Breeding a Litter

Many puppy producers will have a litter of puppies based on a simple veterinary examination as ‘proof’ their dogs are healthy and perhaps have had simple vaccinations. Sadly this doesn’t look further into issues that could be avoided or ultimately removed from the gene pool with careful breeding. Many breed clubs track the general health and longevity of the gene pool and will make recommendations to breeders based on their findings. The PWCCA has worked with OFA to develop a survey for those of us with Pembrokes. If you have a PWC now, or had one in the past and can remember details about their life and health, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey. It could help us to determine the overall health of our breed, and if there are any areas that need research funded to help find solutions or to develop testing options.

DNA tests: The great thing about many of the tests we have available in the breed, is that they can be done at any age. von Willebrands Disease - a blood clotting disorder (vWD), Degenerative Myelopathy - like ALS in humans, a painless degradation of the spine typically in old age (DM), Fluff - long coated factoring does not affect the overall health of a dog but can help us determine the suitability of a mate should one wish to avoid possible long coated offspring. There are other DNA tests on the market, but they are not diseases that have clinical outcomes in the breed. vWD, DM (SOD1), and long coat can all be tested well before your girl is grown up as most are simple DNA tests done via cheek swab. BUT breeders need to do more than these DNA tests! 

Other REQUIRED tests: The parent club of the PWC in America requires 2 tests to be completed before breeding. Hip and Eye exams. If a breeder is only doing DNA testing, that’s not enough. Eyes exams are looking specifically for potentially hereditary issues, they are performed by a board certified ophthalmologist typically on an annual basis. Eyes can be certified as early as 8 weeks of age. For hips (and elbows), the ideal is that we wait to breed until a girl is over 2 years old so that there are official results on hips to check for signs of hip dysplasia from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). By 2 a dog is fully grown and any skeletal issues will likely be apparent. In some rarer cases you can choose to have a preliminary grade of her hips done and breed her based on those results. This should only done in rare cases and not is not the norm. 

The important thing is that we know what the test results are and what they mean in the larger context. Breeders can wave vWD clear, DM clear certificates around madly, but if they don’t look at the rest of the picture, they can still produce substandard or even unhealthy puppies. Tests are tools. They are absolutely necessary, but they are only one aspect of breeding. Testing for only one aspect of health is detrimental - we see many BYB types testing only for DM for example and ignoring other issues. Considering there are a great many factors and unknown genes associated with DM and many that are still being researched, we would be wrong to throw away dogs from the gene pool based on one linkage test that doesn’t fully determine if the dog will become affected later in life. Not taking other health or temperament issues into consideration is also detrimental - breeding on a line that gets cancer at a young age, or has heart problems for example. This is why researching pedigrees is essential. Taking a dog to a vet and having them check them over for general health doesn’t unearth what their genes may pass down to their offspring.

Willow is vWD Carrier, DM Carrier, Eyes Normal, Hips OFA Fair, OFA Normal Elbows. Her health testing cost approximately $600 - $800 (in 2013) and does not include regular veterinary care, vaccinations, and other related costs.

To explain Willow’s test results; she carries one copy of the normal vWD gene and one ‘faulty’ one. To try to make sure her puppies do not have the mild form of this disorder we will ideally want to find a mate that is vWD clear. In an ideal world the same would hold true for DM, but PWCs have a high incidence of at risk dogs in their gene pool and we choose to use those dogs in breeding programmes so that we don’t do further damage to the gene pool by removing too many. As DM is a disease that still has many questions, many breeders are testing for the one genetic marker we have and waiting for more research to be published to determine our course of action moving forward. Willow’s eyes have been cleared by a veterinary ophthalmologist and show no abnormal hereditary issues. Willow’s hips have been passed by OFA, but we know that with a lower score they could use improvement in their overall shape. We will research pedigrees with dogs that have a record of good hip scores for multiple generations to try to improve this.

No dog is perfect, a breeder should be able to be honest about both the faults and the virtues of their bitch and their breeding programme. Determining what we feel are the most important aspects to pursue is a choice every breeder has to make. Attending specialty shows, which allow us to view many corgis at once and learn from more experienced breeders, is essential in a breeder's growth. I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of this as this process is very personal. Every breeder will have things they wish to improve on their dogs from structural improvements to overall health and temperament.

