# Healthy breeding age?



## lacrossedoggirl (Mar 12, 2013)

Do you see any potential health issues for puppies if the Mom is 9 years old?

Please let us know as we're currently searching for a puppy.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

I wouldnt think there would be an issue of the pups health but the mom might be a different sorry, why was it bred at 9 years old, sounds like a BYB to me I would stay away but thats MHO


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## Anita11811 (May 10, 2011)

Reputable breeders usually retire their breeding females around 6...... 9 is really pushing it..

i agree with mandiah89.. sounds like a BYB to me... something i would stay away from.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Assuming you found a breeder doing this, I would talk to them about it. It's not really fair to make assumptions about the breeder or the dogs without information on why the breeding was done. Some bitches can definitely handle it, and some bitches should never be bred period. There's really no arbitrary age to start and stop.


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## Shaolin (Jun 16, 2012)

I would agree, it's all about the dog. I've heard of some breeders stopping at six whereas some have pushed ten. Both the sire and dam of my dog were seven. It was her last litter and the sire mated twice more after that to two super awesome girls. I would run screaming in the other direction if the Dam was older than ten, as IMHO, by then she should be retired, but I don't have ny issues with a nine year old as long as she is well taken care of and checks out health wise.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/breeding-general/236162-age-retiring.html

There are no hard and fast rules with biological beings


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

My females dam was 9 when she had Ironhide. She had her last litter at 11 I believe and competed until she was nearly 12. She is retired now from competing and breeding, but still sleeps at the foot of the bed. Also, the her breeders are about the farthest thing from a BYB, I LOVE them, and they produce amazing dogs.

A strong female who is kept in condition and has whelped litters before should be ok, although fertility and ability to recover from and sometimes endure labour can be lower.

If this was her first litter I would NOT breed this female.

I think it depends on the dog.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

Anita11811 said:


> Reputable breeders usually retire their breeding females around 6...... 9 is really pushing it..
> 
> i agree with mandiah89.. sounds like a BYB to me... something i would stay away from.


This is not true, at least from what I have seen.

When you have dogs competing and working well into their teens (14-16), six seems like a pretty young dog, IMO.

It depends on the strength and longevity in the dog, as well as the lines, I think that would determine when to retire a dog.

The dogs I am speaking of who don't retire until 15, 16, 17 years old, would have been some unhappy working dogs to have been retired so early.

If your females are producing healthy litters at 9, and the puppies are bringing that longevity to the table WHILE you are still breeding towards something(not just breeding to breed), then age is just a number.

If you look at a 6 year old female who is slow and maybe arthritic, then no, I wouldn't say breed that dog at 9. But when you look at a 9 year old dog and think its 5 or 6 years old, then it is a different story.


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