breeding cycles

[Joan N Robinson]

I had a rather surprising discussion with a reproduction specialist 
within the last year - and she said the same thing Libby has said -
The LARGE breeding kennel she worked with has found that breeding the 
dogs on their First cycle and Every cycle thereafter, until they fail to 
produce, produces the Most Healthy puppies + maintains the bitches in 
their best health.  Yes - Dramatically different from what I've been 
taught by Every mentor I've had over the past 30 years - but - this is 
what they are finding today to be the case.
And Libby went further than this specialist did in explaining what is 
going on with the uterus of the bitch(es) ...

Not that I'm suggesting we all go out & start breeding our girls every 
cycle all the time --- I'm not --  Most of us are just not into that -
But we do need to keep in mind what current medical SCIENCE is teaching us -

Joan Robinson



[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> When discussing pregnancies, and reproductive cycles, we need to 
understand that bitches are not humans in their physiology - with all 
respect to Vilma and her knowledge of human reproduction (hi there!). 
And bitches are not little cows, either. So much of the knowledge of 
animal husbandry we know from animals other than bitches, does not apply 
to bitches!  We do know that the health and nutrition of any animal is 
important in reproduction.  And we need to remember that it's the timing 
of the breeding, genetics, and the *health of the uterus* that determine 
litter size.
> I plead ignorance about human ovulation.  But a bitch is the only 
domestic animal whose ova are ovulated into a progesterone environment, 
not the estrogen environment of other animals.  And a bitch ovulates an 
immature egg that requires further division before fertilization can 
occur.  A fertilized egg implants in the uterus at Day 17-18.
>
> Whether or not a bitch is in fact bred and becomes pregnant, or not, 
when she goes through her cycle, her uterus acts exactly as if it is 
pregnant.  The hormonal levels that change with a cycle change and apply 
regardless of whether there are puppies. The progesterone levels 
affecting the uterus each cycle are at the same level, and last as long 
in the bitch, whether she is bred or not.  So the uterus is not "rested" 
or "spared" or "saved" by skipping a cycle.  The only difference to the 
uterus is whether there are puppies in it.  If we look at this from a 
non-anthopomorphic viewpoint, it is healthier for the bitch, and 
healthier for the uterus - if one wishes to have a bitch produce well - 
to breed her back to back until you no longer wish to have puppies from 
her.  I know this sounds like heresy to some folks, and I am *not* 
advocating turning every breeding program in to a puppy mill, so let's 
not carried away here.
> If you look at the uterus of the bitch 12 weeks after she whelps a 
litter, it is usually totally healed, and ready to start the process 
over again.  Actually, it usually does start the process all over again. 
By Day 16-17 of her cycle, if you didn't breed her, the process starts 
all over again.  Bitches never go into menopause.
> And when 5 of them all living in the same house come in season in the 
same week - well, they don't call them bitches for nothing.
>
> Libby Kesner
> and the Berner girls of Maine
> Voorheesville NY USA