Diego

[Kristin]

So it has been a very long time since I wrote on the board, but here I am. I like the looks of the new board.
I took Diego to the vet the other day for his check up, he did fine, except for whining because he wanted to get out of the room to play with all of the other dogs. I asked the vet about breeding him, and she said that since there aren't any reputable breeders in our area that she wouldn't reccommend it. Also, she said that since he isn't close to the breed standard that a reputable breeder would most likely tell me no. She said that the breeders around here are all "backyard breeders", which I understand, and that if I were to breed him, it would be more along the lines of as a pet, and not to show or things like that, which I alread knew. It makes me mad that there are no reputable breeders around here, because this means Diego's breeder was just a backyard breeder. I may still see if a friend of mine, who has a doxie mix, may want to breed her doxie Jasmine with Diego. I know that he isn't the breed standard, but I like his look, he's my little man, and the parts about him that are different make him special. Here are some pictures for you guys:

[Barb]

He is adorable!!!  I would like to urge you though to look towards rescue.  There are so many doxies out there needing homes, including puppies if thats what you want.  They make wonderful pets, companions, children...I have two rescues and that will be the only way I go to add to my pack.  Look forward to hearing more about Diego - who is the cutie black and tan?

[Shumard4]

I would love to pass along some links with reasons not to breed.

When Is it Reasonable to Breed My Pet?
Dogs should be bred for one reason only â€" to produce better dogs as defined by the breed standard. An AKC registration only means that the dog is purebred. It has nothing to do with the quality of the dog. If you have an extensive knowledge of the breed and its special requirements, and if your situation meets all of the following criteria, then perhaps it is reasonable to breed your pet: 
•   You have a dependable waiting list of carefully screened buyers who are so committed to your pups that they have given you a considerable cash deposit to reserve one.
•   Neither dog’s pedigree includes inbreeding (common ancestors in the first and second generations). You have seen your dog’s parents and know that they are excellent representatives of the breed.
•   The [censored] is between two and six years of age and has had at least two heat seasons since she was last bred. The stud is between 12 months and 12 years of age.
•   You have researched the previous generations in both dogs’ pedigrees and know what health problems have been seen in related animals. There is no history of hip dysplasia, blood disorders, disc disease, eye disease, deafness, or immune diseases in the pedigrees. Both dogs have been tested for genetic defects. Both dogs are in excellent physical condition, suffer from no health problems, have good skin condition, are not allergic to anything, are free of parasites, and are not obese.
•   Both dogs meet the standard of conformation for the breed (size, coat, color, markings, teeth alignment, proper front and rear structure, pleasing appearance).
•   The pedigrees of both dogs include numerous champions in conformation, obedience, and/or field work.
•   The temperaments of both dogs are exceptional, with no shyness or aggression shown toward people or other dogs.
•   You are financially equipped to pay for all vet expenses, including pre-breeding vet checks, pre-natal care, worming updates, and health certificates. You can afford to pay for a Caesarian section if something goes wrong during whelping (this can cost several hundreds of dollars). You are also financially prepared to feed and vaccinate a large litter of pups. Litter size can be from one to fifteen, depending on the breed. Vaccinations can consist of up to four shots at $30 each per pup, depending on how long you have them. Nursing mothers and their pups require a premium puppy food, and they consume huge quantities.
•   You have the time and facilities to devote to the litter for 10 weeks or longer. You are prepared to bottle feed a litter of pups around the clock if the mother should die during whelping. You have the ability to clean up after a litter of pups once they are on solid food. The mother dog may help at first, but that won’t last long. Also, the pups need to be kept warm and dry. You may need to housebreak them if you don’t place them quickly. They also need to be socialized.
•   You are willing to be responsible for every pup’s well being for the rest of its life. This means that you can provide assistance to your buyers when they have problems, and you agree to take the pups back if they don’t work out. This responsibility is yours for the lifetime of the pups.

If you decide that breeding is not for you, here are additional reasons to spay or neuter:
Females in heat bleed, and it is difficult to get bloodstains out of carpet. They attract noisy, fighting males. Female cats in heat howl incessantly. The smell of un-neutered male dogs’ and cats’ urine, which they use freely to mark their territory, is very strong. They tend to roam and are more likely to become lost or to be killed by a car. 
Animals who are spayed or neutered tend to live 2-3 years longer. In addition, the risk of cancer in the reproductive organs (uterine, testicular, prostate, mammary glands) is reduced or eliminated.
There are 5 million healthy dogs and cats being killed in our nation’s shelters every year. Every animal born means another animal loses a potential home. Please don’t allow your animals to contribute to this problem.

