Breeding The Miniature Pinscher🐾

Questions For The Potential Breeder

Worming, Vaccinating And Microchipping Your Litter

Human Contact/Handling/Interaction and Environmental Acclimatisation

Your Responsibilities As A Breeder

Using Your Miniature Pinscher At Stud

Should I Offer My Min Pin For Stud?

When we bought and brought home our first Min Pin, Mikki, breeding him was not on our mind at all. Mikki was intended to be a nice pet to provide companionship and to enhance our life. However now that we’ve had over 5 fabulous years with our Min Pin and discovering more about the breed and loving them more and more, we understand why more and more dog owners today are attracted to the idea of breeding their pet dogs and to the idea of breeding more generally. Breeding your male or female Min Pin can come with challenges but it is also a very exciting and rewarding experience as it was for Lee, who has contributed his knowledge of breeding his family pet Min Pins to this page. Many people try their hand at breeding simply to replicate their fabulous and beloved pets-something we can completely understand especially if they own a Min Pin (they are simply adorable)! If you are reading this as an owner and you are curious about breeding you may want to have a litter or two but not necessarily want to begin a breeding program and become a hobby breeder. But with breeding dogs comes responsibilities both to your pets in terms of their wellbeing and proper care, as well as the offspring they will produce and the breed that you intend on reproducing. Below we discuss why you may want to breed your Min Pin, what it involves and how it affects the breed, what the pitfalls are and how to get started with breeding Min Pins should you decide it’s right for you.

Should I Breed My Pet?🐾

Why you want to breed your pets is a question you should be asking yourself. If you go on any of the popular pet listings websites you’ll find hundreds if not thousands of dog owners that have bred their pets from home and produced litters (sometimes multiple litters) who do not consider themselves actual dog breeders. The goal for many of these owners is simply to make some money as puppies especially of certain small breeds tend to fetch up to several grand. However raising a litter of puppies the right way sometimes isn’t an inexpensive thing to do which we’ll explain why. The second reason people want to breed is because they simply like the idea of having puppies from their special pets. A third reason like some of us at Heathside is they love their dog’s breed so much that they want to be involved in giving others the experience of owning one through producing their own litters. None of these reasons to breed are the wrong reasons for breeding. But it’s important to understand that once you are responsible for producing a litter either through a stud dog (male pet) or your bitch (female pet), you are a breeder. There are however some very important things to consider before deciding to breed your pet Min Pin which we guarantee that the majority of pet owners completely overlook.

Ethical And Responsible Breeding🐾

Ethical breeding practices means that breeders ensure that they are providing all the necessary care for their breeding dogs and puppies. This means that as a breeder you should be providing a proper standard of care for your breeding dogs and the litters they’ll have in terms of daily care e.g. adequate nourishment and health care should they need it. There will be some people breeding and selling the offspring you’ll see on the internet who do not have these important understandings as their primary focus. They are likely breeders who breed for money and produce litter after litter and may not be providing the all the necessary care. This often results in the dams (female breeding dog) becoming sickly from constant breeding without a break and improper care which in turn results in sickly offspring which contract diseases early in puppyhood or puppies being born with congenital disorders, perhaps due to inbreeding or breeding dogs with genetic faults.

Many of these unethical breeders will fall into the category of ‘hobby’ breeders which do not require a license or are subject to any kind of regulation which is why they get away with it. Hobby breeders are meant to typically have only a few dogs (sometimes only bitches) and to have 1-3 litters per year to be in the hobby category. However infamous puppy farms and mills are unethical breeders on a larger scale which we won’t discuss for now. Do you intend on becoming a ‘professional’ breeder with a large breeding program or having more than 3 litters per year? You will need a license. The government rules state that a breeder does not need to hold a dog breeding license if they breed less than 3 litters per year and do not make a profit. But what donates a profit? A lot of money can potentially be put into breeding your dogs and raising the offspring (if done properly) so the profit made can vary greatly. As far as hobby breeding goes profit can be made as a quick search on pet listing sites in 2021 will show puppies being advertised for very high prices (as much as £5,000) owing to very high demand recently due to lockdowns and people finding they suddenly have time for a dog. We however believe that just as providing a high standard of care to your pets and their offspring is of the utmost importance there is another aspect that is closely related when it comes to deciding to breed your Min Pins and that is preserving the integrity of the breed and improving it.

Improving The Breed🐾

You may have heard this before but a ‘good’ breeder always wants to improve the breed when they’re producing litters which goes hand in hand with good breeding practices. Breeding pedigree dogs comes with certain responsibilities and if your intention is to breed purebred Min Pins then this applies to you. As with any breed breeding Min Pins should be embarked on with the goal of producing good quality offspring and doing this properly isn’t simply about getting two dogs together and mating them. When deciding to breed whether it’s your pets or if you are intending on buying breeding dogs the origin of the dogs one intends to breed from is of the utmost importance, as this determines the genetic qualities of the dogs which are responsible for whether or not they carry certain hereditary problems. This is where being responsible with your breeding choices come in as nobody wants to produce puppies which have inherited conditions if they can avoid it. Firstly predispositions to diseases and illnesses in the particular lineage of both dogs are important to be aware of and a typical responsible breeder knows their breeding lines very well and will have had them health tested/screened. Secondly a responsible breeder who cares about the offspring they are producing will only breed dogs with an excellent temperament. There are many breeds today that have fallen victim to indiscriminate breeding and the result being dogs with poor temperaments which can be reflected in the susceptibility to behavioural issues seen in many dogs. Next to consider (which some breeders may not find so important) will be overall physical appearance and traits. How close to the breed standard will your puppies be? Breeders who make this one of their top concerns may breed two dogs specifically to produce puppies that reflect the best examples of the breed like they would for those intended for the showing and therefore breeding, to pass on those genes (and where sound genetic health is important). Some breeders will strive to produce the best examples of the breed (as close to the breed standard as possible) whether they are sold as pets, breeders or show dogs. So all this is to say that if you intend on specifically breeding your pet Min Pin there are some things to consider depending on your reason for breeding. If you care about the breed and producing the best you possibly can of the Min Pin breed then there are right and wrong ways to go about it. Plenty of hobby breeders have good breeding ethics however they may just bring their dogs together and hope for the best. The first step in beginning any breeding venture is to health test your dogs which we believe is the responsible way to proceed.

Health Testing For The Breed

The Min Pin doesn’t suffer as badly as some other breeds, as say the French Bulldog, with inherited degenerative diseases or conformation problems. However this shouldn’t be a reason to think it’s not so important to health test your breeding dogs because ideally you want to ensure that your dogs and/or the dogs you intend to use e.g. stud are free of inherited diseases and breed-specific problems. That said many people who breed or have litters do not health test and the few that do seem to be Kennel Club registered breeders. If you intend on buying breeding dogs for your new breeding venture you should ideally source them from this small pool of breeders who health test. In the UK the Min Pin does not have the same amount of responsible and dedicated breeders as some of the more popular breeds so buying from a breeder who health tests may require you to travel. The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme provides a list of breeders who they claim as a condition of acceptance onto the scheme must have a high standard of breeding practices and health test their breeding dogs. Knowing which dogs carry which genes can greatly help you produce healthy litters when deciding which dogs to mate them to.

