So after this breeding, we wanted to spay Daisy. She's 4 now, and I want to avoid future possible problems, ya know?

But since we did this breeding thing, we've had a severe backlash...in a GOOD way. Daisy and the stud are both just simple "pet" lines of breeding.... no champions, etc. But we have many people calling, asking to be on a waiting list after seeing these pups...even vets! Seems this "match" has produced beautiful, healthy pups that people are tripping over themselves to get ahold of.

Breeding is hard, hard work. But I could do it again...especially knowing she isn't likely to blow out 14 pups again (that was a freak thing!)....but is it fair to Daisy? I don't know. I worry that it isn't. She's perfectly healthy after this breeding...if not better off than before...but I worry about her... I think she should be spayed because I am selfish and i want her around as long as possible, and spaying will help prevent any reproductive system cancers. But we also want one of her pups, and we didn't keep one from this breeding. If I don't breed her again, I won't have another Daisy when she's gone, ya know? And I have all these people calmoring for a pup from her... it's kind of funny actually. 

The last breeding was supposed to be a private breeding, but she had so many pups, we had to sell outside of our "circle".  What if if happens again???

Think about this fact:  you COULD possibly - and it is really highly unlikely - but you COULD have 14 pups returned to you !   Ok - this really is a "worst possible" scenario - but it's one that you really should take into account.

For Daisy's health, even if you were to breed from her again, you should wait a full year before breeding from her again - check how keen the people are in 9 months time, before mating her again - I know you said that you want to keep a puppy - but she could have 14 pups again - my experience has always been that our bitches have only ever erred 1+ or 1- from the first litter.

Talk it over with your family - as you say, she will be in optimum health, you know the pitfalls and the advantages now - and good luck with your decision!  - puppy breath is sooo addictive :D

Margot

I don't understand if she had 14 pups why you didn't keep one???  surely if they were so good there must have been one you could have kept?  Or did she have all one sex?? :D

You say the pups are all healthy, but if they are still pups then you don't know if they will be, though of course if both parents were health tested with good results, and of course are healthy themselves, then the odds are in your favour.

Most breeders will want to see after a year how the pups have developed before deciding if and how to breed next time.  You will be able to assess their good and bad points, compare with parents, and decide where to go for a stud next time for better results.

Enjoy the next year or so's research, as now that she has already had a litter you have plenty of time for a second (about 3 years).

Good Luck :D

Yes, we have plenty of time to decide....it just worries on my mind because I am the worrying type, lol!  As for why we didn't keep a pup...that's a tough one.  We actually had a lovely little female who was the spitting image of her mother picked out, but in the end we sold her to a wonderful couple who not only lives just a few miles away, but also kept the name we had chosen for her.  My reason?  We have been holding a pup for my mother.  She said when she picked him out that she would be able to take him in a few weeks.  Well those few weeks came and went, and although she swears up and down she will be taking the pup, I worry that she won't, so I didn't want to have 2 puppies here.  We have a VERY small house (certainly won't be breeding again until we move, that's for sure!!!), and with the 2 adult dogs and 3 cats already here, 2 pups would just be chaos.  If they were a small breed, I'd be fine with it, but we're talking about 70-80lb animals here!  So if mom doesn't end up taking her pup, I suppose we'll have our pup then, lol.  But we specifically wanted a female, so that years down the road if she proved worthy as her Dam did, than we could breed her as well.  Funny you should ask too.....  "were they all one sex??".  Damn close!  We had 11 boys and only 3 females, LOL!

With 14 pups the chances are that at least one will need rehoming at some point so you may get your pup then?

This is true...  but we can't count on that.  :(

It just proves that having a champion in the pedigree doesn't always mean that you are going to get a brilliant litter!!!  Even a dog that some people would class as a pet throws out some good un's at times :d

It is hard work and as everyone else says you've got to remember that you've got to be there for the rest of the puppies lives, you just never know what's going to happen and one day someone could end up phoning you and asking if you could take the dog back, be it in 1 year, 5 years time or whenever.

You seem to be intelligent and you'll know whether it's the right thing to do.

