# How do you keep a female dog from getting pregnant on her first heat?



## Blessedwithpets (Jun 15, 2022)

Hey. So I have a female Great Pyrenees named sugar born Jan 3 2022 so she’s about 6 months old. I want to get a male Pyrenees and breed her when she is on her second heat or when she’s over a year and a half but I’m not sure how to keep her from getting pregnant on her first heat. And I also don’t know when her first heat will be. She is a pure bred free roaming Pyrenees and she’s a livestock guardian so we can’t really bring her inside but she hangs out with our neighbors/cousins dog which is an un neutered blue heeler. So I’m scared he’s going to get her pregnant too early. And I could put her in our goat pen which is 200ftx200ft with a 4 ft fence but there is a big chance she’ll still get out. My uncle does have dog kennels a mile down the road that he uses for his hunting dogs but I feel bad to just lock her up. I don’t know how dog reproduction works or if they can get pregnant outside of their heat but I just need to do more research before it is time for her to breed. If you guys have any suggestions please let me know know. I should also mention I am 14 and I’m fully responsible for her and My other animals.


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## frustratedearthmother (Jun 15, 2022)

At 14 that's a lot of responsibility to take on.  Here are a few things for you to think about.

What is the reason you want to breed her?  Are you hoping to make money from puppies?  I guarantee you that if you do it right - you will never get rich breeding dogs.

If you are solely responsible for her, have you considered the costs of raising a litter of puppies? First, is Sugar fully vaccinated?  Has she had any health testing?   A lot of buyers will want the pups to have a health check by a veterinarian. They need high quality food.  What if mom doesn't have enough milk?  They will need to be supplemented.  They will need vaccinations and parasite control.   Do you have enough money for veterinary care for a sick mom or pup?

Will you offer a health guarantee?  What will happen if someone gets a pup that they aren't happy with - are you prepared to take that dog back until you can find another home for it?  Can you take care of multiple dogs if you can't find homes for all of them?

If she is unsecured, she will definitely be bred by any male dog that is able to find her.  You should train her to come inside.  What would happen if she were ever injured or sick and you can't get her inside to take care of her?  I have Livestock Guardian dogs and they all are willing to come inside for a while.  You should teach her to be inside before she gets too big to control.  She should also be comfortable enough to go inside a veterinarian's office and she should also learn to jump in and out of a vehicle for vet visits.  There are a lot of things you should think about just in the raising of Sugar before you start thinking about breeding her.

You definitely need to know the signs of a female dog coming into estrus.  You will have to watch her very closely in order to keep an unwanted breeding from taking place.  You need to do a lot of homework!  Do your research.  Breeding a dog and raising puppies is a very serious responsibility.


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## Blessedwithpets (Jun 15, 2022)

frustratedearthmother said:


> At 14 that's a lot of responsibility to take on.  Here are a few things for you to think about.
> 
> What is the reason you want to breed her?  Are you hoping to make money from puppies?  I guarantee you that if you do it right - you will never get rich breeding dogs.
> 
> ...


She only has one set of shots left any she’s just now due for them. And I would be willing to bottle feed puppies if things were to go wrong. Ive bred parakeets before and I’ve handfed some every hour even through the night. Im homeschooled so I have no schedule. I currently breed rabbits too. My parents do pay for her shots and sometimes her food. She’s also on a monthly flea/tick/heart worm prevention pill. I brush her AT LEAST 2-3 times a week. She stayed inside from 6 weeks old to about 9 weeks then she started going to the bathroom every where and shedding too much and her original purpose was for a livestock guardian so we transitioned her to outside. She loves to ride in the car but she only wants to sit in my lap and she’s getting a little too big lol. And my reason for breeding her is not to make myself rich but just so she basically pays for herself. So I can have a dog that I love so much (and the sweetness and cuteness of puppies) but by her producing puppies and me selling them, it should pay for her food and some partial vet bills . My parents are paying for the shots but any further vet bills would be my expense, of course if it’s really big they’ll help me out. I know she is way too young to have puppies (she’s a puppy herself) and I don’t want her to have them but I just need to figure out how to prevent it early on. My parents have already told me that inside is not an option. If I bathe her they don’t mind her being inside for a few hours during the day but not overnight. And I could probably just build her a pen but I feel bad to just lock her up. And we will be leaving for a 20 day trip in July so I have to figure that out too because she could go into heat between now and one year of age. I will say she is a terrible guard dog because she would just walk up to any intruder with her tail just a wagging lol. It’s the funniest thing she gets so excited to see us when we come outside she literally shows her teeth and smiles. She gets along great with one of our cats but her only behavioral problem is she gets aggressive to other animals with food. But she has never shown any aggression to humans. She’s just the sweetest dog (therefore the name sugar, and because she’s white lol) and I just love her. As for the puppies I would tell the buyers if they ever decided they no longer want the puppy to bring them back to me. And I would bring all puppies to the vet for first shots and health check. And there’s always room for another animal at my house lol. We own 8 acres that is surrounded by my grandpas 1,200 acres and there are 4 houses around the pond, ours, my grandparents, and 2 of my cousins all on my dads side. But anyways please let me know if you have any more tips. Thank you for your reply. God bless you!!