Min Pins are a companion dog of the toy group and their purpose is to provide owners with love and joy. So the focus for anyone wanting to become a breeder will be producing dogs with a sweet and loving temperament as well as sociability with dogs and humans. Compared to some in vogue small breeds e.g. the French Bulldog, Min Pins are physically very healthy and generally have little problem with the breeding, pregnancy and birthing process. But as with any breed the same processes and risks will apply with mating the dogs, through to pregnancy and delivery of the puppies. If you are well-prepared then it needn’t be a daunting prospect. To start breeding Min Pins if it’s a breeding program you intend on creating or you only intend of having a few litters from your pet you may want to ask yourself a few questions before you go ahead. Ideally as touched on above you’d place some importance on preserving the integrity of the breed (as you would with any breed) and on doing your best to produce the most genetically sound offspring as possible regardless of reasoning for breeding. Perhaps sadly with such little restriction around dog breeding with no thought going into it and people being able to breed solely for money, many breeds have been somewhat ruined by uncontrolled breeding. This has also caused a surplus of unwanted puppies and dogs in animal shelters particularly as a result of the 2020 lockdowns. We would love to see the Min Pin flourish and be the best it could be meaning only healthy dogs both physically and in temperament are produced by caring people whose priority is to improve the breed. This can only be done successfully by being observant and honest about the dogs you intend to breed e.g. are they fit for breeding? Do they have a really good temperament? Is there a strong possibility that they could pass on that health issue? Traditionally the best specimens of any breed have competed in the dog showing world where they’ve done well in the show ring and then had begun a career as a breeding dog to pass on their exemplary genes, whether the puppies be destined for the show ring or simply as a well-cherished pet. This no longer happens. However anybody who replicates a breed should breed the best examples they can while keeping the genes as healthy as they can as this article explains.

Questions For The Potential Breeder🐾

Before you start breeding here are some of the questions you may want to ask yourself:

Why do I want to breed? For financial gain? Because my pet is so beautiful that I think I should breed her? Many owners also think it could be fun to have their own puppies or want another puppy to add their family that they themselves have bred
Is my pet healthy enough to be bred from and do I intend to do the necessary health testing? A Min Pin with genetic predispositons to health problems shouldn’t be bred from. See here for more
Does my pet have a good temperament as an individual dog? And can I truly be objective enough to make that determination? Only dogs with sound temperaments and no behavioural issues should be bred. This is a hard evaluation to make as your judgement can be clouded. You can join a reputable breed forum for advice
Is my pet a good enough example of the breed? Similar as the previous question in that it takes an objective viewpoint to get an answer worth anything. If your Min Pin came from a Kennel Club registered breeder who claims to breed for temperament and health you should contact them for advice. Another point worth making here is often the average person breeding unregistered dogs or litters typically sell you a puppy then want nothing to do with you. A proper caring breeder will give their puppy’s owners support that last the dog’s lifetime or at least will offer it
Does my pet’s breeder want him or her to be bred from? Sometimes breeders may decide that some of their puppies are not fit for passing on their genes and therefore sell them with endorsements. The reasons can vary though. Some breeders do not want owners to breeding their dogs because they want to protect or be in control of their lineages that they worked hard to perfect and don’t want owners to breed them indiscriminately. This doesn’t stop you from breeding but you won’t be able to register your puppies with the Kennel Club. A quick search through pet listing sites will reveal that most puppies don’t come with Kennel Club registration. We know this is not due to registration fees which are miniscule if you consider the price each puppy is sold for. But it’s because they are produced from either parents that had endorsements on their registration papers or from parents that were non-registered puppies themselves
Do I know enough about my pet’s breed to become a good breeder of quality dogs and am I prepared to educate others properly about the breed’s needs? As well as owning a Min Pin you should know enough about them to explain in detail to someone who knows absolutely nothing about the breed who may be one or more of your potential puppy owners e.g. their quirks and potential problems. At Heathside we are always interested in helping you with your Min Pin questions. Again contact your breeder for advice
If you only want to breed your pet you most likely want to become a hobby breeder having one or two litter per year (depending on how many pets you have). Even with a few litters raising puppies properly can be an expensive undertaking if problems arise during pregnancy, whelping (birth) and beyond. You should have a budget put aside should just in case any problems arise
If you have a bitch you should ask yourself if you are able to find a good quality stud dog within a reasonable distance who is safe to pair her with in terms of genetic variability
Do I have the money to breed my pet? To breed responsibly you should ensure that your bitch will be getting what she needs to give her the best chance of a successful pregnancy and delivery. Your bitch will need more food than normal and several vet visits to check to see if the pregnancy is going well and that her body is coping. The vet will do checks and scans to determine this. As touched on above a budget should be put aside for emergencies such as complications that could arise with whelping and her newly-born litter and may require vet attention
Raising puppies to their 8th week (when they legally can be sold) can be expensive. They’ll need feeding, worming, vaccinations, microchipping, registration (if this applies to you), vet checks and possible medical attention from the time they’re born if complications crop up. A litter of Min Pins can contain on average 6 puppies or more which will take up your time and energy resources. This includes lots of mess; pee, poo, food mess, crying and loud whinging. They require constant attention for 8 weeks and possibly beyond that if homes aren’t available immediately. Puppies can be noisy. Do you live in accommodation with neighbours on all sides?
Ensure you are prepared for the effort of finding a decent homes for the puppies. Because although it’s really easy today to find homes through pet listings, you as a responsible breeder who cares about their puppies (and more generally the breed) should be prepared to vet your potential homes-see below for this. It also takes a leap of faith when it comes to rehoming a puppy. Every breeder wants their puppies to go to a permanent, loving home and the uncertainty can be mentally and emotionally challenging. You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to eventually let your puppies go which may be hard if you’ve become attached

Getting Started With Breeding🐾

See this Kennel Club resource for first time breeders.

Kennel Club Registration🐾

Ideally all pedigree dogs that are to bred from will come from breeders that health test and keep their dog’s genetic health information on a database and who take care which does they allow to breed. These breeders are often registered with the Kennel Club. Unfortunately though most people don’t take these measures when they decide to breed. Your pet who you intend on breeding may or may not be registered but if you are planning on buying a dog to begin your breeding program finding a Kennel Club Assured breeder is a good place to start. Being registered with the Kennel Club may in most cases ensure purity of the breed although there’s no guarantee on the genetic health quality. The Kennel Club it does promote health testing amongst breeders for genetic predispositions and good breeding practices and they do this through their Assured Breeder Scheme. If your pet is Kennel Club registered see here for some useful information on how to get started before you breed. If your pet comes from Europe or elsewhere and is registered with a foreign club or organisation you can get them registered with the English Kennel Club so that you’ll be able to successfully register your litters.

Purebred Or Not?🐾

Just as there are a people breeding their purebred pets there are just as many breeding their non purebred or mixed breed pets. If you want to become a breeder of pedigree Min Pins and you don’t have a purebred pet to breed from you’ll have to buy a puppy from a registered breeder. However this may not matter to you. In this instance you may intend on breeding your dog whether he or she is a mix or is in fact a purebred without registration papers. As already explained there are many purebred puppies being sold without Kennel Club registration just as much those with it but an absence of registration means there is no verifiable evidence of the dog’s bloodline and therefore genetics. If either one of the litter’s parents isn’t registered you won’t be able register them or have them participate in any Kennel Club conformation shows. If there are question marks over your pet’s purebred status it’s up to you as a breeder to make your prospective puppy buyers aware that the puppies may not be pedigree dogs. Mikki’s parents were registered purebred dogs and one of the parents was a show champion but his litter was never registered. This simply makes Mikki a purebred Min Pin without papers. Honesty is the best policy in most cases and it’s ethical to be transparent with buyers especially if they are going to shell out a lot of money for a puppy. However you may just want to buy a puppy to breed from one of the many unregistered litters through pet listings. Remember that registration papers are more important than one might think because they are a seal of approval that what you have is a purebred dog. Without them your perfect looking Min Pin may have some outcrossing with other breeds. If you decide to buy your new breeding puppy from a registered breeder let them know what you want the puppy for. Across all breeds many people buy puppies and tend not be upfront with their intentions to breed them at some point particularly as breeders can charge more money for letting their puppies go as breeding dogs or some breeders may make it clear that they don’t want their puppies being bred from and advise the owner to neuter. Another huge benefit of letting the breeder in on your intentions is that he or she can be a provider of experience, valuable knowledge and support for you when it comes to starting your breeding program.