After assessing the faults and virtues of the girl, a breeder must also look at their breeding programme over all. The big question is always; why have you chosen to breed in the first place? What goals are there for all the dogs, & how will this girl and her progeny fit into that? Is there something she has to contribute to the line? Or would it be better to choose not to breed her? If she’s had a litter previously, were her offspring healthy, structurally sound, good temperaments? What were your likes and dislikes of her offspring? Did she have problems whelping? Was she a good mother? The list of questions is never ending and a breeder will constantly be asking themselves questions as they go through the process.

To recap my needs in short: Willow is a moderate girl at only 23 pounds. She’s a little light on bone, needs a tighter arched foot, a stronger pastern, and a much better head. As for virtues, Willow has a lovely dark eye, good pigment, correct neck, lovely outline, beautiful pro-sternum and ribbing with a short loin. Her top line is solid on the move and she moves effortlessly with little wasted movement anywhere. She has a sweet laid back temperament, but could use a bit of confidence - though that was also my fault in raising her so closely with her litter sister. She produced an amazing first litter of 6 puppies (the Star Wars Litter) that were consistent in quality, temperament and structure. 4 of 6 have gone on to become Champions & and most importantly we just love having them around.

Not that long ago, before health testing and other technologies were available to us, maybe breeders would utilise "test breedings" to ensure their bitch was able to conceive and carry a litter. A wise person once told us “Always breed a bitch like it’s her ONLY litter”. We’ve chosen to follow this philosophy. We start with “If you could breed to any dog in the world, who would it be” and start to make a shortlist based on many factors — virtues of the dog, pedigree, temperament, and health testing. This process takes months and months of research. A breeder doesn’t just look at the dog, but his entire pedigree — from their phenotype (how they look), to what they have behind them (genotype), and to the health and temperaments of their ancestors. If the dog has produced litters, these too are considered. What does he seem strong in producing? Does he provide improvement across a variety of pedigrees, or does he seem best bred to particular lines?

Once a shortlist is made, the breeder starts contacting owners of the potential stud dogs. We ask a myriad of questions about the dog, his progeny, his pedigree — from structural faults and virtues, to health concerns (there are other issues than just the ones we can test for, some family lines may carry predispositions to issues you may want to steer clear of - early cancers, heart issues etc), to temperament and trainability. If the stud dog has other litters born already, we will often contact those breeders to get their take on the puppies they had by a particular dog.

Here is a small list of sample questions I have sent out in the past, as well as all the usual questions about health clearances, fees, contracts, and general information.

• How much does he weigh?

• Is he a good eater?

• What's his temperament like? Does he get along with other dogs? Other males? puppies?

• How is he with children?

• How many litters has he had?

• What has he been throwing over all in his progeny? 

• What type of mate does he seem to work best with?

• Are there any health issues that have cropped up in his immediate family including siblings? (PDA? Cancers in the line? Liver shunts etc)

• Has he produced mismarks? Has he produced monorchids?

• Does he have a scissor bite? (the Cdn standard does not allow for level)

• Have shipped chilled breedings been successful?

• What is your stud service contract? 

Then begins the agonizing, weighing the pros and cons of each dog against the list of things you are looking for for your bitch. At some point, after many months of debating you’ve got to go with your gut and make a decision. It could be great, or it could be a disaster — breeding is as much an art form as it is a science.

Every stud dog owner also has a breeding contract they have the owner(s) of the girl sign. This covers things like basic guarantees for puppies (typically 2 live puppies at birth), that the owners agree to ensure resulting puppies are placed in appropriate homes and cared for for the entirety of their lives, and sometimes other stipulations and fees.

We’ve chosen a stud dog in another country as we feel that he has a good chance to be able to provide the things that Willow needs without losing the positive things she has. Thankfully with current reproductive technology, neither dog needs to leave their home to be bred allowing us access to what we feel is the best possible match over just finding dogs to breed to that are geographically close. While costly, this is much nicer for all parties. A typical stud fee for a proven male is anywhere from $1500-2500 USD

OMG!! My girl is in heat! 

