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Michael speaks as someone who has obviously never had to pack up the warming box full of puppies and dash off to the vet's with a dam in distress trying to deliver a stuck puppy. Stud fees I quoted would be in line with what anyone from the PWCCA referral Michael gave would charge and very few of them offer their studs to someone who just wants to breed a litter. I also think Michael has shown how seriously he takes the responsibility of being a stud owner and how casually he considers breeding. A good solution for Donsgirl would be for Michael to offer Taylor for stud to Pebbles. This isn't as absurd as it might sound, very doable with using frozen semen shipped to Donsgirl. It could be put into storage until Pebbles is ready to be bred. There are also certain circles in which a stud could likely easily be found for Pebbles, stud fee $300 -$400 or waived for a puppy back or even for splitting the litter. The request was for responsible and reputable sources though, and that is what I gave him.
This bit of advice from Michael also illustrates a cultural gap and his continued lack of understanding of how things are done here. "BY the way, if you want to know if your pups can be easily sold and to seemingly good, secure homes, place ads now of the forthcoming event and see what the response is and what kind of people make enquiries. At the same time as you do this, you may very well be able to keep a register of interest which will save you from any further advertising."
First, there is no guarantee Pebbles would even take. For my first Pem I waited through two missed pregnancies with a Breeder, not a novice breeder either. After the second attempt to breed her didn't take, it was found she had problems which prevented her from becoming pregnant. She was spayed and I later found my Oberon. But this is something that can and does happen.
Advertising for interest in a litter would not be perceived as responsible or ethical here. When I give advice to someone about breeding, I am going to give as sound, realistic and as responsible advice as I can. That is what I did.
Waiting lists for puppies or the "register of interest," many breeders no longer bother with them. What they have found is that more often than not by the time the litter is born, many potential homes have taken the first puppy they came across, they've gotten a puppy of another breed, they've changed their mind altogether, the list goes on and on. So just because someone has a list of even maybe 8 or 9 names, maybe only one or two of them will actually follow through so that leaves the rest of the puppies to find homes for. The same thing happens whenever one's family members have all said they want a puppy. This is reality and a reason some breeders have to ask for deposits as a proof of sincerity. Deposits though, can cause their own set of issues with which to deal.
Now I have assisted with whelping that puppies popped out in a timely manner, easily came around, began nursing right off, and the entire litter survived. There were 8 puppies. The first Cardigan litter we had was this way, although it did take some time for the dam to want to have anything to do with the puppies and she had to be forced to stay with them the first few days before she got with the program. But as I replied to Jane's comment about the litters she saw in her youth, they can go that way. How Pebbles' dam did when she whelped Pebbles' litter would be a good indication as to how easily Pebbles might whelp and another good bit of information for Donsgirl to gather.
The poster asked what to expect and I gave as broad a picture as I possibly could. I'd rather someone be prepared for all possibilities than to expect some Disney version along the lines of 101 Dalmatians or Lady and the Tramp and then meet with heartbreak when things don't go that way.
Debbie
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