To breed or not to breed?

[bush_beater]

My Vizsla is in heat again ...bummed out i missed to first bird dog day, sounded like a blast.  Should i pimp her out?  anyone with a viz stud out there or interested in a pup?.

[RadSav]

I personally would not breed my hunting girls.  Some of the breeders get a little mad that I have them fixed as pups.  But in my opinion upland females that you intend to hunt hard should not be bred.  Drooping teats in the briars, barbed wire and olive branches just seems a little wrong to me.  Hunted behind a few that really seemed uncomfortable after a weekend hunting hard. 

I prefer to leave the breeding to those who have developed a successful business of doing so.  Not sure I would know the first thing about breeding good upland pups that hunters like myself would want.  I'd leave it to the professionals.  But, that's just me and my 

[Skyvalhunter]

2nd the not breeding her.

[BIGINNER]

i think its up to the owner,... but,.. but think about it first. you might regret it..    

i'm planning to breed my weim at the end of this year, but if i do, i will probablt hunt her for only half the season, then only take her on easy hunts.

[jetjockey]

Im confused!  Are some of you saying you wouldn't breed a female you hunt because it hurts them in the field?  That's rediculous.  If your female has something to offer the breed then by all means breed her.  But make sure you breed to a very good stud dog and make sure they have been tested for the normal stuff like hips etc.  when your done, hunt the heck out of her.

[Happy Gilmore]

I'm a proponent of doing all health tests which are standard for the breed. I don't know much about Visla's and what disease/genetic dispositions they might have but, pretty much every breed has genetic problems which should be avoided and tested for prior to breeding.

Pretty simply, hips, elbows and eyes are the bottom line basics.

From there, most stud dog owners who care about their "good" stud require negative brucellosis test prior to breeding. This is a doggy VD which makes males sterile. Also, if she's in season now, doing progesterone testing is typical so you know exactly when the dog is ovulating and can maximize the potential for a tie and time the swimmers to the eggs.

Probably be a good start to contact the local Visla Club and talk to someone who knows about the breed and the bloodlines of your dog.
http://www.pugetsoundvizsla.net/

[bush_beater]

Thanks yall for the input...im leaning towards spaying her and hunting her hard cause she charges.  but on the other hand i do belive a good dogs line should be passed on!  i still regret fixing my lab- he's a great dog, and she keeps him in shape!

[wildweeds]

Ive seen females that sported the super saggy nipples after a litter that never sucked up and have owned females that sucked up so tight that you couldn't tell they'd ever been bred.The springer female I had had 4 litters and you would never know it.The setter female I had pups with last summer was shrunk up to pre litter stage when the pups were 10 weeks old. My comment would be................... it depends on the genetics and the individual dog. Be prepared to have a rough row to hoe getting them into homes,it's a non mainstream breed and has a following of its own.A fellow I shoot clays with had a litter of vizlas and ended up giving them away.I had a litter of really nice setter pups and still have 4 of 9 and I gave away 2,sold 2 and the owner of the bitch I leased/bought took one.I was not asking an arm and a leg for them either and the quality is equal to or superior to what I've bought in the past from big name  setter kennels.

[Special T]

They make chest protecters for saggy nipples... 

[RadSav]

Ive seen females that sported the super saggy nipples after a litter that never sucked up and have owned females that sucked up so tight that you couldn't tell they'd ever been bred.The springer female I had had 4 litters and you would never know it.The setter female I had pups with last summer was shrunk up to pre litter stage when the pups were 10 weeks old. My comment would be................... it depends on the genetics and the individual dog. Be prepared to have a rough row to hoe getting them into homes,it's a non mainstream breed and has a following of its own.A fellow I shoot clays with had a litter of vizlas and ended up giving them away.I had a litter of really nice setter pups and still have 4 of 9 and I gave away 2,sold 2 and the owner of the bitch I leased/bought took one.I was not asking an arm and a leg for them either and the quality is equal to or superior to what I've bought in the past from big name  setter kennels.

Good information!   

[Happy Gilmore]

Ive seen females that sported the super saggy nipples after a litter that never sucked up and have owned females that sucked up so tight that you couldn't tell they'd ever been bred.The springer female I had had 4 litters and you would never know it.The setter female I had pups with last summer was shrunk up to pre litter stage when the pups were 10 weeks old. My comment would be................... it depends on the genetics and the individual dog. Be prepared to have a rough row to hoe getting them into homes,it's a non mainstream breed and has a following of its own.A fellow I shoot clays with had a litter of vizlas and ended up giving them away.I had a litter of really nice setter pups and still have 4 of 9 and I gave away 2,sold 2 and the owner of the bitch I leased/bought took one.I was not asking an arm and a leg for them either and the quality is equal to or superior to what I've bought in the past from big name  setter kennels.

