 size
I have not bred a female under 4 pounds in 20 yrs...for the last 10 yrs they must have at least a 5 pound frame.. No one had to tell me not to do it..there was no internet forums 20 yrs ago, no vet had to tell me or another breeder..I saw how difficult it was for the female and decided to get bigger girls.
At that time I was very interested in breeding some good future stock..basically I wound up with more tinies..good for the pocketbook, not good for my goals.
When you turn a tiny girl on her back, you can see there is so little room from her heart to her pelvis.
When you talk about weight, you can not forget frame. Some are well into the acceptable weight range, but it is draped on a very delicate little 3 or 4 pound frame..not for me.
I remember a breeder who told me she had a 3 pound champion-sired Maltese stud (I had a girl then) I drove 2 hrs to VA to see a big, skinny boy. He had long legs and was actually bigger then my 5 pound female...but he did weigh 3 pounds.
There is another aspect of a c-section people forget about..scarring and adhesions later. They can be a big problem for a big Yorkie also...so I want to try and prevent a c-section to star with...Whispersmom and myself know a breeder who lost her female do to a precious section..adhesions blocked the birth canal and her died...so you have to watch for these things. |