The importance of testing - results are back

IA is used successfully in humans, horses, cattle....why not dogs? After all, there is no particular advantage in Poppy meeting the father of the puppies - it's not like he hangs around to help bring them up. And it potentially would give you a choice of dogs in other countries.

I know nothing about it, or the potential downsides though....

 

Karen No probs .was worth a mention . Good luck I'm sure you'le find e certain young Man that's suitable Look forward to hearing about your journey

Marie & Ziva

 

AI is used plenty in Australia in breeding Labradors as a way of getting UK genes into the equation without the quarantine hassles.

Definitely a good suggestion!

 

Google the following term: labrador frozen semen site:uk

Plenty of UK breeders have frozen semen available for export.

 

Or you could even just get the chilled stuff, since you are not so far away...

 

What about Ettinsmoor labs and her lovely fox red Skip. He is clear for all the tests and I know that he has recently sired a litter in Spain using AI !

 

That's interesting, one of the members of the Positive Gundogs group has just had the same result from her bitch. It's so good you tested for this Karen, so that you can mate to a clear dog.

 

That's a shame Karen, but far better to know about . Mr.Right is out there waiting I`m sure x

 

AI is very common among good breeders in US. Myles came this way. Seems a good thing to have more options to match up with other breeders with clearances and good scores.

 

I see that the UK Kennel Club places some restrictions on registering litters where IA was used, no doubt to discourage the breeding of dogs with conformation that makes breeding difficult.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/breeding/breeding-from-your-dog/artificial-insemination-(ai)/

 

I'm sure the right dog for Poppy is out there. I have a bit of a jaundiced view on hip/elbow scores because of Juno, but there could be some advantages to an older stud - he knows what he's meant to do and generally just gets on with it which could be a benefit for Poppy, and I guess it would be easier to research the quality of the pups he's produced

 

The international rules of the FCI say "Dogs should be able to reproduce naturally. Artificial insemination should not be used on dogs that have not reproduced naturally before. Exceptions can be made by the national canine associations to improve the health of the breed, for the welfare of the bitch, or to preserve or increase the genetic pool within the breed."

 

And the Drc also says that both partners have to have produced litters naturally beforehand. So that means it is not a possibility for us, at least not for this first time.

 

Exactly,I couldn't have said that better myself.... Sounds like it's quite common to carry SD2 then?
Good luck with the ongoing search Karen,you will find the right dog for sure x

 

Yes Angela - and apparently it's more prevalent in working line labs rather than show line.

 

Thanks Julie

 

Shame about the AI rule. Sounds a bit illogical TBH.

 

The FCI rules are not really binding on anyone though - are they?

The rules of the UK Kennel Club seem to be in place to restrict breeding of dogs that are unable to reproduce "naturally" - I understand this is a problem in some breeds and surgical procedures that are doubtful (from an ethical point of view) have been developed. Looking in more detail at the UK kennel club rules, there is a distinction made between surgical IA and IA trans-cervically - it states that the "welfare debt" (to the bitch) for trans-cervical IA is extremely low, and so the benefits (eg geographic distance overcome) also need to be very low. It is a different case where surgical intervention is required.

Seems pretty reasonable to me...

 

Yes, I think that distinction is totally reasonable. I don't think the restriction on straightforward (non surgical) AI on non-deformed breeds like Labradors makes sense though. There are benefits for that kind of AI - less stress on the bitch as she doesn't have to be mated by a strange dog in a strange location, and you can time the AI just right to catch ovulation (with hormone testing) meaning more likelihood of pregnancy.

 

Not that I know the first thing about breeding though