This article/video is the first of a series of articles/videos that will follow under the title “Bull Terrier Breeder’s Insights” .
With this series we will share with you information about the Bull Terrier, our personal experience with our dogs, useful training tips and advice for the well-being and longevity of dogs. With this series we will share information you will not find anywhere else.
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Bull Terrier breeding.
To have your beloved Bull Terrier give birth and raise the puppies until they go to their new homes, is a most exciting experience for a Bull Terrier owner. Everyone thinks Bull Terrier puppies are adorable and everyone laughs at their antics. Beautiful things that will happen if one decides to breed their female Bull Terrier.
Now, let us look into the difficulties one would face, difficulties all bull terrier breeders have experienced and will certainly experience again; an inextricable part of breeding Bull Terriers.
The reason why we will refer to the difficulties is not to discourage anyone about breeding their dog. The reason is that everyone should be aware of what they might face and be adequately prepared; and bull terrier owners need to understand the effort their breeder has put into his breeding , in order for them to enjoy their dog.
We will refer to things that can occur in chronological order.
Before anything else, the dam and sire are tested for hereditary diseases and overall health.
Starting with the mating. The female is at her fertile days and it is time to mate.. but when it comes to Bull Terriers it’s not that simple.
Did you know that many Bull Terriers need help to mate? Yes, that is right, they need help to mate. 85% of Bull Terrier breeding happens by artificial insemination.
The Bull Terrier is a dog breed created 100% by humans. This means that in order for the creation to be successful and for the breed to be preserved, the breeders help is also needed.
This happens for many reasons. One reason could be that the breeder has a distinguished male he wants to breed but the dog may have a low sex drive, may not be able to find his target and more.
These are attributes that are passed on to future generations and therefore anyone can come across them.
There are also females that will not accept a male on top of them. They will participate to the whole flirting process but will not accept the male. These are characteristics that are passed on to future generations too.
Pregnancy
An ultra sound examination takes place one month after mating, confirming the pregnancy. Once pregnancy is confirmed, we start giving the dam a Raspberry Leaves supplement that strengthens the endometrium and helps the dog have strong contractions.
Forty days after the first mating, we start to gradually increase the amount of food the dam is given.
Increase in food intake means increase of walks for the dog’s needs.
In this stage of pregnancy, exercise is reduced in duration and intensity. Depending on the dog’s needs, we continue taking two to three walks daily.
On the eighth week and always according to the veterinarian’s directions, an x-rays examination takes place, to see the exact number of puppies.
The duration of gestation is 58-68 days. Most usually birth is given on the 63th day. Most dogs give labour during the night. From day 56 on, we start taking the dog’s temperature. A certain drop in temperature means parturition will begin any time within the next 24 hours.
The veterinarian is informed about the process and we are prepared for c section if need be.
Parturition
The first puppy is here. Normally the mother will take action and get the puppy out of the amniotic sac and cut the umbilical cord. The thing is, many Bull Terriers -especially those with no prior experience- will do none of this and we have to do it all on our own. You have to be prepared to take the puppy out of the sac , cut the cord and start massaging the new-born to awaken his nervous system.
All’s well that ends well. She gave birth to five healthy puppies. Now she will do what needs to be done and we can finally get some rest. Sounds good but it’s complicated.
Bull Terriers can get so tired that they might sit or lie on their puppies crushing them.
The inner frame of the whelping box helps but cornering the puppy is not what we are talking about. Even in the middle of a spacious whelping box, the tired Bull Terrier can sit or lie on her puppies and crush them. Somebody has to always be present and make sure this does not happen. Meaning, somebody is going to stay sleepless for many nights on the night shift.
We start weighing the puppies to make sure they all gain weight. If a puppy needs help, we bottle-feed puppy milk too.
The puppies are thirty days old.
The puppies are thirty days old, have had their first deworming and are beginning to eat solid food. They are starting to explore the world and play with each other. They are six weeks now. Minor fighting incidents have been happening for about a week.
A breeder wants to give to the new dog owners, able-bodied puppies. Meaning, it is time to separate the litter in two groups or even give every puppy his own space if necessary. This means you have to have enough crates available and manage your time in such a way that the puppies get to spend time with their mother too.
Crate means it is time for puppy toilet training. Puppies must not defecate inside their crate. There is a certain amount of difficulty to this task since they all eat simultaneously and therefore want to “use the toilet” at about the same time.
The puppies are now eight weeks old.
Visit to the vet for vaccination and microchip. It is the breeder’s responsibility to make the visit to the vet a pleasant experience for the puppies.
Socialization period officially starts too. Of course abiding by all the rules of safety and hygiene.
The puppies are twelve weeks old.
Time to start Puppy preschool training. They will learn to walk on a leash , play with the toys they are allowed to play and stop biting on hands and feet.
Their age is now appropriate – depending on the breeder’s preference and country legislation- for them to go to their new homes. Provided that the appropriate owners have been found.
If the new dog owner is a resident of a different country, another two weeks have to pass before the puppy can travel abroad according to international law.
There is always a chance you have found appropriate owners but not for all the puppies.
This means the breeder is responsible for the puppies still waiting for the appropriate new owner. Feeding, playing, socializing, walking, training and any other thing necessary.
There is always room for a puppy to return.
It is a breeder’s responsibility towards the puppy and the new owner to accept his puppy back in case the new owner is for any reason incapable of taking proper care of the dog.
Breeding dogs is not as simple as people think.
Along with dog breeding comes great responsibility, fatigue, expense, joy and sadness. Anything can happen. Nothing is predetermined. You can get lucky and have everything work perfectly fine or you can be faced with difficulty. One thing you can be sure of, breeding dogs is not an easy way to make money.
Doing this for the wrong reason will get you nowhere. The right reason to go into breeding is to be passionate about the breed and willing to contribute to the breed’s betterment and future. At times you will make money too but the real gain is, you will be part of the Bull Terrier history.
As for those who think dog breeding means the dogs do everything on their own and the breeder just sells the puppies.. you are welcome to try!
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