As requested not to discuss this further on the other thread, I have started this one.

What are people's reasons for breeding? Do you only ever breed a litter when you want another pup yourself? I suppose to a lot of extent, it would depend on what your breed is, as some are obviously suitable for pet homes, and easily kept, others aren't.

I'd also be interested to find what percentage of your pups go to pet homes?

Thanks!

I breed from Josie, as she was a good example of her breed and lovely calm temperament.  I also wanted a puppy, like Josie :-).  Out of 9 pups, they all went to pet homes, but 2 are shown aswell (both qualified for Crufts :-)).  If Suki carries on doing aswell as she is and passes all her health tests (getting eyes done next week).  I'd love to have a litter from her when she's old enough, but I don't know if I want 3 dogs!  So if it all goes to plan, I am considering having a litter from Suki when she is 3 to 4 and not keeping one, then having another litter a couple of years later and keeping a puppy.
Also Suki is nothing like her Mum!  Much, much loopier, bigger, more vocal, has wrecked more things, but I wouldn't changer her for the world, she makes me laugh so much!

Ditto Sam-Jo, 'specially the not wanting 3 dogs just yet, but not wanting to leave Lizzie's first litter until she has passed 5 yrs old :rolleyes:  so the plan is, to have a 1st litter between 3 & 4 yrs old, and providing there are no whelping problems, like her Dams inertia & c-section, I'll repeat the mating a year or so following the 1st one :) if not, I'll keep from the 1st and not have a 2nd litter :)

As my breed is still fairly rare in this country and I would like to keep it that way I breed occasionally.  My last litter was over a year ago.  I breed to hopefully improve my breed.  Many do go to pet homes but I hope the odd one or two from a litter may be used to help the gene pool.

I'm hopefully having a litter in January and fingers crossed I will be keeping a pup.  She will have to be a she, she will have to be a natural short-tailed and she'll have to be either black or black and white.  Not asking for much am I? :d :d  Hopefully a couple will be good enough to go to the gundog homes that people are wanting.

I breed to preserve an old line of a rare breed (the number of breeders in my breed that breed the show type can be counted on one hand), to keep it going and hopefully improve it as well. I only ever have a litter if I plan to keep a pup, I cannot see the point in breeding otherwise. No pups have gone to pure pet homes, they have all gone for showing, agility, obedience, search and rescue, etc.I will also only breed as long as I am sure that I can take an adult dog back at any time should the need arise and indeed I had to do that this year, and I will only mate a bitch if I have at least a few interested buyers waiting.

Suki unfortunately failed her eye test   So no puppies from her, I'm devastated.

I would say all my pups go to Pet homes and about a third of them are shown too.

I have a numerically small breed and if I only bred when I wanted to keep a pup myself then each bitch would only have one litter and I would learn little about her potential and which lines she suits best, and there would be nowhere for me to change direction within my own breeding or regain bloodlines should a bitch I do keep be unable to breed etc.

I do breed each litter with a mind to where the litter may fit into the gene pool and potentially be useful in future breeding plans.

Sometimes disappointingly those who were keen to show don't and the ones who had no intention do instead, and the best pup ends up sitting at home with no-one but the family to admire it.

It is my belief that my breed are a far easier pet than many breeds, but sadly seem to be a well kept secret and numbers are getting lower each year it would seem, yet a small but steady stream bred by Irish puppy farms keeps our rescue volunteers busy from those sold through commercial outlets to people who have no business owning a dog.

It's interesting that all of you who have replied have talked about preserving bloodlines or expanding the genepool in rare breeds. I think that the OP has a very popular breed, and in the other thread talked about health and temperament, but never mentioned a show record. I don't breed, and don't show, but my next door neighbour does both - she now has a very rare breed, but used to breed, show and do rescue for a very popular breed. We were talking about this question and this is what she said:
In the breed she has now she would possibly have a litter when she wasn't planning to keep a puppy, but only if she had someone else that she trusted 100% to have the pick of litter puppy and show it. That's because she only keeps 5 or 6 and likes to have a nice spread of ages, also she only keeps bitches. In her previous breed she would NEVER breed unless she was absolutely certain she would keep one. She said that a lot of the dogs that came into rescue were poorly bred, but you only had to go back one or two generations to find a bitch from a well-known breeder. She used to live in America, and told me that most breeders there sell all their pet puppies on a "spay/neuter contract". That means that the pup is sold for a certain price, and the buyer gets a sum of money and the papers when they send a certificate to say that the puppy has been neutered. Does anyone do that here?

I have had 2 litters this year, with all pups going to a pet home.  Yes, it's been a bad year!  Both girls had total inertia and a C-section.  I couldn't ethically take the risk of either breeding again.  They have both now been spayed, and will stay as much loved pets.  I couldn't risk keeping any of their pups for show.  I knew that the high risk of inertia being genetic, meant that it would be wrong to keep any of the girls for breeding.  They went to pet homes with non breeding contracts.  However, I do have a girl who came out of self whelping lines, and she was mated 3 weeks ago.  You will all think I'm mad, but I am positive that she is pregnant, I just know by her whole demeanor.  I haven't any intention of selling this litter.  The breed only has 2 or 3, and I intend to run them on, and I am so excited.

i ONLY breed when i want something for myself. Its a really big issue for me.....cannot bear it when people (in my breed i am talking about) breed without intention of keeping one....our breed is so hard to find correct homes for it just smacks of commercial puppy farming! my current litter.....7 out of 7 are show homes. 4 out of 7 will also be competing in working trials.

