Should I breed from my bitch?
If you’re thinking about breeding “to make money”, or because you think “it would be nice for my bitch to have puppies” these are probably not the best of reasons.
Checklist:
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Is your bitch endorsed against breeding by her breeder?
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Have you done all the recommended health tests?
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Do you know the health test status of your proposed stud dog?
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Are you confident you can find good homes for the puppies?
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Can you afford the vet fees if your bitch needs a caesarian section?
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Are you prepared for the worst, if your bitch dies during whelping?
Should I use my dog at stud?
You will probably find that breeders are not interested in using privately-owned dogs for stud purposes unless the dog has some special qualifications or show merit, or has the pedigree that they require for their breeding programme.
Checklist:
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Is your dog fit, healthy and a typical specimen of the breed, with a good temperament?
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Have you carried out all the recommended health screening tests?
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Do you know the health test status of the bitch coming to your dog?
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Does your dog have any breeding restrictions placed by its breeder on your Registration document?
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Are you prepared to help the owner of the bitch find suitable homes for the puppies, if necessary?
The Dachshund Breed Standard
If you plan to breed from your Dachshund you need to consider, first of all, if he/she is a typical example of the breed. Firstly, we mean does your Dachshund have the correct temperament: bold and outgoing? Behaviour and temperament is strongly inherited so, if your dog is nervous or aggressive, it is likely that he/she will produce puppies with a similar temperament.
Secondly, does your Dachshund look like a typical specimen on the breed? The Breed Standard is a guide to the construction and movement of a Dachshund. While not everyone wants to show their Dachshund, they should all, at least, be typical representatives of the breed. Many of the elements of the Breed Standard are there to ensure dogs are fit, healthy and temperamentally sound. They are relevant whether your Dachshund will be shown, will take part in other canine activities, or will simply be a much-loved pet.
For advice on the Breed Standard and if your dog is suitable for breeding from, please contact one of our Breed Club Secretaries or any member of our Health Committee.
Colour and pattern considerations
Double Dapple, Piebald, Blue and Isabella are patterns and colours that are not acceptable in the UK. There are serious health risks (deafness and blindness) associated with the Double Dapple pattern. The KC will not register puppies from two Dapple parents. The dapple pattern is not always obvious and a DNA test is available from Laboklin UK. Read about "Double Trouble".
Skin conditions such as Colour Dilution Alopecia are associated with the Blue and Isabella colours. You cannot be certain what risks to the health of puppies have been taken by breeders who claim to be breeding “Rare Colours”, or the accuracy of their pedigrees. Download a presentation on the genetics of Dachshund colours and patterns.
Recessive coats
Dachshunds in the UK normally have 2 copies of their own coat type gene (Wirehaired = WW, Smooth-haired = SS or Longhaired = LL) because the KC does not allow cross-coat matings. However, these were allowed until 1977 and there are still Wires and Smooths that “carry” the genes for different coat types. DNA tests are available from Laboklin UK for Smooth-Long and Wire. Download a presentation on the genetics of Dachshund coats.
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Imported dogs from countries where cross-coat (and cross-size) matings are more common may have combinations of the coat type genes. Wires may carry the gene for Smooth or Long and Smooths may carry the gene for Long.
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Wire is dominant to all other coat types; if a dog has just one W gene it will be a Wire, if it has one of the other coat-type genes it can pass that gene on to its progeny and produce “recessive Smooths” or “recessive Longs”.
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Smooth is dominant to Longs, if a dog has one S and one L gene it will be a Smooth, but if it carries the Long gene it can therefore pass it on to its progeny and produce “recessive Longs”.
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Long is recessive to both Wire and Smooth, therefore if a dog has a Longhaired Coat it has to have 2 copies of the Longhaired gene (LL); two Longhaired parents can only produce Longhaired puppies.
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Recessive coats will inevitably occur occasionally in UK litters of Wires and Smooths (of both sizes). Since 2016, these can now be registered in the UK according to their coat. Recessive coats born in litters outside the UK can be registered overseas according to their coat and then imported to the UK.