How old does a female Jack Russell need to be before you breed her?

Question

I have a Jack Russell Terrior and I'm guessing shes about 10-11 months old (I lost track) She'll be 1 years old in June she has already had her period and I was wondering how old she needs to be in order to start breeding her shes very beautiful and I would love to breed her.
Please can anyone tell me? any and all answers plus additional information on this is welcome thanks!

So do I wait until she is 3 years old then? or her 3rd period? if I do wait 18 months is that the best time to alow her to get pregnant? Is 18 months for her when she turns 1 years old?

I love my dog very much and wish the best for her thats why I had to ask to see if there are any best responses i can get.

I don't really know that much about her I got her from an abusive home and now she is doing way much better and is now acting like a real pup and is no longer afraid of me or anyone else in the house we had to priey her out of the kennel we got her in she had kennel cough and other things wrong with her we got all the papers the previouse owners had and it showed she came from a pet shop we found the petshop and asked all kinds of questions about her. the only reason why I lost track on her age was because the petshop was not sure on how old she exactly was all they could give me was a birth date on her papers her breeder has no phone number only an address and I really want to know more about her I just don't want the breeder getting mad at me for asking to many questions. Yes I would love for her to be a show dog thats why I refuse to get her fixed!

Answer 1

No female should be bred until she is 2 years old..My large breed isn't mature until 3 years, but small breeds are normally mature enough by 2.
The reasons being:

Before 2 years, she is still building bone mass, and needs all of her calcium and nutrients to build her own body..Dogs bred before 2 have a much higher incidence of early arthritis and bone disease.

Most Genetic defects don't show up until 2 years of age, so you aren't certain you are producing genetically sound puppies.

Moms younger than 2 are very normally not as good at mothering as those that are mature..Yes, they will usually feed and care for their pups ok, but not train or discipline them..That makes a huge difference in the socialization and trainability of the puppies for the new owner.

Answer 2

2 years

Answer 3

One year is the absolute minimum and is not healthy for the dog. Two years old would be much better.

More importantly, here are some great sites regarding the pros and cons of breeding. The first two are especially good. Read carefully and please make the responsible choice.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Pros-and-Cons-to-Breeding-Your-Dog&id=337945
http://www.dogstuff.info/to_breed_or_not.html
http://www.dogplay.com/Breeding/breeding.html
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/breeding.htm

Here is one detailing the health risks of leaving your dog intact. Very scary stuff: http://www.cal.net/~pamgreen/health_intact.html


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EDIT: I was going to stay relatively quiet about this, but reading your last addition made me think twice about that. It would appear there are many things you are not aware of when it comes to breeding.

First, if she came from a pet shop, then she came from a puppy mill. The “breeder” has no phone number because there is no breeder. NO BREEDER WOULD SELL THEIR PUPPIES TO A PET SHOP! EVER! A puppy mill is a large facility where puppies are churned out like products in filthy conditions from unhealthy mothers so the mill can make a buck. The pet shop will lie to you and say it is a real breeder. They instruct their employees to do this.

If she is from a puppy mill, then she was bred with no thought to the breed standard or genetic health. This means two things: 1. She will never qualify to be a show dog. 2. She should never have puppies. Why? Dogs are not just accidentally born perfect. A dog that fits the breed standard (which is extremely detailed and specific), and by that I mean a dog that could be in a show, is a dog that is carefully bred by a breeder with years of experience. Your dog does not fit the breed standard. How do I know this? Only a very tiny percentage of "regular pets” do. The chances that yours does, and could be shown, are very low. Now, why shouldn’t she have puppies? Because the mother was most likely an unhealthy dog that they churned puppies out of like a machine. The father was a dog they kept in most likely equally unhealthy conditions and was used to make puppies only. They could both be carrying serious genetic problems that you will not know about until they show up in your dog. These problems will then be passed to your dog’s puppies.

I was very shocked to see that you refused to have her spayed because you wanted her to be a show dog, because you seemed to love her very much. If you do not spay her, and soon, her chances of getting several cancers is high. If you do spay her, these chances are almost completely eliminated. I also have a female dog, and I can’t even imagine making her go through heat twice a year and possibly letting her get cancer just because of my own selfish desire to have a “show dog, ” or puppies. I can't even wrap my mind around that, because that would be for me, not for her, and I do not do selfish things when it comes to my pets. You have already stated that you want the best for her; I won’t mince words: the best for her is a spay, and your loving companionship for the rest of her days, free of the pain and complications of pregnancy and birth, and a painful death from cancer.

One last thing to share. My Uncle's Sheltie developed ovarian cancer, and had tumors the size of golf balls because he decided he wanted one litter of puppies. If he had spayed her, this cancer would not have been able to develop. He had to watch her die young, with the knowledge that he could have prevented it. Could your heart stand that?

Answer 4

If you really want to breed, I suggest you choose a very reputable breeder of JRTs in your area and work and learn under their mentorship for the next couple of years, and absorb all the information you need to know about breeding JRTs.

The dog's age at this point has nothing to do with how long you should wait to breed. You should wait to breed until you know what you're doing. Being "beautiful" isn't at the top of the list for a dog's breed-worthiness.

Is she health-tested for common genetic defects found in JRTs? Do you even know what those common genetic defects are?

Is she AKC registered?

Were her parents show champions or otherwise recognized as exemplary standards of their breed?

Is she herself show-worthy? And by that, I don't mean is she pretty, I mean does she conform to the breed standard in terms of weight, stature, face shape, temperment, gait, placement and size of ears, tail, shoulders, etc?

Do you know your state's legal issues and mandates for genetically defective pups? Are you prepared (or do you have a lawyer) for the task of creating an iron-clad contract to go to anyone who adopts one of your puppies?

