Have 2 females. Both young. Alpha dog is youngest by 6mths. They are best of pals.  Want to breed one. First experience of breeding.Was going to choose placid, older dog. Any advice on whether younger alpha female will behave badly towards a litter not hers?  Just want to avoid any bad incidents & would appreciate any advice before we start things.  (to help...live in a house with a secure back garden.  At home all day. Dogs play well together. Odd scrap which never gets bad. Alpha girl can be a bit of bully but we keep her checked and in order. She responds well to the discipline but I am afraid that her basic instincts will come to the fore).  Am I worrying too much?  Anxious to get it right and be a good experience for me and for the dog also.

I had 2 bitches who were the best of friends till the older one had pups, the younger one had been here longer and failed to get pregnant was top dog, after the pups the older bitch wanted the top spot and they had some serious fights to the point that I had to keep them apart if I wasn't supervising things, weeks would go by with no problems but as soon as I relaxed they would be at each others throats again, I was the only one injured trying to seperate them before they did any damage to each other, never knew what triggered those fights.

I trust you have had all the breed specific health tests done with good results and the stud you plan to use has too.

you will need to be able to split them up and give the 'mum' her own space at least for the first 3 weeks, you don't want any bitch near them or her, so she'll need to go out on her own and without the other bitch interfering (or even seeing) the young pups .... I only know that there are a lot of spaniels about at the moment, why are you deciding on the 'placid older dog'?    have you a mentor (ie perhaps the bitch's breeder?) who could help you pick a suitable stud dog, advise on likelihood of selling any pups and who may buy them?  In these days of recession it's not so easy to sell pups.... you are risking your two falling out, adding a third and daughter of a more placid bitch may not work, in my view you would be better buying in a pup than risking a lot in having a litter which you may not be able to sell and which may make your bitches fall out :-(

I'd agree unless your planning a long term breeding program to produce show or working dogs of your own line then breeding is not a good idea if the purpose is purely to get another puppy.

Considering the expense, especially with a first litter where all re-usable equipment etc needs buying. 

Then you have the cost of the litter (around £200 with health testing), the long term commitment to the puppies produced any of which you may need to take back (at any age) or pay to kennel until they can be re-homed. 

This is assuming you can find suitable homes in the first place.  People with a reputation within the breed are going to find good homes more easily, and have waiting lists.

If you do not have a mentors (often the breeder of your bitch or her sire, or both), with long experience and longevity within the breed (showing or working), then you will very much be groping in the dark.  Novice breeders rely on their help knowledge, and forwarded puppy enquiries.

Discerning puppy buyers are choosing their breeder carefully, as they can then rely on as much as is humanly possible that they have the highest chance of getting a well bred typical healthy puppy.

As others have said you need to do some basic health testing and also some specialised DNA blood tests. 

I believe in your breed you need a DNA test for Familial Nethropatchy (FN) an inherited kidney disease, clinical eye testing (perhaps DNA testing for some conditions) and Hip scoring.  These tests alone are likely to set you back £500, and it may turn out that your bitch is unsuitable to be bred from on hereditary health grounds alone.

I am a small hobby breeder with three girls that live in the home. In one of my litters my very placid, relaxed girl returned home from the stud a totally changed lady. She would not tolerate either of the other two girls anywhere near her and behaved totally out of character for the whole of her pregnancy and until the pups were 4 weeks old. Keeping the girls seperated for 13 weeks was very difficult both physically and emotionally. The thing is, you never know how your girls will behave when you change the status quo.

Raising a litter is very costly, and if you do it well you will be lucky to break even financially.You also need a decent sum of money incase of emergency. The cost of an emergency c-section is huge. As already said, by the time you have paid for the DNA screening, the eye test and the hip scoring you could find your girl is not suitable for breeding and you have then invested a great deal of money with no end result.

In my first litter everything that could go wrong did go wrong and if it hadn't been for the amazing support from my breeding mentor during a frantic call at 3am one morning I could have lost both mom and babies. So if you do decide to have a litter please find a mentor with lots of experience, who is happy to offer help and guidance throughout the process.

