Breeding for the first time?

[diff_eqs]

@YodelDogs:

She still could be AKC registered. If a dog has not been used for breeding then it won't be in the AKC stud books Sally gets most of her data from. If no one submitted this dog to Sally voluntarily then she would not be in the database. Another reason why we need everyone to submit their dog's registration info for the database, no matter what registry is used or what country it is from. Even unregistered dogs whose parent's names are known can be included. Let's do it folks!

What is this Sally's registry that you guys speak of? I am very new to the breed and don't know everything yet (obviously). Is that something that I am advised to register my dog with?

[mauigirl]

Sally Wallis of Zande Basenjis in the UK maintains the database. It is not "official" per se but a really great resource all the same. She receives info from the AKC but still many dogs never make it up there if people don't send her the info.
It is not something you register for.

http://pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/

I believe that you send her registered name, DOB, sire, dam and color. And if you know anything about the rest of the litter that is helpful as well.

[lvoss]

@diff_eqs:

Maybe someone here who reads this can suggest a sire in California?

Any stud dog owner is going to have several questions that they will want answered. Here are some of the ones that come to mind:

1. What are your goals for this breeding?
2. What does your bitch have to offer the breed? In what ways has she demonstrated these traits? (Conformation, Performance, Therapy work, etc)
3. Why are you interested in this stud dog?
4. What health testing have you done?
5. What information can you give me about the dogs in your pedigree? Which ones are still alive? How are they doing? Which ones are deceased? At what age and by what cause?
6. Do you use a contract when placing puppies?
7. Do you have a waiting list? How do you screen homes before placing them on the waiting list?
8. Do you microchip your puppies before they leave for their new homes?

[tanza]

@diff_eqs:

She is AKC registered, I got her papers. Her registered name is Busara's Mandisa Akish. She was born on November 6, 2006, her AKC reg number is HP23632903. And yes, I checked her parents for Fanconi, they are both Clear for Fanconi.

I sent her information to Sally to add to the data base. If you are interested in the pedigree site go to
http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/

Breeders use this and the OFA site all the time…..

[tanza]

@lvoss:

Any stud dog owner is going to have several questions that they will want answered. Here are some of the ones that come to mind:

1. What are your goals for this breeding?
2. What does your bitch have to offer the breed? In what ways has she demonstrated these traits? (Conformation, Performance, Therapy work, etc)
3. Why are you interested in this stud dog?
4. What health testing have you done?
5. What information can you give me about the dogs in your pedigree? Which ones are still alive? How are they doing? Which ones are deceased? At what age and by what cause?
6. Do you use a contract when placing puppies?
7. Do you have a waiting list? How do you screen homes before placing them on the waiting list?
8. Do you microchip your puppies before they leave for their new homes?

I would also add:
1. Will you require spay/neuter for any pup placed?
2. Will you take back/be responsible any pup produced from your bitch for its entire lifetime?

[diff_eqs]

@tanza:

I sent her information to Sally to add to the data base. If you are interested in the pedigree site go to
http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/

Breeders use this and the OFA site all the time…..

Thank you Pat for your help and input!

[diff_eqs]

A few of you have been so kind to help me, by proposing the questions that the stud dog owner might ask. Here are my answers.

1. What are your goals for this breeding?

I would like to get to know more about the process/requirements for breeding. My family and I are also so much enamored with the breed and Lana's personality that we really want to keep a puppy or two from her, possibly as pets. I want to see if she is going to have good quality of puppies and that will determine if she is worth breeding in the future or if she needs to get spayed. If a puppy from the litter will have a great conformation, I am going to keep that puppy with the intent of showing/breeding him/her. Either way, I have four people besides me who would love to have a puppy from her, even as a pet quality only.

2. What does your bitch have to offer the breed? In what ways has she demonstrated these traits? (Conformation, Performance, Therapy work, etc)

I have been told that she has really good chest/legs/back. She also has absolutely awesome personality that reflects everything good I have ever read or heard about basenjis. Even though she has never been shown, if I pick a compatible stud, I believe (and I was told) that there is a big chance of having a puppy with a really great conformation that I can possibly show, which is my ultimate goal.

3. Why are you interested in this stud dog?

Haven't chosen the stud dog yet, waiting for all the test results to be done first.

4. What health testing have you done?

Getting hips/eyes/thyroid done within the next 10 days and ordered a Fanconi kit online. Will keep everyone posted on the results.

5. What information can you give me about the dogs in your pedigree? Which ones are still alive? How are they doing? Which ones are deceased? At what age and by what cause?

Parents are clear/normal for Fanconi and hips. Will call the bitch's breeder in th next couple of days to see how everything is with them.

6. Do you use a contract when placing puppies?

Haven't done that yet, but I have sold horses in the past, so I understand the importance of the contract. I absolutely will have the contract, and there will be a part in it that in case the people are unable to keep the puppy I want the puppy to be returned/sold to me and not to some random person.

7. Do you have a waiting list? How do you screen homes before placing them on the waiting list?

Yes, between me, my family and a couple of friends I have 4, possibly 5 people on the wait list. I know and trust all these people and their homes very well, and I have no doubt that all of the homes will be excellent homes for basenjis.

8. Do you microchip your puppies before they leave for their new homes?

Never had puppies before, but yes, will either microchip them myself or have a part on the contract that they would have to be microchipped within a certain period of time.

9. Will you require spay/neuter for any pup placed?

Depending on the quality of the puppy and the person's plans. So far only me and one more person wants to potentially show the puppy if the puppy is of good conformation/traits/personality/etc, the rest will be pets.

10. Will you take back/be responsible any pup produced from your bitch for its entire lifetime?

Absolutely. At the very least I will assume responsibility of re-homing the puppy should the original placement not work.

[lvoss]

Even though you haven't picked a stud dog yet, you should be thinking about what you want in a stud dog. You need to know the standard well enough to know your bitch's strengths and weaknesses and be able to evaluate how well potential stud dogs compliment your bitch. This is one reason it is encouraged to show first and then plan a breeding.

You said your bitch's strengths were her chest/legs/back, in what ways are they strengths. Are you saying she has good front fill and point of chest? What about her legs are good? Is it her angulation? Well let down hocks? What about her back is good? Is she short backed?

What about her topline? How is her eye shape and color? Her ear set? Her tail set? How is her front assembly? Is her skin loose and pliant? Are her feet tight and compact?

What areas need improvement?

[lvoss]

Here are some good online references to help make sense of the standard and evaluating a basenji's conformation.

http://www.azbasenji.com/basenji_standard.htm
http://www.geocities.com/rugosab/ConformationPage.htm

[diff_eqs]

Thanks everyone who has shared their knowledge and opinions on the matter! I got all the tests done, just waiting for the results from the OFA. Say all the results are good/clear/negative/etc. I already spoke to a couple breeders, so I have a couple of potential studs picked out. What are some of the other steps involved, i.e. registering the litter, etc.?