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Breeding G.S.Ds.
** The Happy Couple Getting To No Each Other Better! ** ACCOMMODATION, = Your first consideration must be whether or not you have suitable accommodation for a litter. Your outside kennel might well be suitable provided that you have both light and sufficiently available, especially if it is to be a winter litter. Other suitable places might be found like a garage or conservatory, provided there is natural light and no draughts. Always remember that the puppies in your litter will grow quickly and so at about seven-eight weeks they will need a lot of space. Puppies can make a lot of mess and noise, so do not forget to consider possible neighbor problems. Make sure your out side kennel is heated and free from draughts,now would be a good idea to start saving old newspapers these make excellent whelping beds. Springtime is the best time to have a litter because the puppies will be ready to leave for there new homes at the beginning of the summer. Sales are also usually better at this time of the year and the puppies will have the benefits of the summer weather for the first few months of their lives. In hot climates you would be wise to choose the winter months so that the puppies can start their lives in cooler conditions and gradually get used to coping with the excessive temperature. THE COST, = The cost of rearing and marketing must be carefully thought out. A litter, especially a large one, can be very expensive to rear, and if they have not been placed with new owners by eight weeks you will have the added cost of extra inoculations to consider. We give a leptospirosis/parvovirus inoculation, which overrides the bitches immunity, at six weeks with a repeat at nine weeks. Puppies over twelve weeks can be difficult to sell. BLOODLINES, = and now the question of what dog to use, bloodlines vary from one country to the next you can use books to get information on lines, which are interesting reading, it is important to choose the right stud dog, you should choose one with an excellent temperament and good hip status, that is your first starting point,both your first to points are vital because most of your puppies go to pet homes. Also by now you should have read up on the standard, then take a look at your bitch, is she to long ? what are her proportions and type ? like is her height to length correct? or does she lack length of front leg and is her croup to short ? also look at her angles the fore and hindquarters ? and what about her coat, color, and ear carriage ? and dentition, all these things need looking at and studying before making your final choice Have a look at your bitch, and take notes on what you think needs improving. Your notes should look something like this, body length -too long. Needs correcting. Front legs - too short. Needs correcting. Backline - Dip behind the withers. Needs correcting. And so on etc., Your next step is to find a stud dog that can correct your bitches faults, but always remember good temperament and hips first,he must be able to correct your faults or in the other hand have none of your bitches faults in must be correct in himself, The dog must not only show these characteristics but must also be genetically capable of producing them to. Try and see some of the stud dogs progeny, you will also need to check his pedigree for such undesirable hereditary problems as HD, bad temperaments, epilepsy and hemophilia. If you are unsure take someone along with a bit of knowledge of the breed. If this stud fits the criteria, then you have found the right dog, worthy of your bitch, who will give you a super litter which you have carefully planed for. THE BITCHES CONDITION, =You must then make sure that your bitch is in tip top condition, so that she is able to cope with her litter, check that she is up to date with all her inoculations, then worm her and make sure she is not carrying any external parasites, such has fleas, lice, and ticks. In other country's such as America she would have to be checked for Brucillosis, as most stud dog owners will not accept a bitch without a certificate of clearance from a veterinary surgeon. Also make sure your bitch does not carry to much weight, but she does not want to be to thin either, you want to be able to feel her ribs but not see them. MATING, = Now that your bitch as come into season, you should have rung the stud dog owner and arranged a suitable day, you should travel with your bitch to help keep her relaxed as possible and avoid too much stress, you are far more likely to get a successful mating if your bitch is nice and relaxed. Also make sure the bitch relieves her self before the mating begins. It is usually the bitch that goes to the stud dog but if there is a local show on you could meet up there, a good stud dog will mate quickly' especially if the bitch is ready, but sometimes you find that the bitch will struggle and try to get away. In cases like this the stud dog owner will give you instructions on what to do. It is normal for the dog and bitch to 'tie' during a mating and this may last 20 minutes, or even less it just depends on the dogs on the day, from my experience, I had one bitch tie for over 1 hour, so all matings are different. A tie is desirable as during this stage the dog is passing fluid into the bitch which will increase the possibility of conception. After the mating as been completed give your bitch a drink, but don't let her urinate again, put her back into the car to rest, one mating should be sufficient especially if the dogs got a good tie, but if the dogs do not tie, try to arrange another mating for the next day. This may not always be possible, so you will have to cross your fingers and hope for good luck, I have known bitches to be in whelp from slip matings and have gone on to have nice litters, so there is always a chance. The Reproductive System Of The Female G.S.D.
The Reproductive System Of The Male G.S.D.
