December 2005
Inspections
Maintain Registry Integrity and Educate Breeders
By Theresa Shea, editor
 When
long-time breeder and hunter Wayne Campbell received
a call last July from AKC Executive Field Agent Marcus
Bach, the two set up a meeting at Campbell's Chesterfield,
Virginia, kennel the next day.
"When the inspector arrived, we went down and looked
through the kennel," Campbell said. "Everything seemed
up-to-par, and we came back here to look at records."
Bach DNA-tested a litter of nine Redbone Coonhounds
and later used his laptop computer to see that Campbell's
breeding and ownership records matched AKC records.
Bach completed the inspections report on-site and left
Campbell with a copy of the report. Campbell was in
compliance with AKC record-keeping rules and care and
condition policies and passed inspection. Read
the full article.
 Pick-of-the-Litter
Question
When faced with a large litter,
how do you determine when supplemental feeding is needed?
Send us your answer!
Share your favorite tips, triumphs and trials about
life as a purebred dog breeder. Send your answers, suggestions
and stories that we may publish in a future issue. E-mail
your answers to AKCBreeder@akc.org.
Please include your name, town and state and a means
for us to contact you, if necessary. Thanks!
 Enhancing
Breeder Services: AKC's Current and Future Focus
By Dennis B. Sprung, AKC President and CEO
You, our breeders, are a top priority
at the AKC. The evidence is in the myriad programs and
services we have launched to make doing business with
AKC easier and more efficient. Last year, the AKC's
primary goal was to improve the registration process
for both litter and dog registrants. We invested in
a new registration system, and now registration processing
takes only a day or two. This quick turnaround in litter
registrations guarantees dog registration papers will
be in your hands before owners pick up their new puppies.
Read the full article.
First-Litter
Rehearsal
By Catherine B. Nelson
No Broadway director would raise the curtain without
rehearsals, but an astounding number of owners face
their first litter without ever having witnessed a whelping.
Granted, nature is wonderful, and the majority of new
mothers instinctively know what to do, needing only
the owner's comforting presence. However, statistically
30 percent of puppies delivered do not survive to 3
weeks of age. While this statistic may seem daunting,
take heart. There are some extra steps each owner can
take to maximize the chances that their first litter
will be in the living 70 percent.
Becoming knowledgeable about the delivery process; arranging
for veterinary help, if it should be needed; and understanding
the correct care for the neonates are as important to
a first-time breeder as memorizing the script is to
an actor. Read the full
article.
 The
First Seven Weeks: Raising Well-Adjusted Puppies
By Wendell J. Sammet
As breeders, we have the opportunity to start work early
in producing our next generation of well-adjusted breeding
and show stock as well as family pets. We can start
when puppies are about 10 to 14 days old. Making the
time to handle and talk to your puppies on a daily basis,
socialize them and being aware of their early developmental
needs will result in a tenfold return for the life of
the dogs on the investment of time and care you put
in during puppyhood. Read the full
article.
AKC Canine Health Foundation:
A Decade of Research and Helping Dogs
By Jeff Sossamon
 The
AKC Canine Health Foundation was born out of the desire
to help dogs. Since its formation in 1995, the AKC Canine
Health Foundation has become the world's largest funder
of canine genetic research and a principal force in
the advancement of health in our canine companions.
Founded by an initial American Kennel Club contribution
of $1.6 million, the AKC Canine Health Foundation set
out to "develop significant resources for basic and
applied health programs with emphasis on canine genetics
to improve the quality of life for dogs and their owners,"
according to the Foundation's mission statement.
In little more than 10 years, the AKC Canine Health
Foundation has awarded more than $13 million to fund
non-invasive, canine genetic research. More than 275
studies in locations across the nation and world are
helping breeders identify carriers of breed-specific
ailments. Read the full article.
The Whelping Box: Some Things to Consider
By Stacy Mason, AKC Investigations
Executive Field Agent and longtime Italian Greyhound
breeder
An ideal whelping environment is warm, dry, quiet, draft-free
and away from all other dogs when possible. Confinement
and whelping location of your dam is relative to her
breed and size. Always confine your dam to be by herself
during whelping. The environment you choose will vary
based on your breed's specific needs. Know the dates
your bitches are due to whelp, and be prepared. At least
10 days prior to the due date, prepare your whelping
equipment.
