Dog breeder glossary

The resting phase of the canine reproductive cycle between diestrus and the next proestrus, typically lasting four to five months.

A dog with two copies of a recessive disease mutation. Depending on the condition, the dog may develop the disease; all of its offspring will be at least carriers.

The correct term for a female dog, used in breeding and registry records without any pejorative sense.

A female dog kept for breeding. In BreedBloom the term brood also refers to a breeding record that becomes a litter.

Companion Animal Eye Registry exam: an annual examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist, registered with OFA, screening for inherited eye disease.

Surgical delivery of puppies through the abdominal wall, planned in advance for breeds where free-whelping is unsafe or performed as an emergency for obstructed labour.

A dog with one copy of a recessive disease mutation. Carriers are unaffected but can pass the mutation on; breeding carrier to clear does not produce affected puppies.

A dog with no copies of a tested mutation, either by DNA test or by having two tested-clear parents (clear by parentage).

The probability that two copies of a gene in an individual are identical by descent from a common ancestor. Higher COI means less genetic diversity. Calculated over a pedigree depth (e.g. 10 generations) or genomically from DNA.

The first milk produced after whelping, rich in antibodies. Puppies absorb these antibodies through the gut only for roughly the first 24 hours, which is why early nursing matters.

The mother of a litter.

A payment made by a prospective family to reserve a place on a waitlist or a specific puppy. Terms for refund and transfer should be written into the contract.

The phase after estrus, about 60 days, during which progesterone stays high whether or not the bitch is pregnant.

Difficult or obstructed birth. Signs include prolonged straining without a puppy, long gaps between puppies when more are expected, or a puppy stuck in the birth canal.

A protocol of five brief daily handling exercises performed on puppies from day 3 to day 16, intended to improve stress tolerance and resilience.

A protocol that presents one novel scent per day to each puppy from day 3 to day 16 and records the reaction, used alongside ENS.

The receptive phase of the heat cycle during which ovulation occurs and the bitch will stand for a male. Length varies widely; progesterone testing pinpoints the fertile days.

A general term for a neonate that fails to thrive and declines in the first weeks, often signalled first by weight loss or failure to gain. Causes include poor nursing, chilling, infection and congenital defects.

Natural, unassisted delivery of puppies, as opposed to caesarean delivery.

Semen cryopreserved for later use. It survives only about 12–24 hours after thawing, so insemination must be timed precisely to ovulation and is usually done surgically or transcervically.

A registry status that allows the dog's offspring to be registered. Typically reserved for show or breeding prospects.

The period of pregnancy, about 63 days from ovulation in dogs (roughly 57–72 days counted from breeding).

The bundle of documents and items a breeder gives a family when a puppy is placed: contract, registration, health and vaccination records, microchip details, care instructions and training progress.

An arrangement where a breeding dog lives with a family as their pet while the breeder retains breeding rights for a set number of litters, after which ownership usually transfers fully.

Screening of breeding dogs for inherited conditions relevant to the breed, through orthopedic radiographs (hips, elbows), specialist exams (eyes, heart) and DNA tests, with results recorded in public registries such as OFA.

The spike in luteinizing hormone that triggers ovulation about two days later. On progesterone testing it corresponds roughly to 2–3 ng/mL.

A registry status for pet placements: the dog is registered but its offspring cannot be. Often paired with a spay/neuter agreement in the contract.

All the puppies born to a dam from one pregnancy. In BreedBloom a litter record links the dam, sire, breeding dates, whelping details and every puppy.

A rice-grain-sized RFID implant carrying a unique number registered to the dog's owner. Transferring the registration to the family is part of a complete placement.

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, a US registry that evaluates and publishes hip, elbow, patella, cardiac, thyroid and eye results and hosts DNA results, enabling verifiable health-test claims.

Release of eggs from the ovaries, roughly two days after the LH surge, corresponding to progesterone of about 5–8 ng/mL. Day 0 for calculating a 63-day gestation.

A record of a dog's ancestry over several generations, used to evaluate lineage, titles, health history and the coefficient of inbreeding of a planned mating.

The sequence in which families on a waitlist choose or are assigned puppies, often determined by deposit date, sometimes replaced or moderated by breeder matching.

The first phase of heat, averaging nine days, marked by vulvar swelling and bloody discharge; the bitch attracts males but is not yet receptive.

Blood tests measuring progesterone to identify the LH surge and ovulation, allowing breeding and caesarean timing to be set precisely rather than by counting days.

A popular structured programme of early puppy rearing, socialization and training protocols for breeders, covering the period from birth to placement.

The father of a litter.

The fee paid to the owner of a male dog for a breeding, sometimes taken as a puppy from the litter instead of cash.

A structured assessment of each puppy's responses (often around day 49) used to match puppies to families and to select working or show prospects.

The period during natural mating when the male and female are locked together, typically 10–30 minutes. Used as the breeding date in records when ovulation is not known.

The list of screened, usually deposit-paid families waiting for a puppy from a breeder's future litters.

The process of a bitch giving birth to puppies. Also whelp: to give birth; whelp date: the puppies' birth date.

A low-sided enclosure with pig rails where the dam delivers and nurses puppies during their first weeks, kept warm and draft-free.