Dog Advice & Discussion :: Dog Chat

I have an average Bichon Frise bitch that I show. For anyone wo
shows/breeds dogs, please help me! I want to start breeding Bichons,
I'm I am getting a really great Bichon male to show. I want them to be
my foundation dogs. But Limerick, my bitch, is just average and hasn't
been winning. But some people said she would be good for breeding. And
if I get this awesome male, and breed them, there
would be nothing wrong and the puppies would be nice, right? Well if
hes a good sire. He also has great lines(I would wait untill he got his
championship to breed him to Limerick. With Limerick, I wouldn't wait
to finish her to breed her). And I could breed to better dogs and
produce better dogs in later lines, right? In a few year I might get
another bitch but I want to start with Limerick.
Limerick faults are her pigment isn't great, her shoulder is up more
than a 45 degree angle as is should be and goes up into her neck more.
She is a little long is body, but my by much. Her tail is a litte lower
than it should be, but not much. Her head should be a little thicker.
But her movement is nice, she has great size, and she is average
overall. When I get her evalutated by people they say she is a nice
bitch. Except all the dogs beat her. All the other dogs are better
because all the top breeders are in my area (NJ) and they always go to
the same shows I do and beat us. So if she's nice and some people said
she would be good for breeding, then that might be OK if I breed her to
the really nice male I'm getting. Hopefully he's really nice. The
breeder I'm getting him from has really nice dogs, so I'm asuming. If
not, I will just find a stud if I decide to breed her. I really need
some different opinions from different breeders though. I have talked
to some breeders about it lightly, but not much and I will talk to them
about it more. But what do you think?

Erin

Not a breeder myself but I know this - reputable breeders dont breed from a dog/bitch who isn't a good example of their breed.  You'll only pass on their bad traits - and the whole point of breeding isn't to sell pups, but to breed excellent examples of their breed.  Most good breeders will only breed when they want/need a dog for their lines - and then will have waiting lists for any other pups.
It might be worth talking to the Bichon breed club and finding a good breeder to be your mentor.  There's a lot more to breeding that putting two dogs together and getting puppies - and if you dont have sound breeding stock, then you probably have a long way to go before you're ready to breed, finding a good breeder, waiting for a puppy, waiting to see how they turn out and whether they'll make good breeding stock, then waiting til they're old enough, attempting it, might not even work first time etc etc.  :wink:
If people are saying she's not perfect but go ahead and breed her anyway, I would worry about their credibility - but as I said, I'm not a breeder.
Have you bred before?  Or helped out someone who has for a while?

I haven't bred before, but I would get help. I have alot of friends in the dogshow world who I could talk to. Alot are the top people in Bichons who could really help. I have gotten her evaluated by some of those people. and they said she is a nice bitch. I think a reason shes not winning is because her for two ereasons. Her attitude in the ring is not happy. She doesn't like to show much and she does not have the "show attidue" bichons are supposed to have. Plus, around where I live most of the top breeders live around here and go to the same shows I do. By most I mean like every top breeder except like two. So its really tough. Those reasons are very tough. They said she is a ncie bitch, some said she would be good to breed. Plus I'm getting a male from a top breeder who I'm friends with. Her dogs have the things my bitch lacks, which would be good. What do you think?

Erin