Black & White Sunday - 2 in Stardom (& Poll Update)

Earl and I came to a pretty unsure conclusion yesterday about today's black and white sunday (hosted by Dachshund Nola and Sugar the Golden Retriever). You see, my grandparents rescued a cat the other day called Harley, and I thought B&W S would be the perfect day to show you some of his photos… he is, after all, black and white! But Earl wouldn't take that. He complained that this is HIS blog, so he should have HIS photo on each blog hop. So I got some photos of Earl in b&w to show BEFORE I post the photos of Harley. Still an unsure agreement (if it is an agreement…) however, I am sure we will both get over it when we post again after today. It will all be forgotten between us I am sure!

Earl - this blog will ALWAYS be yours - we won't get through ONE SINGLE post here without having you involved.

Awww. Best friends forever, Earl and I <3

Funny dog.

So here comes Harley, the 18 month old black and white rescued moggy. Sorry dogs!

Whoops!

He's lovely - its such a shame Earl can't meet him - he hates cats with a passion!

And now, we have our Poll Update to do, and another poll to open!

Our Poll 13 was on the subject of breeding female dogs (bitches).

The question posed was: 'Do you think it is kinder to let a female dog have a litter?'

You voted, and the winner is:

No - 4 (66%)

The rest of the results are: (number. is the place that that option came overall).

1. No - 4 (66%)

2. I don't know - 1 (16%)

2. Maybe - 1 (16%)

3+no place. Yes - 0 (0%)

Red = winner

Blue = other place

Black = no place (no votes)

So.

Breeding female dogs

Female dogs are a favourite when it comes to breeders - in fact, breeders couldn't go ahead without them! When bitches give birth to a litter of puppies, the breeders sell the puppies on to loving, new, hopefully life-time homes when they reach 8 weeks of age. Bitches usually stop having litters when they reach 6 years of age, and any litters over that period usually have less of a survival rate. A bitch should only have no more than 1 litter per year. Some people say if you don't spay a bitch, it is kinder to let her have a litter of puppies as it will stop her from roaming to seek a mate. It isn't the same however if you spay your bitch, which most people do when they get a bitch simply as a family pet.

About breeding

To be a responsible dog breeder, you must not get TOO attached to the puppies your bitch has! You can't hold onto all the puppies. You just can't. It isn't fair on the puppies, and having a house full of puppies you couldn't let go of is a little pathetic when you are a breeder in the first place.

Any details?

Some bitches may need veterinary assistance when giving birth, however the majority can give birth themselves and bring their newborns to life. It is a magical process and you should definitely enjoy the moment, on alert however so that you can get in touch with your vet if need be.

What should you do?

You have to be cut out to be a dog breeder. But you can have a female dog as a pet and have a lovely life with her. It is up to you entirely as the owner whether you spay her or not. It is usually recommend to owners who ARE NOT going to breed from their bitch, however it is entirely up to you. It is also sometimes recommended to castrate male dogs if they are not going to be put up for stud… but again, that's up to you! You can have a lovely relationship with entire or neutered dogs.

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Our Poll 14 will be opening NOW! It will have 2 weeks as usual before it closes and info is given. 

Our Poll 14 is on the subject of dog magazines/newspapers.

The question posed is: 'What dog publications do you read?'

Lets get voting! Thanks.

REMEMBER, POLLS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG PAGE!

Earl and I.