Best age to breed??

[Ruger]

Hi everyone! Geez, it has been forever since I posted in here!! Good to be back!!

Here is my question.....
What is the best age to breed dogs at? (both for males and females)
I don't know a whole lot about this kind of thing, so I thought I would ask all you "dog experts!" LOL!!
My sister is coming home for christmas, and she is bringing her Jack Russell terrier (female). Now, MY dog Ruger,(male) has been trying to hump everything. He is only about 6 months old, so I am pretty sure he can't be ready to "put the coals to his sweetie" yet. Daisy, (the JRT) is about 7 months old, so I don't think she is old enough either. What age do females usually come into heat?

[Moo]

I'm not sure about this... Ellie will answer, I'm sure.

I believe it's 5-10 months for the first heat. Smaller dogs come earlier. Males are mature around 4 months. He should be in for a fixing soon...

You are asking to prevent a breeding, right?

[Dax]

Ruger - before I answer your questions I would ask you see my thread
Why I will always recommend spay/neuter

If that doesn't influence your decision, then here is the information you should keep in mind. Most dogs will continue to grow up until 1 1/2 to 2 years of age. Breeding females before then (even if they can doesn't mean they should) is not recommended. Before breeding both the males & females should be checked by a vet for genetic defects.

Females dogs can come into heat as early as 5 months of age. You should take extra precautions to keep them separated. Breeding a dog that is too young can result in high pup death rate, physical damage to your female and poor quality of remaining pups.


Before you breed please reconsider your decision - there are lots of puppies without good homes.

[southern_girl09]

Are you wanting to breed? You should definitally wait until the 2nd heat. But why do you want to breed them? Is is to better the breed/looks? Small dogs usually have to get a cesearen (sp?) also. Which costs alot of money. I think that the female is too young. Read Dax's post!

[ChandraRae]

Could we have more information behind your request for information, please?

Its always easiest to give the best answers if we have all the details.. Thanks!

p.s. read Dax's thread!

[GretaJack]

If you are asking if it is possible that they might be able to breed when your sister comes over for Christmas, the answer is yes if her dog is in heat. And as been stated female can have their first heat cycle anywhere between 5-10 months of age. Your male, at 6 months old, is young as far as sexually maturity, but will still have the urge and desire to breed. It is possible that he would be mature enough to get her pregnant. If you are asking if you should allow them to breed during the time they are together, the answer is no. They are both way too young to have a safe pregnancy and healthy puppies.

[Ruger]

I am asking because we DO NOT want her to have puppies. (at least not at this time)

Here is a bit more info....
My Sister is in the Canadian Army, and she is a single parent of a daughter.(Mallory) She is expected to be heading over to Israel in February, and I will be keeping Mallory and Daisy(the dog) for 6 months while she is overseas. I run a home daycare as well, and the last thing I need is to deal with is a pregnant dog/load of puppies.
Ruger is a JRT/Westie/Pom cross(as far as we have been told!!) He was just at the vet about 2 weeks ago, and the vet only visits our town once a month, so he won't be back until January. Initially, I had never planned to get Ruger neutered. Here is my reasoning....He is never around other dogs aside form the Border Collie at my moms which is about 13 years old, and spayed. He is put out into our yard which is fully fenced, to the point that there is no escape. We live in an area which is in the downtown area, so all the dogs here are penned up/tied up/yarded. Ruger is tiny(approx. 5lbs)all the other dogs in the vicinity are big.(labs,huskies, Ger.Sheps) So even if he WANTED to mate, he would likely need a stool. So the NEED to neuter him was not a big one to me. Now, with the likeliness of Daisy coming to stay, it changes things a bit. Daisy is also a purebred, so I am not really sure if my sis WANTS to breed her or not. (the offspring between Ruger and Daisy WOULD be adorable, but isn't EVERY puppy adorable?? The only thing is, they grow into dogs, and the novelty wears off. Suddenly they are no longer wanted, and the cycle continues...)
So as you can see, the reason I am asking is to PREVENT a pregnancy. Ruger is obviously up to have his nuts chopped at the earliest convenience. Unfortunately, it won't be until AFTER Daisy visits. And, as I have stated, I don't need a Pregnant Daisy showing up to live with us in Feb/05.

[ChandraRae]

Ruger, good for you for wanting to avoid pregnancy at this time.

The neutering is a good way to prevent that, at least from Ruger. If your sister doesn't intend to breed Daisy then having her spayed is the only way to guarantee NO unwanted pregnancies, since a ***** in heat is a loud whistle to every male anywhere near! Just because Ruger is neutered doesn't mean Daisy is "safe"!!

Something for you and your sister to consider!

[GretaJack]

Absolutely, Chandra. Ruger. Talk to your sister. If you have her pup while she is gone and she goes into heat, even with a fenced in yards, a male can get to her. Over the fence, under the fence and through the fence. She needs to be aware that an unwanted pregnancy could possibly occur. If she wants to leave her dog intact, it is a fact to be aware of. If she does not want to breed her girl, the best bet is to fix her sooner than later.

And I have to say, it is absolutely wonderful that you are willing to help your sister out in such an unselfish way when she is going to be overseas. I hope all goes well for her in Israel and as well for you while you are taking care of her child and puppy.

[lou3]

keep them separated - its the only way. Watch very carefully for signs of heat as small dogs mature quite quickly and she could quite possibly come into heat soon. Have a standby plan where you can kennel Ruger or leave him with a friend if she does come into heat and there is no way you can garuntee to keep them separated. A six month old jack russell is more than capable of siring a litter as a friend of mine has four puppies to prove!
I would suggest talking to your sister and getting her approval to have Daisy speyed at the same time as Ruger is neutered, it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run. If she does want a litter she must wait until Daisy is 18-24 months old before breeding before this puts too much strain on her to be worth the risks.
Lou