As I said in my intro: just starting to research breeding for my girls as they are both young now. I am breeding for the life experience. I have time and life experience to deal with this now. Not wanting to take business away from professional dog breeders.  Is it only hobby breeders who have created a glut of spaniel puppies.  When I bought my 2 dogs, I had to wait a while to find litters relatively near to me.  Did not want to travel all over the UK to buy one as alot of breeders seem to be in South England.  I do not want to keep any of the pups as 2 is quite enough for me.  I am constantly being asked when or if I am going to let my girls have pups.  People love my girls and know they are coming from a good careing enviroment.  I was just hoping for some constructive help in making the best choice of which one to breed first.  I thought the placid one because she is the eldest so nearly ready for motherhood,  her nature is fantastic and I feel she would be a good mum.  The second girl is 6 mths younger, she is the alpha dog and full of fun and comes over as a bit bossy now and again.  Hoards all the toys but never objects when they are divided up again.  Respods well to discipline but I am responsible enough to want to investigate if her alpha nature would cause issues.  I thank the responders to my question in coming back so quickly but am a bit offended at the comments of some writers who are concentrating on the selling aspect etc rather than the wellbeing of the dogs which was my original question.   Just to put all your minds at ease, I did not realise a mentor was such a big deal.  I can always call upon the breeder of my alpha girl.  Lovely people who are only to willing to help and although not widely experienced themselves, seem to be extremely level headed and can cope with anything life throws at them.  I just did not want to bother them at this early stage of my quest.  My parents hobby bred a couple of wire haired fox terriers and welsh terriers when I was young and without all mod cons went with hardly a hitch. My Mother can now tell me that they did have a few problems but alot of common sense goes a long way.  Also, my girls have both come from very well known lines and I am assured that if I return to that breeder I will receive lots of good advice.  Again, did not wish to bother until a firm decision to breed had been made.  TO RETURN TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION,  I asked if one dog was pregnant and the other not, what would be the best way to deal with the situation and should I watch out for bad behaviour etc.    I WOULD STILL APPRECIATE ANSWERS REFERRING TO THAT ASPECT AND THANK THOSE WHO HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AND NOT PRESSED ON ABOUT SELLING ALL THE PUPS AND HEALTH CHECKS.   OF COURSE I WILL HAVE ALL HEALTH CHECKS ETC IN GOOD ORDER.    I AM NOT IN THIS FOR THE MONEY.    WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPERIENCE THIS WONDERFUL THING.
Hope anyone can give me a bit more advice on my question and I thank you in anticipation.

Thanks for your reply.  Looks like it is a bit of a lottery as to how they will respond to the situation.  Your experience is a help though as I want to take into consideration as many possibilities as I can so that I make the right decision.   Having pups is an experience both myself and my husband are keen to be part of. We are not doing this for the money.  Personally, I find that side of professional dog breeding a bit distasteful.  My main concern is the welfare of my girls.  I do not want to keep any of the pups as 2 is quite enough though a couple of friends and family are already chomping at the bit to have a pup as they love the blue roans.  Lots to think about.

I fear you (brainless) have been misled by the above responder (pennyg). I do not intend to keep a pup nor want to buy another dog.  My 2 girls are quite enough. The pup part is a life experience both myself and my husband are keen to experience as we now have time to dedicate to such an event.  We are just keen for the welfare of our 2 girls to be as good as is possible.  I would not enter into breeding without doing my homework first.  It will probably only ever happen this once or maybe once for both dogs if the first attempt goes well.  Money in not important to us.   I just wish the professional breeders who sold my sister a King Charles Spaniel with hip, skull and skin problems would have been as thoughtful as myself.  A reputable breeder of long standing and with Crufts wins and yet breeding from a sick dog. Shameful!  If you would like to re-read my initial question, you can see that my dogs welfare is the most important matter just now.

you'll find most 'breeders' on here are 'hobby' breeders who do it for the love of their breed rather than for the money - comments on here were put to help you make a decision in what is a very expensive and for your bitch dangerous thing to do... you could end up with no pups, a dead bitch or two bitches who instead of being friends become mortal enemies... when you post on here you may not get exactly what you ask, but you will get good advice which shouldn't be discounted lightly.....

it's an expensive and at times fraught and dangerous thing just to do for a 'life experience' I have to say and personally wouldn't recommend anyone do it for that reason...

Hello PennyGC,  my word, you do seem to have a downer on me !  Non of us would ever have had children based on that type of comment.  Whole of life at times is faught with danger.  We have to apply ourselves and use all the best means available to avoid such things.  I have the Vets number believe it or not.  I am not sure why you fear my attitude of it being a "life experience" is so bad and yet professional breeders do this all day, every day, to make money.  If you can spare a moment to read one of my own replies above you will see what a so called well reputed Crufts winner did when selling a pup to my sister.   My interests are with my girls and why shouldn't they even experience having pups.   I thank you for taking the time to reply but think you now need a well deserved cup of a tea and take a mins to settle down.

