Is it possible to breed and still have a full time job?
 

I made the decision recently to start breeding...and pretty soon I'll have three pregnant females.

I do, however, have to work. Does anyone else work full time and breed? How do you deal with supplementing the pups and making SURE you're there for the birth? I've already done all my homework as far as the actual breeding and whelping process goes...and I have an excellent mentor nearby (actually the lady where I got three of my dogs).

Thanks!!

Honestly, I don't know how anyone could hold a full time job and breed! I hope it works out for you though.

I breed a litter now and then and work full time. I have a friend check on the dogs while I am at work. Yes, there have been very stressful times and weeks with very little sleep. I always have to plan way ahead and have a back-up plan if I am at work. I usually schedule my days off or vacations around the time of whelping. Its hard to work full time and raise lots of litters. Planning ahead makes it a little easier. Good luck!!!

I agree with fannie. Good Luck!

Well, if things work out the way I want, I will have a job where I can either take babies WITH me to work...or I can frequently come home and check on them. If I had it my way...my dogs WOULD be my full time job...:rolleyes:

Quick and honest answer is NO.

You wouldn't be there if a puppy takes a turn for the worse if you are focusing on your "job". Or if a pregnant girl, needs assistance.

I don't see how its possible with all the needs of a pregnant, nursing or soon to whelp mom. Even with the special needs of a puppy who is not doing well and has to be supplimented. IMO its impossible to be in 2 places at once and trust me there will be times that arise at home when your at work. I do wish you luck and hope it works out for you, but I surely wouldn't recommend working full time and breeding.

Are all three going to be pregnant at the same time?

Same here, I do not know how u can breed and work at the same time. Is there anyone staying by your yorkie side? I mean will there be anyone there when she is whelping? You will never know when they will be on whelp, they can even eat now and whelp the next seconds. Trust me, if u love your dog, stay with them till the puppies are all born, do not put thteir lives on risk. If you cant stay with them ,then maybe u should consider not to breed.

If it comes to them getting close to delivering I can either take the mother to work with me (btw I work in someone's home...not in an office), OR I can take her to my mentor (the breeder I mentioned above) who is home all day and can watch her. I got the two adult females from her because she's downsizing a little, and she and I have gotten to know each other very well. Both mothers have had a litter previously...and those two are both due to come into heat anytime now (it's been 7 months since ones last...and 6 since the others). Brooke's vulva is firm, so I'm guessing another week or two. So those are going to be similar (although I'm hoping one comes at least a couple weeks before the other...so I won't have to deal with two whelping within a few days. Maddie is at 4 1/2 months now since her last heat...so she'll be AT LEAST a month behind the others I think. I have been researching this for a long time...and I'm lucky to have this wonderful mentor to help me through the process. I know there will always be a way for either me, or someone I trust, to be with the mom and/or the babies once they're born. I was just curious if anyone successfully works full time and breeds. Thank you, though, for being so helpful. :D

I'd have to say no, not and do it right. Looking after the health of puppies and mother. Unless you hire someone to be there all the time. Others may differ, but I just can't imagine having a full time job and breeding onelitter let alone three. They need they're owner to be there ,whether it's just a walk by to be sure one didn't squirm away and has gotten chilled (if you were away you'd return to a dead pup, this does not take long) toooo many things can happen. You may have researched whelping and know all you can know, but I'm not sure you counted the cost before taking on 3 girls to breed with a full time job.

there is no way i could breed and work. my gosh....they take up my whole day. i don't know how anyone can work and do this.
i know some people who work will take time off just to take care of them until they are gone to the new families.
i hope you can find someone to be with them while you work.

i would think moving the babies and the mommy back and forth would be really stressful on both. also, with the weather getting colder, moving them back and forth could cause some to get sick.
i would think really hard about this before you venture into this.

