I have a small gundog breed, and I want to breed her next year. So I have started to do my research and find out exactly what I need to know and do.
Where is the best place to find a stud dog?
If I want to register my puppies with kennel club, do I need to get my own kennel club name? And do I need to be registered with them etc. I do want to have papers so this is vital, but they have so much stuff on website I'm
Not sure how much I require.
Is it best to wait till after her second birthday or of her third season comes first? A lot of contradicting information online.
I only plan on doing it once, and I will be keeping one, but I want to get it right.
Do I have all the relevant tests now, or should I do it a few weeks before planned mating. Do I need these tests even though my puppy came with health tests cleared.

Any information would be gratefully recieved

Thank you
Beccy

Hi Beccy.  Breed Club shows are the best place to see quality dogs of your breed.  If you show your girl, then you will also know whether she is of good enough quality to breed from.  There is no point in spending money on health testing if she has nothing to add to the gene pool - there are many, many pet quality dogs being bred out there.  :(

Your bitch's breeder is also a good place to ask for advice, because you need to know what problems might be behind yout bitch so that you don't double up on them.  It's not good enough to just find a dog with no similar relatives because even unrelated dogs can have the same faults.

What part of the country do you live?  Then we maybe able to help you find your nearest  Breed Club.  :)

It's great that you are asking all these questions now, before mating your bitch.  :)

As a devoted Cocker slave I would ask very politely why you would want to consider breeding your girl at all. Amongst the thousands of poorly bred puppies already out there, there are some superb dogs from stunning lines who will produce some amazing puppies next year. Why not invest your time and energy in sourcing a responsible breeder with breeding plans for next year?

It will be cheaper to purchase an excellent quality puppy than it will be to rear a litter of puppies once all costs have been considered, and a lot less stressful. So unless your girl has an incredible pedigree, amazing temperament and perfect confirmation to breed standard I cannot see the benefit to either your girl or yourself of her having a litter.

I would suggest a long chat with your girls breeder with regards to your plans to see if they will mentor you throughout your journey and they should also be able to give you invaluable information regarding your girls lines. They will also hopefully paint a realistic picture of the breeding process.

There is so much to consider, learn and understand that you need someone who has vast experience behind them to guide you through it all.

First of all only top quality animals should be bred - with wins to prove their quality at that.   Secondly once you get out there into the show world, you'll start to look at the others out there, and form a preference for certain bloodlines.   This, coupled with taking her back to her experienced breeder for her opinion on the quality of your bitch (and to have the non-breeding endorsement lifted) and for her advice about which stud dog, in her opinion, would be a good mate for your bitch - not doubling up on any faults your bitch will have (they all have faults!!).

You don't have to have an affix (Kennel name) but most people who want to get into breeding/showing etc., do choose one when starting a good bloodline.   It's not necessary however, but your bitch must be KC registered for you to be able to register her puppies - ditto for the stud dog.

Most people won't breed until the bitch is over 2 or having her third season.  All the relevant tests need to be done according to what testing is required for her breed according to the KC/BVA Schemes.   Some testing can't be done until around 2 - and some need doing every year.   Again I think the KC Website or her breeder should be able to advise you about that.   A regular vet health test isn't near enough.

At the end of the day, by no means do all bitches NEED motherhood.  Much as you may want a puppy from her, you should be aware that everytime a bitch is put in whelp, her life is at risk.    It may, unless you intend to get into showing/breeding and start your own good bloodline, be better to look for a second puppy from the same breeder?

Do I have all the relevant tests now, or should I do it a few weeks before planned mating. Do I need these tests even though my puppy came with health tests cleared.
Asuming she is a cocker these are the health tests recommended for the breed
BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme - annual test
DNA test - prcd-PRA
DNA test - FN
BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme
BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme - gonioscopy only

Its best to do before your due to breed her as it can take a while to get the results back and if she fails the test you should then cancel the stud so better to get them done ready. Also any good stud dog owner will want to see you girl has good health test results before they agree to allow you to use there dog and you will need to pick your stud well before she come into season really so you have time to make sure there a good match, arrange the details, plan travel ect.
Its best to get them done in order of the cheapest test so that way if she is found to have one of the problems you don't waste you money getting the rest tested.

Welcome to the forum Beccy and it is great to see that you are looking for help on how to do things properly :)

I am sure you will find this article: "Should I breed from my pet bitch?" of some interest. It is written by a very experienced breeder (whom is also a Champdogs Forum Moderator) and I am sure she (along with other forum members) will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Some excellent points have already been made, so here (for what it's worth) are my brief observations as a first time breeder. I bought my first dog in this breed nearly 7 years ago and now have 4. I bought my bitch in after studying pedigrees and planning what I wanted for about 2 years before she was born :-). Ours is a numerically small gundog breed and I was very privileged to have pick of bitches in her litter. She had a successful start in the show ring, had all her required health tests in place by age 15 months (HD and eyes), and at that point I started research stud dogs suitable for her. Fast forward another 15 months, and I have just returned from Poland--an amazing road trip, involving 3000 miles in 5 days, just to use a wonderful multi Int. Ch  dog I love who complements her strengths, has the best of temperaments and health test results (far more stringent than those required by the KC and breed clubs here) and is going to add to the diversity of the breed gene pool in this country. I can't really calculate the financial investment so far, but just in recent weeks it has been very nearly double the cost of a puppy (usually£850-1000 in this breed). That's before I add on the additional veterinary costs coming over the next few weeks, and the cost of raising/registering a litter, and factoring in the possibility, however remote, that if for any reason a puppy home does not work out, that puppy is another dog I will take full responsibility for. I'm doing all this because I am hoping for a bitch puppy to keep to mate back to my stud dog--and that's a litter I hope I live to see one day!

So if you have a vision and a passion to see it through, good luck! I take my hat off to all good breeders out there because I am now finding out for real just how all-consuming this is. By comparison, planning for, buying and campaigning a quality puppy is less stressful and much cheaper, but only you will know which is the best route for you.

> I'm doing all this because I am hoping for a bitch puppy to keep to mate back to my stud dog--and that's a litter I hope I live to see one day

Sorry to hijack.  OOOOOH you must be sooo excited!  :-)

All the planning and headaches, but so very worthwhile.

LOL JeanSW--I am so excited I can hardly sleep! I can hardly believe we are advancing step by little step towards this litter that I have dreamed about for years and always hoped would come. I've had so many people tell me I am mad to do it (ie using a dog so far away, travelling there with the bitch on our own, why not use a dog 50 miles down the road or prove her with a loca--or even my own--stud etc etc). My dogs are not breeding machines! If for any reason it doesn't happen I will be sorry but I will not regret a thing. I'd rather not bother at all than go for second best. And I can't begin to say how much I just loved Poland--we will go again for a proper holiday next time, hopefully with our first own-bred puppy. Life is very, very, very good :-)

I wish you the best of luck. 

Having been there, don't be too disappointed if you end up having to keep a pup not up to your expectations, (don't throw the baby out with the bathwater) with the (always useful) new blood you can hopefully move forward again/consolidate next generation.

Thanks Brainless--this is exactly what I was thinking, although there will be a very strong temptation to keep a male back too...but it's not practical to add to the three males I already have, and while co-ownership in theory might solve some of the problem, it could create many more new ones :-(

I will be very keen to see them go to homes where neutering is NOT the first item on the agenda!