sophie next show

[sophie]

sophie and jesse and dalton will be featured on the flyway highway this fall on the sportsmens channel stay tuned for time and dates ps were looking for a male labra doodle to breed her with must have curly hair and retieve

[Adina P]

Hi Sophie's owners! Congrats on making it in the hunting world with Sophie.

A word about breeding...okay several words:

A) Seeking studs is not permitted except in our breeder's group -- which is only open to breeders. In other words it is highly discouraged for the average pet owner to breed their doodle. There are a lot of good reasons for this that I'd gladly discuss with you in public or private, whichever you prefer.

B) Before even thinking about breeding your dog, please consider the following:

First thing that is of UTMOST importance: DO you have breeding rights from her breeder? If not, then don't pass go, don't collect $200 and have her spayed.

You might think I'm being harsh, but ALL responsible breeders either provide a "breeding" contract or a "pet" contract. If your breeder had NO such contract then the chances she came from poor stock (parents that were NOT health tested, etc) are quite high--even if she came out wonderful, it does not prove her health background. If that is the case you do NOT want to breed her as you have NO idea what health problems are stacked behind her.

But let's say that is COMPLETELY taken care of and you have rights to breed her and testing on her parents. This means she came from a good, responsible breeder...why not use your breeder for guidance? A mentor is INVALUABLE to anyone starting out in this endeavor. There are so many things to know in advance and be prepared for.

But perhaps your breeder lives too far...if so I can recommend nearby breeders.

But on to other things to consider.

1) Before even thinking about breeding her and WHAT to breed her with you need to get her health testing completed so that a responsible breeder with a healthy stud takes your request seriously:

-- Get her hips tested and rated by OFA or PennHIP
-- Get her eyes certified by CERF (needs to be done yearly) or get the DNA test for PRA--only need to do it once but more pricey
-- Get her DNA tested in general to rule out things like Von Willebrands disease (a bleeding disorder that she might carry and pass on even if she doesn't have the disease herself)
-- Get her tested for brucellosis...a canine STD that she could carry
If she's passed all these tests...you are off to a great start and can have some data to share with prospective stud owning breeders.

2) Make sure whatever stud you consider ALSO has ALL of the above tests done so he doesn't add problems to your litter.

Here is a link to an article that discusses costs of all this stuff: http://westwoodlabradoodles.com/whelpingcosts.html

As you can see from the article...it can be pricey to do it as a one time thing. Probably NOT worth it and will leave you in the hole most likely. And YET you want to do all that testing, etc because you want to do things responsibly. Anyone can slap two dogs together, make puppies and send 'em off without a second thought. But it takes someone very thoughtful and caring to do things in a way that prevents genetic issues from being passed on and who has the best intentions for pups.

Here are some other useful articles....

What To Look for In a Breeder gives you an idea of what YOU should offer clients: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/what-to-look-for-in-a -- you may not think of yourself as a 'breeder' but as soon as you breed your dog you ARE one...so be the BEST kind you can be.

Health Problems in Doodles and important health tests:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/potential-health-problems-in

Finally if you are serious about this and want to do things to the highest standards, let me know and I'll give you more resources.

Good luck!