I honestly do not think it would work either.I do day care in my home (for the past 20 years) and bartend 2 nights a week.My hubby is always home if I am not. If needed my parents go somewhere else for the day or two and my night job has a fill in for me. It would be too big of a risk .
I do know someone who worked every day and kept breeding their females and loosing the litters,she finally decided she could not breed and work outside the home.(duh)I believe she had 4 lost litters then a momma before she decided it was not going to work!!! Hard lesson learned.
I think taking them to work and brining them home at night would be very stressfull on pups and momma also,I would not do it.

let me add one more thing then i will shut up......vets recommend you do not take the puppies outside of the home until they have their first set of shots and some recommend you do not take them out until they have had 2 set of shots. something to think about

breeding
 

My best friend lived a block away...she worked and bred for many years..had few problems...BUT I went twice a day to check on her puppies and adults. If she had a problem puppy, it came home with me, etc

Listen to me...start with ONE litter....it is totally irresponsible for a first time breeder to take on 3 litters at once...if I was your "mentor" I would not permit a novice to take 3 of my bitches to "cut" their teeth on...

Noooooo, Tinkerbell had her first litter not long ago and that it self is a full time job, I hardly slept on the last week of her due date just to make sure I would be awake when she was going on labor, and then the birth itself it's stressful (didn't sleep that day either), even thought Tinkerbell had a very good birth, but one her babies did need some "help" from me to fully come out, so what happens if you are not there:confused: :eek: :eek: The baby could get stuck and your girl could die along with the baby, then after she gives birth you have to make sure the babies are lacthing on properly and eating( you dont get sleep either, you have to check on the babies at least every 2 hours) You have to make sure you dam is eating and drinking I could probably go on for hours:rolleyes: ................So my advice is NOOO. Plan it right and make sure you will there for your baby in case she may need you.

Please listen to everyone that has posted, I just had a litter on Monday (C section) and spay at the same time, I am a stay at home mom and could not even think of how it would be if I was working, I am having to feed Lilli 4 to 6 small meals a day and supplement 3 pups 3 to 4 times a day plus the rest of the Yorkies I have then all the house work and a 8 year old with School and all the School activities I have just enought time to maybe close my eyes for 4 hours at night right now.

I absolutely have to agree with Pat. Do not overwhelm yourself and put your gals at risk with trying to breed three gals at one time for your first experience. Start a little slower, you have the rest of your life so what's the rush? I still time mine so that my litters are at least 7 or 8 weeks apart. You're only one person and with a full time job you won't be getting any sleep at all. Try a litter and see how it goes and than move on from there.

Also, taking a pregnant mom in and out will stress her out, too.

What your bitches need is you, someone who they are close with, someone who they could trust during their whelping. You will never know when is the exact time of their whelping and they will sure want you to be there instead of someone else or even being left alone. Imagine when you are in labour, would you want your hubby to be there or just someone else? I have know of bitches who do not whelp on the date that they suppose to whelp, they can be days earlier or later, bitches who show no sign of whelping whelp without owner notice, bitches who eat this minute whelp on the next seconds. I am telling you all this because i sincerely hope you would be there when your bitches are on whelp and the most comfortable and relaxing place for them to whelp is no where but HOME.. Remember, human could call for help when they are in labour, but dogs cant speak and they will be helpless if somene who they trusted most are not there for them.

I'm gonna say 'no.'

I guess alot depends on what you want your breeding program to be, how much help you have from family and friends, how flexible your job is. But basically, no...especially if you have 3 expecting females.

It takes alot of time away from work, so you've have to have a very understanding employer. And that is just for the standard stuff, not even getting into emergencies. I had a full time job, 1 breeding female, lots of help from family. I won't say it was impossible, but I didn't feel like I was able to devote as much time as I wanted/needed to have my program where I want it to be. Obviously, I put the dogs first, but then that didn't seem fair to the company I'd committed to either. :( And that was with ONE female...and before you even add in the factor of having a child, family etc.

Now, I have a part time job, am able to set my own schedule and do alot of it from home.:thumbup: It's still a new arrangement, but working out nicely so far. So I'm working towards advacing my breeding program in the very near future now that I can devote more time to it.

So it's not impossible, but very hard to do, IMO.

I wouldn't be breeding if I were still working. I started breeding to keep me busy because I don't work anymore.

I can't see being away from mom and pups to work a full time job. It would be kind of "messy" if nothing else went wrong... by the time you got home.

Also, at some point the pups have to be fed at least 3 times a day when they are weaned from mom.

I have three litters now... and two litters are over 4 weeks old... it's getting crazy around here!! Cleaning up poop and pee and putting the pee pads back in place... plus feeding them mushed up puppy food.

