To Breed Or Not To Breed

[ANGELA GORE]

Hello, I have a 3 1/2 year old female Yorkie weighing approx 7 lbs (she is a little on the plump side at the moment). I would love to have one of her offspring but have heard some awful stores. I have a male Yorkie able and willing who is smaller than she is but I am very nervous. I couldn't bear to lose her. Any suggestions please?

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by ANGELA GORE

I couldn't bear to lose her.

Hi and welcome! For me, that would be my answer right there. If you spend some time reading in this Breeders Section and see what they go through as Breeders - the time, commitment, dedication, years of education and mentoring, the heartaches, the loss, the risk - you may find all the answers you need for your decision. I'm not a breeder, but I do know that if you breed her - you DO risk losing her. That's a risk you take with every litter.

[Nancy1999]

Hi, welcome to Yorkietalk, your little girl is so cute, I can see why you want another one just like her. I agree with Wylie's Mom the more you research this, the more you learn that breeding Yorkies is much more difficult than breeding the larger breeds. I personally wouldn't want to take the chance. Here's an excellent article on some of the pro and cons of breeding. Breeding Your Dog and Dog Owner's Guide: Ten reasons to breed your dog. There's just so much to learn in order to really do it right.

[katelin]

Breeding takes time, money and knowledge. The easiest way is to find a mentor who will work with you, help you decide if your female and male are good specimens of the breed and healthy, etc. Then, your mentor can also help you through the process itself.

There is risk in breeding whether you have done it once or a hundred times. But if you are willing to do the hard work first, it can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience. I wish you luck in making your decision.

[Jeri Cunningham]

Make sure they are both tested for LS and have the vet give her a complete exam. The vet can tell you if she is a good breeding dog. Do all the research and if you decide to breed you need to do it before she is 5 yrs old.

[ANGELA GORE]

Thanks everyone. I have a very good vet who has a lot of experience with Yorkies but Chile is a long way behind the US and England with tests etc etc.
I am very undecided but have a few months to think some more about it.

[SET Yorkies]

I've posted this before, but I would like for you to read it as well. Let me tell you the story of our humble beginning as something to consider. I had an excellent mentor….. She was passing the torch of 25 years of knowledge and experience to me (how lucky was I?)…. My second litter was due being whelped by my most beautiful dog (not to mention that I was also attached to her as much as I was my children)…. Talk about a textbook pregnancy…. 42nd day ultrasound showed 6 very well proportioned, small puppies…. Delivery started…..no distress….easy labor on the first puppy… then nothing….and nothing… I was prepared…. I had read all of the books…. Not to fear, middle of the day, no emergency call…. We headed to the vet just to be sure (12 miles)….she died in my hands as I walked through the office door…. I called my mentor in horror and unbelievable grief….she said, “you’ll know in a few weeks if this is for you.” …. She said that because I had 6 very tiny puppies (5 saved through c/s) that needed to be nursed every two hours for weeks….I buried my Gizmo where our new kennel stands today and got started with her babies…..I would hardly close my eyes b/f it was time to feed again….two weeks into it, one just didn’t thrive….now I was at wit’s end….three days later one aspirated on the feeding tube….I was done, called my mentor and told her to come get them all… she said, “no, this was your choice”…. 20 or so weeks later of round the clock care, One by one, these tiny replicas of their mom, of whom I had become a surrogate mother, were picked up by new owners, placed under various Christmas trees….and absolutely delighted special families….One to 4 kids, one to a wife of 35 years, one to an only child, and one to new bride. To this day, I still grieve for my Gizmo, to this day I still check up on every puppy I sell… I’ve shoveled truck loads of poop, dried gallons of pee, built kennels, torn down kennels, delivered puppies at 2:00 am on every holiday celebrated by man (even my kids birthday parties which I had to miss)….Breeding is a complete sacrifice of everything else when the moment counts b/c your female is counting on you for everything….If you bring puppies into this world they are your responsibility and yours alone. My mentor made that quite clear to me. If you do not have the ability to deal with the difficulties with the same passion as you delight in the rewards, keep you little girls as a pets….. If you do have the ability, this could be the blooming of a wonderful new career…one that I love more with every pooper scooper full….

