How many times should a dog become pregnant?

Question

I am interested in breeding Yorkshire Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers. I am reading and trying to learn as much as possible about the two breeds. The sirs and dams will come from champion bloodlines and have pedigrees. I want to produce beautiful, healthy pups that meet their breed standards. I don't want to harm the dams in any way, and was wondering if anyone knows what is a good amount of pregnancies for a dog to have in her lifetime? Also, How often should she become pregnant? Thank you so much for your help.

I am currently searching for my sirs and dams. I am looking for perfect show quality. Once I have found them, I will be joining the parent group for each breed. All of my dogs will be registered with AKC and I also plan to have my dogs compete for show. I understand that starting a breeding program takes time and I still have a lot to learn. Any help and knowledge that you can share will be appreciated.

Answer 1

The breeder of my show dog usually breeds her bitches just once.

Her goal in breeding is to improve her breeding stock. She will keep one or two picks and then spay and place the *****.

Almost everything she breeds is finished first. (I can think of just one who was pointed but not finished)

In over 25 years of breeding she has only had two bitches she bred more then once, and one was because she had a contractual obligation to the breeder she bought her from.

Pick one breed of dog. (Please not the Pits, they are so overbred and over destroyed). Immerse yourseslf in learning.
Find a mentor.

Do not breed to just make puppies. Breed to improve the breed.

Remember you will have a lifelong responsibility to take back any puppy you produce no matter what.

Answer 2

In theory, up to three times. However, in practice I've never bred a female more than twice, and most of them only once. They should skip at least one season between litters and should not be bred before the age of 2 or after they turn 7.

Not enough for the sires and dams to have champion bloodlines and pedigrees, they need to be worthy specimens themselves. So you should be showing them and making sure they get their health clearances.

There's *lots* to learn about breeding dogs properly, so you want to start some serious research before you begin.

You might try joining the Dogmentor group, I suggest you just read for a bit before posting. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/dogmentor/?yguid=262811085

It's also a good idea to join the national club for your breed (like the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America), plus a regional one near you, plus your local all-breed kennel club. These are great sources of information and networking.

Also, just learning the ins and outs of ONE breed is very involved and can take years. Two unrelated breeds is even more complicated. I suggest you chose ONE breed to start with, and once you have gained expertise in that breed then consider a second breed.

Answer 3

In the show world a dog is bred rarely.

In the "Private" world where people with none-breeding-quality dogs breed, a dog shall not be bred at all.

Due to the horrid overpopulation, the horrid QUANITY verses QUALITY breeding should become an ethical priviledge of a view who only do it to BETTER the breed.

JMHO.

Anyway, a breeding ***** should have a first litter in her 2nd year of life. No back to back breedings. Possible 3 litters in an entire life span.

However, how often "Can" a female dog have a litter?

Puppy Mill dogs have their first litter when they are still puppies themselves, around 8 month old (Depending on breed).

They get exploided and have to give birth every 6 month (Natural heat cycle is twice a year, every 6 month - aprox. time frames).

They go and go until they can't do it anymore (And end up with a bullet to the head as a thank you for making thousand of dollars while exploided by humans).

Here are the GOOD parts for your education:
This IS how you will find the best answers and the right way to get involved with the right people AND with the right DOGS!

If you are interested in breeding Yorkies and AmStaffs, first check with the current situation on those two breeds:

Look at the genetic issues, the population %, meaning how many are on the "Market" right now?

AmStaff are not very desired right now because of the Pit Bull scare (And the BSL falls in such category, too).

Yorkshires are flooding the market (Like other breeds as Dachshund, Chihuahuas, Maltese). The health issues are huge on those breeds.

Get in touch with the breeder clubs of each breed.

Go to
http://AKC.org

they list the Clubs (Those are the ones who tell the AKC what the "Standard" is on their breed - the AKC is just a registry!!!).

Get in touch with the Club in your area (In general you find local clubs), visit meetings, visit them at dog shows.

Do NOT just start breeding some dogs you buy from questionable source: NO good breeder gives a private party a puppy and is OK with them being bred. Just does not happen!

You CO-OWN first! You own a dog of HIGH quality and good temperament, a puppy/dog which has parents which were proven to be exactly what the breed is about, which are bred from such parents.

Getting titled/points does not mean you have to have a Champion.

Advertising "Champion lines" means nothing either. Not every litter produces a puppy worth of breeding/showing.
Ration is 1 in 10.

Those 9 will go to pet homes, meaning the breeder will NOT allow any of those pups to be bred, and those have to be spayed/neutered at age 6 month - so now you know if you buy a puppy and you are allowed to breed it, the breeder was only caring for the cash not the well being of the puppy nor it's future.

Again: Receipe for success:

Meet the people of your desired breed.
Become a Club member.
Co-own.
Attent meetings and shows.
Accept mentors.

PS: Before a reputable breeder breeds he/she puts tons of money (Health checks, genetic testings, etc) into a breeding stalk, long hours, years of devotion, etc.

You should also never choose by "What sells best".

Once I retire I am going to show Bernese Mountain Dogs and possible Wirehaired Dachshund.
As a matter of fact, a friend of mine shows for Scoshire, but she shows the Dandie Dinmont Terriers.
I want only stock from Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund Ch. Scoshire Famous Amos, or unless it's bred out of Germany.

Answer 4

A reputable breed I knew in the past only bred 3 litters to a female, maximum. They bred once a year, or every other year, not beyond the age of 6 yrs old and not before the age of 3 yrs. This was for a large breed of dog, tho.

