Are you a registered breeder with the AKC?
Labs are one of the most common breeds. If you were interested in breeding you firstly need to find out how good and true to the breed standard your ***** is. How many BOB (Best of Breeds) has she won in the showring? Has she won any CCs? Is she a holder of a working title?
That will give you an indication. Further more if you in that show environment you will have met plenty of good and successful breeders with fabulous dogs (good show and working results) and would not need us to point you into the right direction. A good breeder with excellent dogs would never even concider using one of her dogs to mate b#tch.
Only breed to enhance and maintain a high breed standard.
Do you know everything about your breed? If pups are born can you advise potential owners about training and raising a pup. Have you got experience if a new owner has difficulties integrating the pup into his exsisting pack (multible dogs at home). Have you got experience with dogs and b+tches living together and their behaviour to advise the new owner?
Have you got the facilities to take the dogs you have bred back (even when they are 4 yrs old) if the new owner is unalbe to cope or has a change in circumstance meaning they cannot loog after the dog any longer? The responsible breeder has the moran responsibility to take the animals he or she has bred back
Code of Ethics for breeders please read!!
CODE OF ETHICS
BREED STANDARD All breeding stock should closely follow the official Kennel Club Standard in all aspects, with particular attention being paid to temperament of the dogs. Dogs, which manifestly depart from the Breed Standard, are not suitable for breeding.
BREEDING PURPOSES All breeding should include the objective of improving the overall standard of Labrador. Equal weight should be given to type, temperament, health and soundness. Nervous or aggressive dogs are not satisfactory as breeding stock or pets.
REGISTRATION All dogs used for breeding should be registered with the Kennel Club and full details of their pedigree should be known.
PLANNING OF LITTERS No one should breed a litter unless he/she has the right facilities for dam and litter, and the time to devote proper care and attention to rearing the puppies and the well being of the dam. There should be some demand for the puppies before the bitches are mated.
BREEDING AGE Bitches should not be mated before her second birthday and not before the third season. They must whelp for the first time before their 6th birthday.
WELFARE OF THE ***** No ***** shall be bred to twice within a 12 month period. Bitches should not have litters on consecutive seasons. No ***** should have more than 4 litters and must not whelp after her 8th birthday unless KC permission is granted.
STUD DOGS Only entire dogs with two fully descended testicles should be used at stud and not before eighteen months of age. Members who own stud dogs should be aware of the need to improve the breed and enhance the reputation of the sires. They should refuse stud services to inferior specimens of the breed and to owners who have neither the time nor the facilities to rear litters.
PUPPY SALES Prospective buyers of puppies should be screened for suitability and ability to provide long term homes. They should be advised of the characteristics and problems of the breed. These include the need for grooming, exercise, family contact and the need to socialize as soon as possible, as the breed has a tendency to dislike other dogs.
PUPPY INFORMATION No puppy should leave the breeder before 8 weeks of age. Each purchaser of a Labrador puppy should be provided, at the time of sale, with an accurate pedigree, a Kennel Club transfer form and a registration certificate. He/she should also receive a diet sheet and information about training, worming and vaccination. Advice should be given about suitable books and membership of the breed club
PUPPY VARIATIONS No puppy, which has a physical defect or shows a clear departure from the Standard, should be sold without the buyer being made fully aware of the defect or departure from the Standard. Breeders should replace any puppy, which develops a defect to such a degree, that, on the advice of two independent veterinary surgeons, the puppy has to be put down, or they should refund the purchase price. The breeder is to be properly notified before any such action is taken. It is advisable for breeders to take out insurance cover on any puppy they breed, for the first six weeks in its new home.
UNWELCOME SALES No Labrador should knowingly be sold to laboratories, pet shops or dealers in dogs, or to persons known to sell puppies to any of the above. Owners of stud dogs should not provide stud services for such persons. No puppy should be sold or offered as a prize in any raffle or competition. No puppies should be sold to countries where anti-cruelty laws do not protect them, and/or where there are known social and ownership problems with dogs.
