Hi all

Can anyone recommend some good books on breeding please?

I have "The Book of the Bitch" but would like to read up more on breeding.

Thanks
Paula :-)

In addition the The Book of the Bitch I also have The Whelping and Rearing of Puppies by Muriel P Lee  - if this book doesn't put you off breeding between the two of them you'll be well equipped :D :D

I bought mine in PAH :)

LOL Thanks so much, i'm not sure if we want to breed and it wouldn't be for at least 12 months but i want all the gory details before i make my mind up.

Even then i'll only be breeding if we still want a pup ourselves.

Thanks
Paula

It's the way to go though.  At least by the time you do, if you do, decide to have a litter then you will be well prepared :)

I'm sure if you search this forum you will find many suggestions!

You're welcome :)

If you're still at the thinking about it process, then it would be a good idea to gather books on the breed as well, hopefully you already have a mentor who is knowledgeable enough to help you when it comes to choosing a  mate for your bitch and can help when it comes to support for the birth and care of the bitch and pups ;)  This kind of support is so important for a first time breeder :)

The very best learning is to ask your breeder if you can watch their next whelping and then go and watch the progress each week!  It's what my bitch's breeder insisted that I did before she would help me have a litter of my own and although it was a pain (being an hour away and I had a small daughter AND she insisted that I went at 7AM for the last 2 weeks to see what a mess there is first thing in the morning! :( ) it really was an enormous help to me. :)

She was then there for me too when I had my first couple of litters over the next few years.

We're lucky as our breeder is fantastic and will give us all the help she can and is really encouraging, but i want to be sure and also have a good bit of savings in the pup pot for any unexpected vet bills. 
Most of all though i want to be sure that my girl is ok and and if there's any doubt of us not wanting a pup at that time we won't even contemplate it.  If we did go ahead i'd want to be as much prepared as possible.
I'd rather be totally sure than just go ahead and wonder what the heck i'd let myself into :-)

Paula

I don't know how big litters in your breed are but in my breed I have had mostly litters of four to 7 and especially for a first litter £2000 would not be too much to have saved.  Average for the last couple of litters ahs been £1200 to £1600 (the last was over £3000, but that included travelling abroad).

Hi there

The litter sizes are about 8ish, i'd rather have to much saved than too little, everything has to taken into account, getting our girl into shape for breeding, post natal, pre natal, pups health, everything.
Someone we know who let their bitch have a litter said just go with the flow, but there's no way i could do that, i'd like to be planning even before i decided definately to breed.

While i'm very keen to have another pup, my OH is keen that he/she is home bred, he feels that would be the way to go forward, but only for the reason of having another one ourselves, not just to breed a litter then sell them all on. 

Paula

I do have BOTB but I wouldn't be without "Dog Breeding For Professionals."  It was first published in 1978 - I bred my first litter in 1979. Out of all the books I've read since, I rate this one highly because it gives so much detail on a big variety of malpresentations.  At a time when some of us need a vet urgently, the truth is, sometimes immediate action is required to assist a bitch, and also to save a pup. 

I'll look out for that one as well thanks for recommending it to me :-)

I aim to research as much as possible before the final decision and even then i'll think some more.

Paula

Hi, Try to get hold of  Dogs and How To Breed Them by Hilary Harmer. It is absolutely amazing, well out of print and quite scarce. You can find it sometimes on Ebay or on Amazon Market Place. It was first printed 1978 I think, or thereabouts, and covers everything and has some amazing photographs and detailed help with whelping etc.  Good luck. Maybe you can borrow one first and then you will  want one for sure.    Ladybird.

i have a brilliant book published by royal canin.....more technical than most....not plugging their feeding atall, written by many world wide professionals inc. our own Gary England. It is maybe too technical for some, but for those with a deep interest in canine reproduction and the real nitty gritty then its the best book on the subject i have ever seen

320149796491    Dogs and How To Breed Them by Hilary Harmer

Ebay ref number for this book, which is located in the states. has just over 2 days to go. As they say...happy bidding :D

Who wrote the Book of the Bitch?  I tried to get it, and the store couldnt find it in their system, so they asked for the author....please help

J.M. Evans and Kay White.

And you can get it from W H Smith, I brought mine online a few weeks ago :)

I got BOTB on Amazon, very cheap too, and fast delivery.