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How often can you safely breed a bitch. Is it once a year, every 18 months? Every other year?
Thanks in advance for your guidance.
Thanks in advance for your guidance.
Very tricky question!How often can you safely breed a bitch.
Not to be pedantic, but it's correctly called the Kennel Club, not the UK Kennel club.The UK Kennel Club limits the number of lifetime litters per bitch to 4 out of concern for the welfare of the bitches. What do some of you think about that limit? Good idea, or not?
This, very much. There need to be more diverse dogs around, and people who breed diverse dogs do need to sell to other breeders. What I find really perverse is that if someone has a diverse stud and won't let him be used on anyone other than their own bitches and a few they approve of. Bloody hell -- it's not like he will run out of semen, and although breeding him to a bitch from a common show line certainly isn't as good as breeding him to another diverse bitch, it does still benefit the line bitch is from more than breeding her to a dog from a similar line.From a genetic standpoint, if a girl has unique or obscure genes, is a healthy and a good mother, then she should be bred to different studs with offspring from each breeding going to breeding homes. We are in a tight spot right now with poodle genetics ard are still losing some of the more obscure genetics.
It depends what 'excellent quality' means. For show people, 'quality' means the dog's appearance and whether it is good enough to win a show. Dogs with the correct appearance usually are not diverse and have high Wycliffe contributions. I think there are enough people breeding this type of dog and we don't need any more of them. There are however a few dogs left from old, diverse lines, and these should be bred from as often as their welfare permits to ensure their genetics are preserved for posterity.dogs that are excellent quality would do the breed a world of good if they had many litters.
Well said, Tab.Well thought and well said...
For the most part.
I do however, take umbrage with the following statement. It generalizes, judges, misinforms and is just flat out not true.
"It depends what 'excellent quality' means. For show people, 'quality' means the dog's appearance and whether it is good enough to win a show. Dogs with the correct appearance usually are not diverse and have high Wycliffe contributions."
At NOLA I breed for "excellent quality". I'm certainly not breeding for a slab sided, no carriage, pie headed poodle whose tail is poking along at 3 o'clock.
And, I do indeed care about genetic diversity and the future of our breed.
Not only are the COI in my breedings kept below 10 -the Wycliffe influence in my program is below 30%, with one of my girls having a Wycliffe influence of 22%.
AND, they can win in the conformation ring.
They can also title in the field.
And be certified for therapy work.
While living as healthy, happy pets.
Tabatha
NOLA Standards
I think that the older lines often times have more correct structure than what is current. For that reason + the sake of the health issues produced in some of the older lines vs. what you see in some of the newer lines, I am looking through a lot of older lines and English lines to find a correct, moderate bitch! Zyrcona, you are in the UK, right? Are you familiar with any of the older lines that are built correctly? Would you mind PMing me some kennel names? Thanks.It depends what 'excellent quality' means. For show people, 'quality' means the dog's appearance and whether it is good enough to win a show. Dogs with the correct appearance usually are not diverse and have high Wycliffe contributions. I think there are enough people breeding this type of dog and we don't need any more of them. There are however a few dogs left from old, diverse lines, and these should be bred from as often as their welfare permits to ensure their genetics are preserved for posterity.
I did say usually.I do however, take umbrage with the following statement. It generalizes, judges, misinforms and is just flat out not true.
"It depends what 'excellent quality' means. For show people, 'quality' means the dog's appearance and whether it is good enough to win a show. Dogs with the correct appearance usually are not diverse and have high Wycliffe contributions."