Hunter's Heart Brittanys - To "Fix" or To Breed?

In 1998, the Calgary Humane Society took 12565 animals into their shelter. It is a very sad situation when any animal must be killed because nobody wants it. The truth is that even talented, well-tempered purebred dogs sometimes end up being abandoned and put down.

photo: 4 young pups looking over the side of their whelping (delivery) box

We require all families to sign a non-breeding agreement before they purchase a puppy from us. We do not expect any puppies back from future litters nor a fee to breed. Our goal is only to ensure that future breedings resulting from our Brittanys are good matings that benefit rather than harm the breed.

For information on our requirements to lift the non-breeding agreement, go to Our Guarantee.

We strongly recommend that you spay or neuter your puppy by 6 months of age. "Fixing" your puppy at this age will prevent surprise heat/matings. (Puppies resulting from parents who are registered under a non-breeding agreement are not eligible to be registered with the CKC as purebred dogs.) Dogs who are fixed are eligible to participate in a wide variety of activities from obedience to agility trials. They will however, be barred from participating in conformation shows.

Breeding dogs is quite an undertaking. It requires a lot of time and money and research. Breeding must be carefully considered so that serious future problems can be avoided. Breeding is also a health risk for the bitch who carries and then cares for the puppies. Sometimes complications of pregnancy (or whelping or lactating) cause illness or even death. For responsible breeders who invest so much to produce great puppies, the reward is personal satisfaction and very little cash.

SPAYING & NEUTERING:
Fact and Fiction

Fixing your puppy before he/she develops adult behaviors that are a nuisance is good for everybody i.e. no male suitors come calling, less roaming and scent marking, less territoriality and aggressiveness towards other males, no incidence of age-related breast cancer or uterine infection.
Dog is less interested in distractions (breeding) and focused on performing as the master commands.
Dogs don't get fat because of spaying/neutering: obesity is a result of inadequate exercise vs. excessive caloric intake.
A dog does not become a better pet because he or she
breeds.
Statistics show that spayed/neutered dogs bite less often.
(Considering how even tempered the Brittany is, this is
probably not a consideration in this breed.)

For information on Responsible Breeding, check out The American Brittany Rescue site.