A quick lesson in canine reproduction: A dog will cycle 1-2 times a year, typically every 5-8 months for a PWC. Most dogs ovulate about 10-14 days into their heat cycle, but this can change with each cycle. It takes 2 days after ovulation for the eggs to become fertile and they are viable for 2-4 days from ovulation. Canine gestation is only 63 days (9 weeks) from ovulation to delivery. Yes, I said 63 DAYS.

As soon as the girl shows signs of being in heat, we notify the stud dog owner. They will need time to make arrangements for a vet visit, or delivery of supplies for shipping the chilled semen to the girl when the time comes. Approximately 1 week from the start of the season, we start regular trips to the vet clinic. The clinic draws blood and sends it to a specialised laboratory to read progesterone hormone values. Once progesterone values reach a certain number, it’s typically safe to assume ovulation has occurred. Depending on the test results, blood draws are done every other day, or daily until ovulation has occurred with one more to ensure values continue to climb.

We have done as few as 2 progesterone tests and as many as 11. Each test costs $85. Willow needed 3 tests thanks in part to experienced stud dogs living with her that can help pinpoint timing based on their reactions. $255 total for Willow’s testing.

Once ovulation has occurred we typically inseminate 2-3 days later for optimal timing of the most fertile period. Using the progesterone values, the vets and owners of the dogs determine the best days for shipping chilled semen to the girl. This often means a vet visit for the boy, where he is collected, evaluated and semen is put in a special medium for transportation that can keep it alive for a couple of days. The shipment is then sent via FedEx to arrive the following day. At this point you cross all your fingers and hope that the forms on the package are correct, that there isn’t a heatwave or freezing temps somewhere on the route that could kill package contents, that customs doesn’t hold your package until it’s dead, or that it gets lost. All of these things have happened at some point! Typically you spend a 12-24 hour period frantically refreshing the FedEx tracking website in hopes your package hasn't been accidentally routed to Timbuktu (yes, we have had packages sent to the wrong location), then another 3-4 hours on the phone with FedEx trying to locate your package that was supposed to be held for pickup at the depot, but they thought they should put it on a truck for delivery in -25˚C.

Once the ‘boyfriend-in-a-box’ arrives, there are numerous ways to inseminate. Each method is chosen based on the needs of the girl, the timing, and the quality of the package on arrival. If everything is ideal, a simple insemination can be done at home by an experienced breeder, or by the reproductive veterinarian. Should there be reason to use another method it’s typical we will opt for a TCI (trans-cervical insemination), this method is non-invasive and using a scope, deposits the semen through the cervix into the uterus. This method has a much higher success rate than a simple AI. If you have a girl that is not very fertile, or semen of poor quality, or it was previously frozen (thawed from frozen only lives approximately 1 hour and it’s imperative it be placed as close to the eggs as possible) a surgical AI is recommended. This method involves full anaesthetic and a small incision.

The bitch owner pays all costs associated with breeding. On average a veterinary visit for collection, including extender medium and the special shipping containers is approximately $200-400 USD. Shipping overnight is about $175-250 per shipment. If something goes wrong in the shipping process and the sample is dead on arrival, it’s sometimes possible to do the process again in enough time to still breed the girl. Again, all costs apply. Insemination costs - AI $50, TCI $300, Surgical AI $700.

There is no pregnancy test for a dog like we have in humans. Progesterone levels spike shortly after ovulation and remain high whether there is a pregnancy or not, so we have little to measure. We can't devise hilarious methods to get them to pee on a stick, we can't do a blood draw... We spend a lot of time looking at our girls, asking them if they’re pregnant, rubbing their bellies and chanting “puppy, puppy, puppy", biting our nails and generally worrying. At approximately 3 weeks gestation the fetus’ implant in the uterus. There is sometimes morning sickness associated with this and it’s seen as the first sign of a pregnancy. Thankfully at 4 weeks we can take another trip to the vet clinic for an ultrasound! (yes, I’m pretty sure I’ve paid for the college education of my vet’s children). A good reproductive veterinarian will be able to determine if there is a pregnancy, and sometimes can give a rough count of the number of expected puppies. The ultrasound can also show if there are any fetuses that will not reach term, or other issues that could affect the pregnancy.

