The Cockapoo Club for owners, enthusiasts and ALL recipients of Hearing Dogs
WHERE COCKAPOOS COME FIRST!
WHERE COCKAPOOS COME FIRST!
SHOULD MY DOG BREED?
Many people think it would be nice to breed from their much loved pet, but is this always a good idea?
There are a lot of things to consider before taking such a big step and on the following pages we will give some idea of the things that need to be considered, as well as information about whether to spay or neuter your pet.
The British Cockapoo Society believe that dogs should only be bred from when they are over 18mth of age and stop by the age of 6yrs. No bitch should have more than one litter a year or be bred from on successive seasons.
Dogs should then be spayed and kept with the family as a family pet whenever possible.
As of October 1st 2018, changes in UK Government legislation require anyone who breeds more than 3 litters a year, or who makes a profit from selling puppies be registered with their Local Authority, and be inspected by them. They should be able to produce their Local Authority License for people to see.
Cockapoos are lovely dogs and there is nothing quite so nice as a litter of beautiful puppies.
There are though, a lot of things to consider before taking what is a massive step with your dog, and hopefully this guide will give some food for thought. It is not meant to deter, or encourage people to breed, just as the first step in a process.
There are lots of reasons people consider breeding from their dog, not all of them are good reasons though.
First, let’s debunk a few things that you may have heard.
++ IT IS GOOD FOR A BITCH TO HAVE A LITTER BEFORE BEING SPAYED
This is a bit of an old wives tale really. It used to be commonly said that a bitch should have a litter, but there is no medical evidence that it has physical or psychological benefits for your dog.
Every pregnancy can be risky for a dog, and some can even lead to the death of the dog and/or puppies.
++ “MY DOG IS SO CUTE, I WANT A PUP JUST LIKE HER/HIM”
As lovely as your dog is, there is no guarantee the puppies will take after him or her. Cockapoo’s are a crossbreed and so inherit an unknown number of genes from dam or sire. None of the pups would be a clone of your dog, in size, colour, size or temperament.
You should also consider that using your dog as a stud may change his temperament, and he may go from being a laid back, not fussed dog, to one who is constantly on the lookout for a bitch to mate with.
++ "I WANT TO GIVE PUPS TO FAMILY/FRIENDS AS A PRESENT"
Giving presents to family and friends is a lovely thing to do but that present should never be a puppy. Being pregnant and going through the birth can be difficult, stressful and at times dangerous for dogs so to put them through it just to give a puppy as a present is not a responsible thing to do.
++ “I WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT DOG BREEDER!”
Hopefully that will be so, but there are some things to consider before going down that path.
Would you be willing to be there during the mating process? Your dog may be scared and even get aggressive with the stud dog, so will need your reassurance, especially during the time they are ‘tied’ when the dogs are stuck together for a lengthy period of time.
Would you be happy to have people ringing you at all hours about the pups, wanting to come and visit. Would you be comfortable with asking the potential pup buyers questions to assess their suitability?
Would you be ok with a litter of pups running around your living room and having the odd ‘accident’ on the floor? It happens sometimes.
There are other things to think of too. For instance, do you have the space and time to devote to the pups?
You will need space for a whelping box, crate and maybe other equipment too, somewhere quiet where the Mum can have some peace away from the pups when it is possible.
You might have to take time off work to look after the Mum and pups, and even be available for hand feeding if any of the pups don’t thrive, or if the Mum can’t feed them for some reason.
This is a huge commitment timewise, and can have a serious financial implication if you have to take time off work.
What would you do with any pups that you were unable to sell, or if a buyer had to return one for some reason? Would you feel able to take them back?
++ FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.
This is a major thing to consider before starting to breed from your dog. Some think that it is an easy way to make a lot of cash, but the opposite could be the case.
Dogs are not money making factories and breeding a litter does not always make a lot of money, in fact it can cost a lot of money to get a litter safely to their forever home.
The financial outlay in breeding a litter can be considerable.
SUPPORT
Even the most experienced of breeders may need some support and back up when their dog starts to have the pups. For a novice breeder this back up is vital. We recommend that ALL novice breeders have someone they can contact if they are worried, someone who has been through the experience, can be there offering hands on assistance if needed.
