When yous are prepare for your first litter

GSD laying down with lab puppies sat around

Now that you're decided you're set for your starting time litter, let's go through the process step by step, then you're well prepared to take care of your domestic dog and to produce happy, healthy puppies.

When should I breed from my bitch?

The bitch should be over a year old, and preferably should accept had i normal season prior to mating. Prior to mating, it is also of import to have your bitch examined for any inherited diseases to which the breed is subject field. Yous tin can learn more about the wellness tests that chronicle to your canis familiaris'due south breed in our Breeds A to Z.

The average day on which to mate a bowwow is between the 11th and 14th day of her flavour. Notwithstanding, judging the correct day to mate your bitch can sometimes be difficult, every bit some can exist set to be mated earlier while others will not accept a canis familiaris until much later. It may therefore exist prudent to have an ovulation test carried out past your veterinary surgeon to make up one's mind the right date on which to mate your bitch, especially if the stud dog lives a fair distance away.

How long are bitches in whelp?

Bitches are in whelp for approximately 63 days, although this can vary depending on litter size.

How do I find a suitable stud dog?

We do not currently keep a annals of stud dogs. Therefore, you should contact either your dog's breeder or a breed lodge to ensure that you lot find a suitable mate for your bowwow. Equally a responsible breeder, yous will demand to ensure that whatsoever stud canis familiaris that you lot make up one's mind to employ non merely has a compatible full-blooded, but has also been examined for any inherited disease to which the brood is subject.

If you're trying to find a suitable good for you mate for your dog, so our online health tools can help you make informed decisions

  • Employ ourHealth Examination Results Finderto notice out what DNA tests and wellness schemes whatever dog on our records have been screened for
  • Employ our Inbreeding Coefficient calculatorsto evaluate how closely related two potential mates are

Remember that male dogs may also carry breeding restrictions, and therefore you volition demand to carry in mind that whatever breeding endorsements will have to be removed from his registration records before the litter tin can be registered. You are strongly brash to confirm, prior to the mating, that any such endorsement has been removed.

Details of judge stud fees, puppy prices and more information on your chosen breed may be obtained from the breeder of your canis familiaris, or from the brood clubs.

Legal contracts

If you are using another owner's stud dog, or when information technology comes to selling your puppies, nosotros would advise you to create a written contract to record anything agreed between the parties. This mode, there can exist no misunderstandings between either party should any problems occur. This is especially important if y'all are selling whatsoever puppies that y'all have endorsed with The Kennel Club, and in fact forms office of our regulations when applying to place endorsements.

A general guide to creating a puppy contract can be found in our Assured Breeders scheme section.

What should I do before breeding?
  • Transfer the dog into your registered ownership if you accept non already washed and then
  • DNA profile your domestic dog
  • Obtain a kennel name
  • Check that no breeding endorsement has been placed on your dog's records
  • Ensure your domestic dog is salubrious and suitable (particularly in temperament) to whelp a litter
  • Carry out all relevant health checks e.1000. hip scoring, elbow grading, middle testing and Deoxyribonucleic acid testing. Find out which checks are relevant to your breed
  • Contact a breed society for more breed-specific information and to ask any questions yous may have
  • Ensure that the health status of the proposed stud domestic dog is satisfactory
  • Talk to the breeder of your bitch, as they may be able to help yous
  • Our new healthcare plan offers breeders optional comprehend for breeding risks including fertility, pregnancy, whelping and litter before they are sold. For more data call 0800 369 90 90 or visit The Kennel Society Pet Insurance website
Where can I find out more?

You tin can find out more than almost breeding, pregnancy and raising puppies in a number of films available on The Kennel Guild Academy.

Kennel names

A kennel name is an exclusive word that is associated with yous and your dogs. Known equally your 'breeder signature', a kennel name will ready your puppies aside from those of anyone else.

You lot can include your kennel name within the names of your puppies at the bespeak of registration. Y'all can also add your kennel proper name to an existing name of a dog in your current registered ownership.

Browse the forms beneath to register a new kennel name or brand changes to an existing name.

Application for the registration of a kennel proper name (form 10)
Application to alter the registered proper name by the improver of a kennel proper noun (grade eight)
Variation of a kennel name (form 11)

Please download and complete form 11 if you wish to either brand a modify to the ownership of your kennel name or give permission for a split involvement/property to exist granted.

