I have a three year old Westie bitch.  How do I go about breeding from her?  Is it necessary to go back to the breeder or can I use another stud dog.  Any information, I would be really grateful.

emma_gilbert2000@yahoo.co.uk

Emma,

You cannot just use any stud dog. Talk it over with the bitches breeder as you will need to see if she is good enough to breed from in the first place.
Can I ask why you want to breed her?

First of all, you have to consider carefully whether or not you have the time and space to deal with a litter of puppies, not to mention the money.  Bear in mind that if they (for any reason) don't all sell, yours is the responsibility and you could very well be left with a few puppies that you cannot rehome.  It is a very expensive business (talking as someone whose Staffy had a litter of 7 seven weeks ago) when you take in to account scans (if you choose that method to have her pregnancy confirmed), stud fee, worming (my pups were wormed at 2, 4 and 6 weeks) and all the equipment you will need.  Then there's the heartache you might suffer if your bitch loses her litter (as many threads on here will testify to) or some of the puppies die post-whelp.

If all of that hasn't put you off, you have to have all necessary health checks performed on your Westie.  I'm not sure what they are for your breed, but hip scores/eye checks are normal for most breeds.

If they come back clear, you can then set about looking for a stud.  Going back to the breeder can be useful as they should be able to tell you what lines will best compliment your bitch's.  Going to shows can also be helpful as you can get an idea of what you are looking for in a potential stud.

Don't want to sound preachy (though it doesn't sound like that, lol) but I believe everyone should be given a realistic idea of what's involved in breeding before they jump in.  I didn't believe how difficult it was until my girl had her litter, but I do now!  Good luck in whatever you decide :)