Clean Bill Of Heath🐾

Before you breed your pet he or she should undergo some basic health checks to ensure that they are healthy. This includes worming and ensuring they are up to date on all their vaccinations. You can do this at your vet not forgetting to tell the vet of your intentions so he or she can give your pet all the relevant checks.

Finding The Right Stud Dog🐾

If you own a bitch the next step on your breeding journey is to find a stud dog to take her to. A stud dog is an intact adult male of breeding age that will be the mate to your bitch and is typically owned by a breeder but not always. If you own a registered bitch you should ensure that the stud dog is registered too and that you are provided with his pedigree and registration papers as well as all relevant evidence of sound health. Just as your bitch should be health tested for genetic problems known to the breed so should be the stud you choose-this goes for both registered and non registered dogs. The Kennel Club have online health tools to help you find a compatible stud for your bitch. A Min Pin stud owner or breeder will typically ask for a fee of between £150-£300 for a registered stud. The price varies depending on his breeding, whether he has done well in the dog showing world, how successful he is as a stud, quality of the progeny he has produced etc (see more below). It’s a good idea to meet the stud dog yourself first to see whether or not he has a good temperament which is something the owner may not tell you about. Making sure he has a compatible temperament with your bitch is important too. You can visit the stud with your bitch and spend time with him before you bring along your bitch and commit to any matings. If you prefer not to put your bitch through a natural mating an alternative is artificial insemination (AI), especially if your bitch is a maiden it can be stress-free for her and possible mishaps between her and the stud are avoided. As you can have semen delivered it is less fuss for you as travelling with your bitch to a stud is eliminated. See here for a demonstration of how to inseminate your bitch at home. There is more information on stud dogs and artificial insemination below.

Mating Your Bitch🐾

Your bitch should be of appropriate age to be bred and for Min Pins this will be some time after they turn a year old. The Kennel Club recommends the ideal time to breed her is in her second season (heat cycle) because of the possibility of general immaturity of her reproductive system during her first season. There isn’t a strict upper age limit for a bitch but general advice from the Kennel Club is that a bitch shouldn’t be bred after 8 years of age.

Coming Into Season

When it comes to seasons it’s important to note that each dog is different. Your Min Pin bitch will come into season any time from 8 to 12 months however it could be as early as 6 months. Again do not breed her before she turns 1 year old at least. It’s worth noting that the Kennel Club don’t allow litters to be registered from dams who are under a year old at the time of mating. She’ll go into heat every 6 to 9 months. Min Pins will typically have anything up to 6 puppies in a litter but it can be more. 1 to 2 weeks before coming into heat she may;

Urinate more frequently
Lick her vulva a lot and it will begin to ‘swell’

During her season she may have mood swings for example she may become more affectionate or even clingy, she may become snappy, she may become funny about being stroked or touched or show restlessness. All these mood changes are totally normal. Your bitch’s heat cycle lasts between 17-21 days and has 4 stages; proestrus, estrus (oestrus), diestrus and anestrus. Until the bleeding begins the heat has not ‘officially’ started. During the proestrus stage watch out for signs of bleeding. You can see if this first stage has begun by gently pressing a bit of tissue against her vulva each day and you should do this in case your bitch is the fastidious type and is constantly cleaning herself. If you see random spots of blood on the floor you can reach for a pair of hygiene pants to prevent any damage to soft furnishings. She’ll bleed for a week and may urinate frequently before the estrus stage which might last between 5 days to 2 weeks. Your bitch may hold her tail to one side a lot but mood-wise she may appear excitable. She may even appear anxious to go out for her walks because her instinct is telling her to find a mate. For this reason make sure that she is walked at times where there aren’t many people walking their dogs and perhaps stay clear of parks. It goes without saying that she is kept on a lead at all times and never left unattended. It’s during this stage that she should be mated to or have artificial insemination carried out. You can get progesterone testing at a vet that offers reproductive services such as artificial insemination. The stud dog will know by her scent and body language when she’s ready to mate. You can identify by sight when your bitch is 100% ready; she will have a soft and enlarged vulva and typically the bloody discharge will decrease a little. All bitches are different however and symptoms of readiness to mate and a successful mating can happen outside of the known time-frame. If you miss the fertile window of estrus the impregnation can fail or she could be non-accepting or turn aggressive towards the stud if he tries to mate when the diestrus stage begins. Generally she is no longer fertile. This stage lasts between 60 to 120 days and all vulva swelling and desire to pursue a mate and associated behaviours will terminate. The final stage which is anestrus is a time when there are no massive hormonal fluctuations taking place. Much like human women after their menstrual cycle where there is no bleeding, it’s a much longer time in dogs when their bodies are preparing for the next heat cycles.

The Mating

The mating process is a rather simple act with the penetration process often quick. Your bitch will stand still with her tail to one side or up and the stud will mount, give her some healthy thrusting, ejaculate and then he’ll dismount and turn with his penis still inside her. This is called a tie and is a normal and vital part of a successful mating. The stud may or may not turn to tie himself to her after every attempt. When both dogs do tie they may stay in this tie facing away from one another for up to an hour and if they do leave them be. Do not separate them as this can cause injury to both dogs. See below for more.

Pregnancy

A full pregnancy term for a bitch is 8 to 9 weeks which is up to about 63 days. Anything beyond this is considered overdue and you should contact your vet immediately if the 70th day is reached and the bitch still hasn’t gone into labour. The time proceeding the mating you’ll want to keep a close eye on your bitch. You may not see any changes up until the third or fourth week but changes can happen after in the first few weeks. Vomiting due to morning sickness can happen and some incremental changes such as a small amount of weight gain and even an increased or diminished appetite. Other signs she may display are nipple enlargement and reddening, mood changes, lethargy/decrease in energy and frequent urination. Changes can vary from dog to dog. It is at this stage that you can take her to the vet to perform diagnostic tests such as ultrasounds or hormone tests using a blood sample to determine pregnancy. Another way of determining pregnancy is performing a palpation where you can feel for puppies yourself however you may prefer to get your vet to do this as incorrect handling can damage the fetuses. As the pregnancy progresses, around the 45th day, the vet can perform an ultrasound to see how many puppies your bitch is carrying.

As the pregnancy progresses towards the end you’ll see her tummy enlarge, mammary glands getting ever larger and darker and there may even be some discharge out of them as well as her vagina (this can be clear mucous). Around the fifth week you should up her food intake, around 10-25% and split into smaller more frequent meals. Don’t force her to eat more but offer it. If your feed adult commercial canned or dry change it to one intended for puppies, as it’ll have more fats, protein and calories that she needs due to her increasing energy requirements. If you feed fresh cooked or a raw food diet it is simply a matter of increasing the amount of protein and fats. If you feed premade raw then opt for the puppy formulas and always ask for advice if you’re unsure. In the few weeks leading up to whelping and birth either increase the food to around 30-50% more or simply free-feed her so she can pick and choose as she feels and top up her bowl when she finishes her food.

Exercising Your Bitch During Pregnancy

Your heavily pregnant bitch still requires her exercise and you generally avoid her doing any high impact activities such as fetch and perhaps limit her walks to a shorter time period. Keep her on the lead close to you as you don’t want her to have any overzealous interactions with other dogs as well as the passing of any potential germs other dogs could pass onto her during this time. Don’t get her too excited during play to the point where she is jumping around too much just in case. It’s important to keep your normally active Min Pin fit and exercise is a natural and vital part of a healthy body which doesn’t stop when she becomes pregnant.

