Age to breed

simplepaliving · Post by **simplepaliving** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:34 pm

What is the youngest ethically that everyone breeds their dogs?

FetchingPixels · Post by **FetchingPixels** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:36 pm

I'll leave this to the experts to answer but I know that you should defiently not breed until 2. I'd wait til 3 myself just to be on the safe side but from what I hear a lot of people breed at 2.

Honey Pot Hounds · Post by **Honey Pot Hounds** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:13 pm

Her second heat season....which is usually between 18 months and 2 years old. Waiting until 3 is not bad but you really aren't doing the uterus any favors as the progesterone takes a huge toll on it every season wether she is bred or not.
If your bitch is healthy, happy and fit there is no reason why she can't be bred once a year right up into her 7th & 8th years...depending on the bitch. I have heard of some that continued to whelp large healthy litters even after that...but I know that is not the norm.

CORNERSTONE · Post by **CORNERSTONE** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:21 pm

I bred my best female on her second cycle and got 7 nice pups. Maybe it was just my bad luck, but even though she raised them like the perfect little lady she is I had trouble getting her to run rabbits afterwards and she did not come back to her skill level till after her next heat.

This is how I seen it, whether or not it was because I bred her too early I do not know , but I will never again breed this early

backyard beagler · Post by **backyard beagler** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:33 pm

back before I visited these boards and become all internet correct I bred a female on her first cycle and so far my best dog came out of that litter and she showed no signs that it bothered her. I will say the male was very old and I was wanting to breed to him real bad and she was actually the last dog that took from him although several were bred to him so I'm happy I did it, but I couldn't say if I would do it again or not. Mother nature knows what she is doing.

CORNERSTONE · Post by **CORNERSTONE** » Sat May 27, 2006 8:45 pm

back yard,

It was the same situation. I wanted blueboy and he was up in the years, although I here he is still taken' care of business.

Although my female was proficient @ running rabbits and was a quality female all around in my eyes I think it took its toll mentally on her

Briarhoppers · Post by **Briarhoppers** » Sat May 27, 2006 9:15 pm

I agree wait until the second heat cycle. I wouldn't want to breed a female on her first cycle for two reasons. The first being the obvious - they are still physically developing. Second, that first heat cycle is during a crucial time in a young dogs development as a rabbit dog and I'd hate to have to sit them out for a couple months while they are still really starting to come on strong.
-Pete

Beagled1 · Post by **Beagled1** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:37 pm

For me, it depends on the bloodline. Most hounds I'll breed for the first time around 18-24 months. If I'm very familiar with the line, and know what problems tend to arise and when, I might even go younger. The youngest I've bred was a male who was 14 months - and he produced some very healthy, robust babies.
Unfortunately, there are a few lines where epilepsy tends to crop up, so with those hounds, I'll wait until about 3yrs to breed, male or female. I wouldn't do a first time breeding on a hound older than 4 yrs, because as the bitch ages, so do her eggs. The older the eggs, the greater the chance for them to be damaged and cause a genetic defect or unthriftiness in the pups. Also, keep in mind if you wait too many heat cycles before breeding, the risk of pyometra increases.
Just to add in my 2 cents, I've done a back to back litter before and even though the pups were remarkably healthy, I'll never do one again. I prefer to let 1-2 cycles pass before anotehr breeding ...JMHO.

Beagled1 · Post by **Beagled1** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:38 pm

For me, it depends on the bloodline. Most hounds I'll breed for the first time around 18-24 months. If I'm very familiar with the line, and know what problems tend to arise and when, I might even go younger. The youngest I've bred was a male who was 14 months - and he produced some very healthy, robust babies.
Unfortunately, there are a few lines where epilepsy tends to crop up, so with those hounds, I'll wait until about 3yrs to breed, male or female. I wouldn't do a first time breeding on a hound older than 4 yrs, because as the bitch ages, so do her eggs. The older the eggs, the greater the chance for them to be damaged and cause a genetic defect or unthriftiness in the pups. Also, keep in mind if you wait too many heat cycles before breeding, the risk of pyometra increases.
Just to add in my 2 cents, I've done a back to back litter before and even though the pups were remarkably healthy, I'll never do one again. I prefer to let 1-2 cycles pass before anotehr breeding ...JMHO.

gus · Post by **gus** » Sun May 28, 2006 8:53 am

When a young bitch reaches physical maturity how is breeding her at that age any different from breeding her at three or four years of age. Basing your breeding timtable on the number of heat periods makes no sense. I have owne bitch pups that came in heat at six months with their secon heat at one year. Others did not come in heat until eighteen months with eight month chcles.
I have seen bitches bred at ten months and raise eight pups with no problems. I bought a show bred bitch at about three, bred her and had to have a C-section. What does all this mean? I don't know, but my experience has been if a bitch is worth breeding and she is mature give it a shot. Your chances or being successful are as good as waiting. The bitch may get hit by a car of bit by a rattlesnake before she comes in again.

