Dog reproduction question

[GreenGranolaMama]

One of the women at our local healthfood store happened to notice that my male Jack Russell Terrier, Burton, is not fixed. She told me that she has a Rat/Jack terrier mix and would like to have a litter of puppies, but has thus far been unable to find a dude for her female dog. She is not planning on making a business of this- it is going to be a one time deal and she is planning on giving a few pups to family members and keeping the rest.

I am completely and totally unfamiliar with dog breeding. Burton is 3 years old, so I know he is old enough, but if I let it happen, will there be any undesirable after affects to my dog. Should we let them meet first and go on a doggie date? I thought about asking to keep one of the pups, but I don't think DH is completely onboard, one Jack Russell is enough to keep us both running!

She called me yesterday to let me know her dog is going to be in heat soon and I have yet to call her back, so any responses/ advice would be helpful! Thank you!

[Catubodua]

she's probably had trouble finding a dog to breed with because ethical breeders and responsible owners wouldn't do this.

[Ola_]

I agree with the PP. This is what I would call "backyard breeding". And with a mixed breed dog - why? I definitely wouldn't do it, it's not responsible pet ownership IMO.

[GreenGranolaMama]

Originally Posted by Catubodua

she's probably had trouble finding a dog to breed with because ethical breeders and responsible owners wouldn't do this.

Can I ask why you feel this way? Or what would make it less that ethical? I don't feel there is anything wrong with it- this is not a puppy mill we are talking about and she is not selling the animals. If my dog was showing signs of stress I would NEVER make him do anything he did not want to do, and that would be that. I am also not interested in making a business of it and this would be a one time thing. I love my animal and am a little hurt that you would imply that I am not a responsible pet owner.

[Catubodua]

responsible breeding includes many things that i'm 100% positive won't be happening here.

to assume that woman won't be selling any dogs or that all the dogs have a good home to go to just because she's telling you so is naive. this is you participating in a backyard breeding. and you have no idea if she's running a puppy mill or not.

responsible owners don't breed their dogs just because they can.

there are literally millions of dogs sitting in shelters and getting killed each year because of people just like you, who thought there was no harm in breeding even when they don't know what they are doing.

[Buzzer Beater]

I think if she has homes for the pups lined up this is not so irresponsible. I worked in a pet related industry for over a decade, and I came to believe that many of the folks breeding pure breds were irresponsible for flooding towns and neighborhoods with dogs that don't make great pets or have inbred health issues. Mutts are frequently healthier and smarter, and if this woman is following them to good homes what is the harm?

[Ola_]

I think it's irresponsible of her to breed a dog without having done genetic health testing to minimize the chances of severe health issues. There is no information about the dog's parentage and serious health and behaviour issues have been known to skip generations and pop up "out of nowhere" in the offspring, causing them to be euthanized, rehomed, given up to shelters, or dealing with a lifetime of suffering. This is why you want to have information from breeders going back at least a few generations. Not to mention, she probably knows nothing about the health or background of your dog - that in itself tells me she's not being responsible about it.

Also, by not spaying her female dog she is subjecting her to mammary cancer and pyometra - which can be deadly if not caught and treated immediately. And the sad fact is that no one breeds their dog thinking that the puppies will end up in shelters, but there are so many mixed breed "cute puppies" that are homeless out there.

She's not a puppy mill, that would be a larger scale operation. But she is most definitely a backyard breeder.

[GreenGranolaMama]

Originally Posted by Catubodua

responsible breeding includes many things that i'm 100% positive won't be happening here.

to assume that woman won't be selling any dogs or that all the dogs have a good home to go to just because she's telling you so is naive. this is you participating in a backyard breeding. and you have no idea if she's running a puppy mill or not.

responsible owners don't breed their dogs just because they can.

there are literally millions of dogs sitting in shelters and getting killed each year because of people just like you, who thought there was no harm in breeding even when they don't know what they are doing.

So it's pretty obvious how you feel about this issue. I was simply looking for information and some perspectives, which is what you have supplied and I thank you for it. I don't really take kindly to being blamed for millions of dogs in shelters being killed every year- my other dog was adopted from a shelter. Dogs end up in shelters for various different reasons (I volunteered for one while I was in school) and yes I will agree that irresponsible dog breeding is defiantly one. Again, I will repeat that I was simply looking for information and perspectives. Thank you.

ETA: Ola, thank you for the information about genetic health, this is something that didn't cross my mind initially, and now I am sure that we are not going to go through with it. I do have papers for my dog, but if her dog is a cross breed, I doubt she has information on her dogs genetic history.

.

[angie7]

Has your dog been health tested for eyes, thyriod, hips, heart? These are specialized tests to see if your dog genetically is sound for breeding (this is not regular checkups performed by your vet). Has your dog been judged by experts in the breed to deem him worthy of breeding based on what the breed is suppose to look like and what they were orginally intended to do? Has he achieved a champion status with the AKC to deem him worthy and in good shape? Does he have a CGC regarding his tempermant and will give the best chance that he will pass on good tempermant to future pups? Do you plan to have a contract stating that the puppies are to be spayed/neutered? will they be kept indoors their whole life? if they have to be rehomed any time in their life, will they come back to you or dropped off at the pound? Do you care if they become part of a puppy mill or a research lab? Do you know that by allowing one breeding, the offspring of those dogs can create hundreds within a few years?

You are creating the problem with the over abundance of dogs in the world. People with your mentality are the reason why there are so many dogs in the pound and the reason I have a foster dog laying at my feet as I write this. Irresponible breeding leads to millions of dead dogs and cats each year from a "one time breeding". And further more, why is your dog not fixed? It reduces the chances of cancer drastically. Trust me, you don't want a dog with testicular cancer, had one, it isn't pretty. He was a rescue, used as a breeder....Their temperment usually improves as well as they don't the hormones surging through their system.