Top Ten Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet
by MRivera008@aol.com
1. Health
The risk of cancer is drastically decreased in a sterilized animal. Male
dogs are much more likely to contract prostate cancer if they are not
neutered. Female dogs face the same risk, only it's mammary cancer
that'll get them in the end. The earlier you spay or neuter your pet, the
lower the risk; the later you spay or neuter your pet, the higher the risk.
If an animal is spayed or neutered before the age of six months, there is
almost a 100% chance they will never get prostate or ovarian cancer, after
the age of six months, the chances of getting cancer are greatly decreased.

2. Behavior
Your male dog cannot masturbate or practice family planning. The
testosterone coursing through his body makes him anxious and unsettled.
Some veterinarians even believe that intact dogs suffer from neuroses and
this manifests itself by obsessive-compulsive disorders such as excessive
licking, staring into space or self-mutilation by scratching.

3. Wandering
Instinct dictates that your sweet little homebody pet go out and procreate.
The maternal instinct is the strongest animal instinct there is. Think about
it, the survival of a species depends on the ability of the species to procreate,
so the need to breed is built in. When we spay or neuter our animals, we
are removing the hormones that feed into that instinct. The need to wander
around the neighborhood searching for "easy" one-night stands is very strong
in both the male and female dog and cat. Remove that need, and not even
the cutest Burmese or Bichon [censored] in a bikini will turn your male dog's head.
And your female won't be out looking for the Leonardo DeCaprio of the dog
(or cat) world!

4. Cost
Think of all the vet bills for all the health-related problems that afflict intact
animals, the vet bills for check-ups and vaccines for all those litters of
puppies and kittens, the surrender fees at the shelter for all those litters of
puppies and kittens, the newspaper ads for all those litters of puppies and
kittens, the hospitalization of queens or bitches in distress. You get the idea!

5. Senseless Slaughter
The billions of kittens and puppies, dogs and cats that are killed in our
nations' pounds every year due to irresponsible pet ownership. In her lifetime,
one unspayed female can be responsible for hundreds of thousands of
unwanted animals. Think of it this way, using a cat as an example: One
cat can have 2-3 litters per year. Each litter can be 1-12 kittens, each of
those kittens can have 2-3 litters per year, and so on and so on and on
and on........

6. Cost again......
Rabies tags are required in every state in America. The cost of a rabies tag
for an intact animal in Palm Beach County, Florida, is $35, the cost of the
same tag in a sterilized animal is $11.

7. Laws
Many states are now moving towards mandatory sterilization for animals at
large. Fines can be levied and penalties are provided for females in heat
wandering around at large.

8. Aesthetics
Ummmm, are intact male dogs really all that pretty to look at from behind?

9. Enlightenment
Your enlightened friends will see you as a hero. You will be setting a positive
example for everyone else, and the folks at animal control who work in the
euthanasia room will be very grateful.

10. Spike Lee said it all: "Do the Right Thing"

SO YOU WANT TO BE A BREEDER?. - breeding the female.

So you want to breed your female. You know what to expect if everything goes
right. Your little girl will present you with tiny bundles of joy. She will
lovingly nurse them and care for them until they are old enough to be
weaned.
You and your family will find great joy in watching and playing with these
little dolls, and then when the time is right they will all (or maybe you
keep just one) go off to special homes to live out their lives as cherished
companions. But have you given consideration to what if something goes
wrong? I have listed here a few of the problems that I myself have personal knowledge
of. Everything listed has happened either to me or someone I know. These are
not isolated incidents. I'm sure other breeders could add miles to my list.
Learn by others mistakes!. Let the breeding up to those who know what they
are doing, have the experience, know what to expect.

What if during the breeding............

1) The stud dog you have chosen is carrying a venereal disease and gives it
to your female. She not only doesn't conceive but you have to pay the vet bills
to get her infection cleared up and she is now sterile.

2) The stud dog you decided to breed your darling to is not experienced.
Once the two dogs are joined tightly in a tie, he decides to chase the neighbors
cat out of his yard. He bolts for the cat ripping his penis loose and
causing your [censored] to hemorrhage from within.

3) Your modest girl decides she doesn't want the attentions of this gigolo
mutt chosen for her without her consent. She snaps at him catching her tooth
on his loose cheek and rips it open sending blood flying everywhere. He
retaliates by sinking his teeth into her left eye.

