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TEXTBREEDING
Most bitches come into heat for the first time when they are -12 months old. In general, a bitch will go into heat twice a year, in regular six months periods. When in heat the bitches’ vulva hardens and reddens, and there is a red discharge. After the first 9-10 days the vulva becomes softer, the discharge diminishes and becomes light yellow in color. This indicates that the bitch is ready to be mated, a period which lasts for 2-3 days. Most bitches are mated 11 th-13th day from the first symptoms of being in heat.
Gravidity in bitches is 59-65 days. The whelping starts with contractions. A normal delivery should take around 2-6 hours. The bitch usually bites through the umbilical cord, eats the placenta, and then cleans and licks the puppies which triggers of their breathing reflex. The puppies instinctively find their way to the bitch’s teats. Normally bitches do not need help, but sometimes with a first delivery some bitches might need help with the umbilical cords.
In the first half of gravidity there are no visible changes on the bitch and her appetite remains unchanged. But in the fifth week her appetite increases, as well as her abdomen. In the 7th week her breasts swell, and in the 8th they start producing milk. In the last week we can already see the puppies moving in the uterus, and it is advisable to start measuring the bitches’ temperature, because when it falls for 1° C we can expect her to go into labor within 24hours.
Special attention must be given to the bitch’s diet. This doesn’t mean increasing the diet only in quantity, but primarily in quality. It must be rich in protein, vitamins A, D, and E, calcium and phosphorus. In the second half of the pregnancy one meal should consist of milk mixed with an egg yolk and some sugar.
In the first four weeks the bitch should be treated against intestinal parasites, and she should also be given sufficient vitamins so that she can store them for the puppies’ use. She should be vaccinated against parvovirus and distemper as this increases the immunity of newborn puppies.
Mating is allowed to bitches and males over 18motnhs of age, if they have been graded with a very good at least, if they are a hunting breed they also must pass an inborn ability test. A bitch is permitted one litter per year, with 6 registered puppies in the litter.
When a bitch goes into heat her owner must choose an appropriate stud dog for her.
A BREEDER- an active member of a kennel club organization who owns a purebred bitch and uses her in order to breed purebred puppies.
Every breeder should know some facts about the types of breeding methods possible.
MATING OF A DISSIMILAR, UNRELATED PAIR OF ANIMALS:
For instance the mating of a dog and bitch that are different in build, shoulder angulation… It would be wrong to mate dogs of opposite characteristics (a long, tall bitch with a short, small dog, the puppies might have a long body on short legs). As a rule it is advisable to avoid any kind of extremes. Genetically speaking, mating such dissimilar animals increases the number of heterozygotes, and decreases the similarity between parents and offspring.
MATING OF A SIMILAR PAIR OF ANIMALS: this type of mating asserts homozygotes, and increases the similarity between parents and offspring
CROSS-BREEDING: mating of animals that are not blood related, i.e. introducing a new blood line into our line breeding, with the condition that the offspring of this mating remain in our line breeding.
Most breeders will use this method when facing problems within their line. They will choose an animal that is not blood related in order to improve the characteristic they find wanting in their line. This however means they will reduce the probability of homozygotes in the offspring.
MATING OF BLOOD RELATED ANIMALS: this method results in the repetition of the same gene for a certain trait. The more one uses this method the more homozygotes he gets in his line. However, it is necessary to not that this method also induces the appearance of defects and anomalies, as these are most often caused by recessive genes which become expressed in homozygotes.
“ Every breed enthusiast should wish to contribute to the breed’s constant development. Breeding dogs is a fascinating hobby that can at times be very demanding, but most of the time it is worth it. The goal of every breed devotee should be to breed purebred dogs that match the breed’s standard as closely as possible.
Very few dog owners understand or consider genetics. It is certain that not too many people can claim to know this subject well. Those that do have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to evaluate a dog’s breeding potential solely from the dog’s appearance, just as it is not possible to do so only from his/her pedigree. On the other hand it must be admitted that certain dogs are endowed with the presence of an excellent specimen, and representative of the breed, in full power. Such dogs are often a good solution in breeding, and should be given more than a thought when considering a possible mating.
A breeder in fact has two clear factors that direct his progress: one is the dog’s looks; the other is the pedigree, and their careful analyzing and appraisal. These are the invaluable basics for every attempt at improving one’s breeding. A breeder MUST know how to read a pedigree. Dogs have faults (there is no perfect dog), some of which are serious, and hereditary, and some are less significant and are easily removed through further breeding.
However the more significant faults require far greater effort and planning in order to be avoided in offspring. This exactly where careful and correct reading of pedigrees becomes important.
It would be ideal to be familiar with every single dog appearing in the pedigrees of dogs one intends to mate.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to find such specific information. One can often get very valuable information from breeders that have been breeding for some time, and whose memory reliably track dogs and their results way back. Wise is the breeder that has some sort of database concerning every male and female, where he keeps records of their results, their flaws, and also good characteristics. This information should pertain to the dog’s temperament and working instincts as well. Having such extensive information would make it easy for, let’s say, a young male’s owner to understand why his dog carries his ears incorrectly, or a bitches why his bitch carries her tail lower than described by the standard. The breeder would be able to notice a fault that reoccurs twice or even three times. It is to be expected that if he notices a fault in the male’s pedigree repeated in the female’s pedigree he will give up the idea of mating the two. If he does mate them he increases the probability occurring in the offspring. Maybe this example is much generalized, but it is a good example of the principle of analyzing pedigrees, and choosing animals in the attempt to create a great dog.
