| What My Vet Said
I haven't posted much in this thread because I don't want to be drawn into a debate. I firmly believe that a tiny dog (anything under 5 lbs) should not be used for breeding. I have owned 2 tiny female Yorkies and from my experience and observation, they're far too small to breed. But since I am not a breeder and have had no prior "real" experience (other than owning 2 tines), I decided out of sheer curiosity to call my vet and see what he said about it.
My vet said from his years of experience, a dog under 5 lbs is a major risk to breed. He said it depends on the frame on the dog too but if you have a 3 lb female with the frame of a 5 lb dog, it is still unsafe because the female is still ONLY 3 lbs. So if a 3 lb female has a wide pelvis, it is still unsafe to breed her because she is still only a mere 3 lbs. Now on the other hand, he said that if you have a 5 lb female with a narrow pelvis, she should not be bred either because there is a major risk for her too. He said the best size dog for breeding is 5 lbs and up and the dog should have a wide pelvis. He said there is a big difference in the stability of a 3 lb and 5 lb dog.
I have used this vet for years and so has my family. I trust his opinion and value what he says. I don't need further proof to support what I've always believed -- this is enough for me. |