I am looking in to all the pros and cons about breeding before deciding to breed from my girl, Amber, she is only 12mths so I want to be clued for when she is old enough does anyone have any tips on where best to keep her and the pups indoors/outdoor enclosure i.e Garage or outhouse with heating facilities I want whats best for Amber and the pups so any suggestions
Thanks Koopy

hi koopy, I kept my alsation indoors when she was having her pups, she had nine pups altogether, they are 4 weeks old now.

Indoors certainly for the first few weeks...I slept in the kitchen with mine for 3 weeks, wouldn't have fancied sleeping in the garage....:-)

HI
Before you think of breeding from your bitch, have you had the health checks done?  Hips need to be x-rayed and sent to the BVA for scoring, preferable elbows as well, as there is so much OCD in the breed, Eyes must be examined by an independant panelist.  Has she got an impeccable temperment? I would also say to myself Why am I doing this? Do you want to improve the breed by doing this, do you want a puppy to keep for showing?  My worry is, just to breed a litter because you want to especially with labs. They are so over populated and so many now end up in REscue.  Please do not take this to be rude in any way, but it does concern me that people these days just think it good to breed a litter. Good luck if you go ahead, But please not without the health checks. Regards Meg

Seconded Meg. Labs and Staffies; must be the most overbred, under health/temperament checked breeds in the country. Definitely ask yourself why. :)

Thank you for your advice I will be having all the test done now amber is 12mths she can have her hips and elbows xrayed and i will also be getting dna and eye test, even if i don't breed from her

Also youn will need to consider what kind of dogs you are aiming to produce. 

Ideally there would mbe no difference between the dogs that are shown and those worked, but sadly, and maybe inevitably in asuch a popular breed the typical show dpogs and the best workign lines have diverged considerably.

Do you show or work your bitch, or which did her breeder specialise in?

It would be unwise to use a Show stud on a working bred bitch as the show quality of the pups may not be that good, and neither would any one looking for a working dog want one from a show stud and a bitch that has not yet proven herself a good worker.

Pet owners would also find it harer to cope with a typical working bred puppy, and you may then find yourslef with several pups returned at the adolescent stage when they have wrecked the house.

Unless you seriously want to become involved in showing or working you will find it cheaper and less stressful to buy in a pup when you are ready in another 18 months or so.  After all there are more than enough bred each year.

My lab is from working stock (gundog)and she is a wonderful member of my family ,even as a puppy I had no damage in house ,very easy to train and she has a very loving nature .I was given my first working lab when I was 5 yrs old .It is not true they don`t make good family pets Brainless .They are not dogs for laying in front of the fire ,they want and need exercise.What is the point of owning a dog if you`re not willing to exercise and play with him.

Ah but the average family looking for a pet are thinking of a quick half hour round the block and a walk in the aprk at weekends, adn little or no brain stimulation :D

We see some lovley dogs coming to training classes that someone wanting to train would give their eye teeth for, and all their families do is point out their virtues of eagerness to work and intelligence as being faults.  My triner often ruefully says that a lot of people just want a really dumb dog :D

I always make sure that new owners know exactly what my pups are and as I`ve said I have not had 1 returned .I don`t breed unless I know I have good homes for pups 1 of the people who are having a pup from this litter has been waiting since my last litter for her puppy .Must add half my litters go to working homes other half pet .

Very true colliesrus.

Hi Koopy,

In addition to some vital points other posters have made I think it's worth mentioning that only in the last couple of weeks on the forum, several experienced breeders who have done every health test, had their bitches in peak condition and basically put their lives on hold and hearts and souls into having litters, have had heartache and worry :(   One has lost an entire litter due to complications and the bitch had an emergency hysterectomy, and four others' bitches have needed emergency caesareans because pups have become stuck - all lost one or more pups and were worried sick about their bitches too.

The point is that many dog owners believe that a bitch having a litter is the most natural thing in the world so must be easy - this is not the case.  It is one of the most dangerous things we put our dogs through and no matter how knowledgeable the breeder and how well cared for the bitch is before and during pregnancy, mother nature and plain luck have a big hand in how things work out.

Not trying to be a know-it-all or stick-in-the-mud but if I were you I'd do a lot of soul searching first about why I wanted a litter.  Regards, Teri

I can only endorse every word Teri has said.  Breeding is not as easy as one thinks, and it can bring very much heartache as well as pleasure. Good Luck Meg

My labrador was one of the bitches that had to have c-section 1 dead pup that was stuck could have killed my girl and all other puppies behind it,it was only because I knew what was happening that I got my bitch to vets in time for help .My girl is very fit and she was taken care of carefully and this still happened.Health checks must be done ,I feel it is cruel to bring pups into this world if it has to suffer.

I must add all I have never had a pup returned.

Ask yourself why you are breeding her before you do. Do you want to take care of the puppys , what if they don't find a good home until they are a couple months old, even a year? Are you prepared to have 6 full grown labs running around in your house and yard? If they don't find homes are you just going to throw them into a rescue?