I was looking at the July magazine last night, they have an article about puppy farms and have a bit headed 'puppy farming in the UK (p 82) the 2nd paragraph reads...

The puppy farmers' motivation is profit. Many breeding bitches are forced to have as many as six litters a year and there is plenty of evidence that their puppies are taken from them too soon because all too often the sickly pups are abandoned to shelters not long after they've been purchased. The Kennel Club does not normally register more than four litters per year from any one bitch, and many campaigners would like that number reduced to no more than two litters per year.

Gob-smacked is putting it mildly.
I rang them this morning..........the first lady I spoke to could not seem to see the problem She passed me to someone else who eventually realised what I was on about but seemed totally unconcerned about it.

This is a DOG magazine for the general public !!!

As a member of the general public (I work with dogs but I'm not a breeder) I don't understand what the problem is so could you explain please? I must admit I did think the KC only registers 2 litters a year from one bitch but I may be wrong.

Unbelievable. Even as a non breeder I know that a bitch will have one, maybe two seasons per year so it's not physically possible to have six litters per year. Wouldn't think it was desirable for a bitch to have six litters in her lifetime!! Seems the writer doesn't know what they're on about and the proof readers (if they still exist) didn't notice it.
Well spotted tatty-ead!

The unbelievable is not aimed at you springfever sorry.

Doh! Can you tell I only ever have males?!!!

Many breeding bitches are forced to have as many as six litters a year

Credible newspaper then
.

Once upon a time the pet magazines used to only enlist people heavily involved with animals to write for them -then it changed to them buying in articles from just anyone. That certainly shows in this case. Mind you, I will never get over that vet interviewed on the recent TV documentary "The dog factory" who stated that the puppy farm bitches would have 3-4 litters a year. I mean, a VET??!!!

The first one I spoke to who couldn't see the problem when she looked at the item, I asked her 'do you actually have a dog' answer 'yes of course' quite indignant

I am debating whether to send the relevent bit of the article to the KC, asking if they have changed policy plus knowing something we don't about bitches that cycle 4 or 6 times a year
anyone know which email dept to send to ?

The law allows six litters in a bitches lifetime (though with unregistered animals how would anyone know) and the kennel club will only allow four litters in a bitches lifetime.

I tend to leave two seasons before breeding from a bitch again which usually gives me about a two year gap, with just one clear season between usually gives 14 to 18 months gap.

I usually have three litters at most and find it hard to fit those in by around 7 which is the age I prefer to stop breeding, and generally a first litter is closer to three years than two.

Actually heard the same comment about  the number of litters a year from a vet on the BBC program on puppy farming, and was gobsmacked too.

Edit:
OOh I see Goldmali noticed and mentioned it above.

> I must admit I did think the KC only registers 2 litters a year from one bitch but I may be wrong.

Breeders who are required to have a license by law must have at least 12 months between a bitches litters (again how to police or know this with unregistered stock). 

The kennel club will register puppies of other breeders from successive seasons, but general advice/practice is that a bitch should have a clear season between litters.

There are bitches who even so might go just a little less than a year even with a clear season and there may be good reason to mate the following season in the case of a very small litter of 1 or 2 pups in breed that usually have half a dozen or more.  To be honest this should only occur rarely, there may be time constraints why waiting may not be possible.

Perhaps there is some kind of time speeding up machine that only puppy farmers and some vets know about.  In my experience some vets have no common-sense.  Actually some are just totally useless.

I didn't know that there was a legal limit on how many litters a bitch can have.  Thanks for writing that.

It is not a 'legal' limit (as in unlawful in the accepted sense of illegal) It is actually an unenforceable limit apart from the KC refusing to register the puppies or any action a breed club would take as in revoking a breeders membership

The law allows six litters in a bitches lifetime (though with unregistered animals how would anyone know) and the kennel club will only allow four litters in a bitches lifetime.

you and I know that, it was just that this was in a magazine aimed at joe public

I think that's where I was getting confused - per lifetime not per year! I do know about bitches seasons although I've not had a bitch since I was about 10 years old & I'm currently on dog number 8 so it was a long time ago! All the dogs I work with have been neutered.

I'm having such an embarrassing week. I must engage brain before I speak! I can only blame it on my age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

springfever you have a perfect excuse - "Your Dog" does not!

> Perhaps there is some kind of time speeding up machine that only puppy farmers and some vets know about.

Hahaha!
Actually I wouldn't even take 4 litters a year from a rabbit - and believe me, they are well and truly up for it once their babies get to 8 weeks old.

> Mind you, I will never get over that vet interviewed on the recent TV documentary "The dog factory"

It's unbelievable what people say.  As you know I bred, exhibited, and judged cavies for many, many years.  Years ago when all I had was 2 Toy Poodles I used to go home lunchtime.  Driving back to work I used to listen to a phone in programme where a local vet gave advice.  I gasped at a little girl phoning in about her guinea pig keep being sick.  The vet then gave a long reply about sickness in cavies!!!!!  It is an impossibility for a cavy to vomit.  Just like a horse.  Never did get to take my dogs to see that particular vet. 

Just rushing through this question - no it would be physically impossible for a bitch, who has 2 seasons a year, at most (and mine cycled at 8 monthly intervals) to produce 8 litters a year.   Perhaps this was a typo and should have been in their life-time.   Which is too many still!!   I only ever took 2 litters from mine other than one who had 2 only, one doa, in her first.  I took her back to the same stud for her second litter (5) and bred her for her 3rd and final litter to our own stud dog (7).   She was then spayed.   If they had a C.Section there was only 1 litter.   I'd suggest that if a breeder didn't get what they wanted from 1, or maybe 2 litters, they weren't going to get what they wanted.   Breeding a bitch more often is puppy farming in my eyes.   And fact is even if the KC wouldn't register more than X-number of litters, this doesn't stop people from over-breeding and producing unregistered litters.   Sadly

Deviating from the OP.   Frankly I'd be speechless too if I'd read this.  Small wonder there's so much ignorance out there.

I emailed the KC about the article and a few days later they replied saying:-

We've contacted Your Dog magazine about this particular feature. Unfortunately they did not contact us to fact check the information included within the article and as a result we have asked them to do so in future and to correct this error in the next issue to clarify the error to readers.

Trouble next issue for correction will be Sept due to their closing dates for going to press but better than the nothing the Mag promised me

Good work tatty-ead!

Glad to hear that you got some positive response even if it waits a while to go to press.

I think the BBC need the same re the puppy farming program and the vet stating number of litters bitches were expected to rear per year.