This study investigates sex differences in longevity and causes of death in dogs taking into account the effect of neutering.

Maternal care has been shown to have an influence on individual development in many species including rodents, primates, humans, and adult dogs. This study builds off those findings to investigate if maternal care has an influence on puppy behavior.

Desexing has both physical and behavioral implications. Spay/neuter timing needs to consider the both the physical and behavioral ramifications of allowing a dog to remain intact. I'll cover both here, and also present a risk analysis of physical issues associated with spay/neuter (S/N).

Researchers were interested in studying reproductive success in female dogs (bitches) after artificial insemination (AI). Artificial insemination refers to the deliberate introduction of semen into a female by a veterinarian. No natural breedings were included in this study.

A lot of breeders don’t understand the caloric requirements of a nursing mom. During the last trimester of pregnancy, her caloric needs are two to three times her normal caloric needs. During nursing her caloric needs can be as much as six times her normal caloric needs, depending on her litter size and metabolism. This will get a little math-y and just a little technical. I think it’s better if we can understand a little of the why before we learn the how.

Consumers have become increasingly aware that the best puppies come from reputable breeders whose dogs are part of the family. This leaves reputable breeders in a predicament as to how to make sure their animals have the best possible lives while also maintaining diversity and high standards for their breeding program. One solution many breeders rely on is the use of Guardian Homes.

There’s no single way to wean successfully. Weaning is as much art as science. You will be most successful if you understand the basic principles of weaning and understand how to apply those to each litter. Each litter is different, even those from the same pairings, and weaning can differ from litter to litter.   

Inbreeding refers to the breeding of related individuals. Inbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness (an animal’s ability to survive and reproduce) in a population because of inbreeding. For example, scientists researching the Australian Thoroughbred horse population found that inbreeding led to reduced racing performance.

The short answer - Find a breeding mentor to guide you through the testing, certifications, the actual mating and whelping process, and locating quality homes for the puppies.

Weaning puppies successfully is as much art as it is science. Weaning is a critical time for puppies and impacts their survival, their physical development, their behavioral development, and their cognitive development. Here are a few common weaning mistakes I hope you avoid.

Back in the day, best practice for breeding was to wait until a dog was at least 2 - 4 years old, had at least 3 heat cycles to breed, and also to skip at least 1 cycle between litters. Like many other things we used to do, when science is finally applied to our profession and we get information from good data, we realize that we could be doing better.