Planning my first litter

[Paint Me Proud]

I'm starting to get a little bit excited as 2017 will hopefully see us enjoy our first experience of breeding a litter

I've spent weeks researching and selecting the best stud dog to use and have finally settled on what I believe is the best possible match for my young bitch Keiko.

Keiko has had all her health test (elbow and hip xray scoring, DNA test for HUU and a BVA HC eye test) getting excellent results and the stud dogs scores are equally as pleasing.
The pedigree's match up well with a realistic inbreeding coefficient and bring together some very nice old british lines as well as an injection of foreign blood fron the stud dogs sire.

I've waiting nearly 10 years to be in a position that caring for and rearing a litter was feasible and we could be sure that we could devote the time and money needed.

I just need to settle on a kennel name I like and get it registered with the Kennel Club - this is quite possibly the hardest part as I just cant chose, lol!

I guess there isnt really any point to this thread other than the fact I'm getting excited and just want to tell people!

Here is the mum to be right in the middle of it all on Christmas Day xx

Any helpful tips greatfully received

 

[3Beasties]

How exciting!! What breed is she?

I am also hoping for a litter towards the end of 2017. Currently undergoing required health testing and lots of research as it will be my first litter too.

What kennel name have you decided on? I have really drawn a blank with that!

 

[Equi]

What a gorgeous dog! When i was picking my stud name i was thinking about all these magical names from things i loved and nothing "set"

The name i finally set on was very bland and boring, because it was just my house name and my "area" name together, not unlike my direct neighbours stud name, but i do love it now because its part of me. I've been here 17 years and its where i have done all my "horsing" (house is rock house, area is ballylone = Rocklone)

 

[PorkChop]

Ohh, she is lovely

I have only bred one litter of pups, I honestly don't know how people can regularly breed, it was exhausting!

Luckily, I don't work and my eldest daughter helped me enormously. It was a huge amount of fun though, and I would have happily kept them all! We kept three, which is why we had a litter, to breed for ourselves. All bar one of the people that bought the pups have kept in touch

Can't help with a kennel name, I would find it impossible too

 

[satinbaze]

A word of warning about choosing an affix you need 6 choices on your application and even then they may all be rejected. My first 6 were all rejected for various reasons even the completely made up ones. So a friend and I settled down with a bottle of wine to select 6 more. The result is an affix that has no meaning and no logical explanation. I do now wish I had spelt it differently as people think I have left out either and i or l. The correct spelling is Satinbaze (pronounced satinbays) but so often I get satinblaze ��������
The moral of the story is have fun picking your affix but don't drink too much wine.
Btw the affix now is very much mine and i wouldn't change it.
Very very good luck with the litter and don't forget "the book of the bitch" becomes your bible

 

[Paint Me Proud]

A word of warning about choosing an affix you need 6 choices on your application and even then they may all be rejected. My first 6 were all rejected for various reasons even the completely made up ones. So a friend and I settled down with a bottle of wine to select 6 more. The result is an affix that has no meaning and no logical explanation. I do now wish I had spelt it differently as people think I have left out either and i or l. The correct spelling is Satinbaze (pronounced satinbays) but so often I get satinblaze ��������
The moral of the story is have fun picking your affix but don't drink too much wine.
Btw the affix now is very much mine and i wouldn't change it.
Very very good luck with the litter and don't forget "the book of the bitch" becomes your bible

Yes that's why it's taking me ages trying to settle on enough names I like that I would be happy to have as I know i probably wont end up with my first choice.

I ordered the book of the bitch last week as I did have a copy but it's gone walkabouts.


3beasties she is a Large munsterlanders

 

[MurphysMinder]

As Satinbaze says, do put a lot of thought into your affix. I chose one which was quite hard to pronounce, bad enough when people were just seeing it in print but ten times worse when the commentator spends the whole of your agility round at Crufts trying to pronounce the dogs name. Also don't have too long an affix as that will limit you to the names you can use for your pups (I presume you are still only allowed 25 letters).

With regard to the whelping - start saving newspaper now, you will be amazed how many you go through. I always used heat lamps for my litters but the last one I had I used a heated puppy pad which I found much better , the pups could lie on the pad and keep warm without the bitch being too hot.

 

[PorkChop]

With regard to the whelping - start saving newspaper now, you will be amazed how many you go through. I always used heat lamps for my litters but the last one I had I used a heated puppy pad which I found much better , the pups could lie on the pad and keep warm without the bitch being too hot.

Ohh, yes - though I get my newspaper from the recycling centre which is ace!

I used a heat pad with my litter, they were in a warm room until they were up and about though