labs in heat

[backcreek3422]

I have a 1 year old lab and 2 nine month old labs and none have them have come in heat yet.  Do you think there is something wrong ? what are the odds that all the females we have can't produce puppies?

[timsntexas]

I raise White Labs that have champion blood and are the smartest animals anyone would want. I am responsible and I breed them for people that want the best. You can't get the best in a rescue or pound. Don't push your beliefs down on others unless you know what they are doing and if it's wrong what they are doing.

[Moms4tne]

I have called around a lot - $600 just seems to be the average rate in our area.  I'm in Canada, in a mid-sized farming community where the vets also look after horses, cattle, etc.  Maybe that's what makes the difference.  The SPCA here is the Humane Society - and I guess the reason it takes 6 months or more for them to call back is because their spay/neuter fee is so reasonable compared to what all the local vets are charging.  Obviously most people probably finally give up on the SPCA, suck it up, and go back to the vets - which only reinforces the exorbitant fees they charge.  

I think we're going to have to make a physical visit to the SPCA and tell them we called six months ago for a spay appointment and haven't heard back.  Maybe they have become accustomed to people bailing after so long and they just don't call back.  I don't know - but, as I said, it's really frustrating.  When should I expect Bella to have another heat anyway?  Her first was at 9 months, 3 weeks - starting the first week of February - and she bled for 2 weeks.  

[lindapalm]

$600 is way too high, I definately would shop around.

[Misfits4Me]

Hello & welcome.......That $600 sounds awful high to me.......My Vet charges $150.00...
Have you called and checked around at other Vets?

Many Rescues & Humane Societys offer Spay/Neuter Clinics......We post ours in the Newspaper & Flyers....(This is a town of 6000 people, and we even offer a clinic!) We do it every 3 mos....
Call around and see....I wouldn't wait any longer on the SPCA to call you back!

In larger towns, there are organizations that spay/neuter, daily........That's all they do!
Your doing the right thing....Keep checking; there has to be other places besides the SPCA......If you have a Humane Society, that's who I'd call first....Just ask them what you should do....Surely, they can direct you to somewhere to go....Good luck and please check back in.....Karla

[Moms4tne]

Well, if I may, I have a couple of comments.  First, we have a 15 months old chocolate Lab female who is absolutely gorgeous - smart, affectionate and training well.  We love her to pieces.  We've had so many people say, "Oh, we want one of her puppies if you breed her".  And we actually considered letting her have a litter to help pay the $600 the vet wants to spay her!  (Yes, $600+).  She didn't have her first heat until 10 months - and we knew not to breed her.  She was actually really good - wasn't trying to get out, no males coming around the house, etc.  None of the horror stories were heard happened - but after 2 weeks of bleeding and another week of keeping her "under wraps" (so to speak), AND after doing some research on the genetics of breeding her and actually getting chocolate puppies (her mother was blonde), we decided we weren't qualified to do this and decided to get her spayed before another heat.  Well, unfortunately, we still don't have $600 and the SPCA (who charges only $150) has not called us to schedule her appointment yet and it's been almost 6 months.  So far she hasn't gone into heat again, but I would think she's close to due for another one.  I'm so frustrated.  It's really difficult when you want to do the right thing but cost and other factors interfere.  I'm really at a loss.  Any suggestions?

[ginger899]

I'm inclined to agree with what everyone has said here. I suppose an exception would be:.... IF you knew for a fact you were not going to be bad-breeding in any way (ie breeding in weaknesses like bad hip scores, etc)
IF you had definite and loving (and dog-wise) homes already for the possible puppies, with people you already knew well, and trusted implicitly, whom you knew for certain were both responsible and also able to provide financially for a dog for the rest of its life.
IF you knew for certain those females were healthy enough to BE breed-b-i-t-c-h-e-s.

And even with all those points in place, as Jaybay already said, it is never right to breed a female until she is about 2 years old.

Sorry about the 'lecture'. But I once thought of letting my dog have puppies. I spoke to a woman who ran a dog rescue centre. She sat me down and talked to me for about a 1/2 hour of what can and does, often happen -even when you think you have let that puppy go to a good home....!
After she had finished talking, I had already made up my mind never to let my dog have puppies.

[lindapalm]

Well said.

[Misfits4Me]

As of today, right now, there are 29,752  (This is not a misprint!)  Lab or lab mixes looking for homes on Petfinder.com.... All of them up for adoption.....This will be an impossible number to fulfill.....Please, don't add to this overwhelming problem!  It's already out of control and it's the poor animals that pay the price!!!   Thanks.....Karla

[have 2 kids]

It's not uncommon for labs or any bigger dogs to be a year old when they come into their first heat.     Are you going to breed all 3 of them?  Please be responsible if you do plan to do this.  The world is filled with unwanted dogs- everyone wants a puppy but when they get older and the fun is over many people abandon them.    

[Jaybay]

You shouldn't breed any dog who comes into her first heat.  Unless you're a licensed, professional breeder, you probably shouldn't be breeding them anyway.