Calling all puppy lovers- A guide to breeding your dog

Tempting though the prospect of lots of cute puppies round your feet might be, there is a lot more to breeding your dog than just that. This is a brief guide to how to breed from your dog.

Anyone who has ever held a puppy will know that they are irresistible. Together with the fact that pedigree dogs can sometimes sell for hundreds or even thousands of pounds can mean that it can be tempting to think that breeding from your dog is easy money. There is a lot more to consider however than which puppy you will keep!

First and foremost you should consider whether you have the time to devote to a litter of puppies until they go their new homes after 8-12 weeks. The largest ever litter of puppies was 24 so you could be in for a lot of feeding and cleaning!

You should also ensure that you have adequate money to pay for any health checks that your bitch may need and also any vet bills that may be incurred during her pregnancy and for the puppies afterwards. Bear in mind that your puppies will also need to be wormed, vaccinated, weaned and if they are pedigree dogs a minimum of £12 each registration with the Kennel Club.

If you want pedigree puppies the sire need to be registered and the owners will often expect payment of several hundred pounds- and you should be able to find owners for all of the puppies after they are old enough to be separated.

Before breeding from your bitch, the Kennel Club advises that you check with your veterinary surgeon, your breed club and/or your dog's breeder to find out whether there are any possible inherited conditions that may affect your breed, for which there is an available test (e.g. hip dysplasia and eye conditions). Often it is expected that both sire and dam are tested. You should also check with the Kennel Club as to their rules for registration.

If you are determined to go ahead you will need to wait until the dog is at least one years old as breeding too early can cause developmental problems in your dog. Dogs come into season once every six months and you can recognise the start by the swelling of the vulva. Ensure during this time that you keep your bitch away from any other male dogs as they can be very persistent!

A female will show that she is willing to breed by lifting her tail up and to the side when you scratch her back above her tail, at this point put the two dogs together. Some people recommend holding the female by the head when this is done in case the female has a change of heart. The actual act can take ten to 40 minutes and you will tell when it is successful as the dogs will be ‘locked’ tail to tail. Do not attempt to separate them at this point. For optimal success put the dogs together every day until your female no longer accepts it.

The average gestation of a dog is 63 days but as with humans this may be a few days less or a few more depending on the size of the litter. After 20-30 days your vet may be able to feel the puppies to establish whether your dog is pregnant or alternatively give your dog a blood test.

Do not over feed your dog whilst she is pregnant. As a rule of thumb, increase the dog food intake from about the sixth week of pregnancy by about 10% each week to a maximum of between 30 and 50% more than her usual ration. Once she has had the puppies she will need to eat a lot depending on the size of the litter.

Provide her with a spacious, quiet, secluded area for whelping where the floor is covered in newspaper and there is a cardboard box serving as a whelping box and dog bed. Do not move her out of the house into the garage as this can be very unsettling. Some pet supplies stores have heated pads which may help when your dog is whelping. Dogs often give birth at night but if you are there keep an eye on her to check whether you need to call the vet for assistance.

Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of some puppies, get ready for the hard work!