Removal of a kennel name (form sixteen)

Health screening - a step by step guide

Responsible breeders consider the health of their puppies to be a priority. In that location are a number of steps you as a breeder tin and should take to increase the chances of convenance happy and healthy puppies. These include DNA testing, health screening schemes and fugitive close inbreeding. Past taking these steps it helps you find out if two possible mates are compatible, giving your puppies the all-time adventure to alive long, happy lives.

Why health screening is essential

Testing all potential breeding stock allows yous to improve empathize the kind of genes your dog may pass on to its offspring, giving you the data required to avoid producing puppies afflicted by wellness issues.

Making informed decisions based on health test results enables you lot to adapt your breeding programme, selecting mates for your dog that complement them and reduce the gamble of diseases actualization in future generations.

Step i: Discover the tests relevant to your brood

Find out which health tests or schemes are recommended for your brood in our Breeds A to Z. These recommendations are suggested by breed clubs and approved by The Kennel Club'south committees.

In one case you've found which tests and schemes are relevant to your breed you can find out more about each Dna test or screening scheme in the Breeds A to Z or y'all tin can read more about them in our getting started with health screening folio.

Stride 2: Become your dog health screened

Once y'all know which health tests and screening schemes are relevant to your breed it'south of import that yous apply these to sympathise more about your domestic dog'due south genetic and physical health.

If yous follow the links on the health section of the Breeds A-Z y'all tin can observe:

  • laboratories that will test your dog for each Dna test.
  • How to get your dog screened for whatsoever health scheme relevant to your breed.

You tin as well notice details about wellness testing clinics near you.

Step 3: Find health results for possible mates

You lot can notice the results for any results for DNA tests or screening schemes recorded by us on our Health Test Results Finder.

Step 4: Read our breeding communication

If you're new to breeding then the amount of information on how to breed healthy puppies can sometimes exist overwhelming.

We've compiled a list of all of the health screening that'south recommended for your breed in our Breeds A-Z, simply you lot can also observe clear and simple breeding advice and in our getting started with health testing and screening folio.

Footstep 5: Avoid inbreeding

Inbreeding is the breeding of puppies from ii related dogs. High levels of inbreeding tin affect the health of these puppies and in general the higher the degree of inbreeding, the higher the take a chance is of the puppies developing health issues.

The caste of inbreeding can be measured and our inbreeding calculators utilize full-blooded information from our registration organisation to work out how related two potential mates are.

Use our Inbreeding Coefficient reckoner equally part of your breeding decisions when choosing a potential mate.

The trouble of popular sires

Pop sires, or male dogs that are used to produce large numbers of puppies, are one of the biggest contributors to a reduction in genetic variety, an increase in inbreeding and elevated levels of genetic diseases within a breed. These dogs are oftentimes called because they have proficient characteristics, such equally traits associated with skillful wellness. Breeders will use these dogs because they wish to better the brood, but excessive utilise of any males tin can be detrimental to the overall population. It's important to consider the impact that using a popular sire could have on your breed.

Find out more about popular sires and how to manage and maintain genetic multifariousness.

Step 6: Avoid breeding from over-exaggerated dogs

Regardless of what each dog looks similar, its health and welfare should always be a priority and it should exist able to lead a happy and healthy life. That means being able to exhale, walk, hear and see freely without discomfort. Some exaggerated conformations (such every bit extremely flat-faces, extremely wrinkly skin etc.) can lead to health problems, such as skin infections, eye problems or breathing difficulties.

Dogs with proven wellness bug acquired by over-exaggeration of physical features should ideally be avoided in a breeding programme, especially if they may produce health or welfare problems in whatsoever puppies they produce. If in doubtfulness, please contact your vet.

Notice out more nigh over-exaggeration and how to avoid breeding from over-exaggerated dogs.

Step 7: Brand balanced convenance decisions

Your breeding decisions should e'er be well balanced and have into consideration the qualities and compatibility of both the sire and dam that you lot are because.

As well every bit thinking through the implications of a dog's health screening results, at that place are other equally important factors to consider when deciding whether two dogs should be mated together, such as temperament, genetic multifariousness, conformation, the general health of the dogs etc.

Contacts for more advice

If you have whatever questions most health screening, DNA testing or inbreeding calculations, then either speak to your vet, or your local breed club.

Each brood has a brood health co-ordinator who works within the breed clubs and they are experts on the health of their breed.

How to contact your breed health co-ordinator

You lot can contact your breed wellness co-ordinator by referring to the wellness information of your chosen breed on our Breeds A to Z.

Artificial insemination (AI)

Artificial insemination (AI) is a method of inseminating a bitch artificially without the mating process. This is often used when using frozen or chilled semen when the male is non available.