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Be
sure your whelping box is breed-appropriate
for your bitch and her brood. |
You will need a whelping box that is breed appropriate
for your bitch and her brood. Make sure the box has
high sides that will allow for nesting. Also make sure
the box is made from a sturdy nonabsorbent material
that does not have any small holes or areas in which
a puppy can become stuck. Some dams have a tendency
to lie on their puppies, make sure the box has appropriate
roll bars inside the box. Roll bars are spacers about
four inches above the box floor that provide the puppies
living space between the mother and the box wall should
they become trapped.
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American Kennel
Club President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung talks about
breeder resources, such as online registration, litter
certificates and breeder classifieds, in his
message. We hope you find the AKC Breeder newsletter
to be another valuable resource that you can count
on for informative articles, continued education and
vital information from the AKC about breeding purebred
dogs.
After our first issue, we received many positive and supportive comments about this new publication. I invite continued feedback from you - the breeder - either as a letter to the editor, as a new idea for a column or as some constructive criticism about our content. Please feel free to contact me. I'd love to hear from you!
In this issue, we introduce the AKC Breeder "Pick of the Litter" question aimed at letting breeders speak out and share your favorite tips, triumphs and trials about life as a purebred dog breeder.
This issue's question is: When faced with a large litter, how do you determine when supplemental feeding is needed? Please send your answers, suggestions and stories to be shared with our readers in a future issue. This idea exchange between breeders is a great way to hear how others come up with a variety of creative solutions when faced with similar problems.
Enjoy this issue filled with some great advice from long-time breeders as well as information geared toward the first-time breeder.
Ronald N. Rella
Director, Breeder Services
AKCbreeder@akc.org
(212) 696-8303
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•
Inspections Maintain Registry Integrity and Educate Breeders
• Pick-of-the-Litter Question
• Enhancing Breeder Services: AKC's Current and Future Focus
•
First-Litter Rehearsal
•
The First Seven Weeks: Raising Well-Adjusted Puppies
•
AKC Canine Health Foundation: A Decade of Research and Helping Dogs
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The Whelping Box: Some Things to Consider
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Your Registration Dollars at Work
Have you ever wondered how the not-for-profit AKC uses registration fees?
AKC registration dollars support:
• Breeder education and compliance programs
• Efforts to stop breed-specific legislation and anti-breeding laws
• Public education programs including school outreach efforts
• Responsible dog ownership through programs like AKC Canine Good Citizen® and AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
• AKC Canine Health Foundation-funded research to improve the lives of dogs
• AKC Companion Animal Recovery Canine Support and Relief Fund for disaster recovery efforts.
Over the last five years, the AKC has allocated more than $28 million to support these programs. In addition, registration helps support about 17,000 events with more than 2.5 million dogs entered each year.
Visit Why
Register? for more information. |
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Maintain a registry
for purebred dogs and preserve its integrity.
Sanction dog events that promote interest in, and
sustain the process of, breeding for type and function
of purebred dogs.
Take whatever actions necessary to protect and assure
the continuation of the sport of purebred dogs.
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When
long-time breeder and hunter Wayne Campbell received
a call last July from AKC Executive Field Agent Marcus
Bach, the two set up a meeting at Campbell's Chesterfield,
Virginia, kennel the next day.
Enhancing
Breeder Services: AKC's Current and Future Focus
No Broadway director would raise the curtain without
rehearsals, but an astounding number of owners face
their first litter without ever having witnessed a whelping.
Granted, nature is wonderful, and the majority of new
mothers instinctively know what to do, needing only
the owner's comforting presence. However, statistically
30 percent of puppies delivered do not survive to 3
weeks of age. While this statistic may seem daunting,
take heart. There are some extra steps each owner can
take to maximize the chances that their first litter
will be in the living 70 percent.
The
AKC Canine Health Foundation was born out of the desire
to help dogs. Since its formation in 1995, the AKC Canine
Health Foundation has become the world's largest funder
of canine genetic research and a principal force in
the advancement of health in our canine companions.