Whelping And Delivery (preparation and birthing)

For a list of essential items you may need during the whelping and delivery and for a information on potential complications see below. It’s a good idea to schedule regular vet visits for your bitch to ensure everything is coming along fine and also for your peace of mind. So when the 6th week swings by your bitch will likely sleep a lot and have a large decline in energy levels. By the final week she will begin to show nesting behaviours meaning instinct will tell her to look for a place to deliver her litter. You should provide a place for her to do this. Choose a quiet area of your home or a room and provide her with either a whelping box or a large crate and make it comfortable with a large hard plastic bed that you can easily clean and fill with blankets. The chosen area should be large enough for her and her litter to move around in as well as be warm and secure. Make sure the room is kept warm and give plenty of extra blankets for her comfort. It is important to keep her warm as her temperature drops when she’s about to give birth and it’s also important for the puppies. The whelping area must be free from any drafts or cold air. For a first time breeder it’s easy to make the mistake of going all out and buying a heat mat or lamp. But you could actually end up over-heating your bitch and her litter if your home or chosen area of your home is already warm. If the whelping room feels too hot for you it’s too hot for your bitch and her litter. If you need your bitch to have some extra warmth try putting a hot water bottle underneath her blankets.

The actual whelping needs very little human intervention. On average the whelping process in dogs is simple and you may only need to be involved if a puppy is having difficulty exiting the birth canal. Wait and only assist her if it’s necessary. She should be in labour anything from 3-12 hours and up to a full 24 hours until the delivery is completed. You should check her temperature with a thermometer shortly before labour. If it’s 99 degrees or less she’s ready to begin labour-typically 24 hours before. All throughout the first part of the process lasting up to 12 hours typically called first stage you may see her panting or an increase in restlessness. The process should go smoothly and in comparison to a human birth canine births tend to be far less dramatic. During the second stage you will see her straining and contracting and she may cry out while the actual delivery of a puppy takes places. It will emerge in a membrane sac followed by the placenta. She should automatically clean away the sac and eat the placentas which can take up to 15 minutes. Provided things go smoothly without complications the only time you need to intervene is to remove the sac (sac and placenta) that surrounds the newborn when it emerges. Usually the bitch should do this by licking away the sac and eating the placenta but in case she does not or you see she’s having a spot of difficulty you’ll need to remove it yourself as the puppy can potentially suffocate if this isn’t done quickly. Using a pair of gloves simply tear open the sac and the placenta attached should fall away with it and if it doesn’t, holding it with a pair of forceps, gently cut it with some scissors. It’s not vital to cut the placenta if it’s still attached to a clean and fully breathing puppy because it will just shrivel up and disappear by itself. Watch your bitch carefully when she attempts to eat the placenta because in some cases she can end up taking a bite out of the puppy (see below for more). Ensure she licks the puppy to get any membrane fluid off and help it begin breathing normally. You can assist with drying the puppy of any fluid and help it keep warm. Check that the nostrils and mouth are clean from any fluid obstructions. If your bitch is moving around a lot while delivering a puppy e.g. not in a suitable lying down position you may want to reassure her and give her a few soft strokes. There ideally should be no more than 1 hour between delivery of each puppy. Any more than that and you should be alert for complications (see below). Ensure your bitch is content and relaxed and most importantly that she accepts her puppies and allows them to nurse. The puppies should be able to find the nipples and nurse naturally. It may be that one or more of the puppies do not feed naturally for whatever reason in which case you need to immediately begin to feed them yourself as the first 48 hours are critical for the puppies feeding. Time is of the essence and this can be daunting for the first time breeder but it needn’t be complicated. During the first 48 hours any puppy not feeding naturally will need colostrum added to their milk replacement (see below). You can do this using a syringe and some milk replacement formula every 2-3 hours. For puppies that you have to bottle feed you’ll need to keep up this feeding schedule for 3-4 weeks. Keep a close eye on them and as they grow and reduce the frequency of feeding until the fourth week when you can stop. After each feeding puppies should be gently massaged around their anal area to stimulate elimination as your bitch would do. Weigh your puppies at birth and then daily to track their weight to see that they’re gaining weight appropriately, showing gradual weight gain. This is around 5-10% increase each day but weight gain is an estimate and you shouldn’t worry about exactitudes. Always call your vet for anything that may crop up during the whelping and delivery process. Here is an essential list of inexpensive supplies that you should have to assist you during your bitch’s labour and after:

Complications During Whelping (birth)

Dogs as a species experience simple pregnancies, labour and whelping. Although some breeds are known for risky or problematic pregnancies more than others, fortunately the Min Pin isn’t one of them. However that’s not to say that there aren’t a fair few bitches who do not experience complications during these stages. In any event your vet should always be your port of call and should be contacted any time of the day and night the moment you see a problem arise. This is because there is every chance that your bitch and her litter could be at risk. Dystocia is an umbrella term for canine whelping problems. The most commonly occurring problems are:

Labour hasn’t started by the 70th day of pregnancy. Your immediate response should be contacting your vet for an examination. If puppies have died inside the bitch then they can cause her a serious infection
Uterine insufficiency. The bitch cannot whelp the puppies herself because her contractions aren’t strong enough and vet attention is required for a surgical delivery
Long time between birth of each puppy or more than an hour. When the bitch has difficulties birthing some of the puppies it could mean that it is positioned incorrectly and she isn’t strong enough to get it out. Your vet will give her a medication to strengthen the contractions if that fails then a surgical delivery may be necessary
A particularly large puppy also called a blocked puppy. You can manually help free the puppy if it is half in and half out but you must be extremely gentle because of their fragility
The bitch will naturally eat her litter’s placentas. Sometimes however she can accidently take a bite out of the puppy. This being your first litter you should watch very closely and be on hand to cut the placentas yourself if need’s be
Lactation failure where the bitch for whatever reason fails to produce milk. You will then need to bottle feed the puppies

Complications With Newborn Puppies

Puppy fading syndrome is a term used to describe puppies that decline rapidly in health within the first 10 days following birth. Reasons are not always clear but there are things you can do to help try and save an affected puppy. Here are some things to be aware of and solutions you should try:

The whole litter is vulnerable to hypothermia if they do not get consistent warmth from their mother at least within the first week. A normal rectal reading for a newborn is between 35-37.2 degrees. If the puppy is cold to the touch and a rectal reading shows their temperature is below 35 degrees then they are at risk of hypothermia. You should try warming up the puppy yourself Ensure that it is put back next to it’s mother’s body immediately.
Dehydration can affect a puppy because for whatever reason it cannot nurse from it’s mother by itself. In this case it needs to be fed with a milk replacement every 2 hours
Hypoglycaemia affects puppies who cannot nurse by themselves within the first 48 hours after birth. Symptoms include shaking, trembling, clear disorientation and loss of appetite. You must administer some sugared water to the puppy every 15 to 20 minutes using a syringe. Do this until the symptoms of hypoglycaemia have alleviated
Not enough colostrum. This is highly nourishing and a vital nutrient for the litter’s immune systems that is present in the mother’s milk within the first 48 hours after birth and all puppies must benefit from this through immediate nursing. Failure to nurse can be fatal and you need to feed any puppy which has failed to nurse a colostrum substitute and you can do so with a syringe

Monitor your bitch and her litter from the time labour begins through to the first few weeks of the litter being born. Check on her and the litter as frequently as you can during the litter’s first 10 days even if it means lack of your own sleep. When you are observant you can give your litter the best chance at pulling through and in some cases even stop fatalities in their tracks. Always call your vet if you feel out of your depth or need help at any point during the labour and whelping stages.

Min Pin puppies are simply adorable from the moment they’re born!

