Our Breeding Policy
We began breeding papillons in 2008 and we are very grateful for the help and advice we have been given from so many knowledgeable dog breeders and our fantastic vet. Our policies have been distilled out of so much great advice and we are still learning.
We became aware of the primary faults that affect papillons before breeding and decided that we would do all in our power to breed papillons free from these faults.
The Kennel Club do not require any testing of papillons (for any condition) before breeding at the moment. This reflects the relative vigour of this breed. We are advised by the Breed Council to check for PL and PRA new genetic tests are being introduced.
PL or Patella Luxation affects the knee joints, dogs can be affected in varying degrees and sometimes only one leg is affected. This is the most common fault in papillons and is relatively common in all small dogs.
All our breeding bitches are PL clear and all the stud dogs we use are PL clear. Interestingly this does not absolutely guarantee that puppies produced will be free from this condition but it does improve their chances significantly.
We are still developing our line but prefer a robust skeletal build as we believe that dogs with too finer bone are more prone to PL, simply because the groove in the knee that holds the knee-cap (patella) will be shallower in these animals.
We do not breed for colour and have no preference about this.
We have investigated PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy). Current veterinary opinion is divided as to whether the papillons so far identified with this progressive eye condition were genetically affected or just old. We have decided not to test at this stage but are watching relevant updates with interest.
We do not line breed and try to give our puppies as much genetic diversity as possible. This is easier said than done as there have been several prolific stud dogs in the past.
The Kennel Club have an online mate select program www.kcmateselect.org.uk . This can be useful when deciding whether a proposed mating is wise.
Care of Our Bitches
All our girls live in the house and are part of the family. Our dogs bring us so much happiness and give their love so willingly we are obliged to provide the best care we can.
We do not breed from bitches weighing less than 2kg. All our bitches are vet checked before mating. We belive in vaccinating and all our dogs have their annual vaccinations. We do not breed on consecutive seasons. Our bitches are wormed in line with our vets advice through the latter part of pregnancy. We feed our bitches more before mating and add a mineral supplement throughout pregnancy and for the first weeks of lactation. We do not leave a bitch alone at all for two weeks prior to their due date. Our bitches whelp at home and are given a cup of sweet milky tea immediately afterwards. In case intervention is required our vet is on standby. In line with Kennel Club legislation we will never breed from a bitch that has had two cesarean sections, and depending on the reason for the c-section we may decide not to breed again from a bitch after 1 c-section. We follow our vets recommendation.
If you are considering owning a papillon we would recommend that you research the breed and talk to several established breeders first, a dog show is the perfect place to meet breeders dedicated to maintaining the quality of the breed. You would be most welcome to come and meet our Papillon family.
Please contact us to discuss availability.