Good reasons to breed your bitch

1. Your bitch has a good pedigree with an excellent bloodline. She has tested clear of all indigenous inherited problems and is sound of mind, body and health. She has correct conformation with no major or disqualifying faults and is outstanding in at least a couple of conformation traits.

2. You wish to improve the breed and select a stud that is her equal or better in all of the above listed traits and who does not share any common faults with your bitch.

3. You have a better than good chance to place each pup in the home that is right for it.

4. You have the funds to properly care for and raise the litter and to handle any unforeseen emergencies that may arise.

5. You have the facilities and finances to properly house and care for a bitch and a large litter even if the puppies are still residents at 6 months of age.

6. You have the knowledge and integrity to properly evaluate your litter and will stand behind every sale with some type of health and temperament guarantee.

7. You are not only willing, but insist in writing in the contract, that if, for any reason the pup cannot be kept (at whatever age) you will take it back or assist in finding the right home.

These are not good reasons to breed

1. So the kids can see the miracle of birth. Children can learn about birth from books and videos. This does not justify causing a litter of perhaps 10 puppies to come into the world in need of loving homes. Take a trip to the SPCA and see the sad results of many dogs born for just this misguided reason.

2. She should have one litter before she is spayed/he is altered. WRONG! There is absolutely NO medical, physical or emotional reason that a dog or bitch needs to reproduce itself except to continue the species. In the case of a pet quality dog (or even some show dogs) this does not apply.

3. You want to recoup your investment. Even if you don't count the expense of showing your bitch, it’s still an expensive business to breed. You have to send both the male and female for medical health screenings to rule out hereditary problems like hip dysplacia. Routine check for any uterine or vaginal infections will help ensure a live litter. Add stud fee to a good quality stud who is right for your bitch and has, himself, passed all the health screenings. If a C-section becomes necessary, it will cost even more. Still think you're going to recoup your investment? Better stick with an altered pet!

4. She's just so nice all my friends want one of her babies and I want one just like her. I refer you to number 3 above. Those friends who just have to have one of her pups have a strange way of back peddling when the time comes to actually purchase the puppy. And there's no guarantee that you'll have a puppy even remotely like your dog or bitch. So is it worth all the expense to take the chance? It's a lot cheaper to just go to a reputable breeder and buy another dog!

5. She's a champion! She deserves to be bred! True, a championship is likely a good indication that she is of top quality breeding stock and many champions are of breeding quality. However some really lovely champions should NEVER be bred because of health problems or temperament problems or many of those problems in their pedigrees. If a dog isn't sound in mind and health, it should not be bred.

In Singapore

The SPCA (Society of Prevention to Cruelty of Animals) receives on average 1000 animals per month. Out of these 1000 animals, only 30 dogs and 20 cats manage to find a home, while the rest are being put to sleep.

Please don’t litter – spay or neuter your pets.

Spaying the female dog

Ovarian hysterectomy is the medical name for the surgery that is performed to spay a female dog. This surgery removes the dog’s uterus and ovaries, after which the dog will have no estrus cycles (“coming into heat”) and no more periodic bleeding. The dog will not be able to conceive and this will prevent unwanted pregnancies and more unwanted dogs being brought to this world.

It is wise to spay female dogs for health reasons. Female dogs who are spayed before their first heat cycle live longer, healthier lives. The incidence of canine breast cancer is high in older, females that are not spayed. Females who are spayed before they ever come into heat do not develop mature breast tissue, and this greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer. In addition, spaying will reduce the risk of tumors and infections of the reproductive tract.

It is a major inconvenience dealing with a dog in heat. Female dogs come into heat twice a year. A heat cycle lasts for about twenty-one days. Depending on the individual dog, this cycle begins between the ages of six months and fifteen months. Small dogs often come into heat at an earlier age than large dogs. During the heat cycle there are new problems to deal with. There are the behavior problems as seen in some females, searching or yearning for available males. Throughout most of the heat cycle, female dogs are either bleeding or spotting blood. The discharge will soil the floor and mattress, especially if your dog sleeps with you on the bed. If you have a male dog at home, the male dog will go berserk. He will lose his appetite and may engage in excessive barking.

Neutering the male dog

Neutering a male dog involves the surgical removal of both testicles. The scrotum is not removed during this procedure, merely opened for testicle removal and then closed. After some post-operative swelling, the scrotum usually shrinks in size and lies flat against the dog’s body.

Other than population control, there are lots of very, very good reasons to neuter male dogs. They basically fall into one of two categories… they're either behavioral or medical. Whether behavioral or medical, most of the unwanted characteristics or conditions are caused by the male hormone testosterone, which is produced within the testicle.

Many of the adverse behaviors of male dogs are sexually based. Although a large percentage of unwanted behaviors results from lack of training, sexual frustration can account for some behavioral problems. Strong anxiety and frustration on the part of dogs that are not neutered often lead to undesirable behaviors, such as roaming, lifting a leg to urinate on furniture, and mounting people’s legs. Neutered adult male dogs tend to be less aggressive both toward other dogs and humans. The degree neutering has on suppressing aggression varies between animals and the age at which it is done. Its effect is greatest if it is done before one year of age. Another behavioral advantage occurs when you are training or working your dog. If neutered, he will be a much better student with a much longer attention span when there are females nearby that are in heat.

The medical advantages are numerous and even more significant. All are caused by the effects of testosterone (male hormones) on the body or are physical problems that arise within the testicles themselves.

The most common medical problems eliminated in dogs neutered at an early age are those involving the prostate. Over 80% of all dogs that are not neutered develop prostate disease. Prostate conditions such as benign enlargement, cysts, and infection are all related to the presence of testosterone. Some male dogs develop testicular disease as they get older. Since the testes are removed when dogs are neutered, such dogs can never suffer from testicular disease. Other medical advantages include improved genetics, fewer hernias, and fewer perianal tumors.

Please consider spaying and neutering

Controlling the canine overpopulation problem and minimizing health risks are two very good reasons to spay and neuter dogs. We know this decision is a highly personal one, but we’d like to encourage pet owners to consider spaying and neutering your pets.

References:

Dog Talk by John Ross and Barbara McKinney

PetEducation.Com

Should You Breed Your Dog or Bitch? by Jill Swedlow

The Dog Hause

Compiled by Hwee Li