Hi,
I was wondering how all of you that show feel about showing a bitch that has had a litter.
Is it hard to Champion a bitch that has? Is it better to show first than breed later?
I have gotten mixed feelings from people around here and wanted your opinions.
Thanks for your help,
Carissa

It depends how hard you're prepared to campaign a bitch until she's about 3 years old (about the right age for a first litter). If she hasn't been made up by then, I'm sure you wouldn't write her off, especially in the numerically strong breeds. She'd have a litter and return to the ring afterwards ..

You could show your bitch first as you have to wait until she's a certain age before you can breed from her, but its perfectly acceptable to show a bitch that has had litters once she is back in tip top condition :)

Dee

I know many breeders that are able to have their bitch back i the ring when pups are around 12 weeks.  The bitch has been very fit and healthy during pregnancy and has been well excersised once weaned and have good tight stomach muscles.  With a good fit healthy bitch there should be no problems getting back into show condition.  A friend has just taken 1st in Graduate at Cotswald and Wyvern Ch Show, qualifying her for crufts, her pups are just 5months old.   The bitch is in excellent condition and at her peak at 3.5yrs.

brie is 5 1/2 years old lost her litter on day 54  5 puppies was at windsor champ show9 days aftre she looking her best know give it another 8 week her coat will have blown

That is all very encouraging. Thanks for the info everyone, and quick too!
Carissa

Of course this own't applyn to coated breeds.  In my breed you are generally very6 lucky to ahve them back into showable condition by the time the litter are 4 months and they are unlikely to be at peak condition until pups are near enough six months old.

Also a lot will depend on the breed.  Most in my breed are made up at 3 to 5 years (dogs and bitches), but many later than that, and continue to win CCs to 10 years old or more.

I am taking my own young bitch out of the rting in teh Autumn for a litter at two years old (she has 1CC and 2RCCs) as I daren't wait any longer as her mother was a difficult bitch to persuade to accept a mate and she has also been having frequent sesons which  a litter should hopefully stabilise.

It is more important to secure the next generation thatn make them up in my opinion.

You could continue camapigning a bitch to 5 years of age, then find it is too late to breed her and still nto ahve won that 3rd CC.  I know many exhibits on 2CCs with fist fulls of RCCs athat have just not been lucky.

My own Champion bvitch was made up in one season when young, but I wanted to take her to the World show so waited until she was past 3 to try and mate her and failed.  We did manage to get ehr mated and a litter Sept 03 when she was almost four (she had 7CCs by then).

She was fit and showable by Christmas, and has won another two CCs and another Group place since that litter, and is now taking a break for a second litter.

I haven't bred a litter yet, but I have heard people say that their bitches are often vastly improved by having a litter - spring of ribs etc. So you may find she is better after the litter than before - once the coat grows back!!!! :-)

I really am not sure what to expect with a Havanese after a litter---I mean that is quite a lot of Hair!lol
Scary really! Could talk half a year!

Carissa

I am lucky my bitch is a short haired breed but they do still suffer hair loss quite badly.  We used every supplement known to man and kept brushing to get all the dead hair out quicker so it would regrow faster.  Tigger looks better now than ever and managed to a RCC 14 weeks post whelping from a very strong entry.  She no longer looks like she has had puppies but my god we have had to excercise her to get her back in shape. 

Her grandmother had 4 litters of puppies and still managed to win firsts at Crufts.

In my breed they come back into shape pretty quick.  There was a bitch at a show the other week who had had a litter only 10 weeks previous and you would never have known, maybe if you got up really close and had a good feel but standing at the ringside I wdn't of known if I didn't know that she had just had a litter.  My girls more often than not are back in shape by 10 weeks too.  Not all breeds are the same of course and this is quite a fit and active breed :d

hi ive seen a bullmastiff bitch after a litter with a really really saggy tummy and she had the pups ages ago if that happenes is there any way to make her tummy and nipples shrink back ,sorry if this sounds stupid but ive never bred pups

Only time and exercise. It gets worse the more litters a bitch has - it also depends how fit she was prior to the litter.