Prior approval is not necessary to register a litter produced past AI, provided that all of the following comply, and that the AI involves non-surgical insemination.

Requirements for registration
  • All litters produced by AI will be subject to our existing registration regulations
  • We will take an application to register a litter produced by AI from either overseas dogs or those domiciled in the United Kingdom, but the AI must be alleged by completing the litter registration class (form 1) online or by downloading and completing the PDF version
If you run across all the requirements

If none of these conditions is breached, then the owner demand but ensure that theAI grade (form two)is completed and submitted along with thelitter registration form (form 1) online or download the PDF version at the fourth dimension of registration.

All requirements must be satisfied in your AI awarding, otherwise private cases will take to be made and registration volition be at the discretion of The Kennel Club Board.

Delight note that from the beginning of 2019, the utilise of surgical insemination has been banned by the Purple College of Veterinarian Surgeons (RCVS). Therefore, no applications volition be accepted whereby the litter was produced using this method .

Methods of insemination

There are two full general methods adopted for insemination:

  1. Not-surgical: intravaginal, where semen is placed directly into the vaginal canal
  2. Not-surgical: trans-cervical using a catheter and/or an endoscope

The RCVS propose that intravaginal insemination does non corporeality to the practice of veterinary surgery and, every bit such, may be undertaken past suitably competent lay persons. However, trans-cervical insemination is regarded as an act of veterinary surgery and may just be undertaken past a veterinary surgeon.

Frequently asked questions

i. I take a maiden bitch - tin can I even so mate her using artificial insemination?

Yes, The Kennel Club has no restrictions on mating maiden bitches past AI.

two. The stud canis familiaris I desire to apply has non produced puppies naturally - will the application be accustomed?

The Kennel Lodge will register a litter by AI from a dog that has not previously produced a natural litter

iii. Does the insemination need to exist carried out past a vet?

The Regal College of Veterinary Surgeons has advised that AI is a veterinary procedure and therefore should simply be performed by a vet.

4. Can I register a litter if I plan to use surgical insemination?

Please note that from the commencement of 2019, the apply of surgical insemination has been banned by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Therefore, no applications volition be accepted whereby the litter was produced using this method .

5. If the donor dog is dead, does there withal need to be a fifteen-yr gap before the semen can be used?

At that place is no longer any waiting time period required to apply semen from a deceased canis familiaris.

6. The stud dog I want to use is alive and in the UK - volition the application be accustomed?

Whilst natural matings are always preferred, the Kennel Club will annals a litter produced by AI fifty-fifty if the sire is alive and in the Uk. Yet, the applicant must make clear on the AI form why a natural mating was not possible

7. I have bought the semen and therefore it is legally mine. Who signs the AI and litter registration forms?

The Kennel Social club regulations crave the registered owner of the donor dog to sign the litter registration form. Yet if you lot are able to obtain written confirmation from the owner of the donor dog that yous are the legal possessor of the semen, y'all will be permitted to sign the AI and litter application forms.

8. Do I demand permission to annals the litter in advance from The Kennel Order?

You no longer demand advanced permission to register a litter by AI, provided that your application complies with our rules and guidelines.

Parentage analysis and Deoxyribonucleic acid profiling

What is DNA profiling?

A DNA profile is the ultimate in individual identification and offers a 'tamper-proof' way for your canis familiaris to exist identified. A Deoxyribonucleic acid contour only needs to but exist done once, as your canis familiaris'due south DNA will never modify. This ways that the results from your canis familiaris's profile tin be stored as a permanent DNA tape throughout your dog's life.

Identification by Deoxyribonucleic acid profile could be useful, peculiarly if your domestic dog is establish after beingness lost or stolen.

A Dna profile does not:

  • Give y'all information on parentage
  • Give you information on disease status
  • Identify a dog's brood
What is parentage analysis?

Provided that the DNA profiles of both parents are available, pups in a litter can be profiled and their profiles checked with their parents' profile to verify that the correct parents have been registered.

Many labs are able to DNA profile & parentage test. In one case a DNA profile has successfully been completed the KC record of the domestic dog tin can be updated accordingly provided the owner sends in a copy of the study.

The Kennel Club Assured Breeders

This scheme promotes skilful breeding practice and as a breeder you should consider joining. In that location are a number of basic principles that assured breeders must hold to follow, which encourage the convenance of good for you, well-adjusted puppies. Learn more than about condign an assured breeder.

Adjacent steps - during pregnancy