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Location: Shadowland, Australia
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,358
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Your bitch should have had all the health tests required for her breed. As should the stud. The bloodlines of the bitch and the stud should be compatible.
Your bitch should be an excellent example of her breed according to thr RR Standard. This is usually assessed by sucess in the show ring where she will be evaluated and judged by experts in the breed. If she came from a reputable breeder they he/she should also be a good source of information and advice and should be able to assess the breed worthiness of your bitch
Your goal in breeding should be to produce pups that are even better than the dam and the sire.
Good breeders rarely take more than 3 litters from a bitch. Bitches should not be bred until they are physically mature, usually 2+ years old. The average size litter for RRs is 8-15 puppies.
Breeding is expensive, time consuming, and can also be heartbreaking. Are you prepared to travel miles for the services of the best stud and can you afford the stud fee? (Be aware that the owners of good studs will not approve your bitch if she is not KC Registered and is not a good example of the breed). Are you prepared to spend out on all the equipment required for whelping? Are you prepared to take weeks off work to attend to the bitch & puppies prior to and after the whelping? Can you afford vet fees should your bitch require a C-section or injections to counteract dystocia? Are you prepared for the possibility that your bitch may die giving birth? Can you cope with having to put down malformed or unviable pups? (Dermoid cyst and Megaoesophagus are known congentital faults in this breed). Can you cope with fading puppies? Can you cope with round-the-clock feeding if your bitch dies or does not produce enough milk? Can you cope with seeing your bitch eat some/all of her pups? Can you afford vaccinations & worming for a large litter? Can you afford to keep & feed weaned, growing, pups if they are not sold? Can you put up with continually cleaning up piles of puppy poo? Are you prepared to take back any or all of the puppies which you will be responsible for producing at any time during their lives, no matter what the reason may be, if the owners should be unable to keep them? Are you prepared for possible legal fees should an owner decide to sue you if their pup develops an expensive-to-treat medical condition which you should have known about prior to sale? Some bitches undergo a permanent change of temperament after whelping, can you accept this?
Why would you want to breed your bitch???
Your post would indicate that you have done very little research into breeding. My advice would be to leave it to the experts but, if you are determined, contact your breeder, join a breed club, enter your bitch in some shows. Also read 'The Book of the Bitch' by J.M.Evans & Kay White and visit this site:
http://www.bluegrace.com/virtualbreeding.html