4) You leave your dog with the stud owner because the breeding is not going
very swiftly. In fact , it's been three hours and nothing is happening. The
stud owners leave the two dogs alone in the back yard. The dogs get out
through a tiny hole in the fence and a truck hits your female.

5) You pay the $250-$1,000 stud fee up front figuring you will make that and
more back when the pups sell. The breeder guarantees the stud service to
work or you can come back again. After 2 months you discover it didn't work and
now must wait another 4 months to try again. Of course it doesn't work again, so
in another 4 months you take your dog to another male and risk loosing
another stud fee.

6) You get her bred. Bring her home. She bothers you so you let her out
she is still in heat and still receptive to males). You here a commotion outside
there is your girl tied up with the neighborhood mutt. when she whelps there
will need to be DNA tests done on the pups.

7) You get her bred. bring her home . let her out. ( She is still in heat
and receptive to other males) but you do not see the neighborhood mutt breed
her. The pups are born but look odd. You call the stud owner he suggests DNA
testing (At your expense). You have a litter of mutts! What do you do about the ones you have already sold?

8) Or knowing she tied with the neighborhood mutt you decide to terminate
the pregnancy and try again being more careful next time. But a few weeks later
your female is very sick because you had her given a miss-mate shot creating
a hormonal imbalance causing a uterine infection and now she has Pyometra and
needs a complete hysterectomy. All planes of getting a litter is gone and
your females life is now in danger if she dose not have the operation.

What if during the birth..............

1) The puppies are too large for the femaleships. She never goes into labor,
the puppies die and she becomes infected by the decaying bodies.

2) The puppies are coming breach and they drown in their own sacks before
they can be born.

3) The first puppy is large and breach. When it starts coming your female
starts screaming, and before you can stop her she reaches around, grabs the
puppy in her teeth and yanks it out killing it instantly.

4) A puppy gets stuck. Neither your female nor you can get it out. You have
to race her to the vet. The vet can't get it out either. She has to have an
emergency caesarian section of course it is 3:00 am Christmas day.

5) A puppy is coming out breach and dry (the water sack that protects them
hasburst). It gets stuck. Mom tries to help it out by clamping her teeth over
one of the back legs. The head and shoulders are firmly caught. Mom pulls on
the leg, hard, peeling the flesh from the leg and leaving a wiggling stump
of bone.

6) A dead puppy gets stuck in the birth canal, but your female is well into
hard labor. She contracts so hard trying to give birth that her uterus
ruptures and she bleeds to death on the way to the vet.

what is directly after birth..........

1) The mother has no idea what to do with a puppy and she drops them out and
walks away, leaving them in the sack to drown.

2) The mother takes one look at the puppies, decides they are disgusting
droppings and tries to smother them in anything she can find to bury them
in.

3) The mother gets too enthusiastic in her removal of the placenta and
umbilical cord, and rips the cord out leaving a gushing hole pulsing blood
all over you as you try in vain to stop the bleeding.

4) Or, she pulls on the cords so hard she disembowels the puppies as they
are born and you have a box full of tiny; kicking babies with a tangle of guts
the size of a walnut hanging from their stomachs. Of course all the babies must
be put to sleep.

5) What if because of some Hormone deficiency she turns vicious allowing no
one near her or the babies, who she refuses to nurse, or you have to
interfere with.

6) You notice something protruding from her vagina when you let her out to
pee; you take her to the vet to discover a prolapsed uterus, which needs to
be removed.

What if when you think you are in the clear..................

1) One or more of the puppies inhaled fluid during birth, pneumonia develops
and death occurs within 36 hours.

2) what if the mothers milk goes bad. You lose three of your four puppies
before you discover what is wrong. You end up bottle feeding the remaining
pup every two hours, day and night. After three days the puppy fades from
infection and dies.

3) The puppies develop fading puppy syndrome you lose two. You
bottle-feeding or tube feeding the last remaining baby. It begins to choke and despite your
efforts to clear the airway, the pup stiffens and dies in your hands.

4) Your female develops mastitis and her breast ruptures.

5) Your female develops a uterine infection from a retained placenta. Her
temperature soars to 105. You race her to the vet, he determines she must be
spayed. He dose the spay in an attempt to save her life, you pay the
hundreds of dollars bill. The infection has gone into her blood stream. The infected
milk kills all the puppies and the [censored] succumbs a day later.