Would you know what to do if a puppy was ill after being born?
Would you know what to do if a pup was being born easily?
Having a mentor there for advice may be the difference between having a poorly puppy or a healthy one.
For owners of a boy dog they want to use as a stud, there are also things to think about.
STUD OWNERS CONSIDERATIONS
While the bulk of the rearing of pups will be done by the owner of the bitch, the stud owner too should be ready to shoulder some of the responsibility and costs.
++ PREPARATION
What sort of temperament does your dog have? Is it calm, friendly and sociable? Has it ever shown any sign of grumpiness?
Have you done all the possible DNA health testing to rule out inherited diseases?
Do you know how to assist your dog and the bitch during the mating process? Are you prepared to be ‘hands on’ if necessary?
Are you prepared to travel to visit the potential mate in their home, or would they have to travel to be with you?
How far would you travel, and how many days would you stay to give time for the meeting to occur?
What sort of contract would you draw up for use with the owner of the bitch? Have you got ideas for costs charged, expenses, your responsibilities, how many revisits if mating is unsuccessful etc.
++ AFTER BIRTH OF PUPS
Who is responsible for costs if anything is wrong with the pups?
Are you going to share responsibility if a pup owner needs to hand it back for some reason?
++ CHANGE OF PERSONALITY
Some owners find that their dogs have a change in personality after they have been used as a stud. The dogs can start to mark its territory more, show a greater desire to wander and find a bitch in heat, or may show aggression towards other male dogs.
These may seem silly questions but they are all things that need to be considered, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, just the start of things you need to think about.
Breeding from any dog is a huge responsibility, which doesn’t always turn out well, so careful thought should be given before deciding to embark on it. We recommend anyone thinking of becoming a breeder does a lot of research, and discusses the pro’s and cons with experienced breeders before making any decision.
There are a lot of things to consider before taking such a big step and on the following pages we will give some idea of the things that need to be considered, as well as information about whether to spay or neuter your pet.
The British Cockapoo Society believe that dogs should only be bred from when they are over 18mth of age and stop by the age of 6yrs. No bitch should have more than one litter a year or be bred from on successive seasons.
Dogs should then be spayed and kept with the family as a family pet whenever possible.
As of October 1st 2018, changes in UK Government legislation require anyone who breeds more than 3 litters a year, or who makes a profit from selling puppies be registered with their Local Authority, and be inspected by them. They should be able to produce their Local Authority License for people to see.
Cockapoos are lovely dogs and there is nothing quite so nice as a litter of beautiful puppies.
There are though, a lot of things to consider before taking what is a massive step with your dog, and hopefully this guide will give some food for thought. It is not meant to deter, or encourage people to breed, just as the first step in a process.
There are lots of reasons people consider breeding from their dog, not all of them are good reasons though.
First, let’s debunk a few things that you may have heard.
++ IT IS GOOD FOR A BITCH TO HAVE A LITTER BEFORE BEING SPAYED
This is a bit of an old wives tale really. It used to be commonly said that a bitch should have a litter, but there is no medical evidence that it has physical or psychological benefits for your dog.
Every pregnancy can be risky for a dog, and some can even lead to the death of the dog and/or puppies.
++ “MY DOG IS SO CUTE, I WANT A PUP JUST LIKE HER/HIM”
As lovely as your dog is, there is no guarantee the puppies will take after him or her. Cockapoo’s are a crossbreed and so inherit an unknown number of genes from dam or sire. None of the pups would be a clone of your dog, in size, colour, size or temperament.
You should also consider that using your dog as a stud may change his temperament, and he may go from being a laid back, not fussed dog, to one who is constantly on the lookout for a bitch to mate with.
++ "I WANT TO GIVE PUPS TO FAMILY/FRIENDS AS A PRESENT"
Giving presents to family and friends is a lovely thing to do but that present should never be a puppy. Being pregnant and going through the birth can be difficult, stressful and at times dangerous for dogs so to put them through it just to give a puppy as a present is not a responsible thing to do.
++ “I WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT DOG BREEDER!”
