The best dog only four years old who has already given birth to 99 guide dog puppies

The legacy of a top stud dog who has sired over 300 guide dog puppies is continued by his son who has already sired nearly 100 pups. Four-year-old Pierre the Heir has produced 13 litters and 99 puppies since joining a breeding program two and a half years ago.

This golden retriever is the only son of Trigger, the now retired leading stud chosen for the Guide Dog breeding scheme due to his exceptional family lineage on both sides.

Pierre’s grandfather Jim sired 18 pups, while his great-grandfather Windsor was responsible for 33 pups and 226 pups.

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With a distinguished line of breeders, Pierre’s mother, Sybil, comes from a guide dog organization in Brittany, north-west France, called Les Chiens Guides D’aveugles De L’ouest, introducing essential genetic diversity to the breeding pool of guide dogs.

Tracing back further, Pierre’s ancestry includes dogs from Russia and Sweden on his mother’s side.

Dr. Tom Lewis, Head of the Guide Dog Breeding Program, gave an insight into the breeding program and its partnerships in celebration of Father’s Day, noting, “It can seem like being a father to so many pups is hard work , but Pierre’s contribution to the process ended rather quickly.

“Our amazing guide dog mums are the ones who have to feed and nurture the pups.

“We adhere to our Breeding Code of Ethics to ensure that all our breeding dogs are happy and healthy and suitable for mating.”

“A guide dog mother will only have a litter if she is in top condition and has her pups at home under the close watch of a family that cares for her year-round.”

Regarding partnering with other guide dog schools, Tom said: “We occasionally enter into mutually beneficial breeding collaborations with other International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) organisations.

“These collaborations can be in the form of mating, exchange of frozen semen, or transfer of puppies or adult dogs, either as guide dogs or breeding dogs.”

“We recently had a dog from a guide dog school in Japan join our breeding program.”

“Dogs like this help us improve our genetic diversity while ensuring we retain the personality traits and excellent health we need to be successful working guide dogs for people with sight loss.”

To ensure they are able to produce the best possible dogs for work, the family lineage of not only Pierre, but all guide dogs can be traced to ensure genetic diversity.

Characteristics such as temperament and health are taken into account, and a system known as Estimated Breeding Values ​​(EBV) helps to assess breeding animals for their potential genetic merit and heritable traits.

As with Pierre, who is half French, Guide Dogs fruitfully engages in breeding partnerships with other International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) organizations. One year after birth, the puppies undergo comprehensive health checks, including X-rays to examine their joints, DNA tests and eye exams.

Those who pass are taken as breeding dogs, rather than continuing with guide dog training. However, it seems Pierre, currently loved and cared for by Guide Dogs volunteer Tonia Hone from Solihull, could have competition.

In Trigger’s latest litter, born in January this year, a puppy named Billy was designated as a possible successor and worthy heir to Trigger’s laudable legacy. Tom said: “Pierre is a perfect example of what can be achieved when organizations come together. His long and illustrious family history, which is essential for him to produce the guide dogs of the future.”

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