[glencorgi]

Originally Posted by '

Well, first off; I know what most people will think about what I am going to say next, so please save me some time and don't mention that I shouldn't be breeding without a liscense and that it is irresponsible

All I will say about breeding without a license is you better check the laws on the books as in some places in the US it IS illegal to breed without a license. So check the laws in your area.

I sincerely hope I don't get what I've been getting from other corgi forums, which is completely untrue: I am a bad owner.

Which forums?

I am wondering if it is safe for the puppies to breed my dog with her half-brother. They have the same mother, and she was born on September 26, 2005. He will most likely be born some time around early March. Is it safe to breed within family? Or are they too closely related to breed?

Safe? Best answer I can give is it all depends on the genetics behind the two and what health issues that the grandparents might be carrying. From looking at the website of the breeder you buy your dogs from, I see she has blue eyes occurring in her Pembrokes. You could end up with all blue-eyed puppies, not a quality of life or health risk to the puppies, but not something to be bred to produce either. Heart murmurs, eye problems such as: PPM's, juvenile cataracts and others, hip dysplasia, von Willebrand's Disease are ALL quality of life and health risks to puppies. And IF the parents of the puppies are not tested and cleared for these, then I don't won't to hear - "but they're not a problem." IF you don't test, you don't know whether they are there or not and all of these are quality of life issues for the puppies you will be bring into the world.

Safe? Can depend upon the breed too, IF we were talking Cardigans here, then there are some things I could say unequivocably that no it would not necessarily be a safe way to breed for the puppies. But since these are Pembrokes, then my above response holds.

I will say you are being a bit premature in planning this breeding. Your girl needs to have her hips x-rayed and submitted to OFA (or PennHip) to make sure she is not dysplastic. Eyes need to be checked by an AVCO veterinarian and given a passing CERF exam. von Willebrand's Disease either blood test or the DNA marker test. OFA ratings cannot be given until they are two years of age. These same tests will need to be done on your boy, so that means you'll be waiting two years after you get him and there is no guarantee there will even be a boy in the litter. You will also want to make sure your male is not cryptorchid. IF you are going to breed and do it responsibly, then it is up to you to do the research, ask questions as to what all this means and perform the needed to tests. To not do so, well then you aren't being responsible.

IF you will look in some of the breeding threads you'll find other posts I have done on this topic, some involving the costs of breeding and breeding responsibly. The risks aren't only to the puppies (and this is in any breeding), there are also risks to the male, and to your female. Is her mother a free-whelper and what about her grandmother? Aunts? Or do they need c-sections? You could lose her and all the puppies or just lose her and have an orphan litter to raise. Most probably you will lose puppies. Over time, and this is for Breeders who are active in their breeds and responsible in their breeding practices, the average is 1/4 of the puppies.

And again, as I've said, please don't lecture me on the responsibilities; I'm a big girl, and I can handle it. We are going to line up places for the puppies to go before even allowing them to breed, if/when we do.

There is so much more to being a responsible breeder than lining up homes/"places" before a breeding takes place.

Please don't be offended by my "ferocity" on this subject, I've just been hounded so many times before and been called the worst names possible - which is why I've moved on to this forum.

Your ferocity doesn't offend and I hope my passion, standards, and ethics don't offend you either. I am a Breeder and I also am rescue chair for my regional Pembroke club as well as being a volunteer for the CWCNRT (Cardigan rescue); so I know both sides of the coin and see the ugly on pretty much a daily basis. Would I advise a 1/2 brother/sister breeding to a first time novice - NO, I would not. This is in-breeding (in-breeding, line-breeding and outcrossing all have very clear definitions) and while there "can" be times this would be the correct step to take in a breeding program (which you don't have as of the time of this breeding); it should never be done as a matter of convenience, which will essentially be what you are doing because you own a male and a female.

Debbie