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## Baymule (Jun 16, 2022)

You absolutely must lock her up when she is in heat. No way around that. My dogs are neutered/spayed. I don’t want the cost or responsibility of puppies. Making Sugar pay for herself doesn’t sound like a very good plan to me. You took her on as your responsibility and it’s up to you to pay for her care. I can understand the excitement of a litter of puppies, but if you must breed her, you might want to stop after one litter. You won’t really make money at it. There is no teacher like experience. 

You sound like a very good dog mommy and it’s plain that you love and care for your dog. Give this careful thought, coming here for advice shows that you have a greater maturity level than most 14 year olds. 
I get it, puppies are hard to resist. Do your due diligence and research.


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## Simpleterrier (Jun 16, 2022)

If u don't want puppies lock her up in multiple layers of protection. One row of fence might not stop the act.

On the other side if u wanna breed and produce puppies to sell down the road then go ahead but just think it threw and understand all sides.

And to those who say u don't make money selling puppies even with one litter I have to disagree. Multiple people have multiple reasons for not wanting others to breed animals. Most are just opinions tied in with some fact. You have to decide and be ok with the reasons you choose.

I have seen good and bad animals come from both registered breeders and I'll call them animal mills. The people I stay away from are rescuers and those who want to charge.more for breeding rights.

Just a heads up everyone on here is making money from all there animals. If u don't make money or break even then none of us would have them we couldn't afford them.


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## OneFineAcre (Jun 16, 2022)

I lose money on every animal I sell, but I'm making up for it in volume.


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## farmerjan (Jun 16, 2022)

I will not get into the finances with @Simpleterrier ... yes you could say we make money on our animals, it helps to pay for the costs... but without OUTSIDE income... off the farm... we would not be able to make it.  
A 14 yr old girl is someone that is not in a position to control the fate of her LGD.  Not without full support of her parents... and not having any other experience.  She admitted that she needs to do more studying on the subject.  

@Blessedwithpets ;  first off, I admire that you came here for some help and advice.  Everything that @frustratedearthmother said in her post is right.  You could make some money on the puppies... BUT when you put that against the cost of getting those puppies you will find there is little actual profit to be made.  
To prevent unwanted pregnancy means there must be NO CONTACT with a male all through the heat cycle.  No,  dogs do not get pregnant if they are not in heat... but can get bred early in the heat cycle and at the end... SO,  that means total locked up for the WHOLE HEAT CYCLE... There can be no "feeling bad for her" or any emotions involved in it.  
A 4 ft fence is not going to contain her when her hormones get raging... nor will it stop any and all male dogs in the neighborhood....

It worries me that you are supposed to take this all on, with maybe some help from your parents.  Everything that was suggested about costs is very true.  Costs of everything are going up and up... you could not afford to take back puppies that someone decided they did not want, or to just keep puppies that did not get placed.  
I admire that you are looking at ways to get her to "pay for herself".... but at this age and with the current situation, I honestly do not feel that you are in a position to take this big of a step at this time.  You need to get some time, a few years, of handling and dealing with these type of dogs before you would be ready to actually start breeding them.  You are still in the puppy stage and they go through many different stages in their growth.  She will change and one thing that is very common in the Great Pyr breed is their tendency to roam and to decide for themselves what is "their area" to protect.  
There are several on here that have bred them and have way more experience.  LISTEN to them.  @Ridgetop has had LGD's for many years... and DOES NOT BREED her own.... but buys any replacements from a LONG TIME well established breeder.... 

