To the litter end

Breeding from your bitch may be satisfying but it is also a big decision, says David Tomlinson, highlighting the issues that you need to consider

- David Tomlinson

YOUR dog has just performed the best retrieve of her career, watched by all the shooting party. As you walk back to the game cart, proudly carrying the cock pheasant that she has found, one of the guns wanders over to have a word. “Great retrieve. If you ever breed from your bitch, let me know as I’d be really interested in having a puppy.” You had long thought it might be good to have a litter of pups, but such a comment makes you consider the possibility more seriously.

Breeding a litter of puppies from your much-loved shooting companion can be hugely satisfying but at the same time nerve-wracking. It will certainly be hard work, while the experience will be memorable, if not profitable. I write with the experience of having bred a trio of litters from three generations of my springers. I may not be an expert but have experienced the highs and lows of puppy breeding.