The Breeding Process

by Jude Iaconianni

Many ask  "the who, what, where, how and why's" about breeding

poodles.  We are going to attempt to answer all of those for you. 

The easiest way to answer all those questions are to explain

the process from beginning to end.  It all begins when selecting future mom's

and dad's for your breeding family,   researching genetic issues and

colors in the pedigree's of  puppies your selecting from.  After answering the

pedigree questions regarding the puppies you begin to look at the puppy's

characteristics such as personality/temperament, legs, eyes, body shape, ear

placements, coat, general health and many other individual features.  Once you

have selected your puppy the real work begins.

After you get your puppy home a lot of the process for the first few months is

the same as when our puppies go to their new homes.  The house training,

potty training, basic obedience's and normal new puppy house rules are

instilled.  After the first few months the breeding process actually begins with

monitoring their health and diet attempting to maintain optimal health

conditions for breeding.  Sir's and Dam's are given daily vitamin supplements,

fresh water and food along with maintaining a clean dry area in the

house where they sleep.  Depending on the time of year this can require

changing and washing beds daily.  We begin breeding our males around

1 year of age and our females on their second heat cycle usually 12 to 15

months of age.

Now that our puppies have matured into adults the process for selecting a

breeding pair begins.  This is similar to the process used when selecting a

new puppy.  We look at the male and females features attempting to

compliment or improve a feature and improve the quality of the puppy. 

After selecting your breeding pair monitoring begins of the females

heat cycle and sometimes a visit to the vet and completing a Progesterone

Blood Test.  With the information obtained you begin trying to select the

optimal breeding days for your pair.  We allow them to breed under

supervision trying to avoid injury to the male or female during the

actual breeding process.  If the natural breeding process isn't accomplished

alternative methods can be taken such as collection and artificial insemination

which is a option offered by some specializing vet offices.

After the breeding process is completed its a waiting period of about

30 days monitoring the Dam's health and providing supplements as needed to

her.  Around day 30 of the litter gestation period we have our vet perform a

ultra-sound to determine pregnancy and estimate a puppy count. 

Normal full term gestation is 63 days all though puppies can be born and

considered full term at 58 to 68 days.  Around day 54 of the process a

x-ray is taken by our vet to determine not only puppy count but to determine

if the dam may have issues passing the puppies through the birthing canal. 

Now the fun really begins and making sure the whelping area is ready to

receive puppies.  Our whelping area consists of a whelping box that has a

removable "Pig Rail" for the puppies safety, a whelping heating pad to

maintain and supply heat from underneath the puppies (82 to 92 degree's)

and a heat lamp to maintain a temperature from above.  A Pig Rail is a safety

rail in the whelping box that's high enough and extends far enough out to keep

the new mom away from the side of the whelping box and create a safe space

below it for a puppy.   This is put in place to try to prevent mom from

accidentally crushing or suffocating a puppy. 

At this point the dam's temperature is monitored closely watching for her

body temperature to drop.  This helps determine when she may deliver the

puppies.  In most cases the dam begins the labor process when her temperature

begins to rise or when it returns back to her normal body temperature. 

Once labor begins this process can take minutes or can last many hours

to completely deliver the litter.  

This is the most scary time of the process watching for a number of

complications that can occur while delivering each puppy. Making sure

airways are clear, cords are tied off and cut, puppies are warmed quickly,

getting the new arrivals to suckle and feed,  watching for the next puppy to

arrive and making sure mom is doing good and not running into delivery

complications.  Many complications can arise with your whelping mom during

this time such as a puppy getting lodge in the birth canal, internal damage

and death from blood loss or simply labor stopping with puppies remaining

inside.  Quite often the first hurdle is mom not producing milk.  Milk production

can begin prior to delivery, within a few hours of delivery, several days after

delivery and sometimes producing no milk.  If milk issues are encountered

this requires bottle feeding every 2 hours around the clock with puppy

formula.  Once they are born "Clean up" begins not just from delivering

the litter but an all most constant clean up routine for the next 8 weeks

or longer...... till puppies find new homes.

After the puppies have arrived the whelping dam is started on a calcium

supplement and monitored for any complications that can develop from the

whelping process.  When the puppies are 3 or 4 days old they are taken to

the vet to have dew claws removed and tails docked.  This is done at this

time because nerves haven't fully developed into those area.  At this stage in

the puppies development they are deaf and eyes aren't developed enough to

open and see.  At about 12 days they begin to try to stand and eyes begin to

open between 12 and 16 days and hearing develops shortly after.  At week 4

the puppies begin weaning to soaked kibble (soaked puppy food) and food is

offered several times a day.  We try to shave faces and feet around 4 weeks

of age and trim nails every 2 weeks.  Worming the puppies begins the second

week and is repeated every 2 weeks till the puppies are 8 to 10 weeks old.

Once the puppies reach 5 weeks of age the vet begins a series of

4 vaccinations that are given 3 to 4 weeks apart.

The entire breeding process has to be closely monitored for life threatening

complications such as Pyometra, which is a accumulation of pus in the

uterine cavity,  Gangrene Mastitis, inflammation and infection

of the mammary glad that can cause the teet to rupture, Eclampsia,  low

blood calcium levels that occur in lactating (nursing) bitches, 

Uterine Torsion, twisting or turning of the uterus that can cause it to rupture.

This is just a few life threatening issues can be encountered that require

immediate medical intervention.

During this busy process of bringing new puppies into this world you can't

forget your other adults who need baths and grooming and monitored for

their breeding opportunities coming up.  The Adults need to be kept up

to date on vaccinations and heartworm medications.  Understanding the

entire process helps answer the most asked question we get.....

"Why do the puppies cost so much?" 

Breeding isn't as easy as it seems, requires dedication, a lot of commitment

and time, and is a very expensive process.

If we haven't all ready answered your question email us  for assistance.