So my best friend is looking at a litter of some sort of hunting dog to start hunting with in a few years. I'm not sure what exactly they are, as they're purpose bred dogs that he heard about through a friend, and aren't really any specific breed. He asked and was told they've got some apbt and catahoula in them, as well as an assortment of other breeds because some of them have coats and some of them don't apparently. They use them mostly on coyotes and hogs, as well as moving some livestock around and general protection.
They live in the southern zone of the state and so I'm willing to bet they use them on deer as well. I don't know for sure, he does, but I haven't really asked.
He's met the parents, and he's in love with them and really wants one of these dogs.
Anyway, he was concerned because this breeding has resulted in what looks like a single puppy. He told me they had her xrayed at 58 days and only one skull is showing, but it looks like there might be two.
The breeder said if it's a singleton pup they don't want to keep it, and he's first in line for pick after them, so he's having to decide if he wants a singleton pup or not. I think the concern comes from the fact that if it is a single pup they don't want to keep it, because otherwise they are, I think?
I ramble a bit, but I've no experience with puppies from singleton litters at all. Knox and Ozzy were both from rather large litters, and while I have no clue with Enzo, I know she wasn't a singleton. Indy wasn't either, and in fact, I can't think of any dog I know that was a singleton, so I've got nothing to go on.
The bitch hasn't whelped yet, so he still doesn't know if there's one or two, and my research has turned up an amazing amount of contradicting information, everything from the singleton has less than 50% survival rate, to the singleton can do just fine. Ect.
I'm not a breeder, and my breeder/mentor hasn't ever had a singleton in a litter before either, so I turn to the internets, lol.
Should he consider this pup? Should he not even expect it to survive? Do singletons really tend to develop serious aggression problems due to having no litter mates as a baby?
And to satisfy my own personal curiosity, I thought that dogs generally need to have at least a couple puppies in a litter to whelp naturally? These are medium sized dogs, not huge but obviously not small either, so I don't think that the issue of "stuck puppy" like you see in small dogs would happen, but I don't know. I'm considering going with him this week just to meet these dogs/people because I think this is all quite fascinating. My friend is not quite as appreciative of the learning experience as I am lol, but I don't have a horse in this race, so to speak.
Anyway, thoughts?
They live in the southern zone of the state and so I'm willing to bet they use them on deer as well. I don't know for sure, he does, but I haven't really asked.
He's met the parents, and he's in love with them and really wants one of these dogs.
Anyway, he was concerned because this breeding has resulted in what looks like a single puppy. He told me they had her xrayed at 58 days and only one skull is showing, but it looks like there might be two.
The breeder said if it's a singleton pup they don't want to keep it, and he's first in line for pick after them, so he's having to decide if he wants a singleton pup or not. I think the concern comes from the fact that if it is a single pup they don't want to keep it, because otherwise they are, I think?
I ramble a bit, but I've no experience with puppies from singleton litters at all. Knox and Ozzy were both from rather large litters, and while I have no clue with Enzo, I know she wasn't a singleton. Indy wasn't either, and in fact, I can't think of any dog I know that was a singleton, so I've got nothing to go on.
The bitch hasn't whelped yet, so he still doesn't know if there's one or two, and my research has turned up an amazing amount of contradicting information, everything from the singleton has less than 50% survival rate, to the singleton can do just fine. Ect.
I'm not a breeder, and my breeder/mentor hasn't ever had a singleton in a litter before either, so I turn to the internets, lol.
Should he consider this pup? Should he not even expect it to survive? Do singletons really tend to develop serious aggression problems due to having no litter mates as a baby?
And to satisfy my own personal curiosity, I thought that dogs generally need to have at least a couple puppies in a litter to whelp naturally? These are medium sized dogs, not huge but obviously not small either, so I don't think that the issue of "stuck puppy" like you see in small dogs would happen, but I don't know. I'm considering going with him this week just to meet these dogs/people because I think this is all quite fascinating. My friend is not quite as appreciative of the learning experience as I am lol, but I don't have a horse in this race, so to speak.
Anyway, thoughts?