The deed is done!

[t jack]

There are many reasons for having pups.

She is a good working dog.

She is top notch healthy.

She is gentle natured.

She has a brilliant pedigree and it would be a shame not to carry on those genes.

She is pretty.

She is fun.

What an experience for my 13 year old daughter, who, currently, wants to be a vet

And maybe my OH will fall in love with one

I have been tempted to train some up and sell them on. Although I have no credentials other than my shooting friends knowing that I have produced three good dogs!!!! Probably not a market for me there then

I also had people suggest that they would be interested in having some of her progeny.....

Yes, I know there are professionals out there with the same type of dogs, but I truly believe that Ash is a dog worth trying to replicate.

its your dog mate, your not breaking any laws and you dont have to answer or justify it to anyone

[t jack]

no I think you should keep them all, train them and sell them for much more money ...

[ash]

no I think you should keep them all, train them and sell them for much more money ...

If only!!!!

[Sal]

Just out of interest what are her health tests results, if she is so healthy, and the sire?

[Contender]

If you aren`t going to keep a pup, can I ask the reason for having a litter.

Bill

Some people end up with all of them in spite of not wanting to keep one My vet's wife had a panic call from a lady that was stuck with a whole litter of 12 week old lab pups - hadn't sold one single one although it's a nicely bred litter but people are more picky in the current economical climate so they are more likely to vote with their feet if they're not completely happy with the breeder/litter/health checks carried out.

People want to breed a litter from their bitch? Fine by me, as long as they have a back-up plan for any un-sold pups - do a professional kennel/full time trainer make money on a litter? yes if everything goes according to plan and there are more than 3 puppies in the litter, but probably less compared to people that have a full time job and have a litter during their (paid?) holiday - professional kennels/full time trainers are of course self employed and what ever time spent on looking after the puppies is time 'lost' as in could have had dogs in for training or 1-2-1's. For most field triallers, having a litter of puppies, pay for their trialling expenses - one of the country's leading FT'ers in spaniels is licensed for 25 litter's A YEAR but they normally 'only' breed 23 litters and at any given time they have a waiting list of 15 people....

Natasha

[pontbeck]

My post was not meant to be critical but a genuine question.I have bred many litters but now I`m really questioning whether to take a litter from my Lab or buy a pup. Natasha`s post sums up the problems of breeding a litter - finding homes for the pups. Those people who are positive they will take a pup suddenly have very plausible reasons why it`s not convenient ,at the moment ,when contacted after whelping
Last year a member of our wildfowling club bred a litter from a very good ,much admired working bitch. Plenty of interest within the club but after the whelping no takers. He advertised in the shooting times and on several gun dog web sites- no takers.Like Natasha`s example he still had the pups at 14 weeks and eventually virually gave them away from adverts in a free paper.
Breeding a litter needs carefull consideration on several counts and a lot of work, weighing up the pros and cons it`s sometimes easier to just buy a pup and save yourself a lot of work and anguish, however it is also a very rewarding experience.

Bill

[Judy]

It would be a poor old world if we left everything to the professionals! We would be diminishing the gene pool for starters, a lot of dogs would end up being too fast for the average handler etc etc. Would the dogs all be taken indoors and introduced to washing machines, kids, elderly, teenagers women, or blokes? I think probably not although I may be wrong. I'm guessing most of the pups spend quite a lot of time in kennels.....

As T Jack said its a free country, thankfully and lots of us mere mortals like to buy a pup from healthy parents and aren't too bothered about the fancy breeding as long as the parents work, where would we get pups from if not from the likes of Ash and others on here who hobby breed for want of a better description? Everybody has to have had a first be it gundog, litter, car whatever don't knock it.

Anyway, now we are right off topic which if I remember rightly is the exciting prospect of a litter from a member's Lab....

Judy

[shanagan]

I would like to quickly add i was in no way suggesting you shouldnt breed a litter unless you do it to keep a pup yourself. i was just wondering what had brought you to the decision to breed her ...Which you answered already .... Its a great and worrying time but when you have a nice healthy litter of pups in your life its hard work ,but thoroughly enjoyable too !!!

[Sal]

Ah but is it a free country?
I often have to mop up wild never been socialised whole litters from breeders via Lab rescue....and it takes a lot of time expense & effort to get them fit for rehoming. I feel the breeder thinks rescue is ripping them off taking a litter away at 10 months old as still unsold..... esp when a donation is requested. They don't "get" that they contacted rescue in the 1st place as beyond them to manage to sell them as dreadful problems.

[Judy]

OK guys you've had your say now, do you have any helpful tips re whelping which I believe is the question?

I for one am 99% certain the bitch wont die, the pups will be great and will all find good homes, however I have no experience in whelping litters so cannot offer advice!

I'm equally sure there are animals who die in childbirth just as some humans do, I knew that and still decided to have two expensive little mortals! If one never took risks there would be very little point in living!!

Judy