As we were away for the PWCCA National Specialty, we chose not to ultrasound Willow at 4 weeks and instead wait it out. Typically there will be more signs of pregnancy around 5-6 weeks. Thickening of the waist, mammary development, increased appetite (or decreased in the case of Willow’s first litter), as well as temperamental changes. If pregnancy ultrasound is done at about 4 weeks gestation, it will cost about $150.

Willow is now coming up to 7 weeks pregnant and we are wondering if she's even carrying a litter at all. If she is, it may be a single pup. In an act of insanity I did something I've never done before and that was to breed another bitch at the same time as Willow. Sprout is definitely pregnant and is due in about a week, 10 days before Willow is due. I will be taking her for an X-ray tomorrow to find out how many she may be carrying and if there are any reasons for concern.

Willow is not pregnant so we're substituting another girl in for the remainder of this process. Yes, in a moment of insanity I bred 2 bitches at the same time. Sprout is carrying 4 puppies! 

If I'm considering free whelping, I will x-ray a bitch about a week to 4 days prior to their due date. This helps get a count of how many pups we can expect when whelping as well as determining any potential issues. Let's just say I'm glad I did! Sprout has BIG babies in there! Due to the size of these pups with 4-5 days left to grow, and her family history of producing larger puppies, we've opted for an elective c-section. The average Pem puppy is anywhere from 6-12 oz at birth. Sprout's dam had puppies that were 12-15 oz which meant that she was able to deliver some, but the 15 ozer getting stuck meant a section. Are we overly cautious? Yes. I'm a softie and I want both my bitch and the puppies to make it through the whelping process. They have a higher chance of doing so with a section.

Sprout's temperature is being monitored 4-5 times a day. When the progesterone levels drop to start labour, a temperature drop also occurs. This means that the first stage of labour is imminent and that if delivering naturally, puppies would be born in 12-36 hours. Once we have signs of labour and a significant temperature drop, we'll be notifying our vet clinic to make arrangements for the section. She is tentatively booked in for this Thursday and for now we monitor her closely for signs of labour and keep in touch with our clinic. 

Birth

Due to the size of the puppies visible on x-ray and Sprout’s family history of having large puppies, we chose to have an elective c-section to ensure the health and safety of pups and mom. This meant monitoring Sprout’s temperature every couple of hours up to a week prior to her due date. Thankfully I’m my own boss and can bring my dogs to the office with me, much to the chagrin of the building manager! Sprout had a significant temperature drop (at least 1 degree) at 4:30pm, this means the first stage of labour was beginning. We quickly arranged with my vet clinic to bring her in and do surgery before most of the staff went home for the day. I work with a fantastic and experienced clinic that has reproductive specialists on staff and am lucky to be good friends with one of the Techs who is also a breeder. Sprout’s puppies were born around 7pm that evening and we were home within a couple of hours.

For those of you keeping track that adds $1500-3500 to the cost of the litter so far.

Week 1

The first week of life is the most fragile. Puppies are blind, deaf, and unable to regulate their body temperature. It’s essential they are kept quite warm at all times, and have food a minimum of every 2 hours or they could become hypoglycemic. At 1-2 days of age tails are docked and dewclaws are removed surgically by my veterinarian. I’m not here to debate this topic, so please don’t bother bringing it up. Puppies are weighed 2x a day to ensure they are thriving. If a puppy loses weight or shows other signs of problems, they will be supplemented with a milk replacement formula via a baby bottle or tube fed if they are too weak to nurse. We also handle puppies a lot as a form of early neurological stimulation. Nails are trimmed for the first time. I don’t get much sleep in the first week as they are monitored around the clock.

