Serious question for breeders, and/or owners of hunting dogs; preferably Labrador retrievers.

B

Bill Abbate

Active member
Has anyone here ever had a single litter of puppies with their hunting bitch and then put that dog back into hunting service ?
If so, what are the pros and cons of doing so ?
Does a single breeding change the dog's disposition or make the bitch susceptible to any health issues as opposed to never having that one-time breeding ? Thank you in advance. I appreciate and welcome your responses.
 
Hi Bill,
I have raised and trained Chesapeakes since 1981. I don't know if I qualify to answer your question since this is pertaining to labs. What are your concerns?

Tom
 
Thomas-
Please comment on Chessies. My question is general. Basically, is it harmful to the bitch in any way to produce a single litter if you plan on getting the bitch back in the saddle right away and hunting again? Thank You.
 
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You have to evaluate each bitch. They all are not created equal. How old is she for instance. As a rule a younger bitch is going to bounce back quicker then a older one. You also have to look at genetics in the line are you familiar with her dam. As for changing her attitude towards hunting that normally doesn't change. I know a lot of times the bitch will run better
at hunt test's and field trials after having a litter. Some vet's recommend to spay your bitch if your not planning to breed her. You can go on and on. There are a lot of little factors that
go into each bitch and without knowing the bitch it is hard to pin point your general question.

Tom
 
Tom-
Thank you. That was very helpful. I was concerned that having a litter might make her more susceptible to certain types of illnesses that could possibly shorten her lifespan.
 
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I don't know if you're thinking about spaying, but there is a lot of literature out there about this....and a lot of stories. Here are a couple of them. I imagine there are others here that know more about the pros/cons than I do.







http://www.aaha.org/blog/NewStat/post/2014/07/17/785809/UC-Davis-study-neutering-golden-retrievers-Labradors.aspx


https://www.thelabradorsite.com/should-you-spay-your-dog-a-look-at-pros-and-cons/




 
Hi Bill,

I have hunted two of my females Tude had 4 litters and I never had a problem. I always bred her in Nov/Dec so she was fine by the next season. Quinn 10 yrs (tudes daughter) had one litter and I still hunt her out of your Mo marsh. All my Labs hunt with a vest. I see no down side to it.
 
Thanks Kevin. I’m glad that you’re still enjoying the Momarsh Fatboy DP. I still kick myself for selling that boat. It was a beauty and I miss it. Be well.
 
Bill

I have been out of the breeding department for many years. But I raised many Labs in my day. I just use to take it slow with my females after a litter. If there isn't any medical problems with her and she is free of the pups. Give her a little time to rest. I use to try not to put her under to much stress wright away. Keep a good eye on her in the field and when she is swimming. You'll be able to tell wright away if everything is good with her. Remember her heart and her drive will always be there. Its up to you to make sure she is not over doing it. A Lab will go until they drop. Hope this Helped
 
Bill Abbate said:
Thanks Kevin. I’m glad that you’re still enjoying the Momarsh Fatboy DP. I still kick myself for selling that boat. It was a beauty and I miss it. Be well.
Click to expand...

Bill

It is a great boat,I have a 2 hp and a 2hp island hopper i use on it and still paddle with a kayak paddle for areas that don't allow motors. my dog hides well in her mutt hut . I will hunt it until I can't load it. I have gotten some crazy looks with it when I was still loading it on top of the Pirus[cool]
 
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