Rhodesian Ridgeback breeding tips

does anyone have any tips on rr breading? is there any vitamins etc that i should be giving my bitch if i want her to breed? and how many litters is she safe to have?

any help appreciated

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

Anyone who really wishes to start breeding should turn first to the bitches breeder or failing that find a mentor within the breed. It goes without saying that the bitch should have all the tests required by the breed club or council and be the age required, should be a good and true representative of it's breed and show type.

You will need to have the money to finance this first litter, be able, if you work, to take the time off, have the room to take back any or most the litter at some time in the future and saddest of all you may lose you bitch.

So do the tests, make sure she is the correct age, ask her breeder about a suitable stud, show her either at shows or to knowledgeable people in the breed to make sure she is suitable for breeding, save lots of money, speak to your work superior and start buying all the equipment needed the first of which should be The Book of the Bitch.

Sorry forgot that bit, the breed club will have rules but in most breeds it is 3 or 4 or depending on the number of pups born and raised. Of course, what the pups from the first litter turn out like depends on whether you will feel it is worth breeding her again as the aim should always be to improve on the bitch with the litter or at least a large proportion of the litter. Also depends on if and how many you have returned from the first litter. RR’s are not the most popular of breeds and do as you will be aware need a special type of owner and finding suitable owners for you pups is, some people say, the most difficult thing of all.

Thankyou for the very useful information, i really appreciate it. Dont worry, i will be thinking long and hard about breeding my rr Kimba, as i have over a year to decide!!!!

Thankyou again!!! :P