Sadly whether this seems curel or not people do not trip over to get hold of pet bred puppies. 
Sorry if that seems harsh. Whilst you may have had numerous buyers with the first lot you may not with a second lot.  Why ??? well top breeders only keep one or 2 the rest go to pet homes. The everyday person looking for a nice pet now want the best and top bred dogs for pets.  Quite rightly so. 

You have not gave one valid reason why you would want another litter.  The reason to keep a dog from your bitch just because you like her is not I am afraid to say reason enough.

Do you have the room to house 14 older dogs if and when you get any back? It is very common for the odd puppy to come back. I am sure the others will tell you. Maybe you can keep one of them save breeding your bitch again if that is the only reason.

Blue-  This is my whole reason for questioning this!  I have many people contacting me asking about another litter.  If I didn't, I doubt I ever would have given much thought to breeding again anytime soon.  But I have people asking when I will have another litter, and wanting to sign onto a waiting list already.  I know what you all mean too, about having pups come back.  That's why we were so extensive in our screening of people, and also have it written in the sales contract that the dog is to come back to us in any bad situation that may befall it.  I also sent the pups to their new homes already micro-chipped with my information.  We're terribly over-protective, but it's how it has to be.  We turned down many people because they weren't willing to jump the hoops we asked of them.  And our reasoning is....if they can't go through some trouble, they certainly can't handle the "trouble" of raising a pup.  ;)

Zoo Keeper,

This is just an honest question and no harm meant but when you say the litter was so good and people are tripping up because of the match , such as a vet etc..

Are any of these people actually experinced and qualified in your breed.

If I saw a litter of puppies I may think they are all crackers but if I know nothing about that breed itself, then the coat that I  may think is lovely and the stand I think is nice may be complete major faults in that breed.

Breeding should been done to bring improvement to the breed or a particular line.

To back this up a little story, I was in the park with 3 of my westies and met a girl with 2 westies also, she came right out and said, " you show your westies",  I was puzzled where this came from but she said  "because she could tell" .

My dogs were like scruffs I can tell you and all 3 far far from perfect but they were about 1/2 the size of her dogs. She went on to tell me about how these 2 dogs of hers were from this top breeder in a farm along the road.   These dogs looked like westies with beagle bodies.

Anyway I am in no way saying your dogs are like this but we all see dogs differently and that is why breeding should only be carried out by people knowing enough about the actual breed and doing it for the right reason.  Those who are interested in the breed but may lack a lot of experince and plan to take on breeding should at the least have advice and mentoring from an experinced breeder in the breed.

BFn Pam

<I think she should be spayed because I am selfish and i want her around as long as possible, and spaying will help prevent any reproductive system cancers.>

This is actually not true. If you want to spay to prevent cancers, it must be done when the bitch is very young. Once they are sexually mature and had a litter, spaying is no good as a cancer preventative (with the exception of the womb and ovaries, if they are not present, they cannot become malignant!), the incidence of breast cancer (one of the most common cancers in a bitch) will not be reduced by spaying.

Snomaes

Oh yes...  I just meant for ovarian cancer and cancer of the womb as well.  I know it won't prevent mammary cancer at this point.  :)

I think that if you have ANY doubt in your mind then you SHOULD NOT breed her. It doesn't matter how many people you have knocking at your door, you should NOT do it.

I have seen worse case scenarios of perfectly healthy bitches who have had very successful, healthy litters before that have been through hell having that "last" litter. In some of the worst cases it has ended up with the loss of the bitch and all the puppies. I know this post sounds harsh but it is intended to put you off doing it.

You say that you want to keep a puupy so you will have one for when your bitch has gone, but you have to remember that that puppy won't be the same dog as the one you have now, as each dog has it's own personalityies, is it worth risking the life of your precious dog just in case you end up with a carbon copy of her to have in the future?

You are not being selfish by wanting to spay her and have her around for a long time to come, you are being sensible. I don't think you should be under any pressure to breed her at all and I would book that appointment at the vets asap.

You will always be able to find a reputable breeder to purchase another puppy from in the future when you do want another one, so it is definatly not worth putting her life at risk for.

Go with your gut instinct. SPAY her now!!