few bucks having a litter but with vet bills, dog food, equipment and lots and lots of your time, it simply isn’t worth the small monetary gain. There are however breeders out there doing just that. Stay away from any litter you suspect is just for money. A good reason to breed is if you have a exceptionally talented dog that’s genetically sound (no known physical problems such as hip dysplasia etc.) and you know of a stud dog that has a trait your looking for to perhaps improve or enhance your dog, and maybe your looking for another dog yourself and or maybe some friends and relatives looking for a dog with similar traits as your dog has. Than maybe you could consider breeding. Be sure you have the time, money and area to take on this responsibility.

Because of the extreme strain on a female during pregnancy you should allow at least a year in between litters. Every other heat would be acceptable if you decide to take on a breeding program and breed multiple times with the same female.

The cost of breeding a dog is substantial. The first step is to have your dog inspected by the vet. A blood test showing the female is clear of brucellosis (a dog type of venereal disease) is needed as most stud dogs won’t accomplish a natural breeding without it. Obviously hip x-rays (certified by the OFA) are needed prior to breeding her. A lot of reputable breeders are now x-raying elbows along with eye exams done by certified vets. The vet can also give you literature on a dog’s estrus cycles and breeding instructions along with pamphlets on puppy care. Once she is cleared of any known genetic problems, its time to look for a stud.

If you’re going to want these pups for hunting, hunt tests or field trials than obviously you want the stud to be genetically cleared as well as be from good stock. He should be titled as a field retriever. Some great examples of field titles includes NFC (National Field Champion), FC (Field Champion), MH (Master Hunter), GMHR (Grand Master Hunter Retriever), MHR (Master Hunter Retriever) and SH (Senior Hunter). These titles prove trainability and most likely will carry on to the puppies. The more titles in a pedigree the better off you are. Also make sure the stud dog’s pedigree shows all dogs with OFA numbers. This will prove that you’re less likely to encounter dysplasia problems. The owner should have a recent health exam on record as well as be DNA certified with the AKC.

Once you have located a desirable candidate you will contact the owner and find out if they will accept your dog as a good candidate to breed with. Some stud owners can be picky. If your dog isn’t titled, qualified all age or been trained for what it was bred for, it may be difficult to find a good stud willing to share his name with your dogs.

If they agree to a breeding, ask when you can see the dog. You definitely want to see what your puppies could look like. It’s also a good idea to watch the dog in action. He may have titles but be so cranked up that only a well experienced amateur trainer or pro trainer could handle him. You may find it difficult to sell these dogs to the average hunter. Make sure you like what you see. Chances are good you’re going to have a few just like him.

Now you will have to decide "how to accomplish the breeding". Either a natural breeding or AI (artificial insemination). AI’s are becoming increasingly more popular. The dogs never see each other so there is no chance of disease, no chance of fighting and 100% chance the sperm will be inserted. They do however cost money and usually are done a couple times to insure success. The Vet will take the sperm from the male probably using a funnel type device and put it in a long surgical rod than inserting it into the female and her legs will be held up above her head insuring the sperm stays way inside. After several minutes it’s over. The whole procedure takes about fifteen minutes.

During the females heat the owner should bring her to a vet that has a lab to accomplish a progesterone test. This blood test will tell you if she is ready to except the sperm and become pregnant. Vets without labs can do a smear test and examine the cells under a microscope but the blood test is more accurate. Than when ready the owner of the stud must be notified and the AI or natural breeding must occur quickly. After the vet extracts the sperm from the male he should inspect it under a microscope to determine a good sperm count. Since the sperm can live up to 48 hours it’s a good idea to redo the AI or natural breeding a couple of days later. Some even accomplish it a third time to ensure success. If doing the AI, try to use an experienced vet.

If a natural breeding is chosen, it may be a good idea to bring her to the stud dog’s home and leave her there throughout her entire heat. Or at least through the majority of it. The male is more comfortable at home and the breeding will likely be more successful if done there. This of coarse may be an extra expense beyond the stud fee. Occasionally the female will have to be muzzled to prevent injury. Sometimes the owner may have to help with the mounting of the stud (don’t laugh). They will be connected during the process for up to a half an hour and should never be forcibly separated. This could cause injury. When she is ready she should back up to the male "flagging him" (moving her tale to the side exposing her vulva). If you see her doing this you can encourage the male by bringing him to the back of her.

Stud fees are money’s you pay to a stud dog for the services of breeding. They can range from a couple hundred dollars to a thousand dollars. The amount is usually conducive to the dog’s pedigree and titles he has attained. The average being 500 to 800 dollars.

After the breeding has been accomplished and after the females heat is past, you will need to contact your vet to make appointments for an ultrasound and x-ray. The ultrasound will detect heart beats and pictures of the puppies giving you an idea of how many pups there are. Accuracy varies but the ultrasound will tell you if she is pregnant. Another good idea is to accomplish an x-ray of the litter later in the pregnancy. The vet will count the skulls of the pups giving you a better idea of the number. However keep in mind this is not an exact science. One time they hit it right, telling me the exact number I was having and another time they were off by five pups. Always be ready for another puppy during delivery.

The puppies should be born in about 63 days although the litters I have had always came around the 58^th day. If the puppies haven’t been born by the 65^th day you should contact the vet.