There are many that do not work out and wind up in shelters.... they need an experienced person to deal with the ones that are not the "perfect" dog.  It sounds like your dog Sugar, is a very good one as far as her disposition and attitude...... but she is still a young dog.  She needs to grow up and mature.  
From all I have heard and seen, an LGD should not be bred before 2 at the earliest.  
One other thing... NO, I do not have LGD's .... have worked with people that have them... have farm sat for people that have them, and the one thing that is IMPERATIVE is that there are good fences to contain them.... and facilities to contain them under circumstances that require it...


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## Simpleterrier (Jun 16, 2022)

What @farmerjan  is saying is true. And I'll try to sum up what we both are saying about the finances. We don't and can't afford to lose money but most don't make a living raising animals. 

I raise my own beef and pork cheeper than what I can buy it in the store and I turn a small profit on the animals I sell all said and done I usually don't make 2500 a year off of my animals but I eat beef like it is free


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## Blessedwithpets (Jun 17, 2022)

to everyone here thank you so much for the advice. As for the financial part, being 14 it’s my goal to just break even with all my animal expenses. I breed rabbits and I make about $300 every 3 months and that pays for they’re food and toys and just general upkeep. I’ve been considering getting a female cockatiel for my male cockatiel and a male budgie for my female budgie but that’s like at the bottom of my list, because I have bred birds before and i know what comes with that and the chance that the pairs don’t actually work out. I currently have a pair of guppies (fish) and a few betta pairs and the guppies are new and I have not had success with breeding bettas. And I will be rehoming my bearded dragon only because a family member really wants her for her grandkids and they are building a house across the street. But with my dog (the reason we’re all here) I’m sure she’ll only have about 2 litters before I move out and maybe 1 before I can get an actual job. So I know I’m not going to get rich breeding rabbits or dogs or even birds but animals are my life and without money I can’t have animals so I think if I take the right care of my animals breeding is not a bad thing. I want to start going to rabbit shows too and I’m working on colors and quality with my rabbits. And my cockatiel is just so tame and my budgie is getting there. But anyways I don’t want my dog getting pregnant too young it’s just not healthy. And I hate to lock her up in a kennel during her heat but if that’s what’s gonna keep her healthy thats what I have to do. And the world right now is adopt don’t shop and I agree animals in shelters need help but some people want specific animals for a specific reason and I think responsible breeding is ok. She is a purebred double dew clawed Pyrenees and I want to get a purebred male puppy once she finishes her first heat so he’ll be finished with his shots and matured by her second heat. I agree that I’m basically a child and I take on a lot of responsibility but I don’t pursue anything I can’t handle. But as for breeding I’m general I’m here asking how to do it right not if I should do it. I know what responsibilities puppies come with and I might let her have one litter then decide to get her fixed you never know but I am willing to put all my time into animals. Once again thank you all for the responses and I’m sorry if I went completely off topic lol. Thank you all. God bless y’all!!


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## frustratedearthmother (Jun 17, 2022)

Good luck!


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## Blessedwithpets (Jun 17, 2022)

frustratedearthmother said:


> Good luck!


Thank you!


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## Baymule (Jun 17, 2022)

My animals are my life too. I get it. Hahaha, I can eat my sheep…….puppies…..NO!!!


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## Blessedwithpets (Jun 17, 2022)

Baymule said:


> My animals are my life too. I get it. Hahaha, I can eat my sheep…….puppies…..NO!!!


Lol I feel you.


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## Ridgetop (Jun 17, 2022)

Blessedwithpets said:


> And my reason for breeding her is not to make myself rich but just so she basically pays for herself. So I can have a dog that I love so much (and the sweetness and cuteness of puppies) but by her producing puppies and me selling them, it should pay for her food and some partial vet bills .


First, I do not breed lgds or any dogs anymore.  My last litter of any breed was about 20 years ago.  I do not anticipate breeding any litters.  I have found that buying a good LGD from a well-known breeder specializing in livestock guardians, who does all the genetic testing to prevent dysplasia, etc. is worth the higher price of the puppy.  It is certainly cheaper than breeding a litter of pups, feeding and vaccinating them and trying to find buyers willing to pay more than a couple hundred dollars.  And then getting complaints about the dog when they do not follow my training instructions!  And worst of all, taking back a perfectly good dog that the buyer has ruined!

When you say you want to breed her and sell puppies " just so she basically pays for herself" are you saying that she is *not* a working member of the ranch?  If she is a guardian dog and protecting your herd and flock from predators, then she is *already* "earning her keep".  