Week 2

Puppies are born with no pigmentation and Tricolours are almost black and white at birth. Pigment begins to show in spots on their noses and mouths and fills in over the next month or so. It eventually will show on their paws and bellies as well when they’re older. Tris, particularly RHTs start to show more tan on their cheeks. Weights are being checked and recorded 2x a day still. Eyes and ears start to develop around 10-18 days old and will crack open when they are ready. Nails are trimmed again.

Because nothing is ever easy when raising a litter. Westley aspirated some milk when he was nursing. Over a couple days he dropped weight and was feeling weak and listless when picked up. He was rushed to the vet where he was checked out (and I was calmed down - one tends to get over zealous and overly emotional after losing far too many puppies). Westley was put on antibiotics, a supplement to help counter “fading puppy syndrome” and was bottle fed for about a week. Thankfully he bounced back and is doing well.

Vet visit cost approximately $75, supplement $35, formula $80

Week 3

Drunken Sailors! One of my favourite stages of puppyhood. Once they can see and hear they start to move around more and start to explore their surroundings and interact with each other and me! There is a lot of stumbling, falling over, splatting, and of course my favourite - barking for the first time and scaring themselves. It’s adorable.

“Solid” food is introduced for the first time. The first meal usually consists of Rice Pabulum, formula, and a little bit of Royal Canin Starter Mousse. The first time food is introduced I feed each puppy individually with a spoon until they seem to understand how to lick and not suck. They’re not coordinated at all, and falling into and aspirating their dinner can be fatal. Nails are trimmed again and they are given a dewormer for the first time.

Week 4

New Digs! Puppies are moved out of their whelping box into a larger pen with room for exploration and play, and well… poop. Puppies can now regulate their own body temperature, and mom is cleaning up after them less. Things start to get messy now. We try to loosely follow the rules of seven for socialising puppies. By 7 weeks of age, they should have eaten or drank out of a variety of dishes (ceramic, metal, plate, bucket etc), should have walked on a variety of surfaces (carpet, hardwood, lino, grass (uh.. not at this time of year!) snow… ), have had toys of different textures and types. You get the idea. The pups are let out to explore my house at their own pace. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but they quickly get over their first steps out of their safe place and start to experience new things. Their food is slowly changed from pabulum and formula to Honest Kitchen (a dehydrated raw food) and/or mushy kibble. It’s a nice mushy slop with small chunks to teach them now to get those new teeth working. Mom is still nursing occasionally and sleeping with the pups at night. Nails are trimmed again (seeing a trend yet?).

Week 5

They’re introduced to safe adult dogs under close supervision. In this case their dad Wicket and aunt Leia. It is instinctual for some older and more dominant dogs to not tolerate puppies and they can kill them if you’re not careful in some circumstances. Their Great Gpa Heath goes not like puppies getting all up in his face so he will not be allowed near them unless he is on a leash. He’s basically the grumpy old man who sits on the porch and yells “Get off my lawn!”. Regardless, both Wicket and Leia love the babies and are helping mom teach them how to play and interact with other dogs. Puppies got to go outside in the snow a couple of times in week 5. It’s a bit cold for them so they’re only out for very short time periods. They did discover that snow is fun to eat!

The babies get to be out of their pen for a lot of the time while I’m home and I’ll often have to go searching when it’s time to put them to bed. They like to find places to sleep (like under the couch, behind the bookcase etc). That means I have heart attacks trying to find the ‘lost’ puppy. 

Mom has said “Screw this! I’m outta here!” Sprout’s nursing a couple times a day when they manage to catch her, but no longer sleeping with them at night. They have teeth and she’s working on slowly weaning them. I go through amazing amounts of paper towels, cleaner, and rolls of newsprint for their pen. Their name morphs from puppies to poopies at this age. They're introduced to the puppy bathing station aka, the kitchen sink as inevitably someone steps in or sleeps in something they shouldn't. Nails are trimmed again.

