First, it’s essential to understand that acquiring such a dog and granting us the right to have a litter with her only ever involves one single litter over the course of her life.
The puppy goes to her new owners like any other pup. At around one to one and a half years old, she’ll undergo X-ray exams and patella checks. We expect this of all our puppy buyers because, not only are these health records important for responsible breeding (especially if results are less than ideal!), but most of these dogs are actively engaged in sports, hunting, or similar activities, so exams are generally a good idea. Depending on location, we’re happy to help find a qualified veterinarian and are always available to answer any questions.
Once the results are in, we’ll discuss them together. If the dog meets the standards for breeding (which we determine), we’ll collaboratively decide on an optimal timing for the litter that suits everyone involved (for example, agility competitors often prefer winter). Once we’ve settled on a timeframe, we wait for the dog to come into heat. Depending on the location of the stud dog (be it in England or on the continent) and the owners’ preference, either we or the owners will handle transportation for the mating process (always in coordination with us). If the owners opt to travel themselves, we cover all travel expenses.
After mating, the dog returns home, then comes to stay with us around one week to 10 days before her expected due date. Some owners take vacation time to be present for the birth, but we often notice that their presence (and the understandable excitement) doesn’t always help calm the mother. From birth until the puppies are ready for their new homes, we provide daily updates, and visits are welcome.
We’re also happy to care for these dogs during any regular vacations, allowing the owners to see how well their dog integrates with our pack. (Here is a video showing a future breeding-rights dog staying with us.)
Our own dogs are exceptionally social and take great care around guest dogs. This creates a smooth, low-stress environment for visiting dogs. Throughout her stay, the mother dog lives as a full family member with us. We’ve never experienced any issues or stressed dogs in this setting. Once puppies arrive, mother dogs are fully absorbed in caring for them.
When the puppies are ready to leave for their new homes, the mother can return home and resume her normal life—which all our dogs have done seamlessly. As of September 2022, we’ve had litters from four breeding-rights dogs at our home.
To get a sense of what a breeding-rights litter looks like, here are a few videos of a mother dog and her puppies from our V-litter, which was also featured on Hundkatzemaus.