new to Basset Forum looking for info on heat

[ajsmama]

Hello I am mommy to Tucker and Sadie they are 10 month old a week apart! So Sadie is in her first heat. I have had basset before but always had fixed. We bought these guys with intent to breed but this will be a new life for us! I was wondering how long does she bleed? how long is the heat? when is she most likely to become pregnant? while she is bleeding after it stops? How long are basset pregnant I heard 8 weeks. Thanks so much for the help.

[Mikey T]

they are 10 month old a week apart ... when is she most likely to become pregnant?

hope your flame suit is in good repair.

[Soundtrack]

Flamethrower ready!

Ok, first of all, they are MUCH too young to breed. Bitches need to be at least two years old so that they are fully mature. Breeding her now would be akin to a 12 year old child having a baby.

Secondly, she will be in season for three weeks. Keep them separate the entire time, although the middle of the heat is the usual time for fertility bitches have been known to get pregnant at the beginning and the end. Don't take chances.

Thirdly, you don't have the first clue what you are doing, and when she's in heat is NOT the time to be researching - you should have done that long before you even bought the dogs so that you would know what qualities to look for in breeding stock and what you are getting into. Plan on spending the next few years doing this - join clubs (a local Basset Hound club and your local all breed club) attend shows, events and seminars, get to know the breeders and learn from them, read everything you can on the subject (dogs, bassets, breeding, genetics, health, training) - you need to know as much as possible to raise healthy, sound, balanced pups and to advise their new families when they have problems.

Breeding dogs is not to be taken lightly. You are playing with lives, not just those of your bitch and puppies, but also of the families that buy the pups who will be heartbroken if something goes wrong.

I'm really, really hoping that these dogs have not bred yet.

[Buttercup]

PLEASE listen to Soundtrack, she knows what she's talking about.

[Swimming-duck]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

PLEASE listen to Soundtrack, she knows what she's talking about.

Yes. I've only been on this forum for a few months and everyone's been very nice, but they are honest (I think that's a good thing). I don't know squat about breeding - only what I've learned after owning what my family and I believe was a poorly bred Corgi. I had him for 2 1/2 years before finally realizing that no matter how much I worked, how much I trained, you can do a lot for obedience but changing a temperament is like trying to change a brick wall. Having to give up my Corgi for rapidly escalating aggression issues that can be traced all the way back to his puppyhood gave me a hard knocks lesson into the world of breeding (I mean this from the puppy owner perspective, not the breeder perspective). So what I'm really saying is that I agree with what Soundtrack said in that you can hurt good people if you don't know what you're doing. Breeders who are extremely familiar with their breed, attend shows, show dogs themselves, etc...know how to breed according to standard - not just in physical terms, but in terms of temperament. Also, I've heard that breeding a dog too young can negatively impact their growth? The breeders on here will have to verify whether or not that's correct as I'm not 100% certain on the truth of that.

But let me reiterate, nobody here is out to get you, but from what I've seen so far on this forum, I'm pretty sure everyone here is going to have the same answer. You can always get more into the breed, attend shows, increase your knowledge, and become a responsible breeder later if you really decide down the road that this is something you want to do.

I hope you know everyone here is really well-intentioned.

[henry'smum]

If they have not bred yet i can heartily recommend you go to your local basset rescue and take a look around at all of the unwanted puppys that have been bred by people in the area. You will see some that are great but where sold to people that did not know what to do with them, some that just are unfortunatly now in rescue and some that are suffering from terrible issues because their breeder did not know what they where doing.
IF after that you seriously want to breed dogs, find a local breeder and go and work for them, learn how you know when to breed, who to breed to, how to know if you have a puppy stuck and need to do something before your bitch dies etc.
Breeding IS NOT something that should be taken lightly. If you need to ask these questions then you need to find someone to give you hands on experience before you should even consider having a litter. Puppies may be cute, but if you dont know what you are doing then you should be questioning why you are doing it.

[houndmomma]

Oh, I hope it’s not too late – and you take everything Soundtrack said to heart. She is a great resource here for you and can guide you through the world of breeding when it’s the right time for your pups.

Jen~

[barneysmom2510]

I agree with the above listen to Soundtrack breeding should be left to the experts.

[bubbad]

This is not something to take lightly as Soudtrack has admonished you.Are you prepared financially.My bitch who had a litter this past May had to have a c-section $1500.00 before you sell a puppy.Do you know what it costs to feed a litter of puppies from three weeks to at least eight weeks old,maybe longer.My litter of eight could eat alot let me tell you at about $40 to $50 a week it adds up. And that is if they all servive you can lose them quickly in the first three weeks of life. It sounds fun to raise a litter of puppies and it can be, but many times dams are lost and puppies die because of inexperience.

[Soundtrack]

Originally Posted by bubbad

This is not something to take lightly as Soudtrack has admonished you.Are you prepared financially.My bitch who had a litter this past May had to have a c-section $1500.00 before you sell a puppy.Do you know what it costs to feed a litter of puppies from three weeks to at least eight weeks old,maybe longer.My litter of eight could eat alot let me tell you at about $40 to $50 a week it adds up. And that is if they all servive you can lose them quickly in the first three weeks of life. It sounds fun to raise a litter of puppies and it can be, but many times dams are lost and puppies die because of inexperience.

Your c-section was cheap, Chili's (my last litter) was $2000. Not to mention the cost of deworming every two weeks and their first shots (and second, and third for the ones that didn't sell right away). Plus Bassets need to be supervised 24/7 for the first 2-3 weeks after whelping as they are prone to laying on the pups, which for most of us means time off work. I lost a couple thousand on that litter....but got 4 champions! And BW at Nationals - priceless.