I prefer not to breed any of my males until they are over the age of 4 yrs, preferably closer to 6 yrs. I know this seems very very late but many health issues (I am thinking particularly of mitral valve issues) don't show up until the dogs are older. We don't have the luxury of waiting that long to breed a bitch but we can with the dogs. I have not had a problem with natural breedings with dogs on who I have waited until they are older-- the instinct remains lol and the sperm quality is still high at that age. I breed a breed in which we are just learning of some issues with potentially hereditary heart issues so I have taken as conservative an approach as I can. |