thinking of mating our border terrier........ worried it could change her temprement?

Question

has anyones dogs behaviour or temprement changed after she had puppies?

Answer 1

I am so tired of people calling someone who wants to breed their dogs a byb. Until you go to their home and see how they live or what they do it is unfair to call them a byb. I know there are some out there, but byb don't ask question here because they don't care what happens to their dog and puppies as long as they can get money. Some times I feel some people have to sweep off their own back porch before calling someone something they have no clue what they do. Anyway now that is out of the way. No it won't change her, except when the puppies are around..She may protect them. Just wait until she is two years old and both female and male have a clear bill of health from your vets.

Answer 2

Why are you planning on having a litter off her?If it's for money reasons rather then improving the standard of the dog,then your an irresponsible dog owner!Yes it can change a bitches temperment,some mums don't take to the pups and reject them,are you really willing to hand raise up to 5/6 pups?She could become very defensive around them which obviously would be a series matter.If you are a responsible breeder you will know the next part im going to talk about,which is health testing.....has your bi tch been fully health tested with certifacates to prove this?Is she kc regd and are all the pups going to be kc regd?Have you got enough time and money to raise them to at least 8 weeks old?Good breeders also provide the pups with there 1st jab,sometimes both jabs ready for there new home so socilisation can begin straight away,they also can provide puppy packs,and 6 weeks free insurance.If you have doubts about any of this,then dont breed!It should be left to the proffesionals.This is no personal attack agaisn't you,im simply advicing you and i feel strongly about people who just want pups for the sake of it,with out realising the amount of hard work that go's into breeding.

Answer 3

From my experience the only change in their temprement is that your doggy may become a little distant with you as they are busy protecting and caring for their pups. Other than that it might actually calm her down.

But I do have to agree with some of the other comments, there are far too many unwanted dogs as it is. If you are 100% sold on letting her have pups then please make sure that you have good homes lined up.

Good luck

Answer 4

Typically the expectant mother is more cranky during pregnancy wanting to find a secure den & keep all others away (I have a friend with scars from the fall out of that). Of course He*# has no fury like a mother defending her litter. USUALLY these temperent changes go away after the litter is raised and there is no lasting change BUT I do know of two cases where it became habit and the dog remained agressive for the rest of her life......

Answer 5

Dont do it ! Backyard breeding is dangerous and in any case there are so many unwanted puppies being put down every day, the world doesnt need anymore.

Answer 6

Having pups once isn't fair on the dog; it awakens their maternal instinct and they can end up craving more pups for the rest of their lives. You sometimes see females that adopt stuffed toys or shoes and treat them as pups, they can also have phantom pregnancies. While the owners think its cute, its not. It shows the dog is desperately unhappy.
Theres also the risk that your female has unusually low levels of maternal instinct and is no good with pups. Some owners find that very distressing, to find half eaten pups is upsetting, and it can change the way you feel about your dog.
So if you can't cope with that kind of thing, don't breed.
If you don't intend to breed regularly from her, its really kinder to have her spayed.

Theres no way to predict how your dog will react so other peoples experiences arent really much help in making your decision, you need to think about how you and your dog will cope if it doesn't work out.

Although most posters are scathing about the possibility of a change in temperament after breeding, it does happen. Just because someone hasn't come across it doesn't mean it never happens. So heres a link to a veterinary site, if you search some behaviour sites you could find more info.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2084&S=2&SourceID=47
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1737&S=0&SourceID=47

''If the female has a litter of puppies, her temperament can change either temporarily or permanently due to the hormone change she goes through to guard the puppies''

Answer 7

Hi,

One of our friends bread their staffy twice, (We now have an offspring) both times she has been fine through the pregnancy. They tended to find that her temperament changed once the puppy's had gone. For example when they went to work they came home to find she had chewed various parts of their house and furniture. They said she seamed to calm down and go back to herself after about 4 weeks.

Hope this helped and happy breading :-)

Answer 8

Having pups doesn't usually change a b1tch's temperament except to make them more mature. While she has the pups though, she will change as she will be totally focused on the litter - you will not be her most important people temporarily!
It will not make her crave more pups - what rubbish!
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/89071.html

Answer 9

my dog had pups and for the first few weeks after she was very grumpy but what new mother isnt? shes was fine after that and it actually made her more playful i have since had her done so she cant have any more pups though and she is still very playful

Answer 10

Yes, for the worst! Don't breed her. There are millions of unwanted puppies that are euthanized every year. Getting her spayed will change her for the better and calm her down.