Breeder-Caretakers Needed!
PADS is currently looking for breeder-caretaker families for several lovely Labrador Retriever girls.
What is a breeder-caretaker? Breeder-caretakers are volunteers who keep an adult breeding dog for PADS. Breeder-caretakers whelp and raise litters of puppies until they are 8 weeks old and ready to enter the PADS puppy-raising program.
Why become a breeder-caretaker? You’ll be involved in a legacy of giving. Breeder-caretakers have the unique opportunity of being involved in providing PADS clients with potentially dozens of assistance dogs, both directly through the puppies they raise and indirectly through the sons and daughters born to their dog who go on to breeding careers, providing quality assistance dogs for years to come. Some of the pedigrees on our dogs from other schools go back to dogs born in the mid-twentieth century – the gift their breeder-caretakers gave is still going strong fifty or more years later.
What kind of home is ideal for a breeding dog? Breeding dogs are placed in homes where a responsible adult is home during the day to help the mother care for the puppies. Breeder-caretakers can be individuals, couples, families with children, retired individuals and those with a flexible schedule who work from home. A breeding dog might have up to 2 litters a year and each litter stays with the breeder-caretaker until they are 8 weeks old. You can have other pets as long as they are spayed or neutered and their vaccinations are kept up-to-date. All our breeding dogs are very friendly and would love to have a feline or canine friend or two.
What kind of work is involved? We won’t lie, there’s a lot of work involved, but a lot of reward as well. The first four weeks the dam (mother dog) does most of the work herself, feeding and cleaning the puppies as needed. During this time the biggest time commitment for breeder-caretakers is laundry – aside from all the time lost staring at cute little puppies (our breeder-caretakers don’t affectionately refer to them as “little time wasters” for nothing!). At four weeks the puppies start to eat solid food and become more mobile and your work load really picks up, however it is also at this point that the puppies are at their cutest and most interactive. If you’re interested in becoming a breeder-caretaker we’ll arrange for you to meet with an experienced breeder-caretaker (preferably one with a litter of puppies on the ground) who can give you a taste of the whole experience.
Who whelps (delivers) the puppies? Two PADS staff members or one staff member and an experienced volunteer will be on-hand during the delivery to make sure everything goes smoothly. Some breeder-caretakers like to get right in there with “catching puppies” and cutting umbilical cords, while others prefer to sit back and watch or even to leave the room during delivery. We are happy either way. Whelping can be a lengthy process up to 12 hours or more so having two of us there allows us to spell one-another off when we get tired. After the puppies are cleaned and dried and everyone is doing well we will leave you to it, coming back for a checkup on day 3 (sooner if you need us) and weekly after that, though we are always only a phone call away.
Occasionally a C-section is necessary in which case we will transport the dog to the veterinary hospital and then bring her and the puppies home. Our priority is always the well-being of the dam and puppies.
How many litters will a female have? A breeding dog will have up to 5 litters, though if it is in her best interests she may be spayed earlier. Generally a female will have a litter in 2 out of every 3 heats (current veterinary research shows a female is healthiest if she is bred on every heat after adulthood until she is spayed, however 5 litters back-to-back is too much for most breeder-caretakers so we spread them out). Most breeding females will retire by age 5.
Do we get to keep the female when she retires? In many cases, yes. Occasionally we have a female on loan for one or more litters, in which case she is offered back to her owner/breeder at the end of the contract. If the owner/breeder chooses not to have the dog back the breeder-caretaker would be our first choice to adopt the dog. Retired breeding dogs and their breeder-caretakers have worked hard and we like to see them live out the dog’s retirement together.
If you’re interested in obtaining more information about this important and rewarding volunteer opportunity please contact:
Jackie Clark
Director of Canine Programs
Breeding and Puppy Development
604-527-0556 ext 223
or jackie@pads.ca