Breeding for the betterment of the breed

Information on finding your puppy, the Assured Breeders Scheme, the Kennel Club and issues relating to breeding your Schnauzer are dealt with in this section.
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ShaneD004
Posts: 2
Joined: 06 May 2020, 05:20
First Name: Shane

Breeding for the betterment of the breed

Post by ShaneD004 »

Hi All,
I was hoping to get some advice I’m struggling to find elsewhere. First and foremost I love dogs and their welfare comes first, I love owning dogs and I enjoy the process of breeding safely!
My questions revolve around breeding Miniature Schnauzers with the objective of only bettering the breed. I have owned some beautiful Schnauzers in the past but one for example had a very soft coat which I only learned in hindsight isn’t actually desirable in the breed. I would like to think any litter I produced only bettered the breed and were as close to perfect and as healthy as possible, although I’m unsure how to begin that process. Is it necessary to buy from champion lines, or can high quality dogs be found from the ABS or elsewhere? I know it is said responsible breeders will put an endorsement on their puppies so is it even possible to get a suitable bitch this way?
All comments and advice are welcome, I look forward to hearing from you!
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zeta1454
Moderator
Posts: 5136
Joined: 19 May 2011, 16:58
First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 20 Apr 2010
Dog #2: Trilby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Breeding for the betterment of the breed

Post by zeta1454 »

Hi Shane and welcome to the Forum :)

Having bred miniature schnauzers in the past, I can offer some advice and comments from our experience which may be of some help to you. Breeding is a huge responsibility and commitment for anyone wanting to produce happy healthy dogs that are raised to the highest standards. So, just as a general comment, you do need to be confident that you understand the breed, potential health issues, grooming requirements etc. fully as you will be the information source and guide on these aspects of the breed for any future puppy families. Breeding a litter well usually requires a 24/7 commitment of time and resources for about 3 months (from before whelping through the two months plus of raising the puppies). You do also need to know you have the financial resources to prepare for the whelping, a variety of products for the puppies and the possible cost of any veterinary treatment for bitch or puppies which will not be covered under any general insurance policy.

The above is just a quick overview and you may have already looked into all this so as regards your specific questions:

It is not necessary to have parent dogs who are Show Champions for their offspring to be fit, healthy and of good temperament and many dogs may have a champion in the pedigree which does not of itself mean that further down the line the current litter are quality dogs from a conformation / health / temperament point of view. Dogs that are shown successfully and gain a Champion status should meet the breed standard in terms of conformation (shape, height, build, movement, coat texture etc.) and it would be expected that a serious show breeder will be carrying out all relevant health tests but this is not a 100% guarantee.

When we started out with our first miniature schnauzer breeding, we had 14 years of experience with the breed from owning three miniature schnauzers over that time, shown one of these successfully and made many contacts with breeders through membership of the Northern Schnauzer Club, attendance at meetings and fun days etc. We had made it known that we did want to start breeding and one of the very experienced breeders we knew was willing to let us have a puppy from a future a litter with the intention of breeding from her (subject to health tests). Magic was endorsed but when the time came that we wanted to have a litter with her, we contacted her breeder who advised the Kennel Club that the endorsement could be lifted. We also took her advice regarding the potential sire for the puppies so she knew it was a good compatible mating with a sound healthy dog.

If you are not already a member of one of the breed clubs, I would recommend joining as this does give you the opportunity to meet other breeders, see their dogs (in the show ring or at fun events) and begin to know who are the people you feel comfortable with and can trust as regards their commitment to the breed and care for their dogs as well as judging for yourself the look and temperament of their dogs, themselves. It also gives others who love the miniature schnauzer breed and care about its future the chance to meet you which can give the opportunity to discuss getting a puppy bitch to breed from.

It may well be possible to get a bitch or dog with the intention of breeding on without knowing the breeder beforehand but I would be wary of taking on a puppy without having enough knowledge of them to be confident in their breeding and not many good breeders will trust a 'stranger' with a puppy to be bred from. On both sides there is a potential for problems.

The Assured Breeder Scheme does require health testing of dogs to be bred and can refuse to register a litter (under the Scheme ) if these are not carried out which is the eye screening of parent dogs and DNA test for MAC in the case of miniature schnauzers. Certainly there will be quality dogs being bred under the ABS but there are some excellent breeders who are not members of the Scheme and some less good breeders may slip under the radar even on this.

The priority in breeding well must be the welfare of the mother and the raising of the puppies to be fit, healthy, good temperament, resilient and self confident. Although it is not vital if the pups are not going to be shown, they should be intended to meet the breed standard of height, shape, coat texture etc. too. If the parent dogs are good quality, are fit and healthy and have a good temperament, their offspring have the best chance of being the same, in the event that they are raised well and move on to good homes.

I would recommend "The Book of the Bitch" by J.M Evans and Kay White, if you have not already got this as it is an excellent source of information for anyone thinking of breeding and, with regard to raising puppies, both the Puppy Plan and Puppy Culture give a guide to the best possible protocol for producing resilient self confident puppies for any future homes as pets, show dogs or working etc.
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


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ShaneD004
Posts: 2
Joined: 06 May 2020, 05:20
First Name: Shane

Re: Breeding for the betterment of the breed

Post by ShaneD004 »

Thank you, I have had a chance to look around and there is loads of great info here! And thank you for such a considered response.
I do have some limited experience with breeding myself, I understand the 24/7 aspect around whelping time but thankfully Pepper was brilliant and she needed very little intervention once she settled down! All I had to do was enjoy socialising the little fellas 😄 I have read Book of the Bitch I found it invaluable!
I will for sure join one of these clubs, I would love to see some top quality dogs in person and discuss the breed with some more knowledgable people so some shows or a club would be a great step! I have a good understanding of desirable physical attributes but by no means an expert eye! A show will be something to look forward to when we get out of this current mess 😅
Showing dogs myself is something I have thought about and am interested in but it would require going down another rabbit hole, I’m sure I will in time!😂
User avatar
zeta1454
Moderator
Posts: 5136
Joined: 19 May 2011, 16:58
First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 20 Apr 2010
Dog #2: Trilby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Breeding for the betterment of the breed

Post by zeta1454 »

That's great that you already have experience with breeding. If you haven't seen it before, do check out the Puppy Culture website too.

https://shoppuppyculture.com/pages/breeder

It is a breeding protocol which we follow and have found excellent for raising puppies. There is an active and supportive international Facebook group of breeders sharing experiences of raising their puppies of many different breeds using these methods. You should be able to stream it rather than purchasing the DVDs which may be less expensive but either way it really is good value for anyone wanting to raise puppies to the highest standards. Although "bettering the breed" is an important and viital goal for any breeder, this is an art as well as a science and just mating two quality dogs doesn't always work out as planned and health testing is only one part of the process.

However, as all dogs whether shown or working or family pets should be loved and cared for as part of a family enjoying a full and varied life, a critical aspect of breeding is the enrichment, socialisation and education of the pups from the earliest weeks with the breeder. Bettering life and health for all types of dog. The more work that is put in at this stage, the easier for the new puppy family and the less stressful for the puppy as well as the likelihood that they will have fewer behavioural issues and cope well with unexpected changes and experiences. We now have the Puppy Culture Workbook which helps to chart and record each stage of the pups' development with guidance on what activities the breeder should be undertaking with the litter each day.

https://shoppuppyculture.com/products/c ... -pre-order

Good luck with your plans and I too hope things improve very soon to allow canine clubs, shows and other events to resume :)
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/C ... 916994967/
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