Culling pups from the litter - Page 1

I have allowed my bitch to keep every puppy that would be a viable adult who could make a family or person happy.  I have had to cull on one ever.  It was today.  Her heart/lungs/liver/intestines were outside of her body and I did not have the equipment to put them back in.  If I had the equipment, I would have not culled her without trying to save her first.
I should say that when my bitch had ten puppies, I helped her rear them and it was very hard.  I currently have a 9 year old bitch that had 8 puppies (one was culled) and not only did I play a very large role in the delivery, but I will play an even larger role in the rearing.  It is very hard, but very worth it.  As it turns out, even my pet quality puppies lead very well rounded lives that are fulfilling to their owners, so far.
JMO,
W

 I completely disagree with ANY interference on what nature would allow to survive. If I had a bitch that needed my help raising pups, I wouldn't breed that bitch. Puppies should be raised by dogs, not humans. My bitches will have as many pups as they're carrying, and the ones destined to live will live, with no help on my part. The ones destined to die will die, again, with no help on my part. In a case like Wlpool just described, w/organs outside the body, I would make an exception and put that pup down humanely. Otherwise, let nature take its course. I've yet to meet more than one or two people I deemed smart enough to even know which pups to cull. 

there is absolutely no need to "cull" healthy puppies.  Minimal assistance may be required for large litters ie supplementing smaller/weaker puppies or simply sitting there for 10 minutes making sure the smaller puppies get enough time on the nipple.  As long as the mother is healthy and producing enough milk (and if she isn't, why was she bred in the first place?) - no need to cull healthy puppies.  NO NEED TO CULL HEALTHY PUPPIES.  Why would you?  Is there really a valid reason to do it?

molly

agree with molly........no need to cull the healthy ones.  we have, in the past, culled for heart valve problem and deformity.  not fun, but necessary.
pjp

  Since childhood living in an Agricultural Region on the East Coast,I have witnessed with disdain the Practice of well to do individuals in the community Breed an excellent Bird Dog or Retriever,only to keep one or two Pups out of a large litter. The remaining Pups are destroyed usually in one of two ways.
   In my opinion,none of these individuals have any right to criticize Michael Vick.None what so ever.
  I am not condoning Pit Bull Fighting,but to me the practice of keeping one or two Pups only for selfishness, predicated on the objective that no one else obtain a particular bloodline,is no less shameful.

 PL alleges that it's irresponsible of the breeder to allow more than 8 to live. 

If my bitch has weak puppies who need my help in order to learn to eat and get enough time on the nipple to eat, then they will either be smaller due to eating less or they will die.  But whatever happens, they'll do it on their own, with zero interference from me.

I will not be one of those breeders putting weak dogs out there to the public because I'm too greedy to let nature take its course. Do you all think the breed would be in the state it is today if we didn't have the mentality that we need to save every puppy? These pups who really shouldn't be alive are being saved, bottle fed, and then many times, bred, perpetuating an unnatural line of weak dogs. 

But I cannot, hard as I try, wrap my head around the thought process where unlucky number 9 must die. WTF???

Really ...... I mean c'mon. I can honestly say that I would not buy a dog from someone who thinks that way. I dont have a problem with culling but not small pups unless they were suffering. You dont even know what to cull until they are a little older. I personally wouldnt know until about 6 months on average. I do not have any idea where someone would come up with this. I would really like to know. 

I do know that some KNPV breeders cull the female pups. Even their reasoning is better.

Actually what I meant to say to the OP is YOU CLEARLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.



 

I was at a local feed store not more than two weeks ago, socializing my litter of puppies and this is the story the owner of the store told me about his first experience at culling.
When he was 12 years old his father raised bird dogs and boarded hunters dogs.  One day one of his father's females came into heat.  He and a friend also around 12 years old allowed her to be mated.  His father allowed the bitch to have the puppies (6 of them)  After the boys got to know the puppies for 6 weeks, the father gave each of the boys a hammer and made them go to the kennel and "fix" their mistake.  To my shock, he said they did it.  He said he was hurt, but it was a lesson that his only had to learn once.  I got so sick from his story that I had to cut socialization time short.  He is my age so this had to be around 1985 or so.  I hope that things have changed in the hunting dog community.