how does having pups affect the mother?

[shoot4fur]

just wondering what affect having pups has on the mothers health, as far as her hunting? and at what age you would breed a young dog if you were thinking about it? thanks... not sure i ever would, but my brother has a nice looking male blue tick, that has a lot of fire, but never realy got hunted. It is his wifes take over dog. He has been out on coons sum, but not much and done all right with no training what so ever. Was thinking maybe some day I might try a cross with my walker if she turns out to be a dog I like. High hopes.

[sheimer]

I bred my female hound last spring just to have her raise pups, not so much for the pups themselves. I've always heard that it helped them "mature" in their hunting. With her, she's now slower, more meticulous, quieter on the chain, and an all around nicer dog to hunt behind. The only down side is she got way more protective towards strangers around her house and chain. I'm still working on that one.

Overall, I'm glad I bred her. She is a coming 3 year old and she she acts like a 4 or 5 year old.

Scott

[catdogs]

The only down side is she got way more protective towards strangers around her house and chain. I'm still working on that one.

Our 3 year old female had pups 3 months ago and the exact same thing happened. She is way more growly towards strangers and other dogs than she was before. Health-wize, she is as healthy as ever, and she had 11 pups. Haven't got to hunt her yet since the pups.

[shoot4fur]

sounds like she was at the age that my dog will be at this summer, so i guess she would not be to you, How many times should they go into heat befor you bread them, or does it matter much. thanks

[sheimer]

I got my female at 8 months old. She started cycling at almost exactly one year. She was (and is) like clock work. She cycled at the end of April and again at the end of October. I bred her on the fourth cycle she had since I got her(I assume she didn't cycle before). She is still on the same routine.

I think it doesn't matter how many times they've cycled. In the wild they don't count cycles before they breed.

I havn't got to run her on cats yet, but she did way better on coon this year compared to last year.

She was perty growly when she first had her pups, but now she will just bark at strangers until they tell her to quit and then she loves on them.

Scott

[Glen]

One of my buddies has a dog that was doing great on bear and not as good now after she had pups. Like the other people on here said she got more growly, she also got slower. She did however become a better cougar dog. I think because she is slower she pays more attention to the trail.

[cat and bear]

In my personal experience, never really noticed anything as far as being growly after pups, speaking long term. One thing I have noticed, is it takes a good six months, after pups to get their speed back, and be back to what they was, I think woman or beast, their body goes through a lot of changes, along with their mind. Takes a little time to get the natural balance back. If you lost any speed, it isnt very much and isnt a issue. And I agree with you, seems they are more calm, and level headed once the balance is back, and can be a real pleasure to hunt behind.

[DeVuono311]

When I bred Maybell, she matured as a hunter enormously. She pays closer attention to the detail of the hunt without distraction now, and loads up like no other instead of runnin around like a hooligan like before. I bred her at a year in a half old.

[Melanie Hampton]

We bred one female on her first heat cycle (she was 2).. She was a terrible mother.. Not mean.. Just had no clue what to do.. Mentally she was not ready... She was bred again this year at 5... Excellent mother this time around..

Bred my personal female this year for the first time.. She is 4.. She was an excellent mother.. Would not let anyone but me near the pups until they were about 3 weeks old.. Then she was fine.. No aggression issues with her at all.. She bounced back fast also, as far as hunting shape.. Of course I was able to keep her hunted until about 2 weeks before the pups were due and then her and I jogged until she dropped the pups.. I think that helped a lot in her recovery...

[sheimer]

Now that season has started here for cats in Montana, I have had a chance to hunt my female a few times. She is way better than when season ended last year. The first race of the year was on a 2 day lion track and she just smoked it and treed like she never has. The second track was the first bobcat track that she's ran for two years and she did very well. I'm really happy now that I bred her.

Scott

[livetohunt]

If the Bluetick does not hunt why would you want to breed her to him? You might be better off to find a male that hunts they way you like and handles the way you like, more so then just looks good. Any time you make a cross you run the risk adding more culls the world why not do all you can to cut this down by making sure both dogs are 100% before breeding.