Should we see a difference yet?

Eriskayowner

Eriskayowner

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My beautiful 30 month golden retriever x Labrador bitch (in my avatar) was mated with a friend's black pedigree lab coming up 4 weeks ago.

Amber is incredibly fit - she's pure muscle as she's fed only what she needs (cannot bear overweight dogs), and gets lots of exercise.

We don't know yet if she is pregnant but are going to get her scanned next week. Should she be starting to look bigger yet?

She's slightly off her food, but she's not food orientated anyway. She's slightly more lethargic than usual but no other changes.

Any educated guesses?!
 
I've just read this thread and re-read it. I dont think the poster mentioned that she has iresponsibly bred "mongrel" dogs. She was merely asking some advice about the situation. I am pleased that you have shown her the advice and support that she needed :(
 
orionstar said:
I've just read this thread and re-read it. I dont think the poster mentioned that she has iresponsibly bred "mongrel" dogs. She was merely asking some advice about the situation. I am pleased that you have shown her the advice and support that she needed :(
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Actually she did say her mixed breed had been deliberately mated.
 
Thanks Orion.

I hate this part of the forum.

No, I'm not a mind reader - I do not know how many she's going to potentially have, but 12 or so homes should be enough?!

People want the pups because both dogs are beautiful, have fantastic temperaments, are easy to train, great with children (as they both live in a school boarding house) and are healthier as cross breeds.
 
Eriskayowner said:
Thanks Orion.

I hate this part of the forum.

No, I'm not a mind reader - I do not know how many she's going to potentially have, but 12 or so homes should be enough?!

People want the pups because both dogs are beautiful, have fantastic temperaments, are easy to train, great with children (as they both live in a school boarding house) and are healthier as cross breeds.
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Healthier as cross breeds?
No so.
In fact the health issues that labs and goldies have are common to both breeds so this is both inaccurate and misleading.

The parents both live in a school boarding house? What a pity that people who are incapable of basic research are allowed to supervise children.
 
Look, no one is more into their hips and elbows than I am (and yes I am showing pics of my young dog's plates to all and sundry on my phone because I am a sad git :o and no, I have no intention of breeding him)

But there are ways of asking questions/making enquiries/giving advice on health testing/breeding and ways of putting things across, this part of the forum has the potential to be incredibly helpful but it has a bad reputation for a reason.

Maybe I am getting fluffy in my old age and maybe I am being a massive hypocrite, but wading in there does not help anyone learn anything, it just scares them off (even though I strongly disagree that crossbreed = healthier in every instance :p especially as pointed out that goldies and labs share a lot of problems and crossing those two breeds does not minimise those risks)
 
Jake10 said:
Are you implying that a crossbred dog can never be well bred? Some crossbred dogs have a far better health record than some of the so called well bred pedigree dogs.
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And the cross breed I groomed yesterday had a wry jaw and patella luxation - so?

What I am saying is why breed a crossbreed?
 
Eriskayowner said:
Thanks Orion.

I give up. I still don't have an answer. I'll carry on feeling my way in the dark.

If any of you have any horse related problems, I'll try to remember to be just as bloody unhelpful and rude to you .
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Most people research before breeding. It isn't difficult.
 
s4sugar said:
And the cross breed I groomed yesterday had a wry jaw and patella luxation - so?

What I am saying is why breed a crossbreed?
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So I've seen several dogs with severe hip dysplasia and my aunts pure bred has an under shot jaw and a hole in her heart.

My point is responsibly bred crosses have as much of a chance at being healthy as a pure bred. There are certain breeds I wouldn't touch regardless of how good the parents health tests were.
 
s4sugar said:
The parents both live in a school boarding house? What a pity that people who are incapable of basic research are allowed to supervise children.
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How ******ing dare you. I am quite capable of "basic research". What exactly does this have to do with the ability to do my job. I work damned hard at my job and I'm bloody good at it.

Furious now.
 
Eriskayowner said:
How ******ing dare you. I am quite capable of "basic research". What exactly does this have to do with the ability to do my job. I work damned hard at my job and I'm bloody good at it.

Furious now.
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If you had done "basic research" you would not be asking.

QED!

Some of us regularly have to pick up the pieces after irresponsible breeding. However much you love your pets the fact you have bred from a cross breed puts you in the BYB bracket. Are you in a position to take back any puppies at any age?
What if you get 12 black male puppies - do you have homes then?

There are too many dogs being born - Fact.

The truth is that responsible breeders have cut back on litters over the past few years and only breed to replace or keep their line.

I don't give a **** about you or your ability to do your job as luckily my children are grown up and not subjected to the current education system. I do worry about the poor souls who have to pick up after ignorant breeding.
 
OP this is a very emotive subject, quite a few of the regulars are involved with rescue and are on the sharp end picking up the pieces of other peoples breeding. Your post is not going to fill them with joy and unless you can promise all those puppies responsible homes and take the ones back when it dosnt work out then things will not change.