Hopefully you have friends and family who can help you out. Best of luck to you. :)

It is very very hard to do....I work full time, and Lexie just had a litter that is 7 weeks old, I took off a week when she was due because there was no way she would be here by herself, and too I have a great job that I can take off 6 weeks a year if I need too..and I went in early and was home by 1 or 2 at the latest, and my kids live in the same neighborhood, and my daughter would come in 2 times a day to check and my son came in 2 times to check if he wasn't working..he is part time...it is stressful, hard, barely do you get any sleep, It can be done, look at mine, I don't think anyone could or would say they didn't turn out great, but I was on top of them all the time, I also would leave my route and come by and check on her, so you figure between me and my kids, she was checked on alot...good luck and I would really only have one litter at a time, its very hard work....and costly, I think alot of people not saying you, so please don't take this the wrong way, but it cost money to breed, this litter that I have I already have with just vet, stud fee and shots, worming alone, over 1200 into it and I have 2 more rounds of shots...so you make no money at all, alot know me and know if I wanted to have 3 litters I could handle it somehow, but I am telling you right now no way no how....I only got 2 babies this time, and its alot of work changing pee pads, cleaning, and just keeping up with everything else, no way would I have 3 litters running around...JMO

I agree with Peanut!!! I feel for yah!!! The same goes for me as well. It definately is NOT easy working and breeding. I have been very lucky and have wonderful, knowledgible friends to help. I have a great vet. My job is restrictive and not easy to get time off or just get up and go if I have an emergency. Its very hard to get time off to show as well. One litter is hard enough. I cant imagine 3 at one time unless I was on a long vacation. Best of luck!!!

I am sure that some people are able to swing it some how. I have only experienced one litter so I am by no means an expert!!! However, in my situation, I would have lost the last puppy and the mom as well if I had not been there to help her.

Tammy

I think if you can take the preggo mommy with you and if you check the temps at the end so you know when she is close to labor you will be ok.

I plan on taking a week off of work to be home with Baby. I work part time and Baby can come to work with me.
This will be my 1st litter, so I really am not sure yet how it will go. But I do know that I am keeping a very close eye on her and her temps.

Good luck to you!

I think it is very hard to work and to breed yorkies. I own my grooming shop so my girls get to come to work with me all the time. An when one is expecting I never leave their side. And any other breed of dog may be just fine to whelp themselves and raise their litters but a yorkie puppy can go down fast.

Just the other night Glimmer, who was not due for a few days was sitting on my lap and we were watching TV I was listening to the hart beats of the puppies and no contractions that I could detect. I got up and put her into her pen for about a half an hour that is in my computer room and I hear a funny noise and she was pushing!! To my surprise with in a half an hour there was her first girl.

The second puppy did get stuck and needed a lot of help getting out. I hate to think what would have happened if I had not been there for her.

So that is the whelping part but it can get worse, if you have a fading puppy that you need to feed around the clock every two hours it can take a toll on you even if you do not have another job. Breeding dogs and raising puppies is a full time job, I just happen to have two full time jobs but when the choice has to be made the dogs come first.

If I have to take them to work with me, that to is a chore , first to get the car warm and then to make sure the shop is warm enough, but I have had to do this a few times.

My biggest job was YoYo who tried to die on me every time I turned around, I devoted 4 months to this boy and he is living a happy life because of my commitment to him.

How committed are you? Can you afford to be off work for days or months at a time?

Just a few things to think about......

I would say, no way dont do it. I have had 1 litter myself, and im telling you it was a 24/7 thing. There is no way you can leave mama and babies alone for most of the day. Its just not fair on them. Anything could happen.
I have a breeder friend , who is totally dedicated to her mums and puppys, and who would never leave them unless she has no choice. Well 1 day she had no choice, and had to go for a doctors appointment, her new litter were only a few days old. When she got back she was greeted with an awful site. 1 of the puppys had got caught in the mama's hair right beside the ear, and had strangled to death. She had to cut the baby out of the mums hair. The pups mum was stressed, my friend was devasted, and was wrecked with guilt for weeks. And she was only away for a short time. So I guess my point is, they need 24hr care.
I wish you all the best. And please listen to the advice given. This is a major decision for you to make.

Exactly !!!
To breed well and correctly takes commitment and that usually requires the breeders full attention ...24/7