To Breed or Not To Breed ?

That is the question!

You should ask yourself the following: before taking the step of bringing a litter of Border Collie puppies into the world.

 

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Why do you want to breed?

What are the real reasons for breeding?

  1. You want a pup
  2. You think that your bitch would be better if she had a litter
  3. You want to make money
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If it is for any or all of the above: then we say, that the reason is NOT GOOD ENOUGH (what are good enough reasons for breeding?)

 

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A Border Collie is one of the healthiest breeds.

The reason for this is simple:

The Border Collie for hundreds of generations has been bred with just one thing in mind.

  • Working Ability. Equals = Good Health as in order to fulfil a long and useful working life the dog must have the following (click Read on.....)
Read on...
  1. Great physical structure,
  2. Great Character
  3. Great Stamina
  4. Great Temperament
  5. Great Brains
  6. Great Trainability

Additionally have you done the absolute minimum of DNA testing your Bitch/Male for CEA and ophthalmic testing him/her for CEA and PRA and any other eye disease?

Also important is sufficient knowledge of the following defects or traits within the breed and certain bloodlines.

  1. Temperament
  2. Herding instinct
  3. Hip Dysplasia
  4. Overshot/undershot jaws
  5. Monorchid's and chrypdorchid's
  6. Epilepsy
  7. colour and coat genetics

If you are breeding just for pets or agility or show ring then please think again,

check out what has happened to the Show Border Collie registered with the Kennel Club.

  • does it look like an ISDS registered Border Collie? NO
  • does it herd sheep like an ISDS registered Border Collie? NO
  • does it do Agility like an ISDS registered Border Collie? NO

and this only in 30 years.

It already looks and acts like a different BREED with some genetic faults not yet found in the ISDS Border Collie.

 

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A Border Collie can have 10 - 12 puppies in a single litter.

You are responsible for ALL of these puppies for their entire life.

  • Have you received any training or practical experience of whelping bitches?
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  • if not, why not?
  • how will you know if something is wrong (quick enough to avoid unnecessary distress to the bitch / puppies?
  • How are you going to help your bitch and puppies if something goes wrong?
  • Do you have homes for all the puppies, before you do the mating?
    • Homes spoken for four months or more before the pups are ready to go to their new homes suddenly disappear, and you are left quite literally holding the baby growing into a delinquent.
  • Do you have the resources to look after any unwanted puppies?
    • As above, one puppy is usually great but more than one of the same name is a disaster area. You will be ready to GIVE them away to the first person who walks past your house by the time they are four months old.
  • Are you available 24 hours a day for the first three weeks to act as foster mother if all goes WRONG and the bitch cannot look after the litter?
    • Mum requires C section
    • Mum has no Milk
    • Mum DIES (yes it happens)
    • Mum has Mastitis
    • Puppies won't suck
    • Puppies are sick
    • The list is endless and always goes wrong when you are not prepared.
  • Do you have the resources to take back any/all of your puppies should the owners circumstances change at ANY time in the dogs life?
    • As a responsible dog breeder you must be prepared to take back for rehabilitation, retraining, re homing ANY/ALL of your puppies whatever their age.
    • For this you will require a network of help and knowledge

 

 

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A Border Collie is not "just a pet"

Are you able to be objective about homing the puppies:

  • even when all you have are 10 males
  • everyone wants females,
  • the puppies are now ten weeks old,
  • eating you out of house and home,
  • driving you mad.

If you are not, then it is likely that these pups will end up in RESCUE.

 

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