The only reason I breed from my dogs is to keep at least one back for myself to show and later breed from, there is too much time and effort going in to each litter to plan on giving them all away, my second litter was all males and having 2 males already I couldn't keep back another one, I felt so deflated when they all went off to their new homes, over 5 months of just pregnancy,whelping and puppy rearing was spent, that did not include studying pedigrees, talking to stud owners, attending shows to see studs in the ring and meet them in the flesh.

Your breed is available in large numbers and it would not be a breed that I would choose to add to just for the experience[ I grew up with the breed and had cockers till 2004 when I got my first mini long dachsie], I don't know what the numbers are, I am sure someone with that Breed Record Supplement can tell us, my breed produced only 936 reg pups in 2011 and doesn't tend to be a breed produced in large amounts in puppy farms. When you bought your girls was the breeder aware that you may want to breed from them, are they free from endorsements against registering their progeny with the KC, have you had them evaluated by a judge or someone who is successful in the ring that they meet the breed standard. No ethical stud owner is going to allow you to use their stud on your girls.

To risk changing the temperament of your girls would not be an option to have nothing at the end. Put your friends/family in touch with the breeder you got your girls from, there is no guarantee that any pups you produce would turn out like their dam as the studs genes would be mixed in. Read back over old threads re breeding and the heartbreak that has been endured by those who did everything the right way and lost all the pups, dam or both.

http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/130636.html

Sorry if this isn't what you want to hear, I am not being nasty I am just stating the truth.

Coming as I do from the rescue side of things, and not breeding, I think it is highly irresponsible, and selfish, to breed puppies because you want the life experience. I do not always agree with all those who breed on here, but there is no doubt that none of them are in it for the money, as you seem to think, but are doing it with a plan in mind to improve their breed, and almost always to keep a pup for themselves. You have had very good advice as to the possible outcome as regards your two current bitches' relationship, which you seem to be choosing to ignore. You also seem to be choosing to ignore the fact that there is danger for any bitch being bred, and that means there is a possibility you could lose your bitch.If you want a life experience involving dogs perhaps you could go to your nearest rescue shelter and volunteer for a while.

> I do not intend to keep a pup nor want to buy another dog.  My 2 girls are quite enough. The pup part is a life experience both myself

As the others have said that is not a good reason to breed.

We have pet overpopulation, especially with 'casual' litters bred by 'casual' breeders who are not in it for the long haul, or the good of the breed as a whole. 

Your breed is bred in large numbers, (sadly often with no health testing, selection regarding temperament or conformation to breed standard) so not in any danger of dying out, so breeding should only be done with some other aim in mind other than reproduction.

The responsibilities are vast, to your breed, your bitch, her puppies, and the future owners to do it purely for a life expereince.

>I am breeding for the life experience.

Sorry, but that's not a good enough reason to bring life into the world; the rescue centres are full of dogs that were born 'because Fluffy would make a lovely mum' and "it'd be lovely for the kiddies". No, it's far more important than that. Are your bitches show-type or working-type? How have they done in the showring or the field? What makes you think they're suitable to breed from?

Your bitches' relationship coould well be changed for the worse, and when bitches fall out they mean it; it usually ends with one being rehomed.

i have a mother and daughter and when i bred the daughter earlier in the year nothing changed with her
they still played,ate and slept together
when the puppies were born yes she was protective with them and wouldnt let her mum by them but she still came out of box and slept with her mum
once puppies were older enough they all played together.
its like nothing changed
i know my girls temperments and if i thought that they would be probs with the alpha female id be a bit worried and if you did seperate and put them back together how would they react then might be alot worse
good luck in what you decide

Not at all a 'downer' I think it's you who needs the tea and to think carefully about why you want to do this - I'm afraid for a 'life' experience isn't a particularly good reason :-( you seem to want your dogs to have pups for your own benefit - it's true anyone who breeds may want this, but generally there's something else involved, to improve the breed (high expectations, but we do need them!), to have a 'line' and dogs to keep, to watch them compete at something (my own favourite).... have your tea and put more thought into why you want to jeopardise your dog's relationships with each other, the cost and if you can cope with something major happening to your dogs and to keep what may be extra dogs (which you say you don't want) - all factors to consider rather than simply how to cope with two bitches in the house - who already argue sometimes - when one may be having pups

sometimes you need people to point out the factors you haven't already considered :-(

as for comparing it to children, yes having babies is dangerous, I know people whose lives have been forever traumatised by losing babies or young children, and children their mother, and husbands their wives, and this is with the national health service.  So whilst it's all 'perfectly natural' it's also dangerous, whilst I wouldn't want to put most people off having children, when you don't need to put your dogs through it, I would urge much thought and a lot of caution.