SLIP MATINGS, = Most breeders would describe a “good“ mating as one which achieves a “tie”. The male dog has a gland at the base of his penis - the bulbus glandis - and when the aroused male penetrates the bitch during copulation and achieves a full erection, the gland enlarges to the size of a golf ball (in a Labrador sized dog). The muscular walls of the bitch’s vagina grip the swollen bulb, so preventing the dog from withdrawing and maintaining the tie. The tie can last for just a few minutes up to an hour or so. The ejaculate of a dog is passed in three fractions. The first fraction of clear fluid is virtually sperm free. The second fraction is richest in sperm, and is released immediately after thrusting. The third fraction is a larger quantity of prostatic fluid containing some sperm, and this is delivered as an intermittent ‘drip feed` which helps transport the sperm to the oviduct. Whilst most breeders would feel happiest if their bitch and chosen stud achieve a tie, a tie is not essential for conception. Many litters are born from slip matings and some stud dogs never, ever, achieve a tie yet consistently sire litters. There are many reasons why a tie does not occur. Sometimes it is sheer inexperience on the part of the male dog, the bitch, or even the owners/handlers who are present to oversee or help with the proceedings! Occasionally a bitch may be found to have a stricture - a narrowing within the vagina which prevents deep penetration by a male. Most commonly a failure to tie is because the bulb at the base of the dogs penis swells outside of the bitch so preventing deep penetration, or the bitch fails to stand still long enough to allow the ‘mechanics’ of the tie to take place. Some bitch owner’s are disappointed when one or more slip matings are all that is achieved after numerous mating attempts. As ovulation in the bitch occurs for just a few days there is a time element involved in obtaining a mating during that most fertile time. This has led some owners to embark upon a course of action which is, at best, sheer recklessness and at worse a confirmation that they are prepared to resort to desperate measures to try to ensure a litter, any litter! Despite the slip matings achieved between their bitch and the chosen stud, some owners have taken their bitch off to ‘liaison’ with a second stud dog in the hope that the dog chosen from the “substitute’s bench” will achieve a tie before ovulation ceases. Some
owners of bitches may believe that a slip mating cannot be classified
as a mating at all. Some
owners of bitches may believe that a slip mating, even a momentary
slip mating, does not involve the “delivery” of any sperm.
Any
penetration of the bitch, by a male dog, MUST be counted as a mating
and therefore it must be viewed as unethical to mate the bitch to
a different male during the same season. Quite apart from the question
of paternity, there is a very real risk of passing on infection. PREGNANCY, = A bitch's pregnancy is usually reckoned to be 63 days from the date of mating but I have found that 60-61 days is about the norm as far as my bitch's are concerned. Between the third and fourth week your vet, will usually be able to tell you weather your bitch is in whelp or not. But sometimes with a maiden bitch she will not show any signs at all until the seventh or eighth week, especially if she is only carrying a small litter. During pregnancy, you might find your bitch becomes much more affectionate, she might go of her food or even be sick and possibly start digging holes in the garden. These are all common signs of her being in whelp and should give you no undue concern. From the sixth week on wards start to increase her food by giving an extra meal in the morning. If fed on a complete diet, it is now advisable to go to one with a high protein content. A week before she is due, put her into the place you have chosen for her to have her pups. Put plenty of clean newspaper into her whelping box, as she comes nearer to her time she will begin to tear the newspaper up into small pieces, so make sure you have a good stock pile of them, also you will need two or three clean towels and a hot water bottle, a cardboard box and some antiseptic soap for you to wash your hands before handling the new born's,also sterile umbilical cord or cotton, black bags are handy to, for the spoilt paper from your bitch after giving birth. Several days before hand, she might go off her food but this is not a particularly reliable guide, some bitch's eat right up until the day and moment of birth. Some will show milk 14 day beforehand, and other will not let any milk down until the first pup as been born. It is best to play it by ear. If she has not whelped before or on her due date, then I would ask the vet to check her to see that everything is in order. If at any time during her pregnancy your bitch has a dark green, or red, or pus-like or anything other than a clear discharge, call your vet straight away as she might have complications caused by a womb infection. Quite a useful guide is a temperature check. Two to three day's before whelping your bitch's temperature will start dropping from normal 38'C(101.2' F) down to around 37`C(98`F). This is to prepare the puppies to come into a cooler world and is a very good guide. A few hours before actually giving birth, she will start to pant and shiver heavily. This is an indication of the commencement of labor pains. If you look at her vulva now you will notice that it has become swollen and soft and that there is a clear discharge. The shivering will be replaced by straining; slightly and then more pronounced and at closer intervals. During this time she will be licking herself and possibly she might pass some pale green liquid. This is the water bag breaking and within an hour the first puppy should be born. If the bitch strains hard for longer than an hour, it is best to contact your vet as there is a possibility she might have a complication such as a breech-birth, which means the puppy is coming the wrong way round, it may also mean that one puppy is dead and stopping the others from being born. Reproduction & Fetal Resorption A Unborn Puppy Still In It's Sack, Shown Here At The 4 Weeks Stage.
