I have deceided to breed my labs(I own the bitch and sire).
This is my first time at breeding. My question is regarding
when is the best time to put them in the kennel together.I
did read your article Also I noticed at the AKC website,I
have to keep record of the date mated.Do they need exact
date? Or if I keep them in a kennel together can I give them
a date span of say maybe a week?
Dr. DeMichael: To answer your questions, we'll
have to "take it from the top" as they say.
Before breeding any dog, Labrador or otherwise, I am of
the firm opinion that several unwritten but ethical rules
should apply.
Although you may already have followed some of the following
practices, I will reiterate for those who may not have
such a background.
I) Let's begin with the age of both dogs.
In most cases I don't recommend breeding either males or
females before they are two years of age. If they are in
the 18-24 month range and you would like to breed them,
the first thing you should do would be to have both dogs
radiographed to screen for any evidence of hip dysplasia.
Although the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) will
certify only those Labradors beyond the age of 24 months,
you can get a preliminary report which would be acceptable
for dogs in the 18-24 month bracket. If the radiographic
report is favorable, you could consider them for breeding
and resubmit another set of radiographs after the age of
24 months to get an official OFA certification number.
If the radiographic report is not favorable, you should
consider the following: a) Positioning of the patient
is very important during the radiographic process and along
with unexpected motion, could affect the quality of the
films. The possibility exists that the radiographic process
might be improved upon which could lead to a more favorable
report. If this is the case, you could repeat the process
for further consideration.
b) If your veterinarian is certain that the films
were adequate, yet the report shows that the hip joints
were not within acceptable limits, THE DOG SHOULD NOT BE
BRED.
II) A cardiac examination (auscultation)
should be conducted by your veterinarian to rule out the
possibility of any heart defects. If a murmur is detected,
further testing (such as echocardiogram and Doppler) would
be necessary to identify the cause of the murmur. If the
cardiac examination is normal, you can submit the results
to the OFA to enter your dog in their Cardiac Registry
program if you'd like.
III) An ophthalmic examination should be
conducted on all breeding animals to screen for the possibility
of genetically transmitted diseases of the eye. These animals
may also be registered by CERF. Because I am a veterinarian,
you might be thinking that I am merely looking to promote
business for my colleagues. Quite the contrary. The screening
processes that I have outlined above should be conducted
on all breeding stock as an attempt to minimize the occurrence
of the known genetically transmitted diseases common to
the Labrador Retriever. Although there are no guarantees
when dealing with breeding and genetics, these are the
best steps we can take to do what we can, to help control
unwanted physical disabilities.
IV) Regarding the estrous (heat) cycle,
the first day that blood is noticed from the vulva should
be considered day 1 of the cycle for practical purposes.
Females may ovulate early in their cycle or later in their
cycle. This variation can result in a lack of conception
if sperm is not present in the reproductive tract of the
bitch at or around the time of ovulation. I will refer
you to my article on reproduction located on our website
for a more detailed discussion. Waiting until day 12 to
breed the dogs or analyze the blood, while a common practice,
is inaccurate at best. Yes, it may work. But just as easily,
it may not. To ensure the maximum chance for fertilization,
a mating (or an insemination) should be conducted approximately
12-24 hours after ovulation in the bitch.
Additionally, and particularly if this is the first attempt
at breeding for either one of your dogs, I would not leave
them unattended in a kennel without supervision. There
are many cases where the female may be frightened by an
overly aggressive stud dog. Your male could end up at his
veterinarian's office getting his face sutured back together.
He would not be the first.
So please be very careful if you are a novice. Hopefully,
things will go smoothly for you, but at least you are aware
of some of the potential problems.
I guess I have indirectly answered your other question
regarding the AKC record of the date mated. Don't guess
because you left the two dogs in a kennel unsupervised.
You should know exactly when the mating(s) take place.
