The American Beagler Forum

i have a male that measures about 15 3/4 and was wondering what you guys thought about breeding him to a 13 inch bitch would it be too big of pups for her or would she be ok ...i've always had 13 inch hounds but this male i got is awesome and i would really like some pups out of him....will a 13 inch bitch be o.k. or should i get a bigger bitch?...thanks in advance

Will this be her first litter? I wouldn't reccomend a first litter with a larger dog. A friend had a 15 inch that had several litters that accidentally got bred by his walker and had no problems even though we were very worried.

not sure about the first litter thing i am in pursuit of a bitch now ....just tryin to find out about the size thing first....

I have seen numerous beagle bitches bred by walkers and none had problems. Therefore, I doubt 2" will make a difference. I've seen two 13" dogs throw big pups so it's a crapshoot either way.

If the hounds complement each other and run well together, share no common faults and it's not important that your size consistency remain at 13, I see no harm but it's always better to not breed extreems, for your consistency will suffer...Patch

you guys dont think the size difference will hurt my bitch?

Let me explain more here.

I'm will never say it won't hurt your dog. I'm saying I've seen the extreme 21" dogs to 14" dogs and it didn't hurt the bitch. However, I can see where it very well could. Like I said, I've seen two 13" dogs throw big pup that need vet attention at birth so it can happen either way. I would not hesitate breeding a 15" male to a 13" female if they seemed like a good cross.

thank you for clearing that up....yellowdog

Bitches will somewhat regulate the size of the pups but the physical aspects of bone structure, such as breeding a big block head male to a bitch with narrow hips may be your greatest concern. The bitches physical constitution is always a factor in welping...Patch