white standard poodle is pregnant and standing on green grass

What makes your breeding program different?”

I understand the importance of maintaining healthy lineages; that is why I exhaustively research the pedigrees that go into my breeding program. My specific breeding process is research-based, taking into account the science behind maintaining a strong genetic pool. I enjoy reaching into the past to see which poodles have contributed to my gene pool. Sometimes I find a family of poodles that have offered a great deal to the health or temperament of my current line. And sometimes I will find a few “odd poodles out” that have not brought as many positive attributes to the overall poodle population. I weigh the good, the bad, and the mediocre when choosing pedigrees to move forward in my breeding program.

No single poodle or family of poodles is perfect. And this is why I take my job very seriously when I move forward with poodles in my program. I am dedicated to upholding strict standards of responsibility with all of my breedings. My goal is to improve on my lines with every new breeding I do.

The breeding timeline at Galavanting Poodles is short and sweet.

In the past, the prevailing theory for breeding dogs was to wait until the females were older, and only breed the females once every year or every other year until the female reached 8 or so years of age. However, like many things in dog husbandry, once the science was applied to breeding through careful research, we learned that we could do better for our breeding females.

Here is something to consider; the time it takes for a female dog to heal from her pregnancy, and wean her litter before her next heat cycle, is equivalent to a human experiencing a pregnancy every two years. In other words, the reproductive cycle of a dog is designed for regular pregnancies without breaks. Skipping a heat cycle between breedings can cause more problems than not.

Another thing I consider when making the choice to breed my female dogs back-to-back is the effects of progesterone on their uterine horns. Unlike humans, female dogs do not shed their uterine lining during or after each heat cycle. In fact, the only time a female dog can shed her uterine lining is when she is giving birth to a litter. Each time she has a heat cycle without a pregnancy the lining stacks up and increases her chances of developing an infection or endometriosis.

The stacking of the linings can also be attributed to a loss of elasticity, which can negatively affect fertility. I’ve dealt with my own real-life experience of fertility issues when trying to breed older female dogs for the first time. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to use valuable breeding prospects because I waited too long to breed, or bred too infrequently.

My philosophy now is to begin breeding once a female poodle reaches her 2nd birthday. After careful health testing, I ensure my female poodles are ready to enter their breeding careers. I only breed my females who have proven themselves as valuable assets to the poodle breed with their health, temperament, and structure. I know that both health and temperament are very important in any dog. I also know that a poodle needs to possess poodle qualities to maintain their long and rich history as poodles. My goal is to make poodles that act like poodles and look like poodles!

I keep the breeding process as short and safe as possible by breeding a female back-to-back (that is to say; breeding on each heat cycle) from the age of 2 until my female reaches about 4 years old. This timeline allows me to produce 3-5 litters of strong, healthy puppies from an equally strong and healthy mother.

The care and keeping of my breeding females.

My breeding poodles are 100% a part of my family and I provide them with the highest possible quality of care. My girls (and boys for that matter!) sleep in our beds, and lounge on our sofas. They hike the mountains with us, they camp with us, and they play with our friends who come to visit. My breeding poodles are as much an Alaska adventure poodle as any of my Galavanting Poodles. Their routines change very little during their breeding careers. When my girls are bred, they continue on a high-quality diet with extra food when necessary. The girls whelp their litters with me right by their side. I sleep in the same room with my mama poodles and their litters. I continue to live in that room as long as the puppies are nursing. Once the puppies are ready to graduate to regular food, I let my mama poodle decide how much she wants to be with her babies. The majority of my girls prefer to stay close to their litter even after the puppies are weaned. For her health and well-being, I stick right with her as a partner in the puppy-rearing process.

I am constantly ensuring there is nothing that could put any sort of strain or stress on my girls while they are in whelp. I believe that part of breeding happy, loving pups begins with happy, loving mama poodles.

When my females retire from breeding.

I have learned that, for my own breeding program, it is best to retire my females from breeding at a relatively young age. I prefer to end their breeding careers by 4 or 4.5 years of age. This leaves my females with plenty of life to go on and enjoy the full experience of being a carefree dog. Once my females are finished breeding, there are more options for them. Some may return to the show ring to finish off a stellar career before being spayed. Some may retire, get spayed, and stick around Galavanting Poodles as an Auntie Mama to future litters. And still, some may get the opportunity to live with an extended family member or dear friend.

I do not sell my retired breeding poodles. They continue to live long, healthy, and enriching lives in my care or the care of someone close to me.

And there you have it. My own philosophy for breeding poodles and why I do things a bit differently than what you may find elsewhere. My program works well for me and my puppy families. I am forever grateful for the amazing breeding poodles in my program. It is my duty to them to make sure their lives are as enriched and full as they can possibly be.