In order to improve one’s breeding it is crucial to scrutinize all the information and to make decisions cautiously.
When reading pedigrees it is necessary to go at least five generations back. With notes and records added to each name in the pedigree the database will start functioning, and will show the true estimate of the breeding value of the selected animals. The correlation between the gathered facts is a priceless guide in planning a breeding program.
BREEDING METHODS
LINE BREEDING
The breeder’s goal in line breeding is to directly or indirectly achieve the desired line with its characteristics, by mating the offspring of the dog whose traits they want to see repeated. The breeder’s selection criteria must be very strict if he wants to succeed. Dogs with certain good traits should be mated to dogs on whose those same traits are excellent. The purpose is to develop and strengthen these characteristics.
For an example we mate a grandson to a grandmother, grandfather to granddaughter, nephew with aunt, nieces with uncles, half-brother with half-sister. However these matings should only be considered if both dogs are good specimens, and show a definite similarity, while at the same time being strong, healthy animals.
In this system, which is not really different that in-breeding, the same ancestor will appear twice in the last three generations, but not in the first three. The term “line-breeding” can be stretched to describe pedigrees in which one ancestor is repeated twice in the last five generations.
In line-breeding special attention must be given to prevent unwanted recessive traits from surfacing, and engraining themselves in the line. These recessive traits will appear as soon as given a chance, and then you get atavisms, or the return to an earlier type. This is exactly what you are striving against.
Once a certain desired line is achieved not much can be done to improve it if the breeder uses only his animals. At this stage it is wise to introduce new blood. This does bring certain danger, and a detailed analysis pf the chosen dog is crucial. It is better to use a proven stud dog over a dog that might look better but has not proven himself. Breeders often make the mistake of using such dogs because they prefer their appearance, or because they are cheaper. Such a young dog can ruin what a breeder has been carefully establishing through his entire breeding career. It is not hard to determine what a stud dog achieved in his career, usually show results speak for themselves. Successful breeders, who are usually the most successful exhibitors as well, know the value of each male within the breed based on the success and quality of his offspring.
There are no two identical dogs, even if their genetic structure is similar. It is not my intention to venture onto the topic of genetics, as it is a specialized field with its own experts and books. For those who wish to read a good book on breeding I would recommend “All about dog breeding for quality and soundness” by Jean Gould (Pelham 1978). The deeper a breeder studies the subject of breeding the more he will come across genetics as a determining factor. Good results can without doubt be achieved by studying genetics.
When slight variations within a pure line are noticed it can sometimes be ascribed to the environment. These variations are therefore not hereditary; for instance bent bones, splayed feet, loose elbows, cow hocks, light build…All of these can be the result of unsuitable environment and inappropriate treatment. These faults which occur during the development stage are not necessarily hereditary and should not influence the selection procedure. On the other hand dogs exhibiting effects of unwanted mutations should be removed because they can harm the breeding program. All unwanted characteristics should be eliminated from further breeding as soon as they are observed.
The only animals that should be bred from are those that fit the concept of the line the breeder is trying to achieve.
IN-BREEDING
This term is used to define breeding related dogs with the purpose of strengthening the desired characteristics which are already present. As an example of in-breeding we can mention the mating of father& daughter, mother & son, brother & sister. This method is suitable only for experienced and adept breeders. It brings many risks and traps because as one strengthens the positive traits, the same is happening with the negative ones. Some of these faults can be completely hidden in parents and their ancestors, therefore probably unknown to the breeder. In-breeding can cause cryptorchidism or monorchidism in following generations. It is pointless to expect anything but failure if dogs of mediocre or poor quality are used for in-breeding. The animals used must be of a high quality and with no outstanding faults. If such animals are not available the breeder should strive to achieve strong, healthy top-quality individuals by methods of selection and line-breeding.
Do not think that in-breeding brings only problems, or that it represents pure hazard for the breeder. If the selected animals are of excellent quality, without being carriers of abnormal factors, then such a method can be repeated without harm through several generations. However there is one rule that must be followed. It is the rule that every individual that does not comply with the criteria of form, type and temperament MUST me removed without mercy. If this is not done then in-breeding does not make sense. For success it is required to remove bad or mediocre dogs, and retain the excellent ones for further breeding. Remember that the longer you tolerate a defect, the longer it will take you to remove it from your line, if it is going to be possible to do so at all without breaking the line.
Take note that mating a brother and sister is the closest form of in-breeding. The whole method of in-breeding is a fascinating subject, reserved only for experts, and not to be tried by beginners.
OUT-CROSSING
Mating of animals that are in no way blood related. It is used to introduce desired qualities into a line. This can be achieved; however care must be taken not to introduce other, less desired traits which are found in both parents. Out-crossing results in an uneven litter, so the desired qualities do not have to be present in the first generation, usually they are expressed in the second generation. Too many people believe that bringing new blood into a line has a magical capability of improving and developing this line, even creating something sensational. This is wrong. Not only is it impossible to eliminate a fault in a line by one out-crossing, but it is also possible you will get faults you did not have up to then. This means that every dog used for out-crossing must be genetically pure, and of such a genetic structure that enables the improvement of faults that are the result of in-breeding. The dog that can really correct the problems is a much better choice of stud-dog than a dog that only covers up the fault, and maybe even adds a few of his own to the line. “(John F.Gordon, from a collection of his books published by Pelham Books)