Have you hooked up with a reputable breeder about acquiring a show/breeding potential puppy? Always remember that when they sell "potential" that's exactly what it means. Not a guarantee the dog will wind up being of proper breeding quality. Be sure to work and mentor with a good reputable breeder who will assist you in this. Nothing like learning from someone with years of experience.

If you are getting a pup from a good breeder, these kinds of questions and many more will be answered by that breeder. They are willing to do this in order to ensure their lines that they have worked so very hard to get where they are.

Answer 5

It sounds like you are legitimate, so here is what I think. Having pedigree's and champion bloodlines is not enough. THOUSANDS upon thousands of dogs have pedigree's and champion bloodlines but this does not mean to say that they should be bred. A dog needs more than good pedigree to be considered breeding quality. A reputable breeder shows, works and competes with their dogs, always striving to maintain and ideally improve the quality of the breed. Dogs that are fully health tested, titled (in show/working/etc.) and have an outstanding temperament that is a testament of the breed are breeding quality. Pet dogs are not. There are enough pet dogs -- many of whom are pedigree -- that get PTS needlessly in shelters because their are simply not enough homes for them.

If you are interested in breeding the RIGHT way, you will need to get in touch with reputable breeders of whichever breed you are interested in. You will need experienced professionals to mentor you. If if you did somehow convince a breeder into giving you a show/working quality puppy it is almost 100% likely that the breeder would co-own the dog with you, having a say in EVERY part of the showing/working/breeding process.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Can a human male become pregnant? No. Males and females have the same parts throughout the animal kingdom. This means that only females can bear the children in every species. Males do not have the correct anatomy for this(you may want to think about going back to 6th grade health but pay attention this time). You may also want to make sure that your "male" dog is really a male. If he is then he is not pregnant.

Answer 7

To be honest, your questions fall among the most highly debated questions that all dog breeders have. Some breeders will breed their females only 2 or 3 times and give her a year or more to rest between litters. Other breeders say that waiting too long between litters can increase the chances of complications, and therefore a female should be bred back to back for several litters. My guess is that the best answer really lies somewhere in the middle and that it is different for each and every dog.

What you should really do is have your dog checked by a vet before you breed her the fist time, just to be certain she is okay for breeding. After that, have her checked again as soon as each litter of puppies is weaned. If the vet says she's okay, then it's okay to breed her again. When the vet says she's had enough, have her spayed--both so she can't be bred again (for her safety) and to decrease the chance of uterine cancer.

I do know that small breeds cannot handle as many litters as larger breeds, so consult with your vet about that as well.

Answer 8

This is the wrong site to ask this question your going to get tore to shreds. It depends on the breed a Am staff is a very strong breed and can take more wear. you should wait until the 3rd heat and skip at least a heat every breeding so no more than 1 litter a year starting at about age 2 and no later than about age 6 which leave it at about 5 litters. Some people will skip a heat every two litters and produce as many as 7 litters but the female needs to be in top condition. AKC rules require that the dog and ***** be no younger than 18 months and no older than 8 yrs if I remember correctly.

Answer 9

You have years of learning before you can even begin to think about breeding. You need to join a local breed club for those breeds and be mentored. You need to become an expert at knowing the breed standard. This requires showing and attending dozens of shows. It also requires a good amount of money for travel and accommodations not to mention the expenses of maintaining a show dog. Anything less and you are going to be a despised backyard breeder.

Answer 10

Dogs should not be bred until after 2 yrs of age and all their health checks are done. If both parents are not certified by OFA(one org.) for heridiatary defects the puppy owners can sue under the Puppy Lemon Law and get enough $$ to correct the problem plus vet bills and sometimes replacement cost. A BYB of GSD was sued and lost her home as she bred pups with bad hips and worse temperaments so several pups needed hip replacements costing $3,000-$5,000. A top breeder only breeds titled, OFA'd dogs and breeds a female 2-3 times as if she does not produce several top winners in 2 or 3 litters she is not of breeding quality. A dog should not be bred more than once a year. It cost several thousand dollars to produce a quality litter and one hardly ever makes that in puppy sales. Only top breeders get top bucks for their pups. A BYB is lucky to get a couple of hundred and usally her pups end up in shelters or rescues. A responsible breeder takes back her dogs when they no longer have homes all thru the dogs lives. Ch. bloodlines do not mean much if the parents and their parents are not CH. A pedigree is just a list of ancestors, a family tree, even a mutt has a pedigree. There are more than enough responsibe reputable breeders producing pups that end up in shelters despite their safeguards, why would you want to contribute to the pet overpopulation? We have had CH. dogs that went to Westminster come into our rescue after their owner dumped them in a shelter and their breeder did not want them back. We have gotten titled OFAd top Goldens from a very well known kennel and a pup from the top Irish Setter kennel in our shelter plus several more. I own a Dobe whose Dad is a Am and Intl Ch and both parents had all the OFA cert. and Von W. tests etc. His owner didn't want him b4 he was a year old and his temperment is fabulous, he has no bad habits, gets along with my Lab, and 5 minpins, loves the dog park and was top dog in his obed. class. Top quality dogs that cost the owner over a $1,000 as pups lose their homes so what do you think will happen to your hobby breeder dogs? If you really want to breed get one dog from a reputable breeder, title the dog in conformation and obed. and then do all the genetic tests. And take a look at the dogs in rescues, see how many there are, do you really want one of your "kids" in rescue or dead under the wheels of a car? I titled 2 MinPins in obed. and won points in the breed ring and ended up neutering them both over 15 yrs ago as I found out how many dogs were w/o homes and never wanted one of them to be mine. Now there are many many more dying for lack of homes but none are mine.