Donna I have so far owned a line of 9 bitches, 7 generations, and the interactions when you breed can never be predicted.

Having a litter upsets the status quo, and often things can really hit the fan when all the pups have gone to their new homes, when you fully re-integrate them.

The bitch who had the pups often then has aspirations, or perhaps it's simply she has had extra privileges, but I find a great deal of care has to be taken, and I have to be pretty firm and watchful to ensure they all settle down again, and of course keeping a pup changes things anyway.

I have had both my Alpha bitch changes shortly after the usurper has had a litter.

My friend has a bitch 7 weeks pregnant and Mother and daughter had a set to last week, needless to say friend was worried sick.  She also owners the pregnant bitches Father and it looks like he will not be tolerated well after the pups arrive as she already won't have him around her.  My friend is very dog experienced having been brought up with a dog showing and breeding Mum.

I have recently bred my first litter and like you I have two girls of the same age, mine only 3 weeks age difference.

I made enquiries on this and other forums, I too found that I got both positive and negative response but decided to use the information that I received from both sides. Both sides of the coin were useful.
I had all health tests done for my breed, I bought wisely for my whelping kit using the advice I had been given.

I spent all free time reading The Book of the Bitch, hours reading up about my breed and hours looking for the right studs, naively I had intended to breed both girls but expected it to be at different times due to the season dates that I had recorded for both girls. My girls had other ideas and both seasoned within days of one another.
I had both girls mated, it involved many miles of travelling and many days off work and much expense.

Thankfully only one of my girls fell pregnant. I know now that for me two girls pregnant at the same time is more than I would ever want to handle.

Maybe I was lucky but I never had one days problem with either of the two girls, the day that both of them returned from mating they were as pleased to see one another as they have always been. My other girls that have never been mated were also no problem at all. I didn't need to make any special arrangements but maybe I was lucky and maybe it's my breed.

As time went on with my pregnant girl she behaved no differently towards the others and they no differently to her, I did notice that when out walking with all of the girls that if any dog either male or female should come anywhere near us my non pregnant girls became agitated and would bark and make to chase other dogs away whilst my expectant mum was always with me.

My girl stayed with all of the others day and night until the night she gave birth, on the morning of her due date she went for her normal walk with the others albeit a little slower, later on in the afternoon she showed signs of being agitated and labour started on the settee with her best chum the girl of the same age next to her.

My whelping room had been ready for weeks but my girl had showed no interest in it whatsoever, eventually I decided that she must have private time and I carried her into the whelping room.

4 pups were born safe and sound and I spent the next 3 weeks sleeping on a very small settee and very very exhausted but very very elated.

Whilst my new mum was away from the others my girl of the same age cried and whined constantly and would insist on trying to get into the whelping room.

One evening when pups were just over a week old on taking my new mum to toilet I had forgotten to shut the baby gate to the whelping room, on my return from the garden with my new mum I found my other girl laid down by the whelping box just watching the pups and whining, my new mum walked into the room and licked the face of her chum. This is not something that I would not advocate but again I think I was lucky.

New mum then ate the food I had prepared for her and my second girl got into the whelping box and groomed all of the pups, she licked their bellies they poo'd for her and she ate it, then she got out and mum got in and fed them. From then on this happened frequently, again I was lucky.

They never ever had a cross word over the pups and when the time came to bring the pups into the noisy room my second girl spent hours playing with them washing and grooming them, she was probably a better non mother than my girl was mother.

I was lucky enough to have fantastic help from my stud owner and also great help from the breeder of one of my other girls. I must admit that at 3am when tired and worried that to have that lovely lady on the end of the phone telling me I'm doing fine and giving me fantastic advise is something that I would never be without when breeding a litter.

I was lucky enough that my girl had a good and easy birth and that my 4 babies thrived, I kept one of them and although she obviously has a special bond with her mother her 'aunty' is still a great playmate.

I have to say that I don't hold with the concept of alpha dogs, it sounds too primative and dogs have long since moved on from that. You have to err on the side of caution and even though I was lucky you must plan for trouble and be prepared to keep your girls apart.

I found the whole experience to be totally exhausting and totally wonderous, I am very lucky that my breed sells well and all of my pups were taken before even being born.