Sam, I'm with you on that one.  Why breed if you're not keeping anything, or  the other one is people who breed and the pups aren't up to much, to me breeding is about to improve on what you originally start with.  Not to progressively get inferior litters that they are only 'pet' quality only - nothing wrong with pets before the outcry, as the majority of mine go for pets but you should be improving on conformation with each litter.

I only breed when I want another dog to show and I have at least 6 interests in a puppy from my bitch.   I wouldn't breed other than that, my breed is not a known breed and hence there's not the demand for it as say Golden Retrievers or Cocker Spaniels.    So my breeding remains select & successful!  ;)

This is my whole dilemma now. I have kept a dog from every litter I have bred, but I wont be able to keep any more in future - I dont want my dogs to outlive me or for me not to be able to manage properly looking after them. But I would love to continue my breeding programme, so I am between a rock and a hard place
 

and had a sufficient waiting list of suitable homes for all pups,

Taking from your other post on the other thread :-)

If you don't show and have no real involvement in the breed how did you manage to acheive a waiting list?

There are always pups avaliable to good homes from good sound breeders who have involvment in the breed if the person is prepared to wait. Like the should.   If people have to wait I dont think that should be an opportunity for someone to fill the gap.

Some were referred by the stud dog owner, as she keeps mainly dogs and rarely breeds herself, some by my bitches breeder, as she has retired this year and the bloodlines are sought after, some via the breed club puppy co-ordinator and some by word of mouth through friends etc, but they were in the minority. We had a bigger waiting list than puppies. Those who didn't get a pup have been referred back to stud dog owner, or breed club puppy co-ordinator. (They were aware of how many 'bookings' we had, but still wanted to go on the list)

All pups have gone to what are primarily pet homes but that does not mean they are 'pet quality' puppies. Hopefully some will be shown, a couple of owners have expressed possible interest in it and beem referred back to my bitches breeder, who knows more about it than I do, although she hasn't shown herself for a while due to personal circumstances.

I haven't shown as although I had intended to, things just haven't worked out that way so far, mainly due to my Fiances work commitments. As we get married next year and can live together, things will be a lot more predictable, plus there will be an extra adult about to babysit while I do doggy things, or vice versa! I am involved in the breed also, and have gained quite alot of friends who are far more knowledgable than I, I admit. Their help has been invaluble and i have learned a lot. The breed itself is very important to me, I haven't just bred for the sake of it without any forethought. The fact that it is a pupolar breed makes it all the more exploited, I have seen many that look like crosses, but aren't. It saddens me greatly.

As I probably said before, all pups have gone to good, permenant homes. I have done everything 'by the book' and then some. I am very proud to say that all of the pups gone so far have settled into their new homes like they have been there forever, not one has cried at night at all and there habve been few accidents in their new houses.

I think my reasons are similar to Sam-Jo - I've just bred my first ever litter from a very popular breed. I already had half a dozen people interested before I knew she was pregnant, and I am still getting enquiries, though after a few phone calls I am rapidly removing people from the list! I would have been tempted to keep a girl, as I have one girl obviously, and 2 males which don't get on too well at times, so I don't want another boy! However the 2 boys are the same age and my girl is 2 years younger than they are, so I also was thinking it would be better to keep a puppy from a 2nd litter to spread the ages of my dogs out, as I don't want to end up with 8 or 10!! Luckily she had 2 boys, so I wasn't tempted to keep one, and can now hope for a girl from a 2nd litter. My own girl has had 3 BOB at open shows, and the father is one of the top winners in the UK, both have had health tests and have super temperaments. The puppies are likely to go to 'pet homes' though it's always possible they might try a show or two. :-)

Hi,
What an interesting discussion.
I am fairly new to being a member of the forum, but have looked and read it for a long time.
I am lucky I show an bred a popular breed, we usually only have small litters, and they are great family pet.
I breed to keep a puppy back to show, I look carefully at the blood lines and what I am hoping to improve. I have just repeated a mating, because the previous litter of four were so good, the best I have ever bred. I kept a female puppy back to show, which tragically died at four months, I nearly gave up showing and breeding.
I am very lucky that i was able to recieve pictures and visit and see for myself the remaining three. This was a double edged sword - I has extremely happy the way the puppies had matured, but it also reminded me of the puppy I lost. Luckley one of the remaining pups owners I have persuaded to show their dog next year with my help.
So I would say 75% of mine go to pet homes, but I would be proud for some one to buy and show one of my pups.
Happy Christmas,
And
Good Luck to those who show in the ring 2008.