How old Does my dog need to be to start breeding?

Question

I have a Maltese/Poodle Male and was wondering how old he needs to be to start breeding.

I originally was going to get him neutered, but he has the best personality you could ask for. We are not looking to make money off of him, we have family members who want a puppy sired from him. Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

Males can get sexually mature at a younger age than females. He can breed as young as 6 months! Are you using him for a designer breed? If so, I would still get genetic testing done on him before breeding. Those would be the necessary tests done on a male maltese and a male poodle before they are used for breeding. In my honest opinion, a Malti-Poo is still a mixed breed mutt. There is a reason that the breed clubs have set up breed standards for pure bred dogs. When someone intentially crosses two breeds together there is no way to get a uniform litter of pups.

Answer 2

Are you exactly like your parents? I'd bet not.

The chance of any pups being exactly (or even substantively) like your dog of mixed parentage are slim to none. Any personality you see in him is a one part genetics (which are not breed standard since he is a mongrel) and a BIG part based on the environment he was raised in. So breeding your mutt with its "excellent temperment" means very little for the puppies unless you know the mother they will be bred to has the "perfect erpsonality and unless you personally are going to raise the pups. Not likely.

And you will be yet another backyard breeder having to unload puppies into a community that kills far too many mixed breeds already.

You were right to want to neuter your dog. You should ask your friends and relatives to go to the shelter and find a nice 6 month old pup whose personality has already developed. They'll be far more apt to find a dog that meets their families needs.

Answer 3

Do NOT breed a mix!!! There is a whole lot more to breeding and doing it responsibly then simply putting 2 dogs together and producing pups. There are health tests (not just a saimple vet exam), pedigree researches, etc that need to be done. To delibrately breed your mix would be very irresponsible!!
Neutering would be much healthier for him.It wil leliminate the risk of testicualr cancer and dramaticly reduce the risk of prostrate cancer & infection and anal fistulas.It will also eliminate hormone driven behaviors.

Answer 4

in easy terms breed him while: a million. he's AKC registered. 2. he's a minimum of two yrs previous and been examined for all genetic problems interior the breed. 3. He has been shown to championship titles. 4. you have written permission from the breeder to reproduce him. in any different case call your vet day after today and characteristic him neutered.

Answer 5

Your dog needs to be neutered.
There are plenty of mixed breed dogs in the shelters and rescue looking for homes please don't breed anymore.
Unless your dog is a finished champion and you have done the proper genetic testing and had his hips rated by OFA to check for displaysia do not breed him. Since he is a "designer breed" I know he has not and will never be able to be a finished champion. They have to be at least two years old to have hips rated by OFA.

Answer 6

about a year

Answer 7

Males normally can start to breed at about 9 months old but it has been my experience that waiting until he is a year old is best. At a year old he has learned basic commands such as come sit stay ect

Answer 8

If you have a mixed breed dog you shouldn't be breeding him in the first place.

There is a LOT to breeding. People who take "Joey and Suzy" out and breed them just because they're AKC registered and are cute together are NOT thinking of the breed. There are certifications to be had, homework on the stud or female to be bred TO, supplies to be bought, vet visits throughout the pregnancy, proper care for mom during the pregnancy and all sorts of costs involved. BIG financial obligations.

The only people I personally know of that DO make some money at breeding is backyard breeders and puppymills. They don't do the certifications on the dogs, they don't make the Dogs prove themselves, they set up some half butt set up for the pups which can endanger them AND mama. They don't put guarantees on their pups and on and on. They're in it for the money and that's it! Nope, IMO WAY wrong reason to breed. Hope I gave you something to think about!


Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself before you even consider breeding.
1."How long have you been involved with the breed?"

."Do you work or show your dogs? What titles do your dogs have? If they are working dogs, do they have any working trial titles?"

."Do you breed to AKC (or breed club) standards?"

You should also have Genetic Testing done.

Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) will certify patellas in dogs over a year old, get certified X-rays of Hips and patellas showing no signs of

Patellar Luxation

Hip Dysplasia

Legg-Calve Perthes (LCP)

Cardiac problems

Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) is dedicated to the elimination of heritable eye disease in purebred dogs through registration and research. Certified ophthalmic examination using mydriatic, slit lamp biomicroscopy and gonioscopy showing no inherited diseases. All breeding stock should be retested yearly for any signs of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA).

Veterinary Dental Records showing sire and dam to have the correct dentition for the specific breed standard. (Standard for a hairless Chinese Crested dog is a correct scissor bite and forward pointing tusked canine incisors.)

Blood panels taken for thyroid showing levels in normal ranges.

Negative Brucellosis test – this is a contagious disease of dogs which can cause abortions and infertility in females and testicular atrophy and infections of the prostate and epididymis in males. Dogs may appear completely healthy or have only mild symptoms. This disease is caused by Brucella canis, an intracellular, microscopic parasite in the coccobacillus family--there are three commonly used blood tests to diagnose the organism, however, the results can be equivocal at best. Please consult with your veterinarian for testing options in your area and to discuss staging your female's estrus cycle to determine the best days to breed (usually between days 9 and 13). It is recommended to get vaginal swabs for cytology to determine peak estrus and/or blood levels of progesterone.

The BAER (Brain Auditory Evoked Response) test is a safe and painless testing device to determine if a dog has a hearing loss. A BAER test is performed by placing an insert earphone into the ear canal, while recording needle electrodes are inserted in the skin at the base of each ear. Each ear is tested individually. A series of one thousand clicks are transmitted via the earphone to stimulate a response. The needle electrodes, transmitted to the BAER device, where it is recorded, detect the response. The click series starts at 70 decibels and is gradually increased to 105 decibels (if hearing is not detected at the lower levels). By recording the response signals from the needle electrodes, the BAER device can then produce a graphic display of the dog's hearing responses. A flat line depicts no response, therefore, no hearing. A wave line of peaks and valley depicts responses and hearing sense in that ear. A dog that is labeled unilateral has hearing in only one ear. Bilateral normal has hearing in both ears.

If you have to ask this question....you should not be breeding! ! !

Answer 9

Small dogs mature faster then large so 9-14 months and up to 5 years old so produce nicely.

Answer 10

Just be cause you can, doesnt mean they should.
Think of how many puppies are going to be produced from the litter and finding homes for all of them. (It's not as easy as it seems). Instead, try sharing your wonderful dog with others that can benefit from it...i.e. schools, retirement homes, stores. That way, he can pass on his personality thru himself, not just thru babies.