I have bred a few dogs before. We have a bitch we would like a litter from. She always bleeds for 3-4 weeks. We took her to the stud dog regularly from day 10, the male dog showed no interest for over a week so we went to a professional stud. Was told she was not ready yet. She started standing on day 19 was mated day 19 and 21. She was still bleeding (red blood) at this time. 3 days later she is still bleeding (brown) is there a chance of pups? I am reluctant to ask my Vet as he is very anti breeding. The dog is well and normal in herself. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks.

My bitch bled for her entire season (about three weeks), we had no 'clear straw discharge' at all, she stood at day eleven and was mated that day. She's now six weeks pregnant from the mating. :)

No, we had no straw colour either. Stayed bright red, also she makes such a mess on the floor. (I'm not complaining about the "bloody" mess but never seen a bitch make so much!)

Never ever had a bitch with straw colour discharge, so would be perfectly normal for mine

Bitches dont read the books where its says they should have straw coloured discharge...lol

So she may or may not be in whelp...maybe best to get her scanned at around 5 or 6 weeks to know for certain.

I have one who wasn't ready till day 20 & would only allow 1 mating. We are now exactly 6 weeks from mating & all signs show she is in whelp. Good luck :)

Nothing you've said sounds out of the ordinary to me.  I had a one off mating on day 28 from one bitch.  Vet said she couldn't possibly be pregnant, but he was wrong.

I have several bitches who continue to bleed after mating, and continue until the end of a nomal season.  However, if you wanted to be sure, you would have been wiser to go for progesterone blood test.

You say that your vet is anti breeding, but please don't let that stop you from phoning him when the time comes if she is having difficulty whelping.  Most people don't stop to think that they need to have saved over a grand before mating a bitch.  I have personally paid £1,086 for an out of hours section.  And whether he is anti breeding or not, you could possibly need him in an emergency.

It's not a problem, some bitches just are ready later.

In my experience bitches with longer seasons tend not to be ready until later into the season. My current two half sisters one has been ready between days 18 - 22 (has had 3 litters and missed only once), and the other 16 to 19, expecting her second litter any time.

The first had seasons closer to 4 weeks long than three.

Of course I won't hesitate to take her to the Vets, may phone this morning as she is still dripping brown blood. I know we will get a leture about how many unwanted there are but never mind!!

If my vet spoke to me like that I would be informing him I'm paying him for his professional advice and not his personal opinion!

As others have said bleeding right through a season, is perfectly normal, and in my bitches never had it any other way. 

I have also had bleeding for up to a month, usually petering off to brownish old looking blood.

Re taking her to the Vet I think people meant later on, when she is due to whelp you may need th vet, not now, unless you think she is unwell and/or showing signs of an infection.

As for the vets opinion on breeding, if you have done things properly, done the relevant hip scoring, eye testing and other breed related health screening tests (ditto for the chosen sire), with acceptable results, have shown or worked your bitch to prove she is a good example of her breed, so has something to offer the breed beyond reproductive ability. 

Most importantly you are willing to home the pups with care and take lifelong responsibility for them should they ever need homing, support the new owners with advice on care and training, then you have nothing for the vet to be concerned about.

Yes, of course I would take to the Vets if I thought there was a whelping problem. Perhaps I would be inclined to go too early if I was worried. Also I always say I will take any pup back if for some reason someone could no longer keep. (Our last litter 8 years ago someone brought a pup back as the owner had broken their hip and cold not cope) I hope that makes me a responsible dog owner? Our Vet always says dogs should not be bred as there are too many unwanted dogs. I suppose he has got a point...but I would hope to choose life long owners if we have pups. I intend to keep one and a friend wants one...hopefully there will not be too many if any at all.

Our Vet always says dogs should not be bred as there are too many unwanted dogs

This does seem such a stupid thing to say...after all if no one bred then the canine population would die out within about 15 years...does your vet want to single handedly wipe out a whole species !!! Better he advises people on breeding properly and carefully.
Aileen

One of my girls was mated day 26, she had 7 pups

Yes, that is a good point...I'll say that if I get a negative comment! Thanks. Our vets just think there are too many unwanted dogs in the World.

There are too any unwanted dogs in the world indeed, but the great majority in the UK are Staffies and Staffy crosses. Lots of people wanting a wellbred, healthy pup to live with them for the next 12-15 years will NOT want either a poorly bred Staffy or a crossbreed, and will want to go to a good breeder to be as sure as they possibly can that their puppy has been bred from the best possible parents (both as far as looks or working ability goes, plus above all health and temperament). Lots of people could not afford to take on a rescue dog as the chances of it becoming ill are so much higher than for a well bred pedigree dog from health tested parents. So statements like the one form the vet makes no sense. The irresponsible will always continue to breed, and if the responsible STOP -then there will be no well-bred, healthy dogs left. If all that was available was rescue dogs, many people would rather go without. If I wanted, say, a wellbred Poodle puppy, I would not be likely to to take on an adult Stafford instead.

