Most exciting news for me, ever!

Thanks guys I have seen that first hand on here, where people turn down obviously good advice, ahh! *hugs you guys*

Nolu- It sounded like BS.. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Thanks for the advice, I looked and saw that the Newfoundland Club of America has a Magazine! NewfTide. I will sign up for it once I move and have an address. I also joined the mailing list and am about to join the other groups.

Couldn't have said it better myself.


*hires Sizzle as a ghostwriter*

What if the parents don't produce a "show quality" puppy? Even Ch parents have pet quality pups at some point.

Oooo congrats! I can't blame you for being excited!!

More and more reproductive specialist are strongly suggesting that breeders not let bitches cycle. Either breed them or spay them.
Cat people have been doing it that way for years.

corgi_love, there is also a really nice, active Newfie forum:

http://www.newf.net/Forums/

I do agree in many ways, however, it is worth noting that the reproductive mechanics are very different between cats and dogs.

Queens (female cats) are induced ovulators, meaning they do not ovulate until they are stimulated by the spines on the tom's penis during mating. Cats will cycle pretty much constantly unless and until they are bred or spayed.

Bitches on the other hand cycle on a fairly predictable basis, however, the reproductive cycle in the bitch is driven by progesterone.

Progesterone is an inflammatory hormone that causes, among many other things, the congestion and thickening of the uterine lining. The bitch is UNIQUE among mammals in having this reproductive cycle that is driven not by estrogen, but by progesterone.

The inflammation of the uterine lining is what takes each bitch one step closer to a pyometra each season she goes through. Some bitches may tolerate this uterine inflammation during the reproductive cycle and never develop a pyo. Others take many less cycles for them to develop to the metritis/pyometra stage.

Dr. Hutchinson is very specific about this in his seminars and online information.

Pyometra is in general an emergency situation for any bitch, and requires aggressive treatment in order for a bitch to survive.

So I would agree that leaving open bitches to cycle for long periods of time without either breeding, or ovariohysterectomy, is not healthy for the bitch, and unwise. This should not, however, be used as a justification to breed a bitch endlessly because it's "unhealthy" for her to stay open.

JMO as always.

Of course not. But it is better to breed the bitch the 2-4 times you plan to in her breeding career spay her young and place her (or keep her) than to let her keep going into seasons and drag out her breeding career over a period of 6-8 years.

Also, out of curiosity. Did you (the person interested in the puppy) ever ask the breeder why there was no OFA numbers? Not everyone uses OFA to grade hips, there are better systems, and secondly some breeds you are not going to be able to only use OFA normal dogs. Bulldogs come to mind...as well a shepherds (even Jimmy Moses has used dogs/bitches that could not pass OFA).
Sometimes choosing a dog that cannot pass hips might be better than choosing a dog who can but has or carries some other potentially more detrimental health issue.

Corgi_Love, kudos to you for pulling out when you realized the breeder wasn't ethical. Not many people care enough or are educated enough to make that realization and follow through with it.

Harley.. I know you have not read the rest of the thread as I am no longer getting a puppy from her. But obviously if there is not a show quality puppy in the litter, I would be bumped to the next litter?

Thanks! I joined

Thanks Summit View