Bruce H
Well-known member
I can hardly believe it's been 5 months since I started this! The time has just flown by. Anna and Star's puppies are going to their new homes and it's getting harder to find things to write about. I think most of you who have a Cavalier have been through this stage of raising puppies. Therefore, I'm going to end the posting to the journal. I'll still post as I hear things from the puppies new families, but it will be in other forums.
This has been one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. Breeding is a real passion for me and sharing the experience has been a lot of fun. Putting everything down in writing has really helped me to remember what it is that keeps me doing this. With every litter in the past I always said that I needed to keep some kind of record of what happened and when, and now I have it. So this is very valuable for Kris and I, too.
You know, before I started this journal, I really worried about this encouraging people to start breeding without having any idea what they were getting into; in fact, I came very close to not doing this for just that reason. So my hope is that this gave everyone some insight into the breeding process and that it's a lot more than throwing a couple dogs together and hoping for the best. These two litters really were, I think, the easiest litters we have ever had. And thank God they were! It could have very easily been a nightmare, especially with both litters born at exactly the same time. I can't help but think about the puppy a couple years ago that was so tiny that Kris literally slept with it and worked with it every couple hours, 24 hours a day; all we would have had to do was get a couple of those and we would have had a real problem. Nice to have a little good luck once in a while. The only bad thing we did have was when one of Star's puppies was born dead, something I really don't like to think about; but it happens.
So if anyone is thinking about getting into breeding I would say, first and foremost, find a breeder IN YOUR AREA that is willing to mentor you and help you. Secondly, be sure you have a dog that should be bred; that's where a mentor can help you out. I also very strongly believe that if a person wants to breed that they should also be showing in the conformation ring. That's really the only way a person can truly know if the dog they have is a good dog that should be bred. It's also probably the only way of getting a reputable breeder to mentor you. Kris and I were showing for close to 2 years before we found someone who was willing to help us out. And of course health testing should go without saying.
I also can't stop without saying something about puppy mills. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it's everyone's job to do what they can to stop the puppy mills. Every chance you get, talk to people about the puppy mills and the deplorable conditions the dogs are kept in (and how to find a reputable breeder). If a person is motivated by cost, find a way to explain that the cheapest dog is not the cheapest dog. Enough about the mills; I get too wound up when I start talking about them!!
Almost forgot. While you're thinking about it, send a short note and a picture or two of your dog to your breeder. If they are anything like Kris and I, they will really appreciate it.
Finally, thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. It's meant so much to Kris and I. And thanks especially to you, Karlin, for allowing me to do this journal and share my passion for breeding with others in your forum. I'm sure this had to be a little scary for you to allow me (who you didn't really know) to start a thread about the experience of breeding. I hope I lived up to your expectations. My only regret, if you want to call it that, is that I didn't get very many photos of the actual welping; with the two litters coming at the same time, I was just a little bit busy!
WOW, I just looked at the number of views to the forum, over 3700!! I'm just overwhelmed!
This has been one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. Breeding is a real passion for me and sharing the experience has been a lot of fun. Putting everything down in writing has really helped me to remember what it is that keeps me doing this. With every litter in the past I always said that I needed to keep some kind of record of what happened and when, and now I have it. So this is very valuable for Kris and I, too.
You know, before I started this journal, I really worried about this encouraging people to start breeding without having any idea what they were getting into; in fact, I came very close to not doing this for just that reason. So my hope is that this gave everyone some insight into the breeding process and that it's a lot more than throwing a couple dogs together and hoping for the best. These two litters really were, I think, the easiest litters we have ever had. And thank God they were! It could have very easily been a nightmare, especially with both litters born at exactly the same time. I can't help but think about the puppy a couple years ago that was so tiny that Kris literally slept with it and worked with it every couple hours, 24 hours a day; all we would have had to do was get a couple of those and we would have had a real problem. Nice to have a little good luck once in a while. The only bad thing we did have was when one of Star's puppies was born dead, something I really don't like to think about; but it happens.
So if anyone is thinking about getting into breeding I would say, first and foremost, find a breeder IN YOUR AREA that is willing to mentor you and help you. Secondly, be sure you have a dog that should be bred; that's where a mentor can help you out. I also very strongly believe that if a person wants to breed that they should also be showing in the conformation ring. That's really the only way a person can truly know if the dog they have is a good dog that should be bred. It's also probably the only way of getting a reputable breeder to mentor you. Kris and I were showing for close to 2 years before we found someone who was willing to help us out. And of course health testing should go without saying.
I also can't stop without saying something about puppy mills. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it's everyone's job to do what they can to stop the puppy mills. Every chance you get, talk to people about the puppy mills and the deplorable conditions the dogs are kept in (and how to find a reputable breeder). If a person is motivated by cost, find a way to explain that the cheapest dog is not the cheapest dog. Enough about the mills; I get too wound up when I start talking about them!!
Almost forgot. While you're thinking about it, send a short note and a picture or two of your dog to your breeder. If they are anything like Kris and I, they will really appreciate it.
Finally, thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. It's meant so much to Kris and I. And thanks especially to you, Karlin, for allowing me to do this journal and share my passion for breeding with others in your forum. I'm sure this had to be a little scary for you to allow me (who you didn't really know) to start a thread about the experience of breeding. I hope I lived up to your expectations. My only regret, if you want to call it that, is that I didn't get very many photos of the actual welping; with the two litters coming at the same time, I was just a little bit busy!
WOW, I just looked at the number of views to the forum, over 3700!! I'm just overwhelmed!
