Well I think that it is shocking.

I have just been speaking to someone that has a (Toy breed) bitch. must be on some sort of breeding terms as she has just had her four litter. Each litter she goes back to the breeder, although this time I believe that she has gone to someone else to have her pups. when I asked what age the pups would be when he got her back he said they would be 6wks.  So, apart from everything else, anyone buying a pup isnt even going to see the mother.  Sad thing is this person that I was speaking to thinks this is alright.   

poor girl and pups :(
xxxx

I'm afraid I would have lied and said that she had had a problem and had to be spayed before a fourth litter. But then I wouldn't have taken a bitch on breeding terms.

Poor girl and pups..how many more litters is she meant to have!!
Shed be spayed well before now.

That doesn't sound like a responsible breeder at all - having a puppy back yes, not having the whole litter back so young and then insisting on litter after litter. I'm with the person who suggesting saying they'd had to spay the bitch!! :-(

the pups are being reared with the secretary of the breed club!  the person that has the dog all the time is a bit nieve and was told tsh bitche would have four litters when he got her and thats why he went along with it. as I said a bit nieve.

> So, apart from everything else, anyone buying a pup isn't even going to see the mother.  Sad thing is this person that I was speaking to thinks this is alright.   

I would imagine many people will have seen the pups before this age, and of course the bitch may have fully weaned the pups so the breeder allowing her to go back to her family as soon as she was able.

The pups need canines to socialise with at this age though, but it doesn't have to be Mum if she has had enough of them.  Remember a litter for a toy breed may only be 1 or 2 pups.

I have never sold a bitch on breeding terms, but such arrangements are not uncommon, even more common in the USA where people 'lease' a bitch for breeding.

I have bred a litter on a 'Loan of bitch' agreement where I had the bitch come to stay with me once pregnancy confirmed but I insisted she stay until all the pups were homed.

In my case I was asked by my mentor if I would do this as a favour for her dear friends, husband was still working part time and wife not well enough to rear a litter but they wanted a puppy from their girl.

As it turned out the bitch had been unwell in mid pregnancy, and at whelping had no reserves of calcium, needed a C section and had to be hand fed for the duration.

I would not want the responsibility of someone else's bitch again, what if she had died, (also my kids got very attached to her) there would always have been some niggling doubt in their minds that I hadn't done enough to prevent it.