I am a little concerned that you've "lost track" of her age. My guess is that this is probably not a good basis for beginning a breeding program.

So, please wait. And that has nothing to do with your dog's age ... who, by the way, is still too young to breed.

Answer 5

Her third cycle or 2 yo which ever comes first, but it seems to me you don't know much about breeding and you don't know much about your dog. You shouldn't breed just to have puppies you should breed to try and better the breed and bring out the best qualities that you can for that breed. I suggest you get her spayed. Pregnancy is hard on a dogs body and alot of things could go wrong. Can you afford to pay for a c-section if she needs it? What if she aborts or reabsorbs the puppies? Are you going to have her spayed then? What if she gives birth and they all die? You should deffinately do some research on this and think about getting her spayed. It is healthier for her..

Answer 6

You can breed her starting on her second heat. Look into breeding dogs and please learn everything you will need to know before you do it, a lot of people don't realize the time and cost that goes into this (shots,stud fee,vet visits,worming,and registering the litter if she is papered)etc. Think about all the dogs that end up in animal shelters. Just be responsible. Good Luck

Answer 7

She should be breed at her 3rd cycle or 2 years what ever comes first. This will allow her to develop and mature completely before her body has puppies.
If you do it whilst she is young it is like an 11year old having a baby and you will be at further risk of her having birth difficulties

Answer 8

Don't breed her at all, please! There are too many millions of unwanted dogs in the world. Ask your local shelter how many homeless puppies they see! If you're just after the money, please find yourself a worthwhile job. Do the right thing by all dogs everywhere and have your beautiful dog spayed. Pregnancy could in any case harm or even kill her!!

P.S. Bit ches don't have periods, it is called being "on heat" or "in season" and it is the exact opposite of a human period, if you think about it. Women can't conceive when they have a period, bit ches do and will when they're on heat.

Answer 9

I would wait until the third time she has come into season if you really must breed her at all. I dont recommend it....Jack Russells are a common breed, and people dont value them,you cant be sure her puppies will all find good life long homes.

Answer 10

I am not trying to be harsh or mean, I just want to point out the implications of breeding.

Registered breeders, as far as i'm aware are not allowed to be sold through pet shops, she's not show quality so you can't show her or her pups. Papers can be falsified.

You can't be sure of her genetic background so it wouldn't be wise to breed from her. It would be better to just have her as your much loved and adored pet.

She could have any number of genetic problems, she may appear healthy but she can still be carrying faulty genes which when she passes one on to the pups and the father also passes it on, the two copies cause tragic problems that could be prevented by not breeding.

There's no way to be sure of her lineage and therefore you can't guarantee the mate you choose isn't closely related. Immunity suffers when animals are inbred and the offspring have a reduced capacity to fight off illness.

If you do wish to breed, don't breed her, do your research and find out about the breed, it's genetic problems, etc etc, join the AKC (the most reputable club) and get another good quality dog with proper paperwork to show and breed from and have a current ethical breeder be your mentor.

Here is a list of genetic disorders applicable to Jack Russel Terriers, responsible breeders will breed with the objective of eradicating these problems, these are just the common ones:
Cardiomyopathy; Cerebellar ataxia; Cryptochidism; Hernias;High toes; Hydrocephaly; Legg-Calve-Perthes disease; Lens luxation; Patent Ductus Arteriosus;Progressive neuronal abiotrophy; Von Willebrand's disease.

If you sell pups you breed and they develop one of these conditions, you could find yourself in expensive litigation.

Should I Breed My Dog?

Yes, if:

Your dog is healthy and certified (OFA, CERF) to be free of genetic disease and came from parents and grandparents who were certified.

Your dog fits the standard (a word picture describing the perfect Bichon) well enough to be awarded points at a dog show under respected judges

Your dog has a stable temperament, meaning not shy as well as not aggressive

Your dog has at least four titled dogs (conformation. obedience, tracking, agility, etc.) in the last three generations

You have a minimum of a five-generation pedigree on your dog and are aware of any health problems in those five generations

You are prepared to meet the costs of veterinary care for the mother prior to and after birth and to care for the puppies, including veterinary care, for at least 10 weeks (or longer if you cannot find suitable homes for them). This includes preliminary house training and the first two sets of shots, early grooming and coat care and early teething

No, if:

You do not have room for pups and mother to be in a quiet indoor place during and after birth

You do not have finances to prepare for emergency care that may arise prior to or during birth or with the puppies in the critical weeks after they are born. A c-section can cost around $1000, in an emergency, you can triple that.

You have no information on the health of previous generations. This applies to the father of the puppies as well as the mother

Especially not if you are doing this to teach children about birth. Birth is bloody, messy and may include dead or dying puppies if you do not know how to assist the mother in whelping her puppies and you must be present during whelping!

You should be aware that most breeders who provide the proper care find they often lose money instead of making money. If they are lucky, they may break even. If they are unlucky, they may not only lose money but may also lose a beloved pet when they find too late that she was not a good breeding prospect

Breeding should be done to improve the breed and this can only be done by being completely knowledgeable about the breed and about your particular pet. Be sure that your motives are the right ones. Did you know that neutered animals live longer and are more likely to be free of cancer and other life-threatening diseases?

Yes, dogs have been giving birth unassisted for centuries but in the wild they choose their partner, not us.

Above all, are you prepared to risk the health and life of your dog to have a litter? Dogs can and do die in birth and unless you have an arrangement with your vet to get an account, then if you don't have the funds in an emergency, they won't treat the dog. The only other option would be to surrender it to a shelter for treatment or euthanasia.