Hopefully that will be so, but there are some things to consider before going down that path.
Would you be willing to be there during the mating process? Your dog may be scared and even get aggressive with the stud dog, so will need your reassurance, especially during the time they are ‘tied’ when the dogs are stuck together for a lengthy period of time.
Would you be happy to have people ringing you at all hours about the pups, wanting to come and visit. Would you be comfortable with asking the potential pup buyers questions to assess their suitability?
Would you be ok with a litter of pups running around your living room and having the odd ‘accident’ on the floor? It happens sometimes.
There are other things to think of too. For instance, do you have the space and time to devote to the pups?
You will need space for a whelping box, crate and maybe other equipment too, somewhere quiet where the Mum can have some peace away from the pups when it is possible.
You might have to take time off work to look after the Mum and pups, and even be available for hand feeding if any of the pups don’t thrive, or if the Mum can’t feed them for some reason.
This is a huge commitment timewise, and can have a serious financial implication if you have to take time off work.
What would you do with any pups that you were unable to sell, or if a buyer had to return one for some reason? Would you feel able to take them back?
++ FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.
This is a major thing to consider before starting to breed from your dog. Some think that it is an easy way to make a lot of cash, but the opposite could be the case.
Dogs are not money making factories and breeding a litter does not always make a lot of money, in fact it can cost a lot of money to get a litter safely to their forever home.
The financial outlay in breeding a litter can be considerable.
- HEALTH TESTS
- STUD FEES
- VETS VISITS
- WHELPING EQUIPMENT
- INJECTIONS
- MICROCHIPPING COSTS
- EQUIPMENT
- POTENTIAL EMERGENCY C SECTION FOR MUM
- PUPPIES MIGHT BE ILL AND NEED TREATMENT
- WEANING FOOD
- EXTRA DOG FOOD
- TIME OFF WORK LOOK AFTER MUM AND PUPS
- ADVERTISING PUPPIES
- BEING LEFT WITH UNSOLD PUPS
- POTENTIAL FOR SALE TO FALL THROUGH
- HAVING TO TAKE PUPPY BACK.
SUPPORT
Even the most experienced of breeders may need some support and back up when their dog starts to have the pups. For a novice breeder this back up is vital. We recommend that ALL novice breeders have someone they can contact if they are worried, someone who has been through the experience, can be there offering hands on assistance if needed.
Would you know what to do if a puppy was ill after being born?
Would you know what to do if a pup was being born easily?
Having a mentor there for advice may be the difference between having a poorly puppy or a healthy one.
For owners of a boy dog they want to use as a stud, there are also things to think about.
STUD OWNERS CONSIDERATIONS
While the bulk of the rearing of pups will be done by the owner of the bitch, the stud owner too should be ready to shoulder some of the responsibility and costs.
++ PREPARATION
What sort of temperament does your dog have? Is it calm, friendly and sociable? Has it ever shown any sign of grumpiness?
Have you done all the possible DNA health testing to rule out inherited diseases?
Do you know how to assist your dog and the bitch during the mating process? Are you prepared to be ‘hands on’ if necessary?
Are you prepared to travel to visit the potential mate in their home, or would they have to travel to be with you?
How far would you travel, and how many days would you stay to give time for the meeting to occur?
What sort of contract would you draw up for use with the owner of the bitch? Have you got ideas for costs charged, expenses, your responsibilities, how many revisits if mating is unsuccessful etc.
++ AFTER BIRTH OF PUPS
Who is responsible for costs if anything is wrong with the pups?
Are you going to share responsibility if a pup owner needs to hand it back for some reason?
++ CHANGE OF PERSONALITY
Some owners find that their dogs have a change in personality after they have been used as a stud. The dogs can start to mark its territory more, show a greater desire to wander and find a bitch in heat, or may show aggression towards other male dogs.
These may seem silly questions but they are all things that need to be considered, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, just the start of things you need to think about.
Breeding from any dog is a huge responsibility, which doesn’t always turn out well, so careful thought should be given before deciding to embark on it. We recommend anyone thinking of becoming a breeder does a lot of research, and discusses the pro’s and cons with experienced breeders before making any decision.
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