Sitbrown, as long as you have done all the recommended breed health tests, along with eyes and hip scores it is very easy to say to your anti breeding vet, that yes there are many, many dogs overbred but all who health test and breed from good lines should be encouraged as it is bringing healthy stock back into the world, however......... you may well take a lot of business from veterinaries. :-D

Well my dog is only really a family pet. But a well known breed, good looking with lovely temperament. The male dog is a very good/well bred working gun dog (and stud dog) so I think if she has pups they should be lovely. But I am thinking of pet homes more than showing homes, they should make good gun dogs too. Personally I can't "rescue" a dog, I would, but I have 3 children. Most rescue places won't rehome with children. So perhaps the Vet could try complaining about that instead?!

I'm afraid I agree with your vet.  This is just the sort of unecessary, unjustified breeding that produces far too many dogs and leads to tens and tens of thousands being destroyed every year.  With luck yours will not end up amongst them but they will certainly just being pushing another into that place.
What health screening have these two dogs had?

> Well my dog is only really a family pet.

I would imagine most show dogs and those taking part in other canine sports as a hobby (as opposed to real workign dogs) are 'really family pets' but to justify breeding from them they have to have more than that to offer the breed.

This is especially so, if it is a numerically strong popular breed where there are more than enough with those qualities to breed from, by people with a serious interest in the breed and whatever work the breed does. 

Those who are purely cocmpanions, and not being assessed independently against their peers as to their quality should remain just that and not be bred from.

The biggest issue is that such one off 'my dog is only really a family pet' breeders will not have the network of contacts and the expereince and knowledge of the breed as a whole and attract and vet the most suitable homes.

I don't think it's pure luck that I have had fewer dogs back for re-homing in more recent years than I did with my first few litters, where on average one came back per litter (within a litter average of 6).  I have got better at vetting and reading between the lines, and even then you can get it wrong, or former pup at any age (had oen at 9) comer unstuck.

Also such breeders are rarely there for the 'long haul' 2, 9, or 12 years later when a dog they bred needs help.

Breed specific health testing with appropriate results, should be a given/prerequisaite for any breeding.

As for health tests... eyes clear hips 1:1. I don't see anything wrong with breeding a good family pet (pedigree) with a good stud dog/ gun dog. Only 1 litter planned. I have a friend who breeds a different "posh" gundog. She always has the maximum amount of litters from her bitches that she is allowed... sells them for ridiculous amounts of money, then with the prophets she has nice Carribean holidays. I think that is breeding to extreme. I would give a puppy to a good home rather than sell as home is more important than money. Yes, I would thoroughly vet each person that has a puppy. There are lots of people that cannot afford an expensive bred dog, but would like a family pet.

Well done on the health testing, not often you see a hip score as low as that.  What about the sire?

> I don't see anything wrong with breeding a good family pet (pedigree) with a good stud dog/ gun dog.

Without showing or working you have no indication that she is typical in both conformation and temperament.  You may think so by your buyers have no such assuration and they are buying a breed and deserve to get some closely resembling their expectations.
What on earth is a "posh" gundog?  If the breeder is managing to make a profit whilst doing everything to be expected from a responsible breeder good luck to her.  There is no crime in that.  If she is not and is shortcutting on health screening for instance than I don't think anyone would condone that but not sure that justifies breeding from "pets"

> There are lots of people that cannot afford an expensive bred dog

What is an expensive bred dog? And what are you shortcutting to make yours cheaper?

I am not short cutting but like I said an old friend if mine breeds an expensive gun dog (I said posh, but I just mean an expensive sort, not a more common breed like mine) nearly £1000 per pup...usually 10 per litter. That is £10,000 she never has health checks, uses her own stud dog. Always keeps 2 bitches for breeding. Then you critisize me for trying my best. If I could choose I would just like my bitch to have 2 pups, but obviously we cannot choose how many she gives birth to! I want to keep one and a friend would like one as a working gun dog. Everyone who have seen her (the stud owners, the Vet and a judge at a local show) say what a lovely example of the breed she is. We did intend to train her as a gundog as my partner shoots, but due to his sick mother he didn't have time to train her. I don't shoot so I could not do it. So she is just a pet. The pup would be a working dog (though I don't think she is in pup) We will buy one if she isn't.

> she never has health checks,

Then she is not a reponsibel breeder, and no-one should support such breeding.