Breeding my Pyreneans

Breeding, gosh what a minefield! What made me want to in the first place? Is it hard? What does it entail? Hopefully, the following will help with some of these questions.

Pyreneans have been my breed for the last eighteen years and I decided to breed my bitch after long and serious thought. As a giant breed, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog is slow to mature and it is not recommended that you breed before the bitch is two years old as they aren't fully mature until then.  As my Katie was two and a half, I thought she was of the right age to mate, so I set about trying to find a suitable mate for her. Thinking about a mate for your dog and finding the right one needs a lot of thought. You have to ask yourself why are you are breeding your dog? Is it because you want a puppy to carry on your line, or the bitch is such a lovely girl you would like to have either her son or daughter to love when the mum is gone or you would just like to breed from her because you want to? Whatever your reasons are, please don't do it because you want to make money as so many things could go wrong.

 You should remember that the breed you are breeding from has a standard that makes that breed a pedigree, so crossing a poodle, say, with a Pyrenean will not make it a pedigree even if they both have the longest and best pedigrees in the world! You need to make sure that the dog or bitch you are going to use are of the best temperament, pedigree, quality and nearest to the standard of that particular breed. The next thing you need to consider is that breeding a bitch could be the most expensive thing you are going to do in her lifetime. First of all you have to pay a stud fee for the dog you use. The bitch is nearly always taken to the dog‘s home and unless you are using the dog next door, the chances are the most suitable dog will live many miles away, so you have to think about the traveling costs (and you will more than likely have to take the bitch back forty eight hours later for a second mating). Then, a vet check should be done. You must have the bitch checked by your vet to make sure she has no infections that the male could pick up, and that she is healthy and in good condition - it’s hard work giving birth to one baby let alone eight, nine or even more!

 I always advise anyone that wants to start breeding dogs, that they should have at least a thousand pounds in their bank account before they even think about it, as so many things could go wrong. If the bitch needed a caesarean, it could cost anything from five hundred pounds upwards, and you may not get any puppies at all. Even if you did, they cannot be sold for another two months and not many vets would wait that long for their money. At this point, I would ask you to check your insurance policy - is your bitch covered for a caesarean?

 So back to breeding my girl Katie, I found a lovely boy for her called Bruin, and the deed was done. When Katie was into her fiftieth day I started to clear out my dining room, as that is where she was going have her babies. I got the sun lounger in from the shed as I stayed with Katie for the next three weeks until the pups were up on their feet and big enough to let out a big shout if mum is clumsy and puts a foot on one or lays on one, which is quite easy with very large breeds such as Pyreneans.

 The pregnancy should last about sixty three to sixty nine days, but as with most animals, things don't always run to plan! When the pregnancy is getting into the later stages, it is best to give your bitch two or three or even four small meals a day instead of the usual one or two you feed as it will help her to digest the food better. At this time she will not want too much walking as she has a lot of extra weight to carry and may get tired very quickly. Let her do her own thing as she will know best. Personally I let my girls stay in their own garden as they can very easily pick up an infection when on strange ground.  If you have a long haired breed like I have, I always clip off the coat around the back end - down the back legs and under the tail and on the tail itself as this will get very stained during the birth and mum won’t be too pleased with you if you try to wash her whilst she is very tired and trying to get some sleep with her new family around her!

 A bitch will do everything in her own time - when she is ready and not before. It always amazes me that a bitch, never having had a litter before and with no one there to help her, just gets on with it and after the first pup is born, seems to know instinctively what to do and how to do it. All you really need to do is be there to give her confidence and if she does get into difficulty, try to help or contact your vet if you are worried. Incidentally, your vet should have been notified at least two to three days beforehand that you were expecting a litter of pups, so that they prepared to help if necessary.

 There are some signs to look for when whelping is imminent; the bitch will usually not eat that day and her temperature will drop by about two or three degrees (normal temperature being 101.5F). Once your bitch goes into whelp the secret is to stay calm, and remember that if this is her first pregnancy, she needs your calm reassurance that all is ok and there’s nothing to worry about. She will feel that sense of calm from you, so try to be as relaxed with her as you can. After the first one is born, nature will kick in and take over and she will be fine. As soon as the first pup is out, let her break the bag it’s in and wash it. It might look as if she is being a bit rough with it, but the licking will stimulate the pup into crying and this will help clear its lungs. When she has finished and seems settled, get the pup on to a teat to suck as this will stimulate mum into thinking about the next pup that’s coming. When she starts her next contraction, take baby away and put it in a box with a heat pad and cover over with a towel to make it dark and warm. When the second pup is born, wait till mum has cleaned it up, put it on a teat and then bring out the one you put in the box earlier and put that back on a teat. When the third one is on its way, repeat the last action and keep doing that until she has finished whelping. Then, you can put them all back on mum for a good feed and a bonding session so that they can all get used to each other's sounds and smells. You can offer mum some water with some glucose in it to help her get her strength back. Cook her up some nice chicken ready to give her after she wakes up, she might refuse it, but don’t worry, she’ll eat when she’s ready. Make sure she has plenty of water, as and when she needs it, and if she wants a wee make sure you cover pups up before you take her out, and wipe her underneath with a clean wet warm cloth when she comes back in, also making sure that her feet are clean. It's a good idea to walk her through a towel that is soaked in disinfectant at the doorway of her room.

 Before you settle down for the night make sure mum is happy and comfortable and not worrying about anything If you sense that there's something wrong as she won’t settle with her pups, she could still have another pup waiting to be born, so you might need to get the vet in to check her. They may give her an injection of oxytocin which will help release any afterbirth or help the remaining puppy to be born. Hopefully, she should settle very quickly and fall asleep, along with her pups.

 I had no problems with my Katie and after the first pup was born; she knew what she was doing and went on to have six boys and one girl. She was a very good mother, and eleven and a half years later four of the puppies are still alive, three boys and one girl. Katie lived to be fourteen years old, and I only lost her a few months before writing this. We miss her terribly.