We have a beautiful Black Labrador called Molly she is 16 months old, she is due to have her next season in March I have never gone about mating before & need help & advice. WE are NOT mating our dog for commercial gain, we love labs & feel that we would like Molly to have at least one lot of puppies - HELP! my email is juecoo@yahoo.com (tel: 01706 668015)

Thank you in anticipation of your help.

Julie & Martin Amos

She will just have reached the minimum age you should be contemplating breeding from her. You will need to get her Hip and Elbow scored, and eye tested. the Hip scoring will have to be done as soon as possible, as it is best done midway between seasons, and the results can take a month to come back.

I would also suggest you join your local breed club, and contact your bitches breeder for advice on choice of Partner. are you hoping to produce good Working dogs, or ones that will be a credit to you if shown? It goes without saying that you should be aiming to produce healthy good tempered companions.

Also have you considered the ongoing commitment to the puppies, will you be in a position to help and advise the new puppy owners, and possibly have back any that do not work out, or where circumstances change, perhaps many years from now?

Use this time to study the requirements in a good Labrador, read as many books as you can, attend some shows or Working events. These will all be of help in your Quest to produce pups that will be a credit to the breed.

Probably not a welcome question ... do you want Molly to have at least one litter so that you can keep one of the puppies, or do you just think it would be nice for Molly? If the latter, then I would ask you to consider the number of labradors which arrive in rescue each year. I am sure Mattie could give you some ideas on this, I as a general rescue get at least half a dozen every year (probably more). I am not against breeding but please only enter into it if you are absolutely certain this is what you want. A very good friend of mine breeds bloodhounds, and would never breed them unless she was aiming to keep at least one puppy herself.

If you opt not to breed I am sure Molly will be just as happy in her life as she would under the opposite scenario.

Either way good luck.

Just for the record 197 re-homed by us this year and there are two labrador rescues in The North West where I am,Its lovely to think of having puppies if you have an exceptional quality bitch but what happens when the good homes turn bad,these days with couples both holding down jobs with long hours the dog is always the first to go,I would urge you to consider all this before breeding,and if you do go ahead always insist that if the buyers are unable to keep the puppies for any reason during their life you will help them find another suitable home for them ( contact rescue if you need help with that) I was very shocked recenty, My dog William was very rarely used for stud when he was younger but I allowed a lady to use him on her Bitch,that was about five years ago,recently I had a call from a lady whos Husband was a Policeman he had brought a Labrador home half starved with two broken Front legs,they nursed him to health and kept Him the Policeman traced the owners and they didnt want to know but he managed to get the pedigree from them and imagine how I felt when they rang me to say that he was One of Williams Pups,I now have a gorgeous photo of this dog in a happy family but dread to think what he went through before.
Anyway you have been sensible enought to ask advice Im sure you will do your best for your Labrador.Good Luck ( if you click on my name it will show you my labrador Rescue website address)