6) All the puppies are fine but following the birth the female develops a
hormone imbalance. She becomes a fear biter and anytime anyone tries to
touch her she viscously attacks them.

7) Mom and pups seem fine, the puppies are four weeks old and are at their
cutest. but one day one of the puppies disappears. You search everywhere but
you can't find it. A few days later another puppy is gone. And another. You
can't figure how on earth the puppies are getting out of their safe 4' x 4'
puppy pen. Finally there is only one puppy left. The next morning you find
the mother chomping contentedly on what is left of the last murdered puppy.

What if the new homes are not so happy?.......................

1) You give a puppy to a friend. Their fence blows down so they tie the
puppy outside while they go to work. A roving dog comes along and kills the puppy.
Your friend calls you up to tell you about the poor little puppy and asks
when you are having more puppies.

2) You sell a puppy to an acquaintance. The next time you see them you ask
how the puppy is doing. They tell you that it soiled their new carpet so they
took it to the pound

3) You sell a puppy to a friend (you give them a good price and payments).
They make a couple of tiny payments. Six months later they move to an
apartment. They ask you to take it back. You take it back and of course the
payments stop. The dog they returned is so shy, and ill mannered from lack
of socialization and training it takes you a year of work providing socializing
and training to be able to give it away.

4) You sell a puppy to a wonderful home. They love her like one of the
family. At a vet check done by their vet it is determined that the puppy has
a heart murmur. (Your vet found nothing when he checked the puppy before it
was sold.) They love their puppy and want the best for her. They have an
expensive surgery done. The puppy is fine. They sue you for the medical costs. They
win, because you did not have a contract stipulating conditions of guarantee and
so as breeder you are responsible for the puppy's genetic health.

5) You give a puppy to your mother. she is thrilled. Two years later the
puppy starts developing problems. It begins to develop odd symptoms and is
suffering. Hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of tests later it is
finally discovered that the dog is suffering from a terminal condition that was
inherited. possibly from your female since you know nothing about her family
lines.

6) One loving home decides your puppy is untrainable, destructive and wants
to return the pup and get a full refund, which you have spent on your vet
bills.

7) One loving couple calls you and is very upset because their pup has
crippling hip displasia and want to know what you are going to do about it.
You have spayed your female so a replacement is out of the question, looks
like another refund.

The Sale:...................

1) You put your ad in the local paper for your pups at the usual price and
get only 2 responses and no sales. You cut the pup's price in half and broaden
your advertising to 3 other newspapers in which the advertising totals
$120.00 a week.

2) You get a few more puppy inquiries from people who ask all about health
testing you did before breeding and if the pups are registered. You tell
them your dogs are healthy and it was enough and that you could get the papers.
The callers politely thank you and hang up.

3) the pups are now 4 months old and getting bigger , eating a lot and their
barking is really beginning to annoy the neighbors who call the police who
inform you of the $150.00 noise by-law.

4) Your neighbors also call the humane society who comes out to inspect the
care of your dogs. You pass inspection but end up feeling stressed and
harassed.

5) You finally decide to give the rest of the litter away but still have to
pay the $1200.oo advertising bill and the $600.00 vet bill.

So you gotta ask yourself: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, "breeder?".

I hope this dosen't offend anyone I just want to inform you.

[MindyKay]

WOW!  Now, I wonder how on Earth my dad was fairly successful in breeding Chihuahas (sp?).  I had no idea so many things could go wrong with breeding.  I agreed, I'd look into a rescue.

Around 100 dogs and cats arrived here in Cedar Rapids, to be photographed and put up on the web site, hopefully, to reunite them with their owners in the New Orleans area.  After that, they will be available for adoption after October 16th.

I wonder if a Dauchsie is in that group?????

[TerriL]

What cuties they are!  Is the black and tan little yours as well? 

[April]

I would not breed Diego.  It would be more detrimental to the breed and just be generally a bad thing to do.  Your vet seems to realize this so I would really listen to him/her. 
Diego is a cutie and seems to be really sweet.  If he was altered he'd be healthier as a whole and be with you longer.  Rescue is always an option if you want another dachsie!