Without a guardian dog we lost 30 pregnant ewes and lambs in less than 2 years to coyotes.  Our old dog had died of cancer and we decided to try just locking our animals up in the barn at night. The coyotes came n during the day and slaughtered them.  Not only did we lose the price of the ewes, we lost the unborn lambs they were carrying (most were at term).  We replaced our dead ewes 3 or 4 times then finally got a new guardian dog.  Between the loss of the ewes and the lambs (born and unborn) we lost over $6000.  When you consider that we had to replace breeding ewes with ewe lambs and start over each time, we lost the $$ from sales of any lamb those older ewes would have produced during the time we were waiting for our ewe lambs to mature to breeding age.

Our guardian dogs work hard for their dinners, and definitely "earn their keep".  We have 3 LGDs on a 6 acre property due to the many coyotes and occasionally cougar surrounding us.  

With the cost of dog food, vaccinations medical care, and loss of the guarding work of a bitch in whelp for several months you will not be making any money.  What price were you planning to charge for your puppies?  At several hundred dollars per up, you might be lucky to underwrite the feed bill.  Not all puppies will get sold and you will have to keep the leftovers for a while until a buyer comes along.  Growing puppies eat a LOT!  

With the large breeds like Pyrenees, they are not fully mature until 2 years old.  Just because she comes into season does not mean she is mature enough to breed and raise a litter to term without endangering her own health.  Human girls begin menstruation around 11 years old but that does not mean their bodies are mature enough to carry a baby for a 9 months gestation and give birth without some damage to their own bodies and health.  And in the case of your Pyr LGD you are expecting her to continue working as a livestock guardian throughout her 9 week pregnancy, whelping, and lactation until the pups are weaned at 8-10 weeks.  It is not recommended to breed before 2-3 years old since the bitch is not fully developed and grown herself.  Having litters of pups before maturity is bad for the dog and can keep her from getting to her full size.  Many breeders wait until the dog is 3 before breeding to make sure the dog is mature and healthy enough to grow a litter and feed them once they are born.  The puppies will also learn some livestock basics from the mother if she is older and trained.

Who do you plan to breed her to?  Are there other Pyrenees around?  What are they like?  Are they healthy?  Do they have any genetic defects?    Do you plan to have her xrayed for possible unseen genetic diseases like hip dysplasia?  Do you plan to guarantee the health of your puppies to your buyers?   Could you take a puppy back if it did not perform well?  Are you ok with having your puppies end up in the pound?  Some owners may not be willing to have a dog that grows from an adorable powder puff into a 120 lb shedding and barking dog.  LGDs bark.  A lot!  That is the first defense system they use against intruders and predators. If a puppy is returned with bad behavior due to improper training by the purchaser will you know how to retrain the dog?  Will you be able to afford to keep another adult Pyr during that time of retraining and placement?

One last thought is the state of the economy.  With prices rising every day, how many people will be able to afford to buy and feed a livestock dog?  Actually, how many people will be able to afford to keep small livestock.  LGDs are mainly used to defend sheep and goats not cattle.  Dog food has risen in price along with hay and feed, and will continue to do so, as will vet bills.  Keeping large LGDs is not cheap.  Feeding a pregnant bitch and while she is producing milk for her pups is very exensive.  Feeding a litter of large breed puppies 3x daily (that is what I said) costs a huge amount.  A Pyrenees btch can whelp anywhere from a small litter of 6 to a large litter of 12 puppies.

If you are determined to breed your dog and try to sell puppies you need to invest in a heavy duty dog kennel with a top since Pyrs can climb chain link fencing  She will need to spend the 3 weeks of her heat cycle in the kennel every 6 months until she is ready to be breed.  During that time period you will be without a flock guardian.  A bitch is pregnant for 9 weeks.  For the last few weeks of her pregnancy she will be heavy and while willing to do her job, runs the risk of harm due to her slower speed clumsiness while heavy with pups.  Once the pups are born she will also be reluctant to leave her nest to protect the flock for several weeks. 

So here is the amount of time you will be effectively guardianless:
3 weeks every 6 months, or 6 weeks out of the year.
2-3 weeks just before whelping, and another 2-3 weeks after whelping.  If you plan to breed her 2 times in her life and take the wise course of waiting at least until she is 3 years old and wait at least one year between breeding, and she has a life span of 12 years, you will have no guardian for 63 weeks+.  That equates to 1 year, 3 months of no protection for your flocks.  Can you do without flock protection that long?

