BREEDING from my bitch
We all started somewhere but be ready for a lot of hard work 😊😊😊
3 is the minimum age for me as the breed can still develop epilepsy which isn’t any thing that can be tested for. Normally epilepsy develops between 18 months and 2.5 yrs so 3.5 is a good age.
Need to have health tests done - hips x-rayed and scored (elbows can be done at the same time). VWD test has to be done before any puppies are KC registered and generally heart scans/echocardiogram are also down to ensure there is no hidden heart issue.
Be prepared to travel to the best stud dog not the nearest so get her pedigree and registration to hand so you can answer any prospective questions from the stud dog owner. Check there isn’t a breeding restriction on the KC registration if so you will have to go back to your breeder and talk about how it can be lifted.
Be prepared for a big litter 8-14 isn’t unheard off so make sure you have somewhere for them to go once they get to the walking, playing stage as it isn’t practical to keep,them in a Puppy pen until they are ready to go. If you want the puppies docked you need to find a vet who will do it before they are born as you are very time limited.
Be prepared for the need for veterinary help such as an out of hours c- section (probably £2000 ish), worse scenario is that you could lose the Bitch and pups with a veterinary emergency. Or have to bottle feed pups every 3-4 hrs due to the Mum not being able to do it herself.
Get some people interested in having puppies ASAP as it’s so very easy for people to buy puppies these days and it’s certainly not unusual to hear that one of your potential puppy owners has found another pup which was closer, cheaper, ready quicker or any other excuses. New breeding legislation is coming in from October 2018 which affects the selling or puppies and the need for a licence so do double check on that as it is suggesting that any future adverts for puppies for sale will not be accepted unless you have a breeders licence number.
Long term considerations is that you, as the breeder, will be expected to help out with any puppies that you have bred with training or rehoming. So just think about dogs being returned to you for rehoming which may not be that easy to introduce back into your home.
by Sharon Pinkerton GWP Top Breeder
What Paperwork is Required When Buying a Puppy;-
You need a receipt for your payment. If you are paying by PP or online banking put the Micro-chip number of your puppy on the payment, after you have a photo or scan of the Micro-chip Registration Number to the Data Base, so you know there is a dog with that Chip and it is Registered. If paying in person create a receipt showing the Date of payment, the payment method, and the specific details of the dog you have bought, and that the exchange of funds and goods is witnessed by a third party if at all possible with their name and contact details on the receipt.
You need a formal declaration/ bill of sale that the seller is the legal owner of the puppy in question and that they have the legal right to sell the puppy. The Micro -chip and Registration Law of April 2016 means all breeders have to microchip the puppies at 8 weeks of age and the breeder will be the first Registered Owner on the data base, however this does not prove Ownership so ask for a copy of Dam's Micro-chip Registration showing the breeder's name and address as the Keeper..
Verification that the formal breed paperwork/ Pedigree accompanying the puppy is true for that puppy and that the details contained within it are relevant and accurate. Only Pedigrees can be Registered with the KC of GB.
If choosing your puppy some weeks before it can leave, one way is to write on a postcard the puppies microchip number from the Registration and/or your name and ask the breeder to sign and date it, then place it next to the puppy and take some photos.
Details of any warranty or health claims made by the seller in terms of hereditary or genetic health conditions A declaration from the seller that "The puppy is in good health and not suffering from any illness or injury at time of collection (add a date) to the very best of their knowledge or so far as they could reasonably be expected to know." Often a Pet Insurance covers the first 6 weeks but it will not cover any illnesses that would have been know about before collection.
Full and detailed information on the seller’s liability to you if the puppy should be found to be seriously ill or have any serious or ongoing health conditions that are discovered within a given period of the time after the sale, and the responsibilities (if any) that the seller has to you in these circumstances.
Any other responsibilities or agreements you make with the seller, for instance, to have the dog neutered or to offer them first refusal of buying the dog back should you be unable to keep them in the future. It is very important to include the time period and the exact sums of money. A good breeder will always want to know when a puppy that they have bred needs re-homing for its entire life and will assist. If you live far away from the breeder you may include costs of moving the dog.
This paperwork is very important, the breeder may be very bus at the time due to caring for the litter and dealing with several buyers at the same time, but it is BUYER BEWARE, so take enough time when it is quiet to read, re-read and understand what you are getting into for the next 10-15 years.