Week 7

Temperament tests: While we have a pretty good idea what the personalities of the puppies are at this point, we will often do a more formal temperament test. The one we use is based on the testing developed by W. Volhard. It measures basics such as how social a puppy is, how they react to new situations, to dominance etc. The testing is very basic and only gives a general idea of the pups' disposition and how it might benefit from certain things as they grow. It helps us determine what type of home to look for for that particular puppy. A confident and smart puppy should likely go to an experienced home who will know how to direct the pup and provide proper training and guidance. If left to ‘rule the roost’ this type of puppy could become unruly. A puppy that is leery of new situations will need a home that is willing to do proper socialisation and training to boost their confidence.

If a breeder is letting YOU choose your puppy at a very young age, it’s a sign of a less than reputable breeder. A reputable breeder is matching the puppy to your lifestyle, not placing based on sex or colour at birth or a couple weeks of age. We know how hard it is to wait and find out if one of the puppies will be a match for you and your family, but it’s worth it. We promise! 

Week 8 

Formal photos & Assessing structure: When puppies are growing we look for certain things from a structural standpoint. Every breed has a standard that calls for specific structure that ensures the breed is capable of easily performing the task(s) they were bred for. In the case of the PWC, we are looking for a long, low silhouette, with sufficient shoulder and rear angulation to be able to move efficiently for hours on end. We want them to LOOK like a corgi and not a basset hound, so head style is important as well as the other things that make structural soundness. A dog with lots of angulation in their front and a straight rear is going to be unbalanced and mean they could be prone to increased risk of injuries. In essence this is why a dog from a show breeder is often more sound than one from a BYB or pet breeder. We care about these things!

When a pup is about 8 weeks old, their growth patterns take them close to what you will see as an adult dog. We also find our lines are more obvious at this point a few weeks later at 10 weeks. Thus we have taken formal photos for assessment for generations at 8-10+ weeks of age. Knowing how now adult dogs have grown from their puppy photos allows us to compare and look for virtues or faults we may specifically want to avoid.

Week 9

First Vet visit: At about 8-9 weeks we take our litters to our vet for an overall health assessment. Their hearts, lungs, patellas, eyes, ears etc. are all checked by my veterinarian. First vaccinations are administered and microchips are inserted. Microchips will be registered both in my name and their new owners with the microchip company and with the Canadian Kennel Club once the registration process is underway.

Week 11

Decision time: Very patient puppy people have been waiting for weeks and weeks for me to make some decisions. It was a lovely litter which meant splitting hairs between which pups would stay as show potential and those that would go to companion homes. I was extremely fortunate to have two families who both have dogs from previous litters, both have children of my heart dog - Jo. These pups are Jo’s great great grandchildren. I chose Westley (now called Odin) and Inigo (now named Vaughan) to go to these families.

The babies have all shed their puppy names, and will be properly registered with their formal names soon. We choose to register each litter with a letter of the alphabet to help track siblings over the years. This is “O” litter. I chose one registered name to follow our floral naming tradition after our foundation girl “Flower” that all our dogs go back to, and the other for the celestial name of their sire “Jupiter Rising”. Staying with me to grow up are Buttercup (now called Olive or formally “Curig FaerieTale Over the Moon”) and Fezzik (now called Liam or formally “Curig FaerieTale Oleander”).

The monetary cost of a simple litter with no complications (in 2015)

• Championship $500-$1000

• Health testing: $600 - $800

• Stud Fee: $1000-1500

• Breeding costs (testing, collection, shipping, AI): $675

• Ultrasound: $150

• C-Section: $1000

• Sick puppy vet visit: $75

• First Vet Visit - Vaccinations & Microchips: $275

• Registrations: Litter - $25, Individual: $50 each x4*

total: $4500 - $5700 — 2  puppies were placed for a total of $2400, leaving me over $2000 in the red on the lower end of the estimate. These costs do not include feeding a high quality food, toys, and other supplies necessary for the care of the litter and their mother. These costs don't reflect all the sunk costs on also trying to breed Willow earlier in the series. These costs have more than doubled in most areas since this article was written.

So as you look at breeders for your next companion, consider this — reputable breeder is already subsidising the cost of your puppy and giving you so much more.

I hope this series has shed some light on the process we take to produce a litter of healthy and sound puppies. It’s long, emotional, research intensive, and expensive! But each and every puppy produced is loved and brought into the world with care.