Credit: Natalya Pachina

“When nursing (breast feeding her puppies) there are massive energy demands on your bitch as her body’s primary concern is catering to the rapid growth of her litter which depletes her energy stores. So continue the same feeding regime she was on the days leading up to the birth. The bigger the litter, the greater her energy requirements especially in the case of a small breed like the Min Pin as a large litter can quickly match her own body weight as they nurse. This can be very taxing on her body. If you were free-feeding her so she can eat whenever she pleases continue with that. We recommend that the novice breeder free-feed as it gives the bitch control over her own requirements removing any guess work for you. By the litter’s 7th to 8th week or when you see she stops nursing completely, you can put her back on her normal diet and amounts of food. At the time following the birth the puppies will nurse every couple of hours. Always keep an eye on your bitch and her litter to ensure everything is going well. A puppy that’s nursed enough will appear to have a nice round stomach and be ready for a sleep. If a puppy is crying incessantly this could be indication it is hungry so help it back to your bitch’s nipples. You can continue to weigh them daily for 2 weeks and record the weights. They should be gaining around a gram or two a day but you shouldn’t worry too much as you’ll be able to eyeball their progress too.”

Lee, Min Pin Enthusiast

Weaning The Puppies🐾

Although there is a lot of conflicting advice around the exact time to wean a litter the reality it’s oftentimes an easy decision and process. The only thing to be aware of is not to begin feeding too early as there is a chance of digestive issues such as diarrhea. Lee of Heathside began weaning his litters on their fourth week but other breeders will agree on the third week. You should go by how you see the puppies progressing and if they appear to go for their mother’s food bowl. They may continue to nurse less as their first teeth will be coming through around their third week so it makes sense to start the weaning at this time. Your litter’s first food should have a semi-moist consistency. If you are feeding dry food it should be a young puppy formula mixed with either some milk replacement and a good amount of water so it’s in a soft and mushy form. You can mash it or mix it up in a blender so the texture will be that of baby food. We recommend a canned food for puppies over dry food because of the palatability and ease of feeding. If you feed raw then you can start the puppies on it during weaning. Use a large plate or shallow bowl so the puppies can get to it easily. There are also bowls especially made for weaning on the market. For the first feed you can sit with the puppies and help them with the food but be warned it can be a messy affair! For puppies that don’t show immediate interest in eating you can help them feed by letting them eat from your hand. But if you feed them together with their mother they will most likely copy her example and begin eating without your interference. They can be fed 3-4 times per day and as the weeks go by add more food and less milk formula. Leave water down for them as well. Puppies should be gaining weight rapidly during weaning but it’s important that you supervise their feeding to ensure each puppy is getting enough food. If there are scraps between them for the food e.g. more dominant puppies trying to hog the food then ensure you give the less dominant ones a separate plate. As time goes by remove their mother each time the puppies are feeding and each week you’ll notice she will nurse less which in turn will also result in her producing less milk. However allow her to reduce nursing gradually. You can separate the bitch from her puppies during the beginning of weaning for a few hours then increase the amount of time as the weeks progress which will as well increase their independence from her. It could be tempting to get weaning done as soon as possible because you’ll be tired from the whole ordeal of raising the litter but it’s best not to rush this process for the sake of the litter’s wellbeing. Every litter can be different and take varying lengths of time. The whelping area or crate with beddings and towels should be changed once a day or whenever it gets soiled. Puppies are extremely messy with their food and eliminations so be prepared for this.

Worming, Vaccinating And Microchipping Your Litter🐾

Puppies can naturally become infected with intestinal worms by their mum through feeding and may also be born with them. Typically these are roundworms. You would have wormed your bitch prior to mating her and you can worm her again when the pups are ready for their first worming around 2 weeks old then every 2 weeks until they leave for their new homes. A simple worming paste is very easy to give the litter. When they reach the age of 6-8 weeks they can then be given their first course of vaccinations and microchipping at the same time. Exact timings can be spoken about with your vet. At 10-12 weeks it will be the new owners responsibility to give the second course.

Human Contact/Handling/Interaction and Environmental Acclimatisation🐾

There is a stage called the sensitive learning period that begins from the time a puppy is born until it reaches the age of 16 weeks old. During this time there are several stages and milestones a puppy traverses regarding socialisation with it’s mother, littermates, human breeders, new owners and interactions with it’s environment. A puppy needs to be exposed to all these new stimuli to prepare it for world and to grow into a confident, happy and well-rounded dog. Some will call this an imprinting period where what the puppy experiences will shape it’s personality for life. Consequences for not enough learning in the form of socialisation and exposure to environments can result in a fearful or aggressive dog who can go on to display many undesirable behaviours, as can negative experiences during this time. This does not mean that you must shelter the puppy from any scary things (quite the opposite) and gentle exposure to noises, different sights, other animals and humans is the way to do it. As a breeder who will be responsible for the puppy’s 8-10 weeks of life you must ensure this happens the way it should. The whole litter will be learning vital social skills from their littermates and mother through play until 8 weeks the earliest, which is the reason they shouldn’t be leaving for their new homes before this age. This is why some breeders wait until 10 weeks of age to let their puppies go to their new homes. It’s possible that a puppy can become insecurely attached and display a range of early behavioural issues due to being removed from their canine family too early. We suspect that Mikki had issues as he was only 6 weeks old when he came to us. He was anxious and very clingy and had awful separation anxiety from the get go. That small time period of a few weeks longer with it’s mother and littermates makes a huge difference for the puppy’s psychology and wellbeing. At 8-10 weeks of age as the puppy continues to go through their sensitive period but this time the puppy experiences the outside world for the first time because they go to their new homes which brings fresh fears and anxieties. Breeders who choose to rehome at 10 weeks have more control over this critical time in their litter’s development. A puppy should experience human interaction even before they are weaned so it’s a good idea for you handle the litter every day. If there wasn’t a need for intervention at birth then during the weighing, worming, weaning, general care and taking photos of them for potential homes they will get handled. By the age of 7 weeks the litter should have become used to normal household noises. Humans talking, laughing, moving around and loud sounds such as doors closing/slamming, vacuum cleaners, household appliances (washing machine/dryer) and televisions are definitely things that during the day it’s important they can hear and be exposed to. Allow them to crawl around and explore once they are able to and leave the door of their room open so they can see and hear what’s going on. Don’t leave them in a constantly quiet corner of the house with a door closed. Once they are around 5 or 6 weeks you can take them into the other rooms so they experience a different environment than the four walls they were birthed into. To further develop their learning regarding novel environments you can safely carry your puppies outside when they’re 6-8 weeks old, maybe around the garden if you have one. If you are keeping your litter on to 10 weeks you can continue their learning and begin to introduce them (safely) to other dogs and strange humans. It’s important to remember that a puppy can react differently to every new stimuli during their sensitive period and you as a breeder should remember that you must allow your puppies to experience things without interference. Loud noises can scare puppies and the way you should react is totally neutral. Never comfort or reassure in any way the scared puppy as you will be reinforcing their scared reaction. If you see a puppy is showing increased fear to a particular stimuli expose the puppy to it from a safe distance so the puppy can still see and hear the stimuli but isn’t right next to it then you can slowly increase the proximity. This is the kind of essential learning that the new owners will be continuing when they rehome the puppy. You also can start lead training as well as basic training commands such as sit and stay to kick start their readiness for their new homes.

Your Responsibilities As A Breeder🐾

From a new owner’s perspective a breeder is responsible for ensuring the litter has been checked by a vet and receives a clean bill of health, had their first course of vaccinations, been wormed/flead, microchipped and reasonably socialised before they are rehomed. These are the basics. If the breeder intends on registering the litter with the kennel club that should ideally be done before rehoming.

Rehoming The Puppies🐾

As a first-time breeder this is a time that can fill you with a mixture of emotions like excitement and sadness. After 8 weeks of sleepless nights, restless days, hard work and time and money spent on raising your litter, you will likely be anxious to find your precious bundles of joy not only high quality, loving homes but ones they will hopefully spend the rest of their lives in.

