How long between litters?

thea2003 · 04-27-2008, 05:21 PM

How long do most of you breeders give your girls, before their second litter? Is 8 months enough time? and what is your reasoning for doing it sooner if you do?

thanks

DLS · 04-27-2008, 05:31 PM

8 months. NO WAY. Whelping and raising a litter is damn hard work. At least a year in between litters, more is even better. I normally only breed a bitch once or twice in all, then she is spayed, she has done her 'job'. I feel if I cannot plan a good litter in one or two breedings, then I am not DOING MY JOB.

thea2003 · 04-27-2008, 06:12 PM

does anyone here do back to back breedings? or 8 months between litters? which i guess would be back to back

DLS · 04-27-2008, 06:18 PM

thea2003, I sure hope not. Why do you ask?

thea2003 · 04-27-2008, 06:47 PM

curiousity is all.I know of someone doing this, and i dont agree with it but I am a novice so was looking for breeder opinions. Dont worry my bitch will never be bred

**velmadobe** · 04-27-2008, 08:58 PM

I think in most cases, it is best to give the bitch a year between litters. I know that there are cases where back to back breedings are warrented, but I think those situations are pretty rare. There would have to be a pretty compeling reason for it.

As far as number of litters, this again is something that is not written in stone. I do think that more than 3 litters is excessive IMHO, but again, it really depends on many factors.

In any case, any bitch that is bred even one time should be a truly good representive of the breed.

thea2003 · 04-27-2008, 09:09 PM

ummm would wanting to have a summer litter be compelling enough? lol

DLS · 04-27-2008, 09:10 PM

thea2003, that is why we ask questions, because we want to learn. To tell you the truth I hadn't even noticed that you had a Dober Girl. And, yes, you are right to not agree with it, ask that someone how she would like to have and raise 6-8 babies every six months. Poor girl.

Retta · 04-28-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thea2003

How long do most of you breeders give your girls, before their second litter? Is 8 months enough time? and what is your reasoning for doing it sooner if you do?

thanks

Call Dr. Robert Hutchinson in North Ridgeville, Ohio, near Cleveland, he is a world reknown canine reproductive specialist. He says, that if a bitch is healthy, that back to back breedings should not be harmful. In fact he says it is actually better for a bitches systems, physiologically speaking, to have a couple litters back to back. Something about the hormones, etc. Now I am not saying that is what all breeders should do, but that is just what he said. I went to one of his seminars.
(I am talking as a breeder, cause if there aren't any "good, quality bred puppies" for john q public, people will look elsewhere to get the breed they prefer!).
I have only done it once in all the yrs I have been breeding. I had the bitch checked out by my vet, and he said she was good to go!! I wanted one more litter from her, but if I would have waited a yr, she would have been over 7 yrs of age and I won't breed a bitch that old. (in fact someone asked me if they could lease her for a litter, and I said NO!) I know some breeders do. She is no worse for wear for doing it! I always have waited at least a year or more between litters. I only have ONE litter a year, and don't know how other breeders do it that have more than that every year. Some of these breeders are having 3 or more litters coming left and right! I could never do that, and stay sane!!! Now I am not talking about puppy mills, this is breeders like the ones that breed for certain things, like working ability or obedience. I breed for good old fashion, healthy, lovable pets!! And if they get shown that is icing on the cake!
What I am trying to say is if a good breeder just breeds strickly for something they want, then where are the people going to go, to get a good, sound healthy companion! If they can't get one from a good breeder, they look in the newspaper or byb. Or heaven forbid, places like the kennel that was raided in Mich a week ago! But then those dogs need love and good homes too, as they did not ask to be born there!

gatehouse · 04-28-2008, 03:24 PM

Retta I was going to post the exact same thing. I also think it is better to do a back to back once than to breed once a year for 4 or 5 years in a row. I know of a vet that recommends it for giant breeds too.

Thea2003, I think I know who you are referring to, and I'm pretty sure that her bitch did have a heat in between her last litter and her breeding.