Some explicit photos on this page.

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Breeding healthy, sound puppies with good temperaments, and seeing them go to loving new homes, is a very rewarding experience. Responsible, registered breeders spend many hours poring over pedigrees, finding breeding lines which have been tested and cleared of major hereditary diseases (e.g. heart disease), studying breed books, attending dog shows, and speaking with other informed breeders, in order to find a sire which best suits their bitch. They seek a sire which could potentially improve her weak points and consolidate her strengths, in the puppies which their combined genetic material will produce. Years of acquired knowledge, the ability to assess a dog or bitch objectively, and a desire to produce Cavaliers which are healthy and match the Breed Standard as closely as possible, will lead a responsible breeder to their choice.

There are many books which can provide useful information about breeding, whelping, and rearing puppies, including all of the Cavalier "breed" books, listed on this website. Breeding is a very complex subject, so we have abbreviated this page to include the more "human" side of the issue - some personal experiences from breeders, and some actual facts and figures which you need to know if you are thinking of breeding. If you are considering breeding from your pet Cavalier, we urge you to read on, and to contact the breeder of your Cavalier for further advice.

EXPENSES
Many people believe breeding is a means to making easy money. This is not the case. If a breeder is raising their puppies in the best possible conditions, they are putting most, if not all, of what they receive from their puppy sales back into their dogs. They should be testing for hereditary diseases, to ensure the best possible chance for those puppies to live long, healthy lives with their new families. They are spending money to ensure their dogs are healthy and happy, and that puppies are raised appropriately (kept at a comfortable temperature, in a safe, clean and secure environment, fed nutritious food when weaned, etc). Many breeders put aside up to $1000 for expenses, every time they breed a litter. Sometimes, they do NOT get this back.

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Whelping is hard work.
This mum is taking a well-earned break with her new pups.

Expenses immediately associated with breeding a litter (in AUS$) include:
* Stud fee - usually between $500 and $1,000
* Heated whelping box - up to $500
* Bedding suitable for raising puppies - $80
* Caesarean Section (if necessary) - at least $400
* Post-whelping check-up - $50
* Preservative free, healthy food for mother and weaning pups - up to $200
* Puppy pen used at weaning time - $120
* Puppy vaccination - $40 per pup

Added to this of course, health testing for the parents, which can total over $500 during their breeding life, and any other emergency veterinary treatment, such as outlined in the stories below. It is not our intention to frighten you, but simply to inform you about the genuine risks and expenses involved with breeding. Most reputable, registered breeders have a network of other breeders to refer to, if they have concerns about what is happening with their whelping bitch. They are prepared for emergencies, and don't expect to profit from their breeding. The following are TRUE cases which have happened to experienced and novice breeders alike:

ORPHANED PUPPIES
Tarley had a normal pregnancy. She struggled a little during the whelping, but her breeder, with over 20 years experience, was confident that everything was OK. Tarley was very tired the day after the whelping, so the breeder took her to the vet for a check-up. Everything appeared to be normal - maybe she just overdid it a bit, and another few days of taking it easy, with good nutrition and warmth, and she should recover. The following morning, Tarley was found dead next to her whelping box, leaving behind four little orphans. An autopsy revealed that Tarley's uterus had enveloped in on itself, and ruptured. She had bled to death, internally, and there was no sign of the problem through examination.

New-born puppies are totally incapable of looking after themselves - they are deaf, blind, cannot walk, cannot control their body temperature or their bowels, and can only suckle, not eat. Tarley's puppies were hand-reared - the breeder feeding and "toileting" the babies every two hours, mimicking as closely as possible the normal behaviour of a nursing mother - day and night. It was a constant, challenging and stressful four weeks, not to mention the loss of her beloved girl, who had been so dearly loved.

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New born pups are completely helpless.
Here, the mother cleans up the pup soon after delivery.

