AmberwayGSD said:
No good breeder would have someone else whelp and raise there litter.
Thats not true.
There are plenty of breeders who may raise the pups on thier grounds but have assistants take care of things while they are off campaigning thier dogs in shows and what not.
Guess its just a matter of view.
I see nothing wrong with it. Probably because I understand the time and travel it takes for field trialers to campaign thier dogs. Its tough competition and many travel thousands of miles to run thier dogs in a trial. Then travel further to hit a few more. Basically they are on the road during trial season.
Its something I considered doing. Raising litters for breeders.
I have the know how and have lots of kids to help socialize the pups.
Being too busy with dogs can make the puppies head start on life a not so good of one.
Wouldnt it be nice to know that the pups got everything possible to give them the best head start on life?
Sitting in a kennel just doesnt cut it for me. I do so much more than that.
All pups are whelped in my home. I have a whelping bed made for the bitch but will allow her to whelp where she feels most comfortable within reason of course. I will let her whelp one or 2 there then move her and the babies to the whelping bed. (usually my bed is where the whelping starts
)
I am there through the whole whelping process. The pups are handled daily.
They get exposed to water at 4 weeks old in my bath tub. They get clipped wings to get them use to the smell of birds and the feel of the feathers in their mouths. They get played with daily by us and our kids. They get a head start on potty training and crate training. I take a large crate and make that thier bed and keep it open for them to come and go as they please untill they get older. Then we start taking them out to go potty. We have plush toys, hard toys, bones, small bumpers for them all to play with. The bumpers we use to get them an early start on retrieving so that when they are all 7-8weeks old most of them are retrieving and bringing the bumper back to you. They get vet checks and wormed and vaccinated.
Its not an easy job and it requires a full time person.
If I had to have someone else raise my pups thats the kind of enviornment I would want them to have. This is why I considered whelping other breeders pups. Doing just one litter at a time when I am not having a litter since I only raise 2 litters a year max.
I may complain about raising pups but all that hard work pays off when you place them in homes and the owners are amazed at how far along the pups are.
Another thing I considered doing is keeping a pup for a client or a client of a breeder to get it through potty training and building its drive to retrieve. Then sending it off to the pro trainer they decide to use. Thats a good paying job.
$500 a month.
So again its a matter of view.