AFTER SALES It should be impressed on buyers, that they should contact the breeder in the event of problems with puppies. Breeders should make every effort to assist in these circumstances. Breeders should be prepared to take puppies back and rehome, if it becomes necessary. They should co-operate with the Breed Rescue.
HEREDITARY DEFECTS Breeders should not knowingly breed from any stock that has known and proven hereditary diseases. It is advised that all breeding stock be x-rayed for hip dysplasia and eyes tested after the age of twelve months for hereditary cataracts by a qualified veterinary surgeon. It is strongly advised that all x-ray plates are submitted to the B.V.A. for scoring, even if the hips are poor, so that a true picture of H.D. in the breed can be assessed.
ADVERTISING Advertisements for stock should always be honest, factual and without exaggeration or distortion.
Should I breed from my pet *****?
The decision to breed a litter should not be undertaken lightly & needs careful thought about all the responsibilities involved. The would-be breeder needs to ask themselves the following questions:
Can I afford the costs involved & do I have the time to rear a litter successfully? Breeding a litter & caring for Mum & her puppies is expensive and very time consuming. You have to have the funds available for the stud fee, eye testing fee, vet fees (these can be costly particularly if a caesarean section is needed), quality food for Mum & pups once weaned, set up equipment (eg whelping box, bedding, heating, puppy pen), Kennel Club registration fees etc. Bear in mind, if you have a small litter or incur high veterinary expenses, you may make a loss on your litter - breeding puppies is not an easy way to make money unless you cut corners or mass produce pups on a commercial scale as puppy farmers do. Sometimes, it may be necessary to keep puppies for longer than 8 weeks if the right homes are not forthcoming, so you need to be prepared for this & for the extra costs involved in feeding & vaccinating older pups.
If you can bear the financial costs, do you have the time available? Looking after a Mum with a newborn litter requires round the clock attention initially - it is not something you can do if you work long hours. Once puppies are weaned, the hard work really begins: It is very rewarding raising a litter properly, but it takes countless hours in feeding, cleaning up followed by more feeding & more cleaning up! The breeder must also make the effort to socialise puppies by introducing them to common household noises & letting them meet all different kinds of people, including children, all under careful supervision of course. Time also needs to be spent on vetting potential owners, making sure that your precious puppies only go the most suitable homes - this can be one of the most difficult aspects of breeding a litter as enquirers are not always what they seem when they first make contact with a breeder. Sadly not all enquirers can offer a good home environment for a puppy.
Could I cope if things go wrong? Whilst it is true that most bitches make good Mums & have trouble free pregnancies, there are also occasions when things do go disastrously wrong. Sometimes caesarean section surgery is required to deliver puppies safely & rarely, a breeder can lose both the ***** & all her puppies. Other problems that could arise include a failure of the ***** to produce milk, meaning her puppies have to be hand-reared (requiring bottle feeding every 2 hours round the clock).
Can I provide after sales help & advice to any puppy owners who might need it? A responsible breeder will always be happy to answer questions & provide advice to new puppy owners should they need it. This means having good knowledge on subjects like puppy training & common health issues. A responsible breeder also has a lifetime responsibility to the puppies they produce. This means being prepared to take back one of their puppies (however old he/she might be) for rehoming should the need arise (unfortunately people's circumstances do change), even if the timing is not convenient for the breeder. Responsible breeders do not "pass the buck" to Labrador Rescue or to general Rescue Societies. A breeder must also bear the moral responsibility if any of their puppies develops a hereditary defect. It needs to be noted that sometimes the courts will make breeders legally responsible for such defects - buyers are now much more aware of their consumer rights & puppies are treated like any other "goods" under current consumer legislation.
If after considering the above, you decide that you are ready for the responsibility of breeding a litter, then you should consult your *****'s breeder for advice as to suitable stud dogs, assuming he/she is reputable and experienced. The best stud dog for your ***** does not necessarily live just down the road from you s