In addition, is this dog worth being bred?  Not is she worth being loved, not does she do a great job, but are there a lot of other Pyrs of the same quality out there doing guardian jobs?  How much would a 2nd puppy cost to purchase?  How many people are already breeding Pyrenees guardian dogs in your area?  How many people want to buy Pyrenees guardian dogs?  

As someone who has bought many LGDs over the years, I strongly recommend you to reconsider breeding your bitch, particularly at 1 year old.   Instead get a kennel for her - they are available at feed stores Lowes, Home depot, etc. and confine her to it for the 3 week duration of her heat cycle.  The minimum size should be 6' x12' with a top.  Place logs or heavy timber around the bottom so she can't dig out, and male dogs can't dig in.  You will be using it for 6 weeks of the year every year until you have her spayed. It will be a good investment since you can put her pups in it when they are too small to be loose at night and mama is working.  If you are determined to breed her for puppies, once you have bred her and sold her pups, I recommend you have her spayed.


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## Blessedwithpets (Jun 18, 2022)

Ridgetop said:


> First, I do not breed lgds or any dogs anymore.  My last litter of any breed was about 20 years ago.  I do not anticipate breeding any litters.  I have found that buying a good LGD from a well-known breeder specializing in livestock guardians, who does all the genetic testing to prevent dysplasia, etc. is worth the higher price of the puppy.  It is certainly cheaper than breeding a litter of pups, feeding and vaccinating them and trying to find buyers willing to pay more than a couple hundred dollars.  And then getting complaints about the dog when they do not follow my training instructions!  And worst of all, taking back a perfectly good dog that the buyer has ruined!
> 
> When you say you want to breed her and sell puppies " just so she basically pays for herself" are you saying that she is *not* a working member of the ranch?  If she is a guardian dog and protecting your herd and flock from predators, then she is *already* "earning her keep".
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for this. I’ll have to talk it over with my family whether we want to go through all of this or if we might just get her spayed. And as for where we get the Pyrenees we had to drive 4 hours to get my puppy because no one breeds them around us. Even if we do get her spayed we will still get a male because I’ve heard that Pyrenees thrive when they have an opposite sex partner. We paid 300 for our dog but we got her from a backyard breeder that just had 2 mature Pyrenees. That lived in their goat pen and the puppies were just running around. Thanks again. God bless!


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## Ridgetop (Jun 19, 2022)

Good Luck.

Most livestock people refer to spay and neuter their LGDs because when the bitch comes into season it attracts male dogs and coyotes.  If they have a male and female, the male LGD is spending his time hanging out by the female in season where she is penned up instead of doing his job.  Or the dogs are continually breeding and producing pups for you to find homes for.  LGDs don't always make good house and yard dogs.  They are loud, protective, and do not take obedience training well enough to be good household pets.


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## Stephine (Jun 22, 2022)

Simpleterrier said:


> If u don't want puppies lock her up in multiple layers of protection. One row of fence might not stop the act.
> 
> On the other side if u wanna breed and produce puppies to sell down the road then go ahead but just think it threw and understand all sides.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I am not making a dime; definitely my animals put me in the red.


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## Grizzlyhackle (Jun 22, 2022)

I'm late to the ball game here.
Lock her up. Think bank vault. I chased away a male that was 6 ft  in the air hanging on the side of my dog pen. Luckily I had put wire fence over the top to prop up shade tarps in the summer. He couldn't figure how to climb up then slip under the wire. My own mutt figured out how to get out of his store bought fence panel dog pen. He pulled her door open enough to slip out and the rest you can figure out. Vet wasn't helpful there was a shot I was told that would make her abort. He said sorry for your luck you'll learn won't you. 47 lb English pointer had to have a surgical abortion. Puppies were huge. Mutt was 98lb Chesapeake cross, they pulled 13 fetuses. This was in 1989 or 90 none of that was cheap even then.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jun 22, 2022)

