I Need Input - One Litter or Spay? Pros & Cons?

[Kazz's Boxers]

Peggy,
I opt for spraying, for a couple of reasons.
I agree with Linda, Cindy and Boscirs.
Do you plan on showing your puppy?? A good example for breeding is to better the breed, i would show a puppy before breeding her. To see if she is worth breeding. I for one know nothing about breeding, and dont plan on breeding, but i am debating on showing and if my bitch is worthy of winning then comes the decision to breed, but i wouldnt dare breed with out contacting the breeder that i am getting her from. You have to have health tests done, holter tests done, and lots more stuff to ensure the future of the puppies and the mother, not to mention finding the appropitate stud dog.

Melanie

 

[April K]

I vote spay

I also went through the same dilemma. When we got Buster and Molly, I couldn't wait for them to grow up and make babies. Then, I started researching and realized that there are too many rescue boxers out there and that the expense would be much larger than any fun that came out of it. Plus, as beautiful as I think mine are...they aren't really to standard.

So...they both went to the doctor for the snip-snip.

 

[nanabear]

DITTO, DITTO, DITTO.............You got really good information here. I hope you consider all of it.
I had a beautiful female (spayed as a puppy) that was wonderful with people, loved children and was a loving pet until her end at 12 + yrs.

I was very flattered when approached a few times by owners with males that wanted to have a litter. But she went on to develop Thyroid disease, and Canine Cushings plus an assortment of disorders probably related to a poor immune system. My point is...........she would probably have been bred around 2, and these things had not shown up yet - she would probably have passed down some of them to puppies (as well as whatever the handsome stud might have carried.)
Love your dog and be flattered by compliments you receive.

I'll bet if you want to experience puppyhood with and for your children, you could rescue an abandoned Mama dog and/or a litter of puppies who need their life saved. Care for them until they are ready to go to forever homes - rescue groups need people to do that.

 

[Peggy G]

Nanabear, you are right, I got ALOT of great information and input here and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to help me through this decision. Your idea of taking in a mama with pups until they find homes is wonderful! I am definatly going to consider this.
LisaM, you mentioned another one of my concerns...losing a puppy and the effect this would have on my children AND ME. Heartbreaking. The links you provided are excellent.
April & Badassboxer, the fact that you considered breeding then chose not to was helpful to know.
JulieM, that web site in EXCELLENT and should be a featured link on boxerworld for those considering breeding.
Matthew, You provided me with a wealth of information from first hand experience. Huge reasons to leave it to the pros.
Cindy & Pam, you are right. There are too many dogs in rescue right now. I dont think Id like the idea of on of my Scarlets pups ending up there.
Linda & Melanie, Thank you for your helpful input as well.
With all said and the info from the links...looks like my Scarlet is going for a little trip to the vet. Now I need input on spaying!

 

[Lisa M]

congrats

I think you made a responsible and wise decision. I'm sure that Scarlet would be relieved if she knew about it .

I also am an avid puppy lover and when Glenn and I move we are going to look into puppy raising. A puppy raiser volunteers to take care of a puppy from about 8-12 weeks through 10-14 months that will be trained as a guide or service dog after it leaves your home. You are responsible for basic obedience and socialization and then the dog is turned over for final training and placement with a person who needs an assistance dog.

He's is worried that I'll be upset when the puppy leaves for their new destination, but I think I'll be proud. Plus we could move on to the next puppy as a distraction . It sounds like a great service project and a way to supply us puppy lovers with a "fix".

 

[Kazz's Boxers]

Peggy, i am glad that opted to Sprayed(sp) cant spell, now for my big question "TO SHOW OR NOT TO SHOW"
HEHEHEH

Melanie

ps I am sure that Scarlet will thank-you in the long run, and you will be gratefull that you did it. :D

 

[Boxer Crazy]

I am glad that you are planning to have your girl spayed.
You asked for experiences and I'd like to share mine. Keisha had a litter of 11 healthy brindle and fawn pups last May. The breeder and I split everything down the middle - expenses, profit, responsibility. I am as responsible as the breeder for every one of those pups for as long as they live. I have to be willing to take in any one of them, at any time, if needed, for whatever reason.
If I didn't have Keisha's breeder choose the stud - I wouldn't have known what to look for as the best match for Keisha. I had considered whelping the puppies at home vs. the breeder whelping and keeping the puppies for the first 10 days, until there was less risk of problems. I asked for advise on this board and the response was overwhelming in favor of taking Keisha to the breeder to whelp the pups. I am SO glad that I took their advise.

When Keisha's first pup was born it looked dead to my daughter and I. The breeder said - it's alive - but we thought that she was just saying that to calm us down. If the breeder wasn't there to revive that pup I wouldn't have known what to do, and that pup (a beautiful, spunky, little flashy brindle girl) would have died, I am sure of it. There were a few pups that needed a bit of help - though all 11 were healthy and strong. It makes me shudder to think that had I whelped those pups myself there would have been at least one pup die and it would have been my fault.

When the pups did come to stay with us at 9 days old, there was bottle feeding, changing the dirty newspapers in the box(we had to raid recycling boxes to keep up with the demand for newspaper LOL), caring for the tails, wipeing their little bums clean, making sure that all the pups had full tummies and that all teats were emptied (they had their favorite teats and I had to hold them on the less popular teats so that the milk didn't go sour etc). In the middle of the night if they cried I had to get up and see if everyone was alright. And that is just the BEGINNING. I was a nervous wreck, I was tired, and my back ached from constantly bending over looking after the pups and wipeing up Keisha's drips (she bled for approx. 11 weeks afterward). Thank god I had the breeder to call when I was worried about something.

All in all though it was a good expereince - no fatalities, mom and pups all healthy, and we kept a pup (Travis).

Having a litter of puppies is a HUGE responsibility and ALOT of work. I am thinking of breeding Keisha again, and if I do I will send her back to the breeder again for breeding and whelping. There are too many things that can go wrong, and if something were to go wrong I want my dog to be in the best hands possible. But I am having second thoughts too as it is so much work (and worry) and I had to put my life pretty much on hold for a few weeks.

I really am glad that you are now planning to have your girl spayed - I'm sure you are making the right decision.

 

[Aimee]

I recently began working with a lady in rescue who has 4 litters of pups at her house, 3 without mothers now and another litter on the way (any day now). If for some unforseen reason the mother rejects the puppies (which is what happened to one litter after a c-section$$) You cannot even imagine (as I know I had not a clue until I got involved) what this entails. Feedings every 4 hours, weighing, taking temperatures, ensuring they all stay a certain degree in warmth, bottle feeding takes forever, the subcutaneous fluids that had to be given, the rounds of medication, and tube feeding, one mistake and you have lost a puppy...just like that, I also learned that puppies have to be stimulated to go potty---now that was an experience. I know you have decided not to do this and I commend you on your decision. I just wanted to add for anyone else out there that the mother doesn't necessarily do all the work as planned and you must be prepared just in case. This is a HUGE responsibility and an enormous amount of time, money and WORK....Congratulations on your decision to spay :D

 

[Peggy G]

UPDATE

Hello Board ~

Just picked Scarlet up from her spaying. The procedure went well though she is not quite herself yet. I look forward to a kidney bean soon. She seems a little depressed. Cant say I blame her. I feel depressed for her too.

Just wanted to thank everyone again and to let you all know we took your advise.

 

[MajorMom]

I really think that you made a great decision, and you both will profit ten-fold from it as she gets older. Thank you for the update!!