Whats youngest age to begin breeding my 8month old male Shepherd-HE IS READY!?

Question

My 8 month old German Shepherd has been ready to begin breeding...what is the youngest acceptable age to begin breeding him? (The AKC requires males to be 10 monthes old and female must be 12 monthes old in order to allow their puppies to be registered)

Answer 1

After he's been proved breeding quality by earning points toward champion, after his hips have been cleared, which they won't do until 2 years of age, his eyes need to be cleared, and he needs to be tested for anything other genetic defects known GSD's.

Papers and penis or uterus don't mean a dog should be bred.

Answer 2

The AKC requires those ages because those are the average ages most breeds are sexually mature enough to produce puppies, however it is not the age that they are physically or mentally mature enough to be used in a breeding program. These ages are too young for genetic issues to have become apparent, too young for health testing as well as too young to properly care for a litter.

A dog should never be bred under the age of 2 regardless of breed but this is particularly true of large/giant breeds such as GSD, Labs, Goldens, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, etc. These breeds are prone to hip & elbow dysplasia and some of these breeds are also prone to thyroid and heart issues. Genetic testing (OFA/PennHip, CERF/PRA, etc) testing can't be done and certified under the age of two. Also you need to see how the dog is going to mature out and meet breed standard and how temperament is going ot turn out. Many temeprament issues come to light as a dog reaches maturity.
So to answer your question the youngest acceptable age is 2 years.

Answer 3

At the moment he is in the situation of the country song - went to Harvard, majored in pre-med, only satyed for one semester --- YOUR OUT. If you wan the attention of the girls (or more accuratly there owners) he needs the degrees - The health certifications (DEFANATLY hips) and some titles - a show champianship preferred but hering, obedience, or agility tiels may subistitute for some of the girls. Reason: the kind of owners who everyone want to take thetr pups will run the other way from pups whos father hasnt a hip check and will want pups from titled parents... so breed to your infant & have 10 pups with no homes at 4 months or breed to that westmister winner & have a mile long line of people wanting the pups at 8 weeks -- hard choice for the girls owners hugh?

Answer 4

The absolute earliest to contemplate breeding your dog is 2 years old. But unless he has proven himself an excellent specimen of his breed by having competed against and beaten other German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) he has no business being bred. So train him, show him, have other owners of GSDs fall all over themselves salivating about what an incredibly smart, even tempered, healthy dog he is. After he's won a breed championship, and a working title in a sport. After his hips have been tested and cleared as excellent. After all the other medical tests have established he isn't a carrier of the genetic diseases that plague this breed of dog.

Maybe then, you can think about it.

Myself, I don't like to deal with the personality changes that happen after a male breeds. He will be so much less interested in being your friend and be looking for females to mate with.

Answer 5

After the dog has had a OFA rating not done until the dog it two years old. After the dog has passed a CERF test done each year. After the dog has earn at the least his CH tilte with AKC or some type of title for working breeds of dogs. Something to show that this dog is of high enough quailty to be breeding.

Answer 6

Sweetie, just because he thinks he's ready doesn't make it so. Were you ready to be a daddy the first time you had the urge to mate?

The very earliest you want to breed any dog is the magic age of 2. Because before that, you can't get their hips checked and submitted to OFA, the organization that keeps track of those kind of things. To breed a dog before having his hips checked and all the other pre-breeding health checks done, is irresponsible and wrong.

Answer 7

a male German shepherd shouldn't be bred until he is 2 years old, as that is when you can have him checked by the vet to know if his hips are OK..there is no way to tell before that, and GSD hips are a MAJOR problem..
Humans feel 'ready' at about 12-13 years old.. It sure doesnt mean they should begin breeding at that age!

Answer 8

Well he can't even have his hips checked until he is 2.

Are you aware that IF he is used for breeding, you are likely to have an increase in unwanted male behaviors like marking and humping? Many stud dogs think every ***** is theirs and that is ALL they think about, and can get aggressive and difficult to handle. If he is your pet, he will remain a much nicer pet if he is never used.

Answer 9

2 yrs of age minimum! GSD's have a history of hip problems. They have to be 24 months old in order to have their hips OFA'd. There is an array of health testing you should have done before considering breeding him, and you should demand the same from the female you intend to breed to.

If you are refering to "HE IS READY", because he is mounting other dogs, it could very well be he is just trying to dominate the other dogs he is around.

Answer 10

Well don't you think that the AKC knows what they are talking about? Not only do the dogs have to be physically ready but they also have to be old enough to take care of their young too. Besides, if you breed them too young that could stunt their growth.