ECLAMPSIA STORY 1
Babygirl was nursing her fourth and final litter. Her breeder had commenced weaning the babies, and everything looked in order. Baby's eyes started to glaze over one morning, and the breeder, with a few years experience, suspected eclampsia. Being 30 minutes from the vet, she rang immediately with her suspicions, and drove down "just in case". During the 20 minute drive (always quicker in an emergency!), it became obvious that Babygirl did have eclampsia - she was unable to stand, and was very close to complete collapse. It took a good hour and a half before the vets were satisfied that their emergency treatment had brought her back to normal. The puppies were forcibly weaned immediately. If the breeder had not known the signs, which can be obscure, or had hesitated just another 10 minutes (or not broken the sound barrier during the drive!), her precious girl would have died. A statistic of the breeding process.

ECLAMPSIA STORY 2
Lilli was all set for her first litter. Her anxious novice breeder had thought of just about everything, had read all the books, and sought lots of advice from more experienced friends. How hard could this be? It was certainly a nerve-wracking experience, but the first two babies were born without too much trouble. The last pup was born dead and needed resuscitation. Luckily, experienced friends were on hand to help. When the pups were 10 days old, Lilli's panting seemed to be worse than usual (this was a summer litter, so she panted a lot), and she was flicking her head. Her breeder took her to the vet, in case a grass seed had lodged in Lilli's ears. During the 10 minute drive, Lilli collapsed into an eclamptic coma. Thankfully, she was saved - but how near was death, for this breeders beloved girl? Very, very near.

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As a puppy starts to die, it lets out faint cries,
extends it legs forward, and throws it's head back.
This puppy died soon after the photo was taken.

PREMATURE WHELPING
Ziggy looked very pregnant, with 10 days to go. She had a "belly full", and the breeder was sure that there would be a few girls to choose from for the show ring. 1 am, and Ziggy let out that scream that breeders have come to dread! She had started whelping - 10 days early! She was so scared of the pain, and this little puppy hanging behind her, that she sat on him, and ripped his umbilical cord out. He could not be saved. After nearly two hours with no progress on the next pup, her breeder rang the vet (3 am) to warn of an impending caesarean. The trip to the vet took 20 minutes, and after examination and 2 shots of stimulant drugs, the pup still did not move. Time for surgery. The caesarean was performed (4 am), and the surviving 5 pups taken home. They were very small and weak, could not hold their temperatures, and whined constantly. In spite of around the clock care, four of them died, one at a time. Their rattly little lungs were just too immature to sustain life. As each of them seemed to "rally", they would suddenly take a turn for the worst, and would be gone. This tragedy took several days to unfold. Ziggy was desexed soon after the birth of these babies, to prevent the same fate falling on subsequent litters - her own mother had done the same thing twice, and it would not be fair to take this risk again.

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A healthy mum and gleaming pups are a delight to the breeder's eye.

THE BLOB
The puppy that caused Ziggy's blockage, and possibly the early whelping was a big bag of jelly. Literally. These pups come along every now and then, but their origin is a little obscure. They look like huge bags of jelly (they can be bigger than a human hand), with bloated, transparent bodies. Usually, they are born dead. However, to add to the distress of this birth, the Blob drew several breaths before she died.

TUBE FED BABIES
Joanna had suffered a ruptured uterus after whelping her four pups, and died from internal haemorrhage. Her breeder gave the pups 24-hour care, keeping them warm, stimulating them to their "toilets" and attempting to hand feed them. Unfortunately they would not take the bottle, and were losing weight quickly. As the first of the babies faded away, the breeder commenced tube feeding. Tube feeding puppies takes a great deal of skill, care and patience, as it is possible to feed the tube into the lungs by mistake, and drown the pups. The tube is inserted at every feeding time, which is approximately every two hours. After weeks of no sleep, 3 of the pups were saved.

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This little puppy was born with a cleft palate and hair lip.
These deformities happen rarely,
but most of these pups will need to be euthanased soon after birth.