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by SET Yorkies

I've posted this before, but I would like for you to read it as well. Let me tell you the story of our humble beginning as something to consider. I had an excellent mentor….. She was passing the torch of 25 years of knowledge and experience to me (how lucky was I?)…. My second litter was due being whelped by my most beautiful dog (not to mention that I was also attached to her as much as I was my children)…. Talk about a textbook pregnancy…. 42nd day ultrasound showed 6 very well proportioned, small puppies…. Delivery started…..no distress….easy labor on the first puppy… then nothing….and nothing… I was prepared…. I had read all of the books…. Not to fear, middle of the day, no emergency call…. We headed to the vet just to be sure (12 miles)….she died in my hands as I walked through the office door…. I called my mentor in horror and unbelievable grief….she said, “you’ll know in a few weeks if this is for you.” …. She said that because I had 6 very tiny puppies (5 saved through c/s) that needed to be nursed every two hours for weeks….I buried my Gizmo where our new kennel stands today and got started with her babies…..I would hardly close my eyes b/f it was time to feed again….two weeks into it, one just didn’t thrive….now I was at wit’s end….three days later one aspirated on the feeding tube….I was done, called my mentor and told her to come get them all… she said, “no, this was your choice”…. 20 or so weeks later of round the clock care, One by one, these tiny replicas of their mom, of whom I had become a surrogate mother, were picked up by new owners, placed under various Christmas trees….and absolutely delighted special families….One to 4 kids, one to a wife of 35 years, one to an only child, and one to new bride. To this day, I still grieve for my Gizmo, to this day I still check up on every puppy I sell… I’ve shoveled truck loads of poop, dried gallons of pee, built kennels, torn down kennels, delivered puppies at 2:00 am on every holiday celebrated by man (even my kids birthday parties which I had to miss)….Breeding is a complete sacrifice of everything else when the moment counts b/c your female is counting on you for everything….If you bring puppies into this world they are your responsibility and yours alone. My mentor made that quite clear to me. If you do not have the ability to deal with the difficulties with the same passion as you delight in the rewards, keep you little girls as a pets….. If you do have the ability, this could be the blooming of a wonderful new career…one that I love more with every pooper scooper full….

That is a very touching story. You certainly started out under fire. Thank you for sharing.

[BamaFan121s]

It goes without saying that if you are going to breed and do it in a manner that is safe and in the best interest of your girl, then you need to really study up on ALL of the many details invovled--breed standard and how your female (and the male) match up to both the standard and how they will compliment each other, genetic and health testing, the actual breeding of the two, the actual whelp, raising and socializing a litter, etc etc. The list goes on and on. IMO, the most important tool in preparing yourself to become a breeder is finding an experienced, reputable mentor to work with who will guide you along the way and help you gain valuable on hands experience.

This type of preparation is crucial and is what will help ensure you that you are as prepared as possible to handle any speedbumps along the way, which could ultimately mean life or death for your girl and any resulting pups.

This type of preparation is something that you need to learn before you ever put the male and female together. And it does not come overnight and is not something you can 'pick up on' or 'learn' as you go along--it takes months, even years. My concern with your girl would be that by the time you can properly prepare, she may be too old to whelp her first litter safely. (Maybe, maybe not.)

My suggestion would be to find a mentor to work with, get some experience while under a watchful, trained eye and see then if you think breeding is for you and something that would interest you. If you decide it is, then at that point consider aquiring a female to breed. I think it is certainly safe to say that no harm ever came from being properly prepared rather than giving it a go and finding yourself in over your head.

Good luck in your future endevours!

