Seasons? Do they influence your Breeding Decisions? - Page 1

I'm curious if you as a breeder are influenced by the date/month on any of your breeding decisions?

Does having pups available, say in February, make you rethink a breeding due to winter travel or shipping? or say August with it's heat and shipping difficulties have effect on your breeding decisions? Or even just having pups in the dead of winter when limited socialization or outdoor experiences may be limited? Or having pups during prime show time and travels, does this change your planning?

How much does the calendar have to do with your decisions on skipping a heat or limiting your breedings done during certain months?

On a scale of say, 1-5, where does seasonal planning come into consideration with your personal decisions? Does it influence you at all?

Or does having that litter/litters come first and override any seasonal influences for you?

I DO take the time of year into consideration.  Of course in my area (Ohio) spring/summer/fall puppies are MUCH easier to deal with then winter pups.  However, it doesnt always work out like that :)  I have had two litters born in December now.  My litter born this past December was tough as when they were 5-8 weeks old we had record breaking cold temperatures below zero THEN we had record breaking snow fall where we had the entire city shut down from 2 feet of snow or more.  Not easy to get the pups outside during those conditions! 

So I will take the time of year into consideration but it isnt my determining factor.  I wanted to/had to breed my bitch and she was in heat in October, so that is what I did.  I am hoping to take time of year into consideration for her next litter though.  I think it just depends on so many factors like what else is going on in my life, my bitch, her age, our trial schedule, my work schedule, when we are ready to start raising a pup, etc...

Valerie

I have the opposite living in South Florida I will avoid summer litters in the future due to the extreme heat and stick with winter breedings.  I guess that will also be opposite from most others.

Scale of 1-5 with 1 being most important?  I'd say a 1 .  My vet says August is the worst month for infections in dogs here.

I live in Alaska.  Zero on the seasons consideration, I whelp them in the house.  When they are three weeks old, I put them out in the heated dog barn with doggie doors that lead out of the heated dog stalls to generous sized pens.  Snow, rain, whatever, the puppies start going out at their own volition at about three to four weeks briefly to explore and eliminate, even in the snow.  Then they hurry back into the shed to Mom and warmth!  My steup usually makes them easy to housebreak later, as they have halfway been trained by themselves and Mom not to go inside. 

My main consideration is how many bitches are in heat at once (they tend to come into season at the same time) and who whelped last time.  I don't want to take care of more than one or two litters at a time.   Anyone here handle three litters at a time? How rough was it?  

Veronica

The only thing we try NOT to do is breed a litter ready just before Christmas,  I will NOT sell Xmas puppies...