Foster Program Experiences
Has anyone ever fostered a puppy that was/is part of a breeding program? I am thinking fostering a 10 week-old female from a local breeder. She would live with us most of the year, but she will need to be brought in for breeding and whelping. Has anyone else fostered an OES (or any other breed) under similar circumstances? After her 4th or 5th litter, she would be spayed and become a permanent part of our family. I wonder about behavior issues when she returns to us after 8 weeks away and leaving her pups? Thanks so much, Leslie |
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| Lots of questions to ask here before doing so. 1st & most importantly, how old is this girl going to be when she is used in breeding the 1st time. The main red flag that went up when I read this is the mention of :after the 4th or 5th litter she would come to live with you permanently & be spayed! That's a lot of litters for a girl to have. Is this girl being shown to her championship first? Sorry but with the limited information you gave, I have a feeling this "breeder" is looking for a place to keep another breeding female because they are running out of space. We place some of our dogs in what we call show homes. In the case of a female, the people purchase the puppy from us, the dog lives with the new owners & we co-own it with them. There is a show contract in force. We show the dog ( girl or boy) until it completes it's AKC championship which means it goes to shows maybe 2 weekends a month or so but just for the weekend. When they finish their championship & are the appropriate age for OFA & Cerf those clearances are done. If they clear, the female is used in breeding generally one time & then the family can have her spayed. Sometimes, depending on the dog & whom they live with we may ask to have her bred 2 times. It is very rare (really I can't think of any of our girls ) that we breed a female more than 3 times & those would be the ones that actually live with us. These are dogs that we consider to be show potential & are dogs we would like to use to continue our lines. |
| Hi and thanks for responding so quickly! The breeder is here in Ontario and she didn't mention showing the foster. She did mention that the first litter would be when the foster was 2 years old. Should I be asking more questions? I'm so glad this forum is here, I have so many questions and luckily there are so many knowledgeable folks out there. Thanks! Leslie |
| My eyes popped too at 4 or 5 litters. How often is she going to be bred? What medical tests have been done: hips, eyes, hearing, etc. How has she done in conformation ring? I get a feeling you may be aiding and abetting a back yard breeder or breeding farm. OK, I'm ready to be bashed about with that one. This might be a very reputable breeder with years and generations of high quality pups. Then again.......... Yes, Paige was to be ours after her first and only breeding, except it never happened. The breeder had two other litters on the ground and since Paige never was shown, the breeder decided to just write out that part of the contract.....no breeding. I was a bit hesitant with giving the bitch back for a couple of months but was willing to try it out. Worked out for us. Are you willing to loose the girl for 4-5 months each time she is bred? What was that again 4 or 5 times? YIPES! |
mllelavigne wrote: Hi and thanks for responding so quickly! The breeder is here in Ontario and she didn't mention showing the foster. She did mention that the first litter would be when the foster was 2 years old. Should I be asking more questions? I'm so glad this forum is here, I have so many questions and luckily there are so many knowledgeable folks out there. Thanks! Leslie You can never ask too many questions. A reputable breeder should be happy to answer them. |
SheepieBoss wrote: I get a feeling you may be aiding and abetting a back yard breeder or breeding farm. OK, I'm ready to be bashed about with that one. This might be a very reputable breeder with years and generations of high quality pups. No mention of showing. 4-5 litters? That's A LOT. Gulp! Losing your dog that many times for months on end? I couldn't handle it. Yes, there are CO-OWNERSHIP agreements - not foster arrangements - that may call for the breeder/co-owner being able to breed a litter, but... Presuming not breeding on every heat (!) and not breeding till 2 years old (a good thing) the dog will be yours when she's six or seven... You're smart to ask lots of questions, and one of the main ones being: can you handle that emotionally? Kristine |
| While I have only ever done this with a male show puppy who went to a pet home, there was a contract and basically it stated that I get the dog back to groom since I would be showing him (a plus for the new owners) and after he completed his Championship (which was my financial responsibility) I would have his health certifications done at 2 years of age (again, my financial responsibility) and then I would have the right to use him on any female I own, co-own or lease. Like I said, I have never done this with a female. Make sure you read the contract and understand fully what you are getting in to. Is there a reason this breeder can't keep the breeding female in their home and needs to foster it out? Do they have too many living with them and this pup is critical to their future breeding plans? Or do all of their breeding dogs live with other families? For me with the boys I already have 2 males living here and adding the third was going to be too much for me at the time. Ask lots of questions! |
| Thanks so much for the advice everyone. As hard as it was to walk away, that's exactly what we did. So we're still on the lookout. |
 I know it was hard, but harder still to loose the girl every year (yipes) or 18 months for a couple of months. I couldn't do it, I become to emotionally involved with my dogs. I hate to be away from them for even a day. |
mllelavigne wrote: Thanks so much for the advice everyone. As hard as it was to walk away, that's exactly what we did. So we're still on the lookout. I think that was a smart thing to do. Are you looking for a puppy? Perhaps you'd be a good candidate to offer a show home for a puppy and could work out an arrangement with a reputable breeder to do that? |
| As hard as it was I think you were smart to walk away, you've saved yourself a ton heartache down the road. Don't lose hope because your puppy is still out there waiting for you to find it and you will |
Good Luck in your search for your sheepiebaby. Have you thought about rescue? Please let us know when you get your pupper!! It sounds like you will make a wonderful parent!!!  |
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