I have a gorgeous boy named Moose; I would like some info. on breeding. He has the best temperment and a great personality. His is a registered Isabella, and is 14 mos. I'm not sure how old he needs to be or what I should be looking for color wise in a mate. Any info. would be appreciated. Thanks, Jamie
The folks on this board promote rescue and discourage breeding. There are many, many doxies in the rescue system that need homes. Check out the website of Dachshund Rescue of North America and you will see what I mean.
www.drna.org (http://www.drna.org)
Moose is a gorgeous doxie!
Moose is beautiful (love the name).
I'm sure you will get some good advice from other breeders here but the first thing you need to do is to research his bloodlines, you need to find out what kind of health problems are behind him, (and every line has some health problems in it), most importantly find out what kind of back problems are in his line. You probably already know that back problems in dachshunds are rampant and most of them are most likely genetic so it's very important for breeders to not breed a dachshund with a high risk of having or passing on this devastating disease. (I've been through it twice and a large percentage of people on this board have been through it with their doxies and it is an awful thing, lots of suffering for the dog some go paralyzed and some have to be put down). That is just half the story though you also would need to research (if the owner already hasn't, but hopefully they have) the lines of the female you want to breed to, to be sure she doesn't have a lot of health problems in her line as well. Any health problem both parents carry will come out even stronger in the pups. Some other things doxies can get are seizures, luxating patellas, heart problems, etc.
Once you have researched the health of Moose's lines and he passes that, the next thing is to have him evaluated for his structure. Have you shown him at all? It is important to breed only very sound dogs, poor structure will pass on poor structure and that can contribute to some of the health problems these guys get. A doxie with poor structure can still be a beautiful dog, you would need an experienced dachshund person to evaluate Moose's conformation.
You have already said he has wonderful temperament so that one is taken care of!
I believe you should also wait until he is at least 3-4 years old to give any potential health problems he might have brewing, time to show up before you breed him. If he does have something he will pass on, he will not only pass it on to the litter he has but each puppy in that litter can pass it on, etc etc. So it really is very important to research the health before breeding.
As Patty said there are so many dachshunds out there already there are not enough homes for them all and some have to be put down. There is not a need for more dachshund puppies....but there IS a need for healthier dachshunds! So the only good reason to breed is to take the dogs with the best/strongest genetics behind them and breed to other dogs of the same. Good temperment alone is not a good reason to breed, my doxie has the most wonderful temperament, but I would never breed her, (even if she wasn't spayed, which she is) because she has some allergy issues and she has had a back episode. She is totally fine now but I would worry she has something she could pass on.
Also just something to consider, an un-neutered male can be harder to live with, they are more likely to "mark" (pee) in the house, etc. A neutered dog is often more relaxed and less likely to wee on things. It also can prevent prostate and other problems as they get older if they are neutered. Same with a female, if she is spayed before her first heat it reduces her chance of getting mammary cancer almost to nothing. There are other complications that can happen when breeding dogs that you can even lose them from (mostly females). So breeding is not an easy job and should not be taken lightly, be sure you have him evaluated by experts (you could attend a local dog show and talk to the exhibitors at the doxie ring or find a local doxie club to get advice on Moose).
Also don't breed for color, that should be way down on the list of your reasons to breed your dog.
Good luck with Moose I hope you will post and let us know what you find out and decide what to do! :)
Wow! I think you have gotten some great advice on this topic. I don't have much advice about breeding that wasn't already said. I can tell you that there is much more satisfaction in rescuing a dachshund than buying or selling one. My brother rescued a dachshund, Bandit who has a very sad story. he has some behavior issues, but he is a very obedient dog and aims to please! He is such a grateful and loving dog. I just ask you to think of all the dachshunds who have beaten, abused, starved, etc....and then ask yourself, so i want to make more puppies that might prevent the ones already here from getting a home and being euthanized?
I will admit I bought my dog, Porky, from a breeder, but I don't plan on doing it again now that i have done some research on and given it more thought. To think our loving little Bandit could have died if we would have had another dog at the time, just breaks my heart. We have neutered Porky when he was six months old and i'm so glad we did. Bandit was not nuetered until he was three years old and still has agression issues and marking issues now that he is altered. Just something to think about.
I do agree that Moose is gorgeous!! Just remember, just because they look good on the outside, it doesn't mean they don't have underlying health issues that won't be seen until later. Just be happy with your beautiful baby you have and adopt one from a shelter or rescue if you feel he needs companionship.
Will add my 2 cents do you have potential homes for the pups?can you feed the pups if the Mom cannot or help the owner of the female you bred too,can you help the Mom dog's breeder if a pup is returned for any reason will you take the pup back.Just because you have the boy dog does not mean you are not resposible for the pups too.There is a huge amount of responsibility bringing pups in the world.Also the male & female should be tested for Brucellosis (maybe misspelled) but at test they give to dogs before breeding them.Never bred dogs always spay & neuter have healthier happier dogs.
My he is a pretty boy, neuter him, and love him, and leave the breeding to people who know what they are doing.
Roberta and da gang aka Oliver and AMy