I raise and breed dogs and I have a few questions for you... can you afford the vet bills, ..can you handle taking a sick puppy to the vet and hold it and comfort it while the vet puts it down...can you afford to have each parent dog Embark tested ($150 per dog ....large breed dogs such as yours need to have proof of good hips, it takes a different (expensive !)  type of xrays and certificate  of clearance  of hip dysplasia....are you prepared to wait 2 years to breed your dogs....you will need to advertise , answer tons of questions from prospective  buyers... how would you interview the prospective  buyer and make sure that your puppy is going to a responsible  home, with lots of room for the dog to run...do the new owners have time to properly raise and TRAIN  their puppy,...do they have animals to guard, family pet or will it be for working.., do they have young children ? .do they have high fencing ...will the puppy be alone all day when they work, or will someone be home with them ...can they afford to take the dog to the vet if needed...
If you already have about 5k set aside for food, dog and Puppies needs and vetting.....and have all the above items planned out, then go for it !   Raising puppies is a 24/7 job...and last but not least, who is cleaning up all the mess they make....YOU 
It really isn't  as sweet and  fun as some people think, I have held those puppies that have needed to be put down , then we (vet and I)  opened up that puppy to find out what may have gone wrong, then home to bury it, ...and I won't  even get into birthing issues or puppies born dead.....they (puppies and dogs) are not anything like a litter of kittens, rabbits, birds or fish....they ( I am repeating myself) are a LOT OF , and I mean alot of work, and cost a alot of money to raise...let alone trying to find the perfect homes for them in this current economy.  
I hope you will consider what I have mentioned, I have not said it to discourage you...it is just some facts you need to be aware of...good luck to you, Barb


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## B&B Happy goats (Jun 22, 2022)

Opps, I hadn't  read Ridgetops reply, she always has great advice !


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## Ridgetop (Jun 23, 2022)

B&B Happy goats said:


> and cost a alot of money to raise...let alone trying to find the perfect homes for them in this current economy.


B & B Happy Goats hit it right on the head!  Everything she said x 10. 

For me, I have CHIC tested my dogs, and have the necessary emergency money to breed  litter, BUT I hate finding appropriate homes for them and worrying that they will end up in rescue (where no LGD should ever end up) because  judged the buyer wrongly. Or worse, be put down because they develop very bad habits.  Even with a return clause in any purchase contract, this is something good and reputable breeders worry about.  

Many people will buy an LGD without investigating the problems you can have with them or the training necessary.  And there are problems and training necessary.  Many people think just toss the dog in the pasture and then complain about the dog when they don't train it properly.  This is why well trained LGDs are so expensive.  Properly trained LGDs have huge value.  For commercial operations LGDs are all that keep them from bankruptcy.  Like any dog LGDs take appropriate training.  And a lot of LGD buyers won't listen to you when you tell them HOW and WHY they need training. Or they call asking how to fix a problem and won't obey your instructions, then blame the dog.  

Reread B &B Happy Goats posting and then really think about it. Since you have to bear all the costs without parental support, think carefully.


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## B&B Happy goats (Jun 23, 2022)

Ridgetop said:


> B & B Happy Goats hit it right on the head!  Everything she said x 10.
> 
> For me, I have CHIC tested my dogs, and have the necessary emergency money to breed  litter, BUT I hate finding appropriate homes for them and worrying that they will end up in rescue (where no LGD should ever end up) because  judged the buyer wrongly. Or worse, be put down because they develop very bad habits.  Even with a return clause in any purchase contract, this is something good and reputable breeders worry about.
> 
> ...


I agree with you, finding great homes is the most stressful  part for me also.


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## Blessedwithpets (Jul 13, 2022)

Th


B&B Happy goats said:


> I raise and breed dogs and I have a few questions for you... can you afford the vet bills, ..can you handle taking a sick puppy to the vet and hold it and comfort it while the vet puts it down...can you afford to have each parent dog Embark tested ($150 per dog ....large breed dogs such as yours need to have proof of good hips, it takes a different (expensive !)  type of xrays and certificate  of clearance  of hip dysplasia....are you prepared to wait 2 years to breed your dogs....you will need to advertise , answer tons of questions from prospective  buyers... how would you interview the prospective  buyer and make sure that your puppy is going to a responsible  home, with lots of room for the dog to run...do the new owners have time to properly raise and TRAIN  their puppy,...do they have animals to guard, family pet or will it be for working.., do they have young children ? .do they have high fencing ...will the puppy be alone all day when they work, or will someone be home with them ...can they afford to take the dog to the vet if needed...
> If you already have about 5k set aside for food, dog and Puppies needs and vetting.....and have all the above items planned out, then go for it !   Raising puppies is a 24/7 job...and last but not least, who is cleaning up all the mess they make....YOU
> It really isn't  as sweet and  fun as some people think, I have held those puppies that have needed to be put down , then we (vet and I)  opened up that puppy to find out what may have gone wrong, then home to bury it, ...and I won't  even get into birthing issues or puppies born dead.....they (puppies and dogs) are not anything like a litter of kittens, rabbits, birds or fish....they ( I am repeating myself) are a LOT OF , and I mean alot of work, and cost a alot of money to raise...let alone trying to find the perfect homes for them in this current economy.
> I hope you will consider what I have mentioned, I have not said it to discourage you...it is just some facts you need to be aware of...good luck to you, Barb