TomMN · Post by **TomMN** » Sun May 28, 2006 9:38 am

Coyotes, wolves and fox always get bred the first time. It happens all the time in the wild.
Leon Whitney in his book "How to Breed Dogs" says "There seems to be no reason for not breeding a bitch the first time she is ready and often many good reasons for doing so." and "I have made very many of these first-season matings and have never seen a bitch harmed in any way by it." If you have read much of Leon Whitney's books you know that when he says "very many" he means dozens or even hundreds, not two or three.
There are lots of people that feel it is socialy unacceptable to breed a female on her first heat cycle but I haven't seen any studies to back this up. Many of the same people also frown on inbreeding and line breeding.

Windkist · Post by **Windkist** » Sun May 28, 2006 9:59 am

gus wrote:When a young bitch reaches physical maturity how is breeding her at that age any different from breeding her at three or four years of age. Basing your breeding timtable on the number of heat periods makes no sense. I have owne bitch pups that came in heat at six months with their secon heat at one year. Others did not come in heat until eighteen months with eight month chcles.
I have seen bitches bred at ten months and raise eight pups with no problems. I bought a show bred bitch at about three, bred her and had to have a C-section. What does all this mean? I don't know, but my experience has been if a bitch is worth breeding and she is mature give it a shot. Your chances or being successful are as good as waiting. The bitch may get hit by a car of bit by a rattlesnake before she comes in again.

She should reach physical and Mental maturity before she is bred. 6 months in my opinion is way too young. just because a heat cycle may come at that age doesn't mean she is ready to become a mother as she is still a puppy at that age. I've had bitches not come in season until they are 18months. In that case I say why not? You must assess each one on their maturity level and not just breed them because they have a cycle. I find that breeding a bitch young (18months) and older will give you the best chance of easy whelping and good mothers. Why wait until a bitch is 3 or 4 years old and her hormones have been pounding away at her uterus for all these years? Also, I usually breed a bitch back to back then skip a cycle or in the case of small litters 3 times then I retire her. After that you should have improved on what she is and kept some daughters and sons to go on with.

MHO,

Leah Bertagnolli
Windkist beagles

PLATEAUBEAGLER · Post by **PLATEAUBEAGLER** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:23 pm

i always say give them 2 cycles before breeding to them cause this will give you time to evaluate them in the field and under the gun, and if they don't prove it there i wouldn't want to breed to it anyway.
just my 2 cents but if a dog doesn't prove it's self then why would you want to bred to it anyway. By doing this 18 month waiting gives you time to watch the hound work rabitt's in the field, and to watch it's progress to see if it is worth breeding.
but if after then you like what you see go for it.

Stumbo's Beagles · Post by **Stumbo's Beagles** » Wed May 31, 2006 6:29 am

My 8 month old pup just got out of heat about a week ago. I will not breed her on her 2nd cycle, not that I disagree with breeding on the females 2nd cycle thou. My reasons for not breeding her is 1st, if she come back into heat in 6 months then she will only be around 14 months old. 2nd, This is when our gun season opens up here in ky and I want to get at least one season under the gun for her. She is a good pup and has jumped several rabbits by herself and ran them all. I have soloed her alot thou. She also packs well and usually runs 3rd in the pack, but she is young and I hope she will improve. Now lets say that she dont come into heat until after gun season which is the last day of feb here. Then if she still does a good job under the gun I will breed her on her 2nd cycle. Because she will be around 18 months old and has a season under the gun. There is all kinds of different situations that can determine if you breed and when you breed. The origional ? was how young would you breed a female. To answer that I will say that my female was to young to breed to this time and if she does come back in heat in november I still think she is to young. This is my dog thou and this is only my opionion. I hope this helps you some.
I would like to know how old your female is simplepaliving and some of the circumstance and maybe we can better answer your ? a little better.

simplepaliving · Post by **simplepaliving** » Wed May 31, 2006 7:27 am

SHe is 11 months, I am not planning a breeding or anything just wondering as some breeds call you a puppymill, or a back yard breeder if you breed under 2 years old. Just want to make sure I am ethical in my beagles, I have only bred one litter in my life and I studded my male out when he was 10 months and I was thrashed for it. So just trying to keep from being beat up when I decide to breed my beagles ( I plan on trying ot find a really nice male)