Breeding is something we take very seriously. We feel very responsible for the lives we create. To us, breeding our dogs is a privilege and not a means of making money.
Breeding dogs is a combination of art and science, common sense, educated decisions, a certain amount of luck, and a lot of hard work and sleepless nights.
We are very selective with who we breed our bitches to, with the idea of having puppies that are better than their parents, as it relates to the breed standard. We also breed for temperament and health.
Before we breed, we screen both dogs for any health related issues.
We do not breed our girls before the age of 2 and never more than 3 times.
Once the stud dog is selected, and the bitch is ready to accept him (normally 9 to 14 days after she comes in season), we breed them at least 3 times, every 36 hours. About 63 days later, we hope to have puppies.
Four weeks after breeding, we have our vet perform a ultrasound to determine if she is pregnant. Once we know that our girl is pregnant, then we change her diet to one that is higher in protein. Her hunger increases as she progresses through her pregnancy.
At eight weeks, she is x-rayed to determine the number of puppies. If there are 3 puppies are less, we plan for a C-section. A normal delivery takes about three to four hours for an average litter of 7 puppies.
For 2 weeks after the puppies are born, we're with our puppies 24 hours a day. That's where the sleepless nights come into play.
At 3 days we have the puppies checked out by our vet and their dewclaws removed.
Over the next several weeks, they are wormed multiple times and given a series of puppy shots.
The puppies begin eating mush when they are 3 weeks. At 5 weeks or so, the puppies are weaned.
We do not allow visitors in with the puppies until they are 5 weeks old. That gives them time for their immune systems to kick into gear.
While most of the concern is directed to the puppies, special attention to the mom continues. She is pampered daily and is on a special diet to promote milk production and the necessary nutrients for both her and the puppies. We weigh our puppies every day for the first two weeks, then weekly, to insure that they are all gaining weight.
We are very selective as it relates to choosing homes for our puppies.
We work very hard to matching the right puppy to the right home. Many
factors are taken into consideration as we work with out puppy buyers.
Are their small children, elderly people, and other dogs in the household?
Have they had a basset previously is also considered.
We
encourage every potential puppy buyer to visit our home so they get to know
us as breeder and for us to get to know our puppy buyers.
Many puppy buyers request a certain color and sex. We cannot guarantee
what color or sex will be available until we complete the puppy evaluation process.
We require a spay and neuter contract or allow for only a limited AKC
registration on any pet puppies. We want our puppies to have a fenced yard
for exercise and to sleep in the house.
Any puppy we sell that is not show quality is also sold with a spay and neuter
contract. Puppies will not be available until they are 11 to 12 weeks of
age, at the earliest.
We provide a health guarantee on our puppies until they are a year old. We will return any money
paid. A replacement puppy may also be offered. Any time after a
year, we will accept and encourage the return of a dog, to us, if he is not
wanted, regardless of age or reason.
Each puppy buyer is provided a complete history of their weight gain and
shot record. A puppy "take home package" is also provided.
On the above left you can see that we start our puppies very early with getting their
teeth brushed and their nails trimmed. Beginning early prevents them from
rebelling when you trim their nails, which need to be done at least every two
weeks. Brushing their teeth twice a week can save you a huge vet bill when
you have to have their teeth cleaned as they age.
Our puppies begin using the doggie dog at 5 weeks of age. Most
are leash trained by 8 weeks. We continue to evaluate our puppies to
determine which will be destined for the show ring. The difference between a
show dog and pet is very slight.
We want the very best homes for our puppies and we want our puppy buyers to
have a healthy, happy and socialized dog.
Richard & Sharon Nance - Abiquiu, NM - (505) 685-9422
Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.