Please re-think this. It might be cute and cuddly thoughts but when it gets down to it, it's wrong. You are adding to the problem, not helping. Get your dog fixed and let him be a pet.

[maggiemae]

Gee, I was thinking about doing this. I have a miniature poodle and my best firend has a mini schnauzer. Neither are fixed. I was thinking of letting her have a litter of pups and then spay her. I thought it would be fun!

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by maggiemae

Gee, I was thinking about doing this. I have a miniature poodle and my best firend has a mini schnauzer. Neither are fixed. I was thinking of letting her have a litter of pups and then spay her. I thought it would be fun!

No, definitely not fun. Someone I know bred her dog (after all the testing and everything even). She ended up with an emergency c-section at night to save her dog and the pups. Sadly only one puppy survived (out of 6 or 8, can't recall at the moment), fortunately mama dog made it also. Not only was it not fun to deal with and have the puppies die, it cost thousands of dollars also. That is some scary stuff!

[SquishyKitty]

Originally Posted by Catubodua

responsible breeding includes many things that i'm 100% positive won't be happening here.

to assume that woman won't be selling any dogs or that all the dogs have a good home to go to just because she's telling you so is naive. this is you participating in a backyard breeding. and you have no idea if she's running a puppy mill or not.

responsible owners don't breed their dogs just because they can.

there are literally millions of dogs sitting in shelters and getting killed each year because of people just like you, who thought there was no harm in breeding even when they don't know what they are doing.

This, plus ethical breeders test both dogs for any genetic abnormalities that could be passed on to the pups, as well as ensuring that there's no physical problems that could be passed on (hip dysplasia and heart and respiratory problems). They don't just find a stud and breed the dogs.

[carrotstick]

I don't understand at all! It isn't fun or cute! It's irresponsible! You should both have your dogs fixed. I have fostered so many dogs, or transported them across the state to find a home... for just *one* dog. Because saving the life of one homeless dog is that important to me I don't understand why you'd want to create "new" dogs.

[LeahBoo]

Maui. Sweet lab at the shelter, came in pregnant, gave birth, raised her puppies, very sweet dog.
Rex. Boxer lab mix. Beautiful black and brindle, mellow, happy, nice temperment, loved other dogs, kids people, playing ball.
Joey. Fun! Happy, Sweet sweet border collie golden retriever mix.
Jack Sparrow. German shepherd lab mix. Really nice mellow boy.

All likely bred intentionally by well meaning people telling themselves that they'd find good homes for all the puppies. All but one put to sleep in the same week. Why? Shelter was full.

Joey got out by the skin of his teeth because I sent out an urgent message to rescues. He barely made it out.

People are going to get upset by questions like yours. Don't post them if you don't want to hear it. I'm glad more people are speaking out. There is never a good reason, in my opinion, to breed dogs.

[maggiemae]

Yes, but people can say things in a nicer way. We obviously both never thought about the issues or we would not have posted. You catch more flies with honey....

Snarky people drive me insane!!!

[WaitingForKiddos]

I'm surprised that the rescue the male came from didn't demand that he be altered ASAP.

I can see why it seems fun and why the harm of a single, for now, litter is harmless. But I'd think of it like this...

I wouldn't get a dog that was bred for me to have a puppy unless I knew VERY well who the bitch and stud were. I'd want to know all about their health and behavior and I'd expect that the pup be guaranteed against many health problems. Without this you're getting a wildcard. Cute pup, prolly' healthy, most likely nice, but a wildcard. There are millions of wildcard dogs waiting for a home already, I don't need to add one more to the bunch. I question people wanting a puppy to be bred for them who are willing to take an unknown pup.

It turns into 'what a CUTE puppy!' when really getting a non-rescued dog should be about 'what a SOUND puppy!'

It costs lots of money to have pups...prenatals, shots, well pup exams, good quality food, worming....and then the $$$$ for an emergency. Why is the lady with the bitch willing to give up her money for nothing in return besides putting her dog's health in potential danger?

[miss_sonja]

I'm not against breeding (I have two pure-bred Siamese and love them), but I wouldn't do this. If your dog has papers, I'd consider letting him stand stud to a breeder, a serious one who knows what they're doing. But that breeder wouldn't want to use your dog without lots of background info.

Just curious, but why is your dog intact? We had to agree to have our Siamese neutered and we did so.

[SquishyKitty]

Our frenchie is the result of very bad breeding practices. His face is so smooshed, he has horrible sleep apnea and struggles to breathe all the time. He's already had one surgery to make his breathing easier, too.

His hips are wonky and he'll likely have tons of issues as he gets older. His jaw is deformed and he doesn't have a full set of teeth, so eating for him is hard to do.

Exercising is hard for him to do too, because he can't breathe.

His ears don't stand up on their own, so the breeders put plastic rods in them to make them stand up. It would be too traumatic to him to have them removed now, though.

But I'm sure he was sold to his original family for way too much money because he was "Purebred".

There are so many dogs like him out there, I can't justify ever breeding. We have a wonderful rottweiler and a cane corso, both females as well. We have papers to prove their lines, and they are 100% perfect for breeding. We've had several people approach us about breeding them so they can get a pup. We have had both of them spayed and would never consider breeding, not when there are so many dogs out there waiting for homes. People made all sorts of lame comments about "How valuable the pups would have been" if we'd let them breed. No freaking way man.

[jocelyndale]

I don't think anyone here is being snarky. People are being direct, honest, and setting out exactly why this is a bad idea.

There are plenty of dogs and puppies out there. Please don't create any more. And please neuter your dog. It's the right thing to do.

[maggiemae]

I have to disagree, but after reading all the replies again, I will say that most people were kind, but one or two could have phrased things in a better way.