The Process

Rehoming is a process that we recommend begins before you breed your Min Pin. If you are breeding for the first time it is good practice to ensure that you will have homes already lined up for the puppies, before you breed. If not you should at least ensure you will be able to find homes easily as soon as you advertise the puppies. As a first time breeder who intends on breeding again, you can advertise with the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme although they require you to have already bred a litter to be accepted. An alternative is Champdogs or the Miniature Pinscher Club Of Great Britain. Your litter’s parents (sire and dam) will need have Kennel Club registration and therefore your litter, for you to advertise with these websites. You can ask people you know or who you know want a puppy but if you don’t know anyone it’s easy to put out some adverts on pet listings websites and you can canvas for buyers on social media groups too. You should get a healthy amount of interest very quickly however these websites may not the best places to find quality homes (more below). The Min Pins growth in popularity is increasing fast as people are becoming more aware of this breed within the UK. Added to that there being very few Min Pin breeders about compared to other breeds. We have watched pet listing websites ourselves and see entire Min Pin litters get snapped up within a week so it’s highly likely you will not have trouble selling your litter. But the scenario you do not want is to be left with unsold puppies. This is why we recommend for peace of mind that you have homes and some deposits lined up either before your Min Pin is mated or once she is pregnant and you have more certainty over how many puppies she has. Non-refundable deposits are the correct way to go as they encourage people to think twice before they part with their money as well as weed out time-wasters. But there is a downside to taking deposits early which is if a puppy dies the days or weeks following birth which is already spoken for you will either have to refund or transfer the deposit onto another puppy, perhaps in another litter. You should plan how you are going to deal with these possibilities before you breed your Min Pin. Lee does not recommend taking deposits from people you have not met in person. We believe it’s so important to see who is rehoming your puppy. If it’s not possible to meet them in person first before they rehome a puppy then you can schedule a video call with Zoom or a similar app. As a breeder this gives you a valuable opportunity to see firstly what type of person or family is rehoming your puppy, to ask questions about their work routine and lifestyle, how much they know about the breed and what their needs are, how suitable and ready they are to raise a puppy and do they have the time to give it the very necessary every day training and many more questions. You also want to ascertain how likely it is that they are getting a puppy on a whim which has been the case for thousands of new dog owners during the pandemic (who are now surrendering their dogs to shelters). Of course you can’t know for sure even by questioning them however speaking to them face to face allows for lightyears better communication than over messaging apps. And so a face to face meeting will allow you to get a feel for whether they are the right person or family to place your puppy with. We would also advise that while travelling to you for an initial meeting if they live far may be too much of a stretch for a potential buyer, if they then make excuses for not wanting to communicate through video call and refuse the idea of being thoroughly questioned, you should walk away. There should be a special ongoing relationship between breeder and buyer especially since you as a caring breeder to your puppies will want to be there for the buyer, should they have any issues after rehoming. It will give you tremendous peace of mind having known that you have struck up a good rapport with your puppies’ new homes. Of course there are many breeders who may choose to take deposits and money, meet the buyer only once to collect the puppy and never speak to them again. It really does depend on whether your comfortable with doing so. However Lee says breeders who are known for being reputable and responsible do want to meet and vet their puppies’ potential new owners. An initial meeting is not solely for the benefit of the breeder. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for the potential buyer to ask you any questions they might have. Both sides benefit. As a breeder you should present yourself as open, interested and friendly to them and this is key for getting them to be as trusting and as honest with you as possible. As an example you may only want your puppies to go to pet homes but the potential buyer may have plans to breed. It’s common for some potential owners to withhold their intentions about breeding because they believe the breeder may not want their puppies to be bred or to get out of paying a higher price. As well as vetting the buyer and striking up a relationship initial meetings give the buyer a chance to meet the litter and interact with the puppies and parents too. This may be the first time they’ve met a Min Pin in the flesh so they get to see what their behaviour and temperament is like in their home environment. As an aside we visited a Min Pin breeder locally in 2018 and the parents were, rather characteristically, very active, dancing all over the place, playing the showman however they were also very noisy, barking and definitely not being calm! This could either make the potential buyer fall in love with the breed or completely put them off (in which case they were never right for a Min Pin in the first place). You should watch the potential buyer closely seeing how they react to your Min Pins’ high energy disposition. Ensure they are comfortable because this will be the shape of things to come for them. Puppy selection is another advantage for the potential buyer and for you too. Not always the case but your litter can have a mixture of personalities within the breed and it’s important that you decide with the buyer on the puppy that best fits them. Will they prefer raising a shyer, more quiet dog as opposed to a more brash confident one? Usually there are some puppies that are more dominant and some that are more submissive. All this being said some breeders also ask for photographic evidence of the buyer’s home and where the puppy will be sleeping and eating etc to ensure it’s suitable. Many people will see it as too intrusive however it is not an unreasonable. Once your potential buyer decides to go ahead and make that informed commitment, the tricky bit is then over and you can then ask them to seal the deal with a deposit.

Couriering Puppies

This involves you or the buyer arranging a courier which they pay for however always ensure it’s DEFRA licensed. It is an attractive option to provide for potential buyers as you could live very far from them and they may not want to make the journey twice (or at all).

The Breeder’s Contract

Breeders should have a contract as standard. It’s purposes are numerous and very important. It acts as a signed agreement between the breeder and buyer. A puppy contract typically contains all the information about puppy such as it’s name, DOB, sex, and whether it’s for pet/show/breeding, you and the buyers details and a declaration about how you are selling a healthy puppy free of any health problems (that you know of). There may be a few paragraphs stating that the puppy has been vet-checked and vaccinated, information about any health tests done and information about a health guarantee in the event the puppy becomes sick within a certain time period. Usually a guarantee is validated only once the puppy is vet-checked by the new owner immediately after purchase. All reputable breeders will provide a health guarantee. A statement on how the new owner promises to provide the requisite care for the new puppy will be in there too. These are all essential points a basic contract should cover. The contract can be as simple or as detailed as you would like but it should be easy to understand. Some breeders may input specific requests on how they prefer the puppy to be raised which goes beyond the basic care e.g. a specific diet. You should be realistic though as you cannot control whether or not the new owner will adhere to these requests. But you can always advise the new owners on what you think is best for the puppy’s wellbeing. Regarding enforceability of a contract at least in the UK it is rarely possible and not practical for the breeder to even attempt to do this. We’ve known some breeders to want to check up on the new owners every now and then to see how the puppy is doing and to see whether the contract terms are being followed but in essence you cannot control what happens once the puppy leaves your care. The understanding that the breeder has produced a healthy and happy puppy and the buyer’s agreement to raise it correctly and provide it with love, care and a safe home is based on mutual trust. A contract lays down the terms of sale such as the above or the breeder’s expectations. It’s worth noting a common unrealistic expectation for show or some long-time breeders is not wanting the new owners to breed the puppy but the new owners go ahead and end up doing it anyway. It’s far better as we’ve explained to have open and honest communication with your buyers as best you can upfront. The reasons for a breeder (usually those involved in showing) not wanting puppies to pass on their genes is usually that the puppy is not true enough to the breed standard but another reason is to protect their breeding lines. Oftentimes Min Pin breeders place endorsements on the puppy until the new owner (who wants to breed) can prove that the puppy is of sound genetic health in which case if it is, then the breeder will lift those endorsements. We explained about how breeders can often sell their litter with endorsements which simply means the puppy cannot be used for breeding. The resulting litters can’t be registered and so won’t have those ‘official’ stamp of being a Kennel Club registered or be able to have a life in the show ring. The Kennel Club has a downloadable puppy contract.

