Breeding is not to be taken Lightly
In today's world, a homeless pet is euthanized about every 8 seconds in US Animal Shelters. Many of these pets are the offspring of cherished family pets. Please consider this before contributing to this overpopulation. While breeding your pet can seem like an adventure, please remember these statistics and realize as custodians of our pets, we need to make responsible decisions for them, and for ourselves. The following article was written by Sandi Wittenberg of Red Bay Bassets discussing what to consider when breeding.
First, you should try to be as objective as possible in evaluating your bitch.
Is she truly of breeding quality?
Is she free of the major hereditary health problems found in bassets: glaucoma, bleeding disorders, hip and elbow dysplasia?
Has she been tested for these disorders?
Are you familiar with the dogs in at least 3 generations behind her?
Are they free of hereditary health problems?
Is she in good health herself?
Is she free of parasites, skin disorders, allergies, joint problems?
Is she at least 2 years old but not more than 5 years old (for a first litter)?
Is her temperament wonderful? No shyness? No fearfulness? No aggression??
Has she been titled in conformation, obedience, tracking, field work?
Finally, is she a good representative of the breed?
There are many many homeless basset hounds in the world. Those who reproduce should really be only of the best quality.
Next, are you prepared for the potential expense of producing a litter?
Pre-breeding testing: for the bitch to be sure she is healthy, sound and free of parasites. A brucellosis test will likely be required by the owner of the stud. Some may also require testing for bleeding disorders, glaucoma, x-rays, etc.
Stud Fees: Stud fees are typically $1000 or more, with the owner of the bitch being responsible for all transportation and medical costs. Stud fees are non-refundable. Most reputable breeders will not allow their studs to be used with un-titled bitches and require assessment of the quality of the bitch before agreeing to breeding.
Whelping supplies: You will need to equip your "delivery room" and "nursery". At a minimum you will need a good sturdy whelping box (about $210 to buy. You can build one for about $50), a heat source (heat lamp or better yet a whelp nest [about $250] or heat pad [about $65 plus $25 for a rheostat]), scale ($30), miscellaneous scissors, clamps, sterile gloves, dental floss, betadine, towels, etc., and later a puppy enclosure such as an exercise pen ($80 and up). Don't forget you will need to have a place in the house for all of this to occur.
Vet bills: At very least, you will need to get mother and babies in for a check-up and clean-out shot within 24 hours of the birth. Then, the puppies will each need vaccinations about every 3 weeks, beginning at about 6 weeks. They will probably need to be wormed several times. Should problems occur (and they often do) the costs go up dramatically. It is not unusual for bassets to require c-sections, often in the middle of the night when emergency fees apply. Should puppies become ill, there are costs of medication, oxygen, and vet check-ups. I have had litters that were to the vet almost daily for over a week because of problems. Mom can develop infections and require additional vet care and medication. I have had vet bills approaching $1,500 from a litter, not counting routine visits and vaccine! Moms often do not have adequate milk and formula is needed (at $17 and up for a large can) plus bottles and/or feeding tubes.
Advertising: A first-time breeder will not have the reputation that brings buyers. Some form of advertising will likely be necessary.
Dog Food: They start the weaning process at about 3 weeks. By the time they go to their new homes at 14 weeks of age, puppies go through an astounding amount of Puppy Chow!! And basset mothers are very finicky eaters. You will likely need to prepare fancy special concoctions to get her to eat.
Next comes the problem of actually accomplishing the breeding.
Bassets often require assistance and this is not always easy. First, you need to know when to do the breeding. An experienced male will be able to "tell" you most of the time. An inexperienced male will be too excited from almost day one and useless as an indicator. You will be best off having your vet do a series of vaginal swabs and slides to check for signs of nearing ovulation. Or your vet can do progesterone testing to pinpoint the best day to breed. This is usually on about day 11 - 15, but there is a great deal of variation. Once you know the correct day, you need to get them to "do the deed". I have been breeding bassets for over 20 years. I have had ONE male who could breed a bitch unassisted. Don't count on it. We have used AI for ALL our breedings for the last 20 or so years. Most of my friends with bassets do the same.
However, you might be lucky, so here's what to try. This works best with 2 people but can be done alone. One method is to sit on the floor with your legs straight out with the female standing across your lap, head to the left, tail to the right. You can then use your legs to support her and to raise or lower her rear as needed. Have an assistant hold the girl's head and steady her. Encourage the male to come over and investigate. If you are lucky, he will do so, and even locate the right end of the girl. as he mounts her, use your left hand to cup the girls vulva, providing a guide for the male. You may need to assist him in finding the target. Bear in mind that he's not going to like you messing with his equipment, so if he hasn't been trained to allow this, he might get argumentative. If you can manage to get him to hit the target, you might need to give his butt a shove towards the girl to assist in full penetration. He will likely climb up on your leg to get better leverage. If you are fortunate to get a tie, the two will become stuck together for 5 - 60 minutes. If not, you will need to hold him inside her - this is very hard and very tiring. If they do get a tie, don't let them struggle. Calmly assist the male in lifting his rear leg over the girl so they are standing butt to butt and keep them quiet for the duration of the tie.
If you are unsuccessful in getting the deed done, you will need to do artificial insemination. For this, at least the first few times, you should get professional assistance from a reproduction expert or your veterinarian.
Now, you repeat this process every 2 days for as long as they will allow it. You should be able to get 3 breedings this way. Gestation period averages 63 days. I have had puppies born on day 59 from the first breeding, day 67 from the last breeding, and everything in between.