THE BIRTH, = The bitch then gives one almighty heave and out comes a puppy. It will probably still be in its bag and lying quiet still. Your bitch will then get busy pulling out the afterbirth, breaking the cord and cleaning the puppy. It will be then that your firstborn will start to kick and gasp for breath. She will continue licking it vigorously and this will normally make it cry. I am always pleased to hear that cry as it means that the puppy's lungs have started to function properly. When the bitch begins to clean herself, rub the puppy in a clean towel and put it on to suckle. Put fresh newspapers under her and her puppy as usually you will find quiet a lot of fluid has been passed. Sometimes a maiden bitch will not know what to do and will leave the puppy lying without making any attempt to clean it. In this case, I push her head down on to the cord and usually she will start to chew. If there is still no reaction, after having thoroughly washed and disinfected my hands I gently ease out the afterbirth and then cut the cord at an angle about 5cm (2in) from the puppy's stomach. I then rub the puppy making certain that it has no membranes over its nose or mouth. By this time the bitch will usually have taken over and you can put the puppy on to a teat which it will soon be sucking vigorously. If a puppy is born which, even after the bitch's attention, still shows no sign of life, rub it vigorously and shake it with its head down so as to get rid of any surplus fluid. If this fails, try mouth to mouth resuscitation by blowing air into the lungs, similar to that used for first aid in humans. When its breathing has started, put it into a cardboard box which you will have got already beforehand with a hot water bottle well- covered in towels, so as to get it thoroughly warm and dry. Then give it back to its mother. Offer the mother a drink of warm milk with a spoon full of honey in it and leave her to lap it up, while this is happening I would suggest you got your self a beverage it could be a long night!
THE SECOND, = Your, bitch especially if she has a large litter, might have another puppy immediately after having the first. She might, of course go longer, but if she shows no signs of straining within the next two hours phone the vet. After an examination, he will decide what is best and will possibly give her an injection to bring her back into labor. When the bitch starts to strain again, put the puppy or puppies into the prepared cardboard box so that they will not get wet when the next pup is born. Some bitches will not allow you to do this, in which case you must try, as far as possible, to keep them away from her rear end so that she can deal with her newborn without interruption from others. Do not forget to offer the bitch a drink and to keep the whelping box dry with fresh newspapers. CHECKING, = You now have eight beautiful puppies and all are suckling well, the exhausted mother looks happy, and you are sure she has finished whelping, some people right down the puppies weight, and the time that they where born, that bit is up to the person them selves weather they want to do all that as well, me personally I don't, At this time you may want your vet to call to make sure she has finished whelping, and that she has no retained afterbirths, you may also want to check for any deformities in the puppies. The GSD is an easy whelper getting on with the job quickly and efficiently, I have described what I would call a normal whelping, but not all whelping are straight forward and problems can occur, if you are not experienced it is best left to your vet. Prevention & treatment of Fading Puppy Syndrome THE CORD, = Just two other points to mention, your sterile umbilical cord will come in handy if a puppy's severed cord continues bleeding. With the umbilical cord make two loops pulled tight and tied in a reef knot as close to the puppy's stomach as you can. This will soon stop the bleeding.If you find that the area of the umbilical is open and the stomach is perturbing out, rap clingfilm around the pups stomach to stop infections getting in, and take it along to your vets and he will put a couple of stitches in, and the puppy should be fine, If whelping is prolonged take your bitch out and give her a chance to relieve herself. In cold weather, heating is necessary either with an infrared lamp or underfloor heating. Some bitches like you to be with them throughout the whelping, others just like you to be around. Which ever one it is you should remember you never leave a bitch to whelp by her self, she could get into great difficulties, and its better to lose a pup rather than your bitches life. PUPPY CARE, = When your puppy's get to about ten days old they will need there claws cutting, cut with a pair of nail clippers that you would use for yourself, they are ideal, for their little nail. Keep a check on the nails every five day, because they grow quiet rapidly and can make an awful mess of the bitch's teats. At around ten to fourteen days the pups eyes will open, and then, shortly after their ears will open too,and they will start to come familiar with sounds around them. Then the puppies will start to grow quiet rapidly and increase their activity, this is the time to start to thinking about weaning them, and worming, if its a large litter you can help the bitch out by weaning them little by little at the age of fourteen days, if it is only a small litter the bitch is quiet capable of doing it for her self up until twenty one days, then help from you is needed, I usually worm my puppy's at two weeks, and then every two weeks after that until they are eight weeks old, by this time the young pups should be ready to go to their new home. Most breeder always give an injections at six weeks old to stop the puppies catching viral and bacterial infections. The mothers own immune system only covers them up until six weeks then their on there own after that, so its up to the breeder and the new owners to make sure that the puppy's get all there inoculations at the right time, if they want to keep there young pup healthy! Reproduction
& Fetal Resorption Cesarean Surgery on a Bitch (Graphic Photo's) Pyometra in Bitches can be Life threatening (Graphic Photo's)
Copyright 2006@Amberixs by Jackie Young
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