[melmel84]

Breeding is definately something that you should really think about. Doing it just for their offspring may not be the best option, however maybe it is depending on the situation. It is definately good that you are putting some real thought into it. I never thought when I started breeding my male that I would really have anything to give up...BOY was I WRONG!
My carpet
vacations
various things destroyed
going to the dog park
etc

However the benefits for me are looking at those little faces after a successful breed and thinking that "I did that". It is amazing, tis why I continue to sacrafice the other stuff. So once you look at both sides you'll know what to do. Happy choosing, keep us posted.

Cheers,

[Sookie]

I don't know if I would take a chance or not feeling as you do.

Good luck in your decision.

[ANGELA GORE]

Oh Gosh how absolutely awful. I would like another one like her but couldn't bear to lose her. I could put up with the caring for orphan puppies but I would rather have her. I have no such thing as a mentor (Chile!)................so it would be just me and my vet (who goes away at weekends....?????????????). I think I will buy another from the same breeder she came from but maybe next year.
Thank you and congratulations on your wonderful efforts.

[TeddyandTiffy]

Originally Posted by SET Yorkies

I've posted this before, but I would like for you to read it as well. Let me tell you the story of our humble beginning as something to consider. I had an excellent mentor….. She was passing the torch of 25 years of knowledge and experience to me (how lucky was I?)…. My second litter was due being whelped by my most beautiful dog (not to mention that I was also attached to her as much as I was my children)…. Talk about a textbook pregnancy…. 42nd day ultrasound showed 6 very well proportioned, small puppies…. Delivery started…..no distress….easy labor on the first puppy… then nothing….and nothing… I was prepared…. I had read all of the books…. Not to fear, middle of the day, no emergency call…. We headed to the vet just to be sure (12 miles)….she died in my hands as I walked through the office door…. I called my mentor in horror and unbelievable grief….she said, “you’ll know in a few weeks if this is for you.” …. She said that because I had 6 very tiny puppies (5 saved through c/s) that needed to be nursed every two hours for weeks….I buried my Gizmo where our new kennel stands today and got started with her babies…..I would hardly close my eyes b/f it was time to feed again….two weeks into it, one just didn’t thrive….now I was at wit’s end….three days later one aspirated on the feeding tube….I was done, called my mentor and told her to come get them all… she said, “no, this was your choice”…. 20 or so weeks later of round the clock care, One by one, these tiny replicas of their mom, of whom I had become a surrogate mother, were picked up by new owners, placed under various Christmas trees….and absolutely delighted special families….One to 4 kids, one to a wife of 35 years, one to an only child, and one to new bride. To this day, I still grieve for my Gizmo, to this day I still check up on every puppy I sell… I’ve shoveled truck loads of poop, dried gallons of pee, built kennels, torn down kennels, delivered puppies at 2:00 am on every holiday celebrated by man (even my kids birthday parties which I had to miss)….Breeding is a complete sacrifice of everything else when the moment counts b/c your female is counting on you for everything….If you bring puppies into this world they are your responsibility and yours alone. My mentor made that quite clear to me. If you do not have the ability to deal with the difficulties with the same passion as you delight in the rewards, keep you little girls as a pets….. If you do have the ability, this could be the blooming of a wonderful new career…one that I love more with every pooper scooper full….

Everytime I read what has happened to you, I cry as every single word of it is so true as a Breeder... We must be there for a little ladies and babies, no one else will do what we do...I look up to Breeders who put their Yorkies before their selves...This is how it should be...Keep sharing your story it does make a difference! Hugs, Lee

[TeddyandTiffy]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Hi and welcome! For me, that would be my answer right there. If you spend some time reading in this Breeders Section and see what they go through as Breeders - the time, commitment, dedication, years of education and mentoring, the heartaches, the loss, the risk - you may find all the answers you need for your decision. I'm not a breeder, but I do know that if you breed her - you DO risk losing her. That's a risk you take with every litter.

[Duncanmom]

No one has mentioned the age of the female, but starting one out in a breeding program at 3 and 1/2 and she'll be 4 by the time the pups come, is also more risky than breeding a younger bitch.

JMO