There is not a penny to made if you do it properly with all health test etc but if a price could be put on the joy and pleasure then it's priceless.

Think long and hard before you do it and I wish you well if you do

> I do not want to keep any of the pups as 2 is quite enough

Hi Cockerhoop, hope you don't mind me chiming in but your comment above does not sit well with me. What would happen if, at any time of their lives, any of the puppies you bred became in need of a new home? Would you be able to take them in and keep them or foster them temporarily while you found another home you were happy with? I guess not, as you are not wanting to keep a pup and are 'happy' with the dogs you already have (notwithstanding any potential long term effect on their relationship which might occur when you have bred one of them - the worst case scenario there is you might have to rehome one anyway).

I'm afraid that many pedigree dogs in rescue at the present time are bred by people who cannot or would not offer this lifetime backup, hence they are thrown into the rescue system. The casual, Backyard breeders, who think it's nice to have a litter, nice to have a few extra quid, and absolve all responsibility for the puppies once they are sold.

You will NOT find that type of breeder on this forum, but if you want to stick around and learn how to breed dogs ethically and responsibly, without adding to the rescue problem, then I hope you will come to appreciate the advice you have already been given.

Breeding certainly is a life experience. It means dedicating around 15 years or so of your life to all the puppies and their owners as a responsible breeder would never, ever turn their back on the pups they breed or the people who buy them. It means answering phonecalls at any time of day or night to help new owners with any dog related problems, of any type whatsoever. It means taking adult dogs back possibly years down the line, when the owner decides to move abroad and cannot take the dog, gets divorced, gets ill, or even dies. The responsibility does not end until all the pups have died of old age. As for money -responsible breeders do not make money because it costs us a fortune to do everything right. But sure, it is a life experience, or rather a way of life. (The hobby is being IN DOGS, with all what that entails, including showing and working, going to seminars and training courses etc, and yes breeding. Breeding is but one small part of it all.) Just like becoming a parent, breeding a litter ties you up for years to come. I have a friend who breathed a sigh of relief when the last pup from her last litter had died of old age. She said at long last she could stop worrying and start relaxing.

I don't think your reason for breeding is good enough quite honestly.

If things go wrong that would be a life experience you could well do without.

And health CHECKS are NOT the same as health TESTS. Cocker spaniels need DNA eye tests to ensure you don't breed two carriers of Prcd-pra. This test is approx £100 on top of that is the BVA eye test at around £50 and the FN test which is also around £100. Gonioscopy is recommended as is hip scoring.

If you ask me that's quite a price for a life experience!

>The responsibility does not end until all the pups have died of old age.
>Just like becoming a parent, breeding a litter ties you up for years to come.

That's exactly what being a responsible breeder involves.

Cockerhoop, have you read this short article?

>I was just hoping for some constructive help in making the best choice of which one to breed first.

That depends a lot on the results of the tests for hereditary conditions, and whether either is of suitable quality to breed from.

PennyGC  
it's an expensive and at times fraught and dangerous thing just to do for a 'life experience' I have to say and personally wouldn't recommend anyone do it for that reason...

My 1st litter was clouded by a romanticised view similar to the one the OP has now and if i could step back in time 2 or 3 years i would most certainly remove dog breeding from my bucket list and find something more enjoyable to do with my time.

> yet professional breeders do this all day, every day, to make money.  If you can spare a moment to read one of my own replies above you will see what a so called well reputed Crufts winner did when selling a pup to my sister. 

This shows exactly that even with knowledge there are no guarantees of producing puppies without health issues.

We have no way of knowing if the breeder of your sisters was 'reputable', and whether they had tested for any breed related health issues, and properly researched pedigrees of stud dog and their bitch for compatibility re any issues either family line may have produced in the past.

If they had done all this in good faith then the fact your sisters dog had problems was a sad but unforeseen issue, and why we are al sayign the background knowledge, health testing etc are so vital, to minimise the issues your sister experienced.

I do wonder what you mean by proffesional breeder? 

Do you mean those of us who breed in a 'professional manner' as part of our passion in dog hobbies, sparing no cost or effort, if there is a profit on a litter it is soon swallowed up by the expenses of onws hobby and keeping the dogs into old age, as one will have more than the average pet owner in order to maintain a line, (at least 4 to 6, depending on breeds lifespan).

Or those who make a living out of dogs, who treat their animals as a commodity, and their only professionlism lies in knowing how to maximise profit out of least expenditure, and knowing where corners can be cut.