[Kristin]

The little black and tan's name is Lola. My ex-roomate bought her, we initially bought her to breed with Diego, but the vet told us she was too small, so she is now spayed. They are the best of friends though, we don't live together now, but we make sure they get frequent visits, because if they don't see each other for awhile they get stir crazy. They are definitely soul mates, in the doggy world. :)

[hildiesmom]

I may still see if a friend of mine, who has a doxie mix, may want to breed her doxie Jasmine with Diego. I know that he isn't the breed standard, but I like his look, he's my little man, and the parts about him that are different make him special.

I guess I don't understand your reasoning... You are mad because Diego's breeder is "not a reputable breeder" and yet you'd consider breeding him to your friends doxie MIX?? That wouldn't even produce purebreds!!

With so many dogs in rescue--both purebred and crossbred--I guess I don't understand why you'd even consider it...not to mention that the [censored] owner takes all the risk. Is she prepared to have to shell out money for a c-section? Pretty darned spendy... Any idea what it actually takes, moneywise, to breed a litter the "reputable" way? 

Not to mention that once used at stud, there's a high liklihood he's gonna start hiking his leg--maybe in your house.

MaryAnne

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

Hi Kristin
Your little guy is adorable. Doesn't matter that he isn't correct to the standard, I can see he is your baby.

I would like to add my two cents on breeding too, hoping to not sound too preachy! :) But this is a place to learn and then make your own decisions on what you read, it's great that you are putting the questions out there. I did not realize much of this stuff when I got my first dachshund either.

The only good reason to breed, is to make the dachshund breed as strong, healthy and with as good of temperament as possible. The way to do this is to research the bloodlines extensively, with the help of an expert. There are many diseases that plague our dachshunds, the biggest being disc disease (the infamous dachshund "back problems"). This disease is largely genetic, which means the propensity to have this awful, painful and debilitating disease is passed on from parents to the puppies. Reputable breeders will study all the lines of their dog and of the dog they want to breed theirs to. There should be no doubling up on any health problems (our doxies also can suffer from seizures, heart problems, luxating patellas, allergies and others). If you breed two dogs, say, who have the genetic makeup to make them prone for seizures, the puppies chance of also having seizures is going to skyrocket. We really do hav problems with our breed, so if you do breed PLEASE study lines, have another breeder help you learn how to do this and find out what kinds of problems run in the different lines. You can't do this by looking at your own dog...Diego may be fine now but next week he could come down with one of these things. You have to go back in the lines.

Temperament is another consideration. As well as conformation. The point of conformation is that the dog is built to standard. That is what they are doing in the dog shows, judging the dogs on closely they are built to the ideal standard for the breed. The idea being that the standard is optimal for the health of the dog, having the angles of the shoulders and hindquarters correct to carry their weight with good shock absorption and the least amount of stress to the skeletal system, having the legs straight, the topline flat, the neck a good length for their body...all these things put together a sound dog. This is not an easy thing to get and rarely does it just happen, it takes generations of very careful breeding.

Breeding just because you love your dog or think he is cute is a really bad reason. We all love our dogs to pieces and wish we could pass that on but the sad truth is there are hundreds and hundreds of dachshunds out there in rescue who desperately need homes. Many are put down because there is just no one to take them. Some are in rescue due to bad breeding so they have health problems or temperament problems. Others are just innocent victims of irresponsible owners and breeders. The world does not need more dachshund puppies just to fill it up with dachshunds. That would just be adding to an already serious problem. Every home a puppy gets, is one less home for these rescue dogs who are waiting for one.

After reading all these posts, if you still decide to breed Diego please at least do a lot of homework first and choose wisely. We really do have within our power to greatly reduce a lot of the health problems we see with these guys with very careful and selective breeding but as long as people keep breeding without research, the problems are only just going to get worse. Please read Sue's list of why not to breed closely, it really is all very true.

Hope that wasn't too preachy  please keep posting, more pictures!

[Kristin]

Not to mention that once used at stud, there's a high liklihood he's gonna start hiking his leg--maybe in your house.

MaryAnne

This started long ago, he hasn't been studded yet and he's started this pattern. He used to do it all of the time, but now he mostly does it when he gets seperation anxiety when we leave him in the house.

[hildiesmom]

This started long ago, he hasn't been studded yet and he's started this pattern. He used to do it all of the time, but now he mostly does it when he gets seperation anxiety when we leave him in the house.

That's not really the same sort of marking. That's housebreaking, he can't get outside and thinks it's ok to go inside...and since there's no one there to correct him, he just goes. Just a bit different. It's frequently worse when a dog has been used at stud.

(I hope some of the other things I said in that message hit home too...)

MaryAnne