# Want to breed my lab



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I have been waiting til my lab was old enough to breed and now that she is reaching the three year old mark, I'd like to breed her. But honestly I dont have the first clue as to how to breed a dog. (well you see, when a boy dog really loves a girl dog...)

Her last heat was in the fall and I figure that she will be in heat early summer but I am unclear how to know she is ready prior to starting to bleed. 

Does anyone have some suggestions for a good read or how to prepare?

PS: I will not be selling the pups but giving the pick of the litter to my sister and anyone who would really like a pup from the forum


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Uh.........you want to breed your Labrador Retriever? :shock:


I would seek professional help.

.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

wyogoob said:


> Uh.........you want to breed your Labrador Retriever? :shock:
> 
> I would seek professional help.
> 
> .


Why? I hear that sort of thing is pretty common in Wyoming. Or is it with sheep. I can never remember.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Wowsers! I must say that you did leave that one open Bax. Good luck with the breeding and have fun.-----SS


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Springville Shooter said:


> Wowsers! I must say that you did leave that one open Bax. Good luck with the breeding and have fun.-----SS


Funny thing is I typed this post twice and it still sounded like a Leviticus 18 post


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> Why? I hear that sort of thing is pretty common in Wyoming. Or is it with sheep. I can never remember.


It's sheep, but geeze, we don't put up threads about it on an outdoor forum. :smile:

.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Try this. It is a good overview for those who haven't previously bred their dog.

http://www.akc.org/breeders/resources/guide_to_breeding_your_dog/index.cfm

Remember to get her hips checked for hip dysplasia (the sire too) and to feed a "large breed puppy" formula to the pups.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Bax* said:


> ...................................
> PS: I will not be selling the pups but giving the pick of the litter to my sister and anyone who would really like a pup from the forum


Is the forum pregnant?

.


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## DarKHorN (Mar 4, 2012)

Bax* said:


> I have been waiting til my lab was old enough to breed and now that she is reaching the three year old mark, I'd like to breed her. But honestly I dont have the first clue as to how to breed a dog.


Lol I'm speechless.


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## rlpenn (Mar 14, 2012)

There are several heritable diseases that run in Labrador Retrievers, and before you breed best to have your dog checked so that you increase the chances of producing healthy pups.

Most breeders test their dogs for exercise induced collapse (EIC) and centronuclear myopathy (CNM), which are common recessive diseases that you can avoid in pups if you know the gene status of the sire and dam.

Dogs should pass eye check for heritable eye disease by animal opthamalogist and have hips and elbows examined for dysplasia.

Here is some general info is you want to read about the health tests:

http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreqs.html?breed=LR

Another place to sniff around is retrievertraining.net

Good luck! I'm not sure if this is the kind of info you are after...figured better safe than sorry so am offering it up just in case.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

My male labrador is 5 years old and has never had any encounters with a female. He has a blanket he works over pretty good sometimes though.:mrgreen:


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

Bax, Sounds like you got yourself some competition with this guy. ^^


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Bax do you know how to really work over a blanket. Sounds like a good place to get learned up so you don't embarrass yerself.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Sorry if this is rude but back yard breeders drive me nuts if you really want to breed your dog join some retriever clubs ask them what they think if your dog worth breeding can it better the gene pool those kind of things or what you need to ask yourself can it handle the pressures of hard hunting and the pressures of a good training regiment if you want toe breed your dog that's cool but don't breed it because you want another pet if that what you want get on ksl and find one for a fair price if you want a high quality hunting dog do your homework and get a good one don't just breed yours and keep watering down a breed that has been watered down I don't know how your dog is so I'm sorry if it hurt your felling you should be breeding to better the breed not to get and give a free dog I promise it's not free to have puppy's


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

By the way I'm not a breeder I don't hunt labs so I may not be an expert just my opinion I'm tired of breeds getting washed out if your fining to breed DO YOUR HOMEWORK and better the breed don't breed to a stud just because it's cheap and easy


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

You know what drives me nuts. People that think they know what is best for everybody else. If Bax wants to breed his dog, he can breed his dog. Maybe your parents should have gained a little insight before they went and watered down the human race. Sorry if I hurt your feelings. They should have been breeding to better the breed and not get a free kid. In not doing so it is all of us that have had to pay.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Yea............ cheap and easy. I like that phrase as well. I wish I had used it.


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Like I said I apologize I didn't tell him he couldn't just stated my opinion and trying to educate there is a reason I won't own a porch pissing lab and thats why maybe I crossed a line but I beleave if people where a little more educated on breeding a lot of the problems there are wouldn't be there I don't know what is best for him i am free to have an opinion so before you jump down my throat and tell me I ain't worth the air I breathe and say my parents made a mistake understand where I come from I apologize bax just have your ducks in a row and try to breed up and mule skinner I hope you get in a head on collision with a school bus and the only tragedy is you walk away


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## chukarflusher (Jan 20, 2014)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> Yea............ cheap and easy. I like that phrase as well. I wish I had used it.


And if you where referring to my parents in this post to further your keyboard heroics I hope one day I can shake your hand and say touché


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

if the bus is short and yellow, who knows.........we may meet up. :smile:


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

To be clear. I am NOT papering these pups. I'm not trying to make a buck off of this and am being very selective about how I do this. I think my dog is a good dog, but I don't think she is a gene pool asset either. But she definitely isn't a liability either. By not papering the pups, this will protect the elitist gene pool but also give some guys a pup that they wanted without raping their wallet.


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## rlpenn (Mar 14, 2012)

Bax* said:


> To be clear. I am NOT papering these pups. I'm not trying to make a buck off of this and am being very selective about how I do this. I think my dog is a good dog, but I don't think she is a gene pool asset either. But she definitely isn't a liability either. By not papering the pups, this will protect the elitist gene pool but also give some guys a pup that they wanted without raping their wallet.


If you are not trying to create anything special, why bother? I see plenty of Labrador Retrievers needing homes every time I go to Petsmart or Petco that the shelters are practically giving away. Your friends and relatives may as well grab one of those instead of putting your bitch at risk.

To do the minimum you are going to need EIC test ($65) and hip/elbow X-rays ($200ish), CERF ($35ish) and CNM test ($55). Maybe you are also looking at a stud fee, too. Then there are the vet fees and maybe a brucellosis test to rule out that STD before the breeding. Depending on your lines be on the look out for Progressive Retinal Atrophy, too, which makes the dogs blind in middle age.

Maybe you think these tests are not important, I do. I would not consider acquiring a pup whose parents have not passed these tests---been there done that. I have a dog with PRA that I bought locally, she's totally blind now, not much use as a retriever obviously. The carrier rate of EIC is about 40 percent in Labrador Retrievers, so unless you are careful it is very easy to produce pups affected by the disease.

There are a lot of really nice Labrador Retrievers pups for sale around here whose sire and dam have been screened for these diseases. Costs are $500 to $1,000. I don't think this is raping the wallet when you consider the costs of not doing the tests.

Anyway good luck. Your dog, your choice.


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## lonedog (Sep 11, 2007)

+1 Renee, all good and true points !


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## blackdog (Sep 11, 2007)

Why don't you leave the breeding to the professionals. To many backyard breeders as it is. Half those pups will end up in the pound being put to sleep. Instead of breeding her, get her spayed.


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