OTHER COMPLICATIONS
* Pups born with deformities - most of these will have to be put to sleep.
* Pyometra - the mother develops a uterine infection and without warning, may die, or at the very least needs hundreds of dollars worth of intensive veterinary care. After all that, she still may need to be desexed, as this infection will flare up at every season for the rest of her life.
* Bag bursts during whelping and pup drowns in it's own birth fluid.
* Open stomach - pup's belly has no skin covering it, and the intestines are exposed. These pups cannot be saved.
* Milk slow coming in - a nervous time for the breeder.
* No milk - pups will need to be hand/tube fed, or a substitute mother found.
* Toxic milk - pups fade and die, and survivors will need to be hand/tube fed.
* Fading puppies - apparently normal puppies start fading away for no obvious reason, and die regardless of 24-hour care.
* Swimmers - pups which do not get up on their feet as normal, and require intensive physiotherapy and careful attention to their environment. Some swimmers do not recover, and have to be euthanased between 4 and 6 weeks.

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Puppy born with midline failure -
intestines present externally at birth.

A SPECIAL PUPPY
Considering all of the above, what does a breeder do when they have a pup with an apparent problem? This is the story of Tyson:

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Tyson was a little Black and Tan baby, who was born normal size. Everything else appeared normal, except that he only had a thin membrane covering his belly, instead of skin. His breeder was given the option of putting him to sleep, but preferred to give him a chance at life - aside from the thin and fragile membrane, he appeared perfectly normal, and was as strong and full of life as his littermates. The membrane was given added strength with several stitches. Over the following weeks, Tyson's development fell further and further behind that of his littermates, but he was so full of vitality and character, that his breeder persisted with him. She had checked for other abnormalities such as cleft palate and open fontanel (which would indicate hydrocephalus), but there was no obvious reason why he should not go on to live an otherwise normal life. He seemed interested in only three things in life - warmth, food and cuddles. But more and more, he would run up to stand on his breeders feet after meals, shaking in agony, and seeming to say "Mummy, please help me".

When Tyson was six weeks old, and he really had stalled in his progress, his breeder thought it time he was checked again by the vet. That morning, before heading to the vet, his breeder checked again for the open fontanel - it was there now. X-rays confirmed the worst - Tyson's brain was 1/4 normal size, and he was lucky to have survived this long. The pain he felt after eating was caused by the hydrocephalus. Tyson was wrapped in crepe bandage (his "red pyjamas") to help stabilise the weak abdominal membrane, and allowed one last warm, sunny weekend to be with his family. By Monday, his health had deteriorated significantly, and he was put to rest.

While the breeder had the early option to euthanase Tyson, she chose to give him a chance at life. Sadly, it is painfully clear that life was not for Tyson. Puppies like Tyson come along rarely, and as his breeder can tell you, after putting in all that love and devotion, it is heart-breaking to have to say "goodbye".

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This little puppy faded away over several days, before dying.

IS IT WORTH THE RISK?
Many, many litters are born without complication, but many others have produced problems such as these. If you love your pet bitch, and are thinking of breeding from her, you need to ask yourself if you are prepared to risk her health, and if you and your family can go through some of the expenses, experiences and traumas outlined in these true stories. They do happen - they happened to these breeders - they could happen to you. Is it really worth the risk?

There are alternatives to breeding your own pups. If you just want another dog to keep your first one company - how about buying another pup, or maybe an adult? Would you consider a Rescue dog, or maybe one from an animal shelter? If you want the kids to see "nature at work", please consider all of the above, and ask if there is perhaps an alternative way to achieve this. Breeding can be rewarding, but it can also be very costly.

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A natural part of the whelping process -
The dam eats each placenta as it appears.
This helps to stimulate milk production.
She will also chew the umbilical cord, and clean up the puppy.
Care must be taken at this time,
that the bitch does not chew the cord too close to the puppy's skin,
or the puppy will bleed to death.

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