Thank you!! I’m going to figure out how to lock her up and I want to find someone with a male standard poodle when she is ready to be bred so I could have pyredoodle puppies. I’m 14 and homeschooled and animals are my world so I have plenty of time and as for money my parents can help me as long as I pay them back eventually. I wish I could breed her with a miniature poodle but I don’t know how much an AI would cost and you never know if it will be effective. And I know what it’s like to have still born animals and having expensive vet bills for baby animals. I’d like more tips if you have any. God bless you!!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jul 13, 2022)

Blessedwithpets said:


> Th
> 
> Thank you!! I’m going to figure out how to lock her up and I want to find someone with a male standard poodle when she is ready to be bred so I could have pyredoodle puppies. I’m 14 and homeschooled and animals are my world so I have plenty of time and as for money my parents can help me as long as I pay them back eventually. I wish I could breed her with a miniature poodle but I don’t know how much an AI would cost and you never know if it will be effective. And I know what it’s like to have still born animals and having expensive vet bills for baby animals. I’d like more tips if you have any. God bless you!!



My advice is, ...please don't  cross breed her  with a poodle...if you are prepared to breed your $300 dog, then breed her with one that is pure bred and has been tested for everything...all you will achieve  by breeding her is letting more dogs with health issues come into the world , and possibly  end up like my neighbors LGD, tied by a
heavy chain to a tree for its  entire life...if that is what you want for her puppies....well, I can say no more. .
God bless you too !


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## frustratedearthmother (Jul 13, 2022)

B&B Happy goats said:


> My advice is, ...please don't cross breed her with a poodle...



Agree with all of the above.  LGD's, if bred, should be bred to do their job.  Cross-breeding an LGD, IF DONE AT ALL, should only be with another LGD breed.  

To put it in simple terms:  Breeding an LGD to a dog that has a different purpose in life brings nothing but confusion to the offspring.


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## Ridgetop (Jul 14, 2022)

DO NOT BREED HER WITH A POODLE!  Not only are you producing mutts, but you will not be able to tell if the puppies will have guarding behaviors like the mother or poodle behaviors like the father.  You will have puppies that are half guarding dogs and half hunting dogs.  Poodles are originally water retrievers.  Breeding a large guarding dog to a hunting dog is just asking for trouble!

You won't be able to place the dogs in a LGD home for fear the dog will attack and kill their livestock.  You won't be able to place the dog in a pet home since Pyrs are notorious for escaping their yards and running off. And if the dog has strong guarding instincts, it can become overly protective of its owners.

Cross breeding is a very bad idea.  Just more puppies to end up in shelters.


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## Stephine (Jul 20, 2022)

Thank you!! I’m going to figure out how to lock her up and I want to find someone with a male standard poodle when she is ready to be bred so I could have pyredoodle puppies. I’m 14 and homeschooled and animals are my world so I have plenty of time and as for money my parents can help me as long as I pay them back eventually. I wish I could breed her with a miniature poodle but I don’t know how much an AI would cost and you never know if it will be effective. And I know what it’s like to have still born animals and having expensive vet bills for baby animals. I’d like more tips if you have any. God bless you!!
One more voice to say, please, don’t breed her to a poodle!!! I am sure you mean well, but that kind of breeding is completely irresponsible. LGDs are not like other dogs and you will likely end up with problematic dogs. Just imagine the energy of a poodle with the drive to roam and independence of an LGD in one dog! Poodles are very smart and energetic but they have also been selected for a will to please their owners. That   will to please is essential so they can easily be trained. An LGD is bred to work independently and by definition that means they have their own head and care less about what makes their owner happy.
You do not want to mix the two! And just imagine having a poodle coat on an LGD, it’s a nightmare of tangles, unless it’s cut regularly and your LGD minded dog might not have the patience for that much grooming…
There’s much more… but really, please don’t do that.


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