why must they be 5 pounds to breed?
 

I hate to bust in but i'm just curious here...

I keep reading that a female has to be 5 pounds to have a litter...what happens to them when they weigh less? can they die or something? what if they mate with a male puppy that is the same size or less than they are? does that help any?

I know my puppies parents were 4 pounds (mom) and 3 pounds (dad).. so it is possible.. however, she was the only puppy in the litter... is this typical of the smaller ones?

everyone thinks that they should be bred if they are closer to the standards size limit. They don't have to be 5lbs but over it because it's safer to breed with a larger female.

The smaller the dog, the smaller the birth canal and the more risks for complications and c-sections. It's just more dangerous to breed a tiny female. You'll have exceptions to every rule of course but why take the additional risk with a life? Also, why purposely try to produce tiny dogs? Reputable breeders strive to produce dogs in the 4-7lb range. Those that are 2-4lbs aren't necessarily less healthy (although many times they are) but they are at a higher risk of being injured, more prone to hypoglycemia, and it's just harder to treat a tiny dog as opposed to a larger one.

Great post Michelle:thumbup:

Well said!!:thumbup: :thumbup:

There are many breeders that breed Yorkies bitches that are under 5 lbs but many view it as dangerous and risky for the bitch. Yes, many small females can delivery naturally with no problems but many of them require a c-section. Many females die while undergoing a