The latter kind of breeding on a large scale we call Puppy Farming.

On A small scale we call it 'Back Yard Breeding', though I prefer the Term 'Casual Breeding' as being more accurate (casual in attitude not just frequency).

You may have gathered that most breeders on this forum condemn both those kinds of breeding practices.

>it's an expensive and at times fraught and dangerous thing just to do for a 'life experience' I have to say and personally wouldn't recommend anyone do it for that reason...

Finding the right homes for puppies is about as much fun as 'life experiences' go as having root canal treatment, and it lasts longer.

I am constantly amazed by people who think that their bitch having a litter will be a lovely experience for them both - it's a messy (I usually end up covered in blood and other bodily fluids, as does my bed!) and worrying time when I think is it worth putting my gorgeous girl through this terrible experience... I had a 'true' breach with one of my shelties and it was a difficult time, with a friend having to hold her whilst she screamed and fought and I had to turn the pup and help ease him out... not an easy thing to do to have to hurt my dog, but without doing it the pup would have died and my bitch may have... fortunately she forgave me, although it's still something I have the horrors about.  Interestingly people say 'how could you do it' as if there was a choice... if anyone feels that they couldn't do that, then don't even start breeding!

I spend one Boxing Day sat in the vets car park with a friends dog - eventually some signs of pups were there but nothing appeared and although I tried I couldn't get the stuck pup out... the vet was doing surgery but came out as soon as she could and eventually she managed to get the pup out, unbelievably (even the vet was amazed) the pup covered in yellow (a terrible sign) was alive and is now one of the biggest of his breed I've seen, his sister was eventually winkled out as well although a c-section was needed to remove two dead pups.

Have to agree, I find the hard work and experience of rearing puppies enjoyable, but not the constant worry re homing pups and then with every phone call from the new owners having mixed feelings until you know it isn't 'that call' to tell you it hasn't worked out.

Last year I had to take back my bitches litter brother at 4 1/2, just days before she was due her puppies.  Lucky enough none of my other girls was in season and I was able to keep him with them. 

Had they not got on, or his presence had upset the pregnant girl, on top of puppies I would have had the cost of kennelling until a new home was found, and the drain on my time to visit him, for rehabilitation/assessment.

I had half hours notice of his arrival.  The owners had been leaving him for long hours (wife had returned to full time work) in a kennel, and he had become a nuisance barker.

Before I could home him I had to get him in condition, give several baths (he was filthy).  Sadly his new owners tell me that at only 5 1/2 he has developed Diabetes (who knows what he was fed), something that on canvassing people in the breed, must be very rare, as no-one had encountered it. 

Strangely enough it is mentioned in my new puppies Dog Health record book (rather than a straight vaccination card we get a booklet like the child health ones) as something they check for in older dogs, so must be something more dogs are getting (I blame the inclusion of sugars in many foods popular with the general public, and of course over feeding).

I have also had a 9 year old bitch back at short notice due to marriage break up.

Then there are the more usual adolescents (8 months to 3 years) that owners can't/won't cope with.

We have a couple of cockers, as well as all our flatcoats, and believe me, I really don't know who the 'alpha' is - if such a dog exists in our pack.    In a well balanced relationship, it shouldn't be that obvious.      The senior bitch usually just has to be there, quietly,  for her  position to be respected by the others.

It would worry me on that count that you find that the younger bitch is obviously dominant over the older one.      If we are talking cockers, there are certain lines who are definitely sparkier than others, and it can end in serious problems if you try to upset the status quo in any way.

I agree wholeheartedly with all the other comments, which are only meant to be helpful.     Breeding the correct way is extremely stressful even if things go right.    I have just homed the last of my pups - everything went well with the pups, although Mum did have a rapid onset mastitis, which we recognised and got on top of.      I am completely exhausted - maybe just because I take my responsibilities so seriously.   We are of course keeping one pup who we adore.

And next month one of this litter is coming back home for a spell while his owners are on holiday - so here starts the second phase of responsibility..........

Jo

As usual the OP has disappearred when she didn't get the replies she wanted.

Not replying to all the comments is not called "disappeared",  it is being away from my computer for a good few hours while I stayed by the hospital bedside of my dying relative.  Please now keep your nasty comments to yourself.  Furthermore, I will not probably have time within the next days to reply to any comments as I have a funeral to arrange.

My deepest condolences

Sorry for your loss - of course no one on here was or could be aware of anyone's illness and it's only been 2 days since your original post - it's often good to use things like these postings to take your mind off a situation.