Mikki with his expressive face as a 6 week old puppy the day we got him. His breeders weren’t interested in getting much profit for the litter as the price to buy him wasn’t high. Of course every breeders situation is different and you may have incurred emergency costs during and after the delivery of the litter. You should factor in all the costs of raising the litter as well the amount you may have lost in working hours (if applicable) when you needed to attend to the litter as well as oher costs before you consider profit all the while being reasonable (we’d recommend) with pricing

A Pedigree

A pedigree certificate is essentially a family tree typically showing three or five generations of dogs in the puppy’s lineage and it’s information that the Kennel Club will have, should for any reason you have lost your copies. Similarly it’s also important should the new owner lose their Kennel Club papers because they’ll need the pedigree to obtain fresh copies. If you intend on being a Kennel Club breeder it’s standard to provide a copy of a pedigree with your puppy pack below. You can still create a pedigree for your puppies if your one or both of your litter’s parents isn’t registered but do have their own pedigrees. You can easily make a pedigree yourself by hand or do it digitally and print it out alternatively the Kennel Club will create one for you at a cost.

Kennel Club Registration Papers

Only if you intend on registering your litter with the Kennel Club do you need to provide registration papers to the owner with each new puppy. You can only register your litter if both parents are registered too. It costs a fee to register your litter with the Kennel Club and once you do you will get a change of ownership form that you fill in and send off which takes around a month to get papers back for each puppy.

Puppy Pack

Puppy packs are popular amongst breeders which are given to the new owner at the time the puppy is rehomed with them. They include essential information including the puppy’s pedigree, Kennel Club paperwork, a copy of the contract, microchip details, vaccination and health records and free insurance for a month. The Kennel Club offer free insurance for the first month for breeders to pass onto the new owners. Other items may include a piece of material/blanket that the puppy’s littermates or mum slept on to help them feel secure while they settle into their new home, a selected toy and a small amount change-over food. You can add anything to a puppy pack as you wish!

Pricing The Puppies

Puppies are more expensive these days than they ever were here in the UK due to the puppy boom during the pandemic. We’ve seen that breeders charge several grand per puppy over many different breeds (that were previously under a grand) because of supply and demand and simply because people will pay. Popular small breeds and their crosses remain the most expensive per puppy with some charging £5000 and more. These are clearly breeders who are interested in profit but that doesn’t say anything more about the breeders themselves e.g. how well they have cared for and raised their litter. Min Pins are growing in popularity but the price of a puppy seems to not have inflated too much. Reputable and experienced breeders have always charged around £700 to £1,500 for a puppy typically not charging more for a particular colour. The Miniature Pinscher Club of Great Britain says £1000 to £1500 is standard for a Min Pin puppy. As many other breeds, puppies judged to be good enough for show are typically pricier as are those who are sold for breeding but still cost within the range of the above. Lee says it’s still a very common thing for the majority of breeders selling non-registered puppies to set a higher price for the more uncommon colours, labelling them as ‘rare’. It should be said that no colour is rare and certainly doesn’t justify paying a lot more money for. See here for different Min Pin colours. As well as colour the same breeders tend to charge more for female puppies (KC breeders typically do not). The justification Lee imagines is that females can produce a litter of puppies. Ultimately it’s up to you how you want to price your puppies. As a guide you should start with expenditure in raising your litter from start to finish and ensure you get your money back before you add on your profit.

Puppy Culture is a resource that is ideal for the novice breeder and is something that Lee of Heathside thoroughly recommends. The company offers a complete program covering dog breeding from start to finish, including the important information we’ve outlined on this page. Anyone who wants to breed Min Pins should research, research and research some more before they begin the process of breeding. By being clued up, you will do the best by your dogs and your litters and will understand how to navigate the challenges and potential mishaps that come with breeding. See here for links to web resources where you can connect with other dog breeders.

Using Your Miniature Pinscher At Stud🐾

People typically want to breed their male pet because they are adorable bundles of fur with a fabulous personality and good looks-all owners will attest to this! While it may be true, in many cases pet owners will not be altogether aware of what a good stud dog should posses in terms of health, temperament and physical attributes to pass on his genes. A stud (the term for a male dog intended for breeding) is no different to breeding your bitch in this respect because the same things are to be considered. In fact his genetics probably becomes a more important consideration because if he is used frequently as a stud he’ll be passing on his genes a lot more than a bitch will.

Should I Offer My Min Pin For Stud?🐾

Whether you are intending on becoming a breeder of Min Pins or you just own a male pet you it’s more of a question of does your Min Pin have what it takes to become a stud dog. Most of the time it’s breeders who tend to offer their Kennel Club registered males as stud dogs to the public usually to other established breeders or owners of registered bitches. Then there are owners of male pets who advertise their stud dog to the public but rarely are these dogs non-registered. A non-registered dog will not get used much if at all as people who are looking for a stud want to be ensured of the dog’s purebred status as well as health and genetics. Reasons for wanting to offer pets as studs tend to be because owners may want a puppy from the litter that their stud dog will father other reasons may be because the stud has a particularly desirable pedigree or he has himself done well in the show ring. Maybe he has a natural flair for agility? Does he have some particularly attractive Min Pin-specific traits that you really want to reproduce such as good conformation? Improving the breed and passing on good genetics in any breed should be the reason that anyone should want to offer their pet as a stud and your male should ideally have some desirable traits he can pass on to his progeny. At the very least your male pet should be of decent quality for breeding even if he doesn’t make the cut in shows or competitions because that doesn’t mean that his progeny won’t. If you own a non-registered Min Pin and believe he is a nice example of the breed with great looks and an all-round fantastic animal to own you can still go ahead and offer him at stud. This is much like evaluating your bitch for breeding in terms of health, temperament and looks. Your stud does not necessarily have to be the best example of a Min Pin physically (conformation) and he can even have ‘faults’ as not everyone seeking a stud dog will need him to have show-winning genetics.

A Healthy Specimen

A responsible owner offering their Min Pin at stud should ensure that he is in excellent health, genetically too. The most important thing is to have him health tested/screened to see if he is a carrier of any genetic problems known to the breed. A standard vet check will ensure he is in good current health and can recommend how you go about getting the recommended health tests done. See the Kennel Club website on how to get started with offering your Min Pin as a stud.

Avoiding Inbreeding

As a stud owner you have to be careful about potential inbreeding fortunately, for registered dogs, the Kennel Club website has a free resource to help you find information on the genetics of potential mates and how closely related a bitch may be to your stud. As a newbie stud owner understanding what’s in your Min Pin’s lineages as well his potential mates will help you make decisions on whether a particular bitch will be a good fit for him and vice-versa.

A Good Temperament

The next thing to consider is your stud’s temperament and is crucial whenever the breeding of either studs or bitches is being considered. Studs can father many many puppies and so his temperament must be of excellent quality which means he should be sociable and friendly with humans and other dogs, confident and even-tempered. He should not show any undesirable traits such as aggression, anxiety, timidity/nervousness or any behavioural issues. You should also ensure that any potential mates have the exactly the same desirable temperament.

Maturity And Fertility

Generally a small breed like the Min Pin is fully fertile at a year old and it’s probably good to wait even longer to see if any health or genetic conditions crop up. The mental maturity of the dog is also important to an extent as his puppy-like excitability may not be conducive to successful mating. If your stud is a virgin or inexperienced then it’s a good idea to have his first mating with an experienced bitch. Although male infertility is rare in dogs it’s a good idea to get your new stud fertility tested during a general health check by your vet.

A Stud Owner’s Necessities🐾

A Potential Mate’s Requirements

If you are intending to offer your (registered) stud for the betterment of the breed then bitches that come to him should be a good all-round example of the breed, like him, especially with regards to good physical form and genetic health. The bitch’s lineage should be looked at to ensure she will produce healthy puppies as well as ensuring she isn’t too closely related (parents, siblings, aunts and uncles) to your stud (as above) e.g. a bitch could have unbeknownst to you come from the same breeder or parents. Inbreeding has to be controlled but not avoided. Breeding too closely-related dogs can cause genetic faults or increase the likelihood of the resulting offspring carrying genetic faults. You can even speak with the breeders of both your stud and bitch if possible and find out more about their lineage. Finally if your desire is to produce the best conformation you can or particular colours you should pair your stud with bitches who compliment his features or can make up for what he’s lacking physically or vice-versa. If you are interested in producing offspring of the correct size whether for show or pet then ensure one or both dogs conform to the breed standard for size or are as small as possible.

