# Questions re: breeding age and # of litters



## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

I'm interested in hearing from breeders as to what you think constitutes ethical and responsible breeding when it comes to the number of litters (eg per year and/or over lifespan) & age of the dam (start and end age). 

Not looking to stir the pot - just looking for input into your thoughts and practices and rationale for why. 

Thanks in advance for the input


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

I prefer to wait until around 3 to start breeding a bitch. Even though hip/elbow certs and often titles can be done younger, I've seen a drastic difference in maturity between 2 and 3 years of age. At least in all of the bitches we've had. That allows for more thorough evaluation of adult temperament, and IMO also makes them better mothers. Nothing wrong with breeding younger, provided health and temperament testing is in place, that's just my personal preference.

When to stop depends much on the bitch, her physical and mental health, how old she is for her age (there are "old" 6yos and "young" 10yos), how much she enjoys motherhood and how quickly she recovers from her litters. But I'd say sometime around 7-8 years of age would be when I'd plan to stop breeding. 

If starting at 3 and stopping at 7-8, breeding once a year, that'd be 4-5 litters. Once a year is also my ideal schedule. Though with a young bitch I'll often wait longer between her first and second litters so as to give more time to really evaluate what she produced in that first litter to know if I even want to breed her again and what, if anything, I want to do differently in the next breeding in terms of what sort of stud to take her to. I don't see anything wrong with doing a back-to-back breeding on occasion. But definitely not back-to-back-to-back....


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

I like your schedule plan Chris!!!


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## trudy (Aug 25, 2008)

As a non breeder I have another question, I have often been told if a very small litter, 1-3, it can be Ok to breed back to back then wait a year. I've also been told even with big litters 9-11, that breeding back to back is OK as long as then left a year. I have also heard that waiting til older 5-6 is too old to wait even if only planning 1 litter, I would love opinions. I am only asking out of curiosity, I have NO intention to have pups, unless I could keep them all, which isn't happening.


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## Northern GSDs (Oct 30, 2008)

Thanks Chris for sharing your thoughts and practices - I really appreciate your input and willingness to discuss


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Trudy, a bitch's uterus is designed to be pregnant. For her overall reproductive health it is actually better to keep her pregnant. Every time a bitch is in heat her uterus is attacked by prostaglandins which does damage. Of course when making the decision to breed a bitch back to back one has to look at other factors like the bitch's overall condition after a litter. And then, also for me, there is an ethical reason not to breed females back to back to back to back. I had considered doing one back to back breeding with Nike. She used to go 9 months between heats after a litter and bounced back even from a large litter very quickly. Vala, on the other hand, I probably will never breed back to back unless she has a tiny litter. She takes a significantly longer time to get back into working condition. This tells me that he litters take a bit more out of her. 

Both of my girls have been over 3 when they had their first litters. That way they are titled, mature and have had their health clearances. Like Chris I feel this is a good age to start. Nike I only bred the two times so she was done when just over 4. I had what I wanted out of her so didn't feel the need for more litters. Vala may have one or two more. Haven't decided yet. She had a litter in 2008 and 2009 and won't be bred again until 2011. She will be 6.5 at that point. If a bitch is in very good condition and whelping and nursing don't take a lot out of them I don't have a problem with an older bitch being bred.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Well, if you really intend to breed your female.... clearances won't be obtained until 2 yo, if titling maybe older.... Then fertility tends to go down around 6 yo. You do not have a lot of seasons to breed really. I do believe it is healthy for a female to bred back to back and research it beginning to reveal this pretty well. The female must be healthy and well cared for, of course. 

The last fertility specialist I heard speak did not hold to the skip seasons between litters approach for health reasons of the bitch. Of course, there are lots of other factors involved in deciding to have a litter or not.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

Every repro specialist I have spoken with recommends breeding early and often, and retiring the bitch younger, from a *reproductive* health standpoint. Each heat cycle damages the bitch's uterus, making problems with conception, carrying the litter, and whelping more likely. So in terms of having the maximum number of puppies, larger litters of larger, more robust puppies, and reducing risk of complications, better to start breeding the bitch young, breed back to back for a few litters, then be done. 

But that's just reproductive health. There are many other factors, such as obtaining health clearances and titles before breeding, the bitch's overall health (both physical and mental), giving enough time for the pups to mature enough to evaluate what she's really producing, not to mention doing something with the bitch other than using her as a year round puppy factory, that heavily influence most breeders away from what science says is ideal strictly from a reproductive standpoint.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

It's also interesting to note, from the standpoint that a bitch's uterus is indeed designed to be pregnant, that wild canines who generally WILL get pregnant every heat cycle, typically only cycle once per year. Unlike domestic dogs who tend to cycle 2, sometimes 3 times, per year. So really breeding approximately once per year would seem to be nature's way too.


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