If you’ve ever felt a sense of reassurance after lining up a “proven stud,” you’re not alone. For many breeders, this label suggests reliability, fertility, and an easier path to puppies. But while prior success is worth considering, it doesn’t always tell the whole story. In this post, we’ll explore Read more…
Breeding failures often stem from overlooked uterine health, despite timing and semen quality. A healthy uterus plays a crucial role in nurturing embryos and ensuring successful pregnancies. Common unseen issues like endometrial hyperplasia and chronic inflammation can impair fertility. Awareness of these factors aids in improving breeding outcomes.
You want to feed your dogs in a way that supports healthy pregnancies, bigger litters, and strong, thriving puppies. But if you’ve spent any time in online forums, you’ve probably seen dozens of conflicting opinions—about what to feed, when to feed it, and whether to add things like liver, yogurt, Read more…
You’ve decided that it’s time to add a new canine family member. Congratulations! You understand that a puppy is forever and, accordingly, you want your puppy to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. You know that you need to ensure that your puppy comes from a Read more…
For decades, the standard approach to spay and neuter in dogs has been to have it done asap – ideally before a female’s first heat cycle or before a male has the opportunity to breed. The given reason for this approach was that it would decrease the pet’s chance of Read more…
Imagine you are a small animal veterinarian (aka…me). You love puppies, and you’re excited to see that you have a new puppy appointment scheduled this morning. You walk into the exam room to meet the newest member of your client’s family and are immediately greeted with excited wiggles and kisses. Read more…
The number one reason that dogs are relinquished to shelters is behavioral, and unfortunately many behavioral issues are actually training issues. Therefore, I truly believe that basic dog training saves lives! Sometimes when I’m talking to a client during a puppy visit, they look very confused when I mention training. Read more…
Fundamentally, producing puppies involves combining oocytes (eggs) and sperm. However, there are actually multiple options to accomplish that task. When you’re first getting started, it can be overwhelming to keep track of the lingo, but this article can help! When discussing methods of insemination, there are two components: the processing Read more…
I believe that canine reproduction is a team sport. When I’m working with a client, we need to trust each other and to be on the same page every step of the way. For that reason, I believe it’s very important that responsible breeders understand the “why” behind our breeding Read more…
The following article was originally written for the Scottish Terrier Club of America (STCA) Handbook. For more information on requesting scientific content for your own breed club publication, please contact Dr. Kristina Belton at kristinabeltondvm@gmail.com To Store or Not to Store A Brief Introduction to Canine Semen Freezing By Dr. Read more…