Knowing a lot of Chessie breeders, most I know(who are smart, which isn't all of them) will not breed the dog unless they have at least 5 people on a waiting list to buy a pup. This ensures that the litter will pretty much be sold and also that the owners are serious about providing a good home for the pups. Shows a level of commitment.

[wildweeds]

You also have to realize the position I was in with a 10 year old male and spending 7 years looking for the right female............................. yeah I had some forethought and saved some frozen but............. live is cheaper and more reliable,ran a female I kept this morning, she ran full tilt for over an hour and never stopped once for a drink of water.....................................got EXACTLY what i was AFTER on that one,she's  going to be a hunting machine,she hasn't a clue what she's doing but she does exhibit the willingness to look in the right places without human direction.She's going to be a tough one

[Special T]

Ive seen females that sported the super saggy nipples after a litter that never sucked up and have owned females that sucked up so tight that you couldn't tell they'd ever been bred.The springer female I had had 4 litters and you would never know it.The setter female I had pups with last summer was shrunk up to pre litter stage when the pups were 10 weeks old. My comment would be................... it depends on the genetics and the individual dog. Be prepared to have a rough row to hoe getting them into homes,it's a non mainstream breed and has a following of its own.A fellow I shoot clays with had a litter of vizlas and ended up giving them away.I had a litter of really nice setter pups and still have 4 of 9 and I gave away 2,sold 2 and the owner of the bitch I leased/bought took one.I was not asking an arm and a leg for them either and the quality is equal to or superior to what I've bought in the past from big name  setter kennels.

Knowing a lot of Chessie breeders, most I know(who are smart, which isn't all of them) will not breed the dog unless they have at least 5 people on a waiting list to buy a pup. This ensures that the litter will pretty much be sold and also that the owners are serious about providing a good home for the pups. Shows a level of commitment.

I thinkHappy brings up an important point. On some lesser known breeds it may be easier/ more difficult to do so... I have a friend that bred his german wire hair and was able to sell all 9 of his pups, largely because there are so few people with them... I would imagine a Visila might be the same way, but to do it right, i would think you need to plan it out a little farther than her currnet cycle. 

[Special T]

Cboom I think youalso bring up a  great point.  Kids are great for puppies and the reverse is true. My first chessie acted morelike a lab BECAUSE he  came froma home with 4 little kids that could not keep thier hands off the little guys. That said that same dog had to be put down at 10 because his rear end quit working... He was otherise a fit great working dog... I think breeders try to do a good job of IMPROVING the breed. Not everyone needs or wants the "Best of the Best" I didn't have it in my 1st dog but was shorted on his life/hunting... My second came from a more dedicated documented breeder... 

If you want to or are going to, at least try and do it right by doing a little planning. There are some great people on here that could at least give you some idea   what the best way to aproach it is... Even if your not going to go to "breeder" level efforts. I think most people that have pups want them to go to a good home. 

[wildweeds]

  A good idea of the genetic code is paramount to producing a product that will stand the test of rigor and time, Labradors which are the most popular breed and most likely the most bred by breeders pro and garage have a multitude of potential defects.And those defects can quite possibly be attributed as the result of willy nilly breeding, each willy nilly breeding expands the genetic defect potential drastically.You've got 4 strikes in labs, hips,elbows,eyes and exercise induced collapse. Camo Queen on here lost her lab to cancer which is also an inherited defect as evidenced by a littermate succumbing from cancer as well at an early age.Doing all out research on the ancestors gains an insight  to long term health so long as the paperwork is correct.
  I ain't buying the "miracle" of birth ................ for the kids theory,Kids and pups are a good thing but to just fling two together to show the kids something ain't the way to do er IMO.

Do you have kids? A litter of pup s is a lot of fun for kids. And don't listen to the people on here that say you need to go overboard on the testing. For thousands of years people have been having puppies. Now all of a sudden only a breeder can? The best dogs I have seen in the field were born in somebody's garage, and the worst were from breeders that were way over paid for. The reason guys on here are so against people having puppies is because the might not be able to charge twice what their dogs are worth if more people have them.