Читать книгу The Complete Book of Dog Breeding - Dan Rice - Страница 36

Choosing a female to breed must include careful consideration of her condition. A brood bitch’s nutrition should be an extension of her nutrition as a puppy. As a youngster she should be fed a diet that allows her physical growth and development to proceed at a regular, average rate. When she reaches adulthood, her maintenance diet, exercise, and eating habits should assure that she does not become obese, and that she displays firm musculature.

A proud Weimaraner dam and the only puppy remaining from her litter.

It is a mistake to try to reduce or fatten up animals at breeding time. Obesity favors erratic reproductive behavior. Skinny, undernourished bitches may not cycle normally, and if successfully bred, the stress of pregnancy and lactation will cause further trouble.

Breeding bitches should be in lean and gaining condition when they begin their estrus cycles. Their regular maintenance diets should be increased about 5 percent when they show the first signs of proestrus bleeding. Diets are then reduced to maintenance levels following breeding, and gradually increased again one month into gestation (see Pregnancy Nutrition, page 69).

The following general nutritional comments apply equally to breeding, pregnancy, and lactation diets. Specific recommendations relative to those reproductive phases are found in other sections of this book.