A Stud Contract

You should have an understanding between yourself and the person who will be using your stud’s services. This can be verbal when you know someone personally but for those you don’t know you should have a signed contract in place just as you would if you were to sell puppies. A stud contract is much like a puppy contract except it’ll contain the details of both parties, all important credentials and health information about your stud dog as well as the bitch’s, a declaration that he and the bitch are in good health and maybe details and results of any genetic/health screenings that have occurred on both dogs. There should be a statement on remuneration and how many mating the bitch’s owner is entitled to. If the exchange is in the form of a puppy e.g. first refusal on a choosing there should be information on what happens should the bitch not conceive and details of where the mating will happen. Finally, the person seeking using your stud’s services should read the contract thoroughly and you should verbally ensure they understand it’s terms completely before the both of you sign it. Like for a puppy contract you can make a stud contract as detailed as you like.

A Stud Fee or Pick Of The Litter?

Some people wanting to stud their dog will have a fee that they charge for the mating (s) and some will ask for a puppy out of the litter, where they will get first refusal or first pick before you or any of your potential customers. Perhaps you would like a puppy from your handsome stud? That’s for you to decide. Prices for Min Pin studs are around £150-£300. Generally stud’s that have competed and done well in Kennel Club events such as shows and activities will have a higher stud fee attached to them. A Min Pin stud’s fee can be dictated by his lineage and the quality of puppies he has produced already or indeed how proven he is (experienced). Similarly if he isn’t proven his stud fee may be lower. In the case of a ‘virgin’ stud you may want to write into the contract what should happen if he does not produce. This is why a fertility test ideally should be carried out just in case. See here for vets providing reproductive services. Other factors can include what colours he is carrying and how close he is to the breed standard e.g. if he himself has desirable traits such as small stature or he has produced offspring with the same qualities. Owners may consider the state of the dog’s health (if any health tests have been done) and temperament as factors that affect the price too.

Where Will It Happen?

For the virgin stud dog the environment where the mating will happen can matter a lot. Ideally they should have their first experiences in a familiar environment where they feel comfortable hence why bitches are often taken to the stud’s home where they’ll stay for a short period of time during which the mating should occur, even for experienced studs. The reason for allowing the mating to take place in a familiar setting for the stud dog is because unfamiliar or novel ones can naturally distract the stud when his focus will be elsewhere instead of the bitch and his task. With the Min Pin’s easily distracted nature or sometimes nervous and anxious disposition this can be an issue. When the stud dog is in his home environment he will naturally be more secure and confident which can facilitate the mating process.

The Mating🐾

Initial Meetings

Stud dogs should be confident and sociable with other dogs ideally. However not all dogs are like this 100% of the time and when their stud experience is lacking it’s a good idea that you arrange an initial meeting between your stud dog and the potential mate. If they are already familiar with each other and accustomed to one another’s scents they will feel more comfortable and less anxious on the mating days. Dogs are individuals and have different personalities and characters and just like humans, it is possible that one may not like the other, as we touched on above with compatibility. Observing their interaction on an initial meeting or two can reveal any potential issues. It is important for the stud to have a good first time experience or he can be put off mating for life.

The Mating Process

The mating is taking place in your home (the stud’s home) and you’ve arranged for the bitch to visit. Both dogs should be as relaxed as possible and having some quality time to play with their owners present can be beneficial. Unless the stud and bitch look as if they’re going to get right into it immediately it’s best not to push them into a mating position or rush anything. Wait until they are ready and don’t put any pressure on them. Allow the mating to take place unassisted if possible. You should familiarize yourself with the process so you know what to expect but when it comes down to it try and give both dogs some space and position yourself where you can see what’s going on without being in their faces. So don’t hover around! This is so you do not distract your dog in any way-the sole focus of his attention should be on the task. If he or she is displaying nervous body language then you can gently stroke them and talk to them softly to reassure them.

It’s completely natural for both dogs to play around excitably before the actual penetration takes place and you should let them do this. When the mounting happens the penetration and insemination can take a few minutes. The male will then turn around and both dogs will be tied, where the stud’s penis swells up inside the bitch’s vagina. This can last from a few minutes till up to an hour and the dogs will not be able to separate until his swollen penis goes down. Ensure that a calm environment is maintained so they will not be startled. If they separate too early they can hurt or seriously injure themselves. Never separate them even if this stage appears to be causing discomfort because it is completely natural. But you can be in the room to calmly reassure both dogs if they appear to get anxious.

There are times when it’s necessary to intervene in order to facilitate the process. This can be when the male is finding it hard to ‘locate’ the vulva in which case you can physically assist him by manoeuvring his body into the correct position. In the case that the bitch is ready but she’s moving around you can steady her to allow him to enter her more easily.

A Failed Mating/Slip Mating

A slip mating happens when the male has mounted and humped but withdraws his penis too early before he either ejaculates or before the tie. Even if he may have still ejaculated, withdrawing quickly afterwards can cause the semen to leak out of the bitch’s vulva. It’s a possibility that the bitch isn’t quite ready and that’s why she’s not completely cooperative, in which case the mating can be tried again later. See above for the optimum time during her heat cycle a bitch should be mated.

Artificial Insemination

For stud dogs (or bitches) who do not have the suitable personality disposition conducive to mating artificial insemination can be used. After collecting and preparing your stud’s semen you can then have it shipped to the bitch’s owner. This method of impregnation is actually rather straightforward and can be performed by the bitch’s owner provided they follow the correct procedure.

How To collect Your Stud’s Semen

For artificial insemination you must first collect your stud’s semen which can be done easily at home. You should ensure your stud is in a relaxed state when you do this for the best result. Basic equipment you’ll need is;

Latex gloves
A clear plastic cup
A plastic pouch or sleeve
A syringe
A semen extender
Cup of warm water

Start by cleaning your stud’s penis with a tissue to get rid of any debris. Gently taking your stud’s penis squeeze the bit where the base or end of it meets the bulb (round swollen part), which may make him thrust a little as this video demonstrates. The seminal fluid is initially clear but will become distinctly cloudy or milky in appearance to indicate the presence of sperm (this is called a sperm-rich fraction). You should collect the drops of this milky seminal fluid into a collection pouch or sleeve for around 5-10 minutes until the seminal fluid starts becoming clear once again. You should ensure your stud is held steady throughout the process. After the semen collection make sure your stud’s penis has retracted fully back into it’s sheath. Keep an eye on him and if it doesn’t happen within a few minutes, you can rub some Vaseline on his penis to make it slide back in more easily. Call your vet for advice if your studs penis still hasn’t retracted. This is important because the penis can sustain damage if it’s left out. If the semen sample is not being used immediately and instead will be delivered to the bitch’s owner, you can then add the extender to the semen sample to preserve it. Then take your cup of warm water, put the semen sample in it before you put it in the fridge. This is so the sample can cool down gradually. Do not put the semen sample straight in the fridge on its own because the shock of going straight from the body to the cold can kill the sperm contained within. The semen sample should be kept chilled for use within 10 days. If you intend on shipping semen abroad you need to look at freezing your semen samples. When you are ready to deliver the semen sample you should ensure that it is packaged properly, complete with several ice packs to keep it cool. There are several companies that offer chilled semen delivery services. If your stud has never been bred then you should get his semen sample sent for an evaluation to test his fertility before you sell any of his semen.