Introduction
The whole idea behind Whiz Kids is to help breeders produce fantastic dogs. These dogs will be a joy to their owners for many years regardless of the purpose for which the dog is intended. There will be a section to help owners make their puppy a great dog even if it has not had the significant advantage of being a WHIZ KID brought up puppy.
Whiz Kids
- A WHIZ KID doesn't get placed, put in a shelter, or left out in the yard because he is a pain to have around. These puppies are different. They are conditioned to accept human training and are well on the way to being pretrained when they go into new homes.
- A WHIZ KID is pre-conditioned to succeed in any endeavor.
Before we begin talking about your litter let us discuss the label “breeder”. Every person who owns a female dog who produces puppies is labeled “Breeder”. The vast majority of those people should not produce puppies, much less wear the same label as those dedicated individuals who produce few litters but have Champions, field trial champions, and or obedience degree holders in almost every litter. In today's world, where millions of dogs are destroyed annually by pounds and humane societies, please consider very carefully before deciding to breed. The common reasons of wanting your female to have one litter before you spay her, wanting the kids to see birth, a relative or friend wanting a puppy, etc. are not enough to justify breeding.
Now that you have scrutinized your motives we can proceed to the next step. Confer with either a Champion-producing breeder in your area, a qualified consultant, or your veterinarian about breed specific problems in your breed. These include, but are not limited to, hip and elbow dysplasia, entropian, progressive retinal atrophy, epilepsy, juvenile cataracts, Springer rage, luxating patella, kidney problems, zinc deficiency, copper toxicity. Have your female screened for any congenital problems found in the breed. There is absolutely no excuse for breeding a female with health or temperament challenges.
Now we have a good quality female, screened for health problems, and can begin looking for a suitable male. No, it is not a good idea to breed to the neighbor's purebred whatever, unless they also are of proven quality, screened and certified for health problems and are of compatible pedigree. Remember you want to breed puppies better than the dam. The sire must be of top quality, preferably proven in the show or performance arena, or both. Read your breed club publication, consult with your advisor, call or write quality breeders and request pedigrees and photos of stud dogs under consideration. Sometimes this information is available from a website. Ask if the prospective sire is screened for those health problems present in your breed. When you have compiled the pedigrees and photos compare the pedigree with the pedigree of your female. The best breeding us usually line or family breeding. Close inbreeding is usually best left to the experts. Complete outcrossing, the breeding of unrelated individuals, often produces a hodge podge with a large variation in type. Even if a fine individual is produced he or she may not breed true because of genetic disparity. Try to find out what familial strengths and weaknesses may exist. Select the sire of the puppies based on complementing the strengths of your female and correcting the weaknesses. There are no perfect dogs, but don't double up on faults. Likewise it is better to breed for correctness rather than extremes. For example, if your female has a somewhat large eye, select a male with a correct eye, not one with an extremely small eye.
Customarily the stud fee is paid in cash. The rationale being that, if the owner of the female offers a puppy in lieu of fee he or she is willing to give up the first choice puppy. If they are willing to give up the best puppy why are they breeding? The stud fee is for the service, not the puppies. Unless mutually agreed the fee is due when the female is bred. It is customary for the female to be kenneled at the residence of the male. If the owner of the male offers to send the dog to the female's home, WATCH OUT. They may not know what they are doing. The obligation of the owner or agent of the male is to provide proper and safe housing for the female during her heat. It is the owner of the sire who handles the mating. It is customary to charge board in addition to the stud fee and, if necessary, airport pick up and delivery. It is also common practice to offer a free return service if the mating doesn't result in a litter.
Take a good picture of your bitch while she is in coat. It is normal for a new mother to shed most of her coat. When prospective new owners arrive to view the pups she is at less than her beautiful best. Let them meet the new mother, but show them the photo of what she really looks like. Prospective puppy owners do need to meet the dam to be able to evaluate, for themselves, her temperament and disposition.
- The first step in having a great litter is to have the best possible environment for the dam and her puppies. She should be calm and confident. Any fear or nervousness experienced by the dam will be transmitted to the pups.
Pick an out of the way corner in your home office or bedroom for the litter. Easy access to a door so she can go outside without effort or upset makes life easier for all concerned. Set up an exercise pen surrounding a whelping box. The box should be either round or square, many people like to use kid's wading pools. Deep enough to contain the babies and bedding but shallow enough so Mom can get easily in and out. It may be a plastic crate bottom, wooded or fiberglass or simply an appliance carton cut to size. The footing in the box should be rough enough to permit the babies to crawl and secured so Mom can't cover the babies with bedding. Acrylic blankets, cut to size and sewn into woolly pillowcases, work great. Leave one end open and insert a piece of stiff cardboard or plywood to hold the bedding in place. Ideally this will be about ½” smaller than the whelping box. You can also use indoor/outdoor carpet, artificial sheepskin, or commercial grade stress reducing rugs. You will need four or five sets of bedding. One always needs to be clean and dry, at least one drying, one in the wash, and one with the pups. Provide a supplemental heat source. The pups need to have an area of their bed at least 90 degrees night and day for the first week. The rigid heating pads made for dogs are great and last for many years. Don't cover the entire bed with the heating pad, leave at least ½ of it open for Mom's comfort. The floor of the exercise pen should be covered with newspaper or shavings. This difference in footing from the bed to the pen is the start of having well housebroken dogs. A small pail or crock with fresh water should be placed in the pen, and changed at least twice daily. This will be home to your Mom and her babies for about the next 4 to 6 weeks. About a week before the anticipated delivery date bring Mom into her new space. Sit with her for awhile as she becomes accustomed. Then go on about your business. Even if she is accustomed to following you around the house make a point of getting her used to staying in the pen and box. Give her a bone or hoof to keep her happy. No rawhides please. Also about a week before ADD ( Anticipated delivery date) begin taking her temperature, rectally, every 12 hours. It is normal to fluctuate, but when it dips below 99 degrees she will usually deliver within 12 hours. Mother Nature is telling her to find a warm place to have the pups. Note: Normal temperature for a dog is 100.5 to 101.5. Most dogs, well conditioned, deliver easily. Get a good book on whelping, that is not the focus of this particular book. I would urge you to use a natural type of delivery if possible, with minimal intervention. Let the bitch be a Mother, don’t rob her of her instincts. One short note is that if your bitch is in heavy, straining labor for two hours without delivering a puppy the vet should be called. Survival is less, if a caesarian section is required, when both mother and puppies are stressed to the point of exhaustion.
| Now the babies are on the ground, we begin to develop WHIZ KIDS. |
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