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A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:28 pm
by deseeker
My female britt just had a single pup litter. I've bred dogs for 30 years and never had a litter fewer than 4 dogs. Any body that has had a single pup in a litter give me your thoughts and advice --- How do you get them to socialize with other dogs since they are by themselves with no other pups. My old ones will be around where he can see them, but there isn't any interaction. Is there stuff I can do with him so he doesn't think he is the dominate dog? Other than a few toys is there anything that will break his boredom of being alone(I can't be with him all the time because I work--no wife or kids for him to play with.)? Since he hasn't had shots, I don't want to put him around other strange puppies. Any body with a single pup litter how did they turn out as older dogs around kids, adults, & other dogs? I'm open to comments and suggestions about anything I can do :idea: A single pup litter is all new to me(hope it never happens again) & I want to do what I can to make sure this pup will turn out normal :roll:
Any body who has bought a pup out of a single pup litter--how did the dog turn out :?:
male born 4-10-17 001.JPG

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:58 pm
by Sharon
Google "Single Pup Litter Problems". I found it to be an interesting read.
Many litters over the years here, but never a single pup. Probably the male didn't have sufficient swimmers.

Socialization seems to be the biggest concern as they don't have the opportunity of learning from litter mates. You will have to make up for this.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:05 pm
by Big Dave
I was told that an old NBHA National Amateur Champion and Open Horseback Shooting Dog Champion Candy's Purple Ranger was the only pup in his litter. They named him Ranger for being the Lone Ranger in his litter.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 7:58 pm
by oldbeek
My current Britt was a single pup. Strong willed. Confident. Hard running dog with a great nose. We had a lot of time to bond and train. We are a team.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:34 pm
by OldDixieDown
This page has some interesting summaries of research on the topic

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/article/l ... -singleton

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:31 am
by CCBIRDDOGMAN
My first Britt as an adult was an only pup. He was an awesome dog. That was about 24 years ago and he is still the best bird dog I have ever owned (close match up between him and my 13 yr old female I have now, she has found more birds in her lifetime but she's been on more good leases than he was due to finances back then, I still think he would beat her if they hunted a lifetime side by side).

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:08 pm
by ezzy333
You might call Brenda Roe as I know she had a litter of one a few months ago and I think maybe before that too.

Ezzy

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 4:44 pm
by deseeker
I would like to thank everyone for their replies and PMs. :D Sounds like it doesn't effect their hunting ability or people socialization from people who have owned one. Again thanks for the suggestions and info. If you have information to add, please do :!:

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:00 pm
by Trekmoor
My last brit was the only pup in her litter and I didn't get her until she was 3 months old. I at once contacted a friend with a lot of dogs and he had a litter of springers of which he'd kept two and a litter of labs of which he'd kept two. Both litters were about the same age as my pup.

She was placed with the springer pups to begin with but she bullied them. She was then placed with the considerably bigger lab pups and was left with them for about a month.

She grew into a very good working bitch who behaved very well with other dogs, with children and with adults. She was never over effusive with strange dogs or people but that can be a good thing.

Bill T.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2017 7:42 pm
by Grange
My parents brittany just had a single pup litter. They used chilled semen and the sperm from what I was told look healthy at the time of insemination. What may have happened is the female didn't ovulate until a couple days after the last AI. The females previous litter had multiple (6+) puppies.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:43 am
by Steve007
deseeker wrote:I would like to thank everyone for their replies and PMs. :D Sounds like it doesn't effect their hunting ability or people socialization from people who have owned one. Again thanks for the suggestions and info. If you have information to add, please do :!:
Be of good cheer. Many years ago, I lost an entire litter in the early days of Parvo (no vaccine at the time) except for one puppy. It was a bad time. A dead pup every morning. Thank goodness for my bitch that one survived. Named him Lefty (registered name Last One Left). The people who bought him kept the name, and Lefty went on to be a topflight competition obedience dog.

Re: A Single Pup Litter

Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2017 3:13 pm
by Sharon
In the old days, pups were born out in the barn. My dad forgot to turn on the heat lamp one night.
Next morning I went out to feed Mom and !!!!!!!!!!!!
She had got out of the barn , and killed all my rabbits and dragged the rabbits in to put on top of her pups for warmth.
None survived, but I never forgot the instinct of a bicht to care for her pups.