This is a very friendly supportive forum and is full of posters with many years experience who are only too happy to pass on their knowledge, we are sad and supportive when someone loses their dog and delight in seeing newly purchased photos of puppies who are responsibley bred.
 
to answer your original question....I wouldn't expect her to be looking any bigger yet, might be just starting to but not much yet. her teats might look a bit more prominant quite soon.
I know people are harsh on here, and sometimes possibly a bit too much but so many of them are involved in rescue and see so many x breeds end up in a bad way because people haven't thought things through. I believe that you should take responsibility for the pups you breed and be able to take any back that you have sold to someone who can't handle an exuberant youngster or that their circumstances change. Not everyone has the facility to do this. This is one of the reasons i have never bred a litter despite having Dobermanns for years. I don't have kennels etc, I am a pet owner who showed my dogs. I also worried that if when my girl was whelping that I wouldn't realise if she was having difficulties and put her at risk and when I did suss that i could get her to a vet in time. Then there is having the facilities to rear a litter or the time to do it.
Too big a responsibility also to find the right homes, it is incredibly hard and I know that my Caras breeder has sent many people packing over the years.
As for having 12 homes set up, do none of them have a preference of which sex they
want? I wanted a bitch and knew i had the choice of the litter as the breeders are good friends, the litter consisted of 6 boys and 1 girl. I really didn't want a male, was lucky that there was at least 1 girl. One dobe that I had I could have sold as many pups as she could have produced, i even had strangers come up to me at crufts and ask if I was planning a litter because of her looks and charcter and she was such a diva, I never did it for all the reasons above. I just don't think it is a great reason because they are good looking or have good natures.
I hope it all goes well for you and your bitch.
 
So both dogs are appropriately health tested, the breeds are compatible in size and temperament, and the parents have good temperaments. There are homes lined up and the pups will be socialised. You know what? I'd have one.

S4sugar, your crack about the OPs job was out of order IMO.
 
Hi OP

I too work with children and am also NOT an expert in dog breeding AND I bred my non KC JRT last year and for the same reasons you did with homes all lined up in advance. At about your stage my bitch was also just a bit more lethargic and just a bit different. We had her scanned and saw three pups. She had four so be prepared for that.


It is a shame that the default position for some posters on this part of the board is attack when in fact there is a lot of useful advice here. I too am put off from asking questions or even making observations generally as I too have had a " you are wrong/ over reacting/blah blah


It alarms me sometimes that in the line of work we are in ie children we see far more indiscriminate breeding than in the dog world and poor parenting is evidenced in countless Internet forums with very few people asking the "why did you have children?" question when advice is requested.


Just saying.... Not intended to cause friction but I too have felt unwelcome here on occasion but stay as some of it worthwhile and I hope you do too OP.
 
Sorry op that some people have stepped over the line. Simply no need for it.
I wish you and Amber all the luck, and I for another one would like that type of dog.
Have a hug. X
 
Spudlet said:
So both dogs are appropriately health tested, the breeds are compatible in size and temperament, and the parents have good temperaments. There are homes lined up and the pups will be socialised. You know what? I'd have one.

S4sugar, your crack about the OPs job was out of order IMO.
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This. This view that if its not KC registered pedigree then then people shouldnt breed is a bit over the top. Surely abouts breeding healthy pups with good temprements that fulfil a role in peoples lives (working or pet) not what they look like in terms of the KC standard. Many pedigree dogs also end up in recues as being bred without enough consideration. Agree that people should not breed indiscriminatley such as the latest designer dogs fad but OP sounds considered in her approach and not using it as a money making scheme.

OP hope it all goes well for your dog although can offer no advice on question asked :)
 
Spudlet said:
So both dogs are appropriately health tested, the breeds are compatible in size and temperament, and the parents have good temperaments. There are homes lined up and the pups will be socialised. You know what? I'd have one.

S4sugar, your crack about the OPs job was out of order IMO.
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absolutely I don't see what the problem is or what else a 'pedigree' tag would bring to this! Am sure I have said it before but as far as I am concerned a dog is a dog is a dog, so long as tested prior to breeding a KC reg wouldn't be important to me.

The mother is also not a complete random mix being a retriever x.
 
OP I'm sorry you have had some nasty replies. there is no need for it. On the whole this forum is fine and helpful. There are just a few that can spoil it.

S4sugar- May be you should take more sugar with it, it may sweeten you up a bit.

Yes there are a lot of dogs ending up in rescue centres but it does not mean that yours will.

elsielouise Have PM'ed you some information.
 
Ouch some harsh comments. As others have said as long as both parents have good temperaments and low hip and elbow scores etc, whilst I don't really see the point of crossing labs and goldens (would be pleased if someone would enlighten me) I think there are worse things done.
To answer your question OP, within a couple of weeks of mating my bitch had changed slightly in character, but as that could just have been post season symptoms I tried not to get excited. By week 3 she had thickened slightly round the waist, both myself and others thought this but again we decided it could be wishful thinking. She was scanned at 29 days and shown to be having 7 pups, but it was really another week where I would really confidently have said she was showing in whelp witthout the knowledge from the scan. Now at nearly 7 weeks she is waddling round looking most unimpressed with the large belly that gets in the way of running round like a lunatic.
If she is in whelp, I hope everything goes well with your litter, I can thoroughly recommend The Book of the Bitch to be your bible through pregnancy and whelping.
 
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