Hello.. sorry a bit long

[Leashells]

Hello! I am a newbie to the group! For most of my life I was blessed to have a dachshund cross as a part of my family. Three years ago, I convinced my husband that we needed a full dachshund as a graduation present to me for completing my bachelors degree. How could he refuse! I searched for a good small breeder in my area, and feel very blessed to have found an amazing lady! She thought one of her long haired miniature dachshunds (an english cream) was going to have pups! So I got on her wish list and began to wait. During that time I was obsessed, and I admit I might have Facebook stalked her a bit. I fell in love with a little male chocolate mini that she had gotten to be a stud dog. Well just before my puppy was born they discovered that adorable little male, was deaf. Well being a good breeder, she had him neutered. As we had become friends, she asked me if I would like to have him, and she gave him to me.. (after I begged my husband). So little Fritz came to be my special boy! He is amazing! As long as he has his Momma you would never know he was deaf. He learned hand signals and is most beloved. Well 2 months later my sweet Gracie Lou was ready to come home. She is the most beautiful Cream long hair. She absolutely loves everyone, and feels it is her duty to give kisses to everyone she meets! She also provides a feeling of security for my little Fritz when we have to go to work. They share a crate so he doesn't become frightened. Gracie quickly bonded with my son who was 7 at the time. She sleeps with him, plays with him, sits with him, and reads books with him. Well all of a sudden my husband who had to be convinced of this dachshund business, is sad because my son and I both have these funny and amazing little dogs attached to us all the time. So we decided to get a 3rd. Our sweet little Pickle is a black and tan mini who is a total goof! Well our love and obsession of the breed has led us to a BIG decision. We have decided to go into breeding miniature dachshunds. Our sweet little Pickle is about 8 days out from having pups (we hope.. more on that later in a different post). I am so thankful for my friend,mentor, and owner of the stud dog, who is mentoring me. She however is very busy with caring for her mother who is seriously ill with cancer. I joined here to get some extra support, and to try not bug her too much. Any advice and helpful connection I can get would be very appreciated! Thanks

 

[Tikki]

I would be very hesitant about going into breeding unless

(a) both dam and sire have had all necessary health checks before mating.

(b) you have checked the market to make sure you have enough well-checked prospective purchasers.

(c) you have checked local rescues to see if and how many unwanted Doxies they have.

(d) you are prepared to put 24 hours a day into looking after your bitch before, during and after she has delivered.

(e) you are prepared to put 24 hours a day into looking after newborns, then weaning them, cleaning up after them once they are able to get out of the whelping box.

(f) having them vet-checked within a couple of days of birth and again before selling them.

(g) having them wormed, first injection and at least the first puppy shot.

(h) being prepared to take back any puppy you have sold if the new owners cannot keep it for any reason.

Most important - not only do you need the time, and believe me breeding is a 24/7 exhausting thing, it will also cost you a lot of money to raise a litter. What happens if your girl needs a C-section?

You cannot just put a dog and bitch together and expect everything to be perfect. You will be a byb and need to thing very long and hard before breeding.

I was a registered UK KC breeder and believe me, I do know what I am talking about.

 

[CaseyKC]

First, let me say that I have nothing but respect and admiration for knowledgeable people who are thoroughly conversant with dachshund genetics, and bloodlines, who have genetic testing done, and who breed their dogs to meet and/or exceed the standards. We need breeders like this to produce healthy puppies, whether they are destined for show or to become quality family pets.

I am so against puppy mills that I will not even set foot in a pet store that sells puppies or kittens and I drive 25 miles from my home to purchase a quality brand dog food from a store that does not support the puppy mill industry or back yard breeders by selling live animals.

I was active in dachshund rescue for many years and still do transport to forever homes and fundraising for rescue spay and neuter.

Tikki posted some valuable points to consider before even thinking about "We have decided to go into breeding miniature dachshunds." I would add to her list, ask yourself, "What outstanding or superior qualities do the dogs I plan to breed have that I hope will be passed along to potential offspring," and, will my puppies contribute to the breed, or contribute directly or indirectly to the over population of shelters and rescue groups?"

I am hoping that your girl has an easy and safe whelping, and hoping you will share some photos of her pups.

 

[Tikki]

I do not know what health tests are available for Dachshunds [although I know that there is no test for epilepsy, which is far more common in the breed than most people know] but both the bitch and the prospective sire should have a five generation traceable official pedigree at the very least, and be registered with the official Kennel Club in your Country.

You should also keep keep her close to you from a few days before her due date. My girls went into a puppy pen with a whelping box in it in my living room and I slept on the couch next to them. Have a whelping kit - and be prepared to get your hands dirty and stinky if you need to help her to deliver. It is not a job for the faint-hearted.

You will also have to sleep next to her and the pups for another few days until after they have been vet checked and you are 100% sure that all the pups are feeding well and thriving.

All this is just general breeding information as I do not know anything about Dachshunds but I do know about breeding. Tbh I had never seen A Doxie here before until I saw Tikva with her dam and siblings, her dam being the biggest [and very obese even though she was feeding eight puppies] one imaginable. I believe she was imported from Russia with the "girlfriend" of the owner of the farm. Six years old and her first litter, and an accidental mating ended up with eight puppies, which is why I ended up with a three-week-old un-weaned and unwanted Tikva.

When I was breeding Griffons I had a long waiting list of prospective homes even before I had a bitch in whelp, all checked out by my mentor. It is no good waiting until the pups are born to start checking on prospective new homes.

One more thing - did your girl have a Herpes shot before she was mated? Even if she did, she needs another one before she whelps.

I hope she whelps easily and that she produces healthy pups.

 

[Leashells]

Thank you

Thank you both for your replies. I honestly do appreciate the feed back. This is something I have chosen to do, but not lightly. I also am not moving forward lightly. I have approached each step of this with research and evaluation. Joining this sight is part of that. Tikki, your list is an excellent representation of things that I have considered. These were concerns that I had about finding a breeder when I chose to have dachshunds join my family. They are special animals that honestly have special needs. Nothing has shown me this more than my little Fritz dog who is handicapped by being born deaf. He is a wonderful dog, but primarily because he has a family who makes special allowances for him. Had I not worked with a responsible breeder (who is now my mentor and friend) he may not have had the happy life he has now. Taking responsibility for the lives you choose to bring in to this world has to be on the forefront of the choice to breed. I too have worked with dog rescue organizations and see the trauma animals that have not received such considerations can endure. I have worked to help find homes for adult dachshunds that "didn't work out", and I have sat with a heartbroken owner as their beloved doxie went through back surgery.
The other thing I have learned, is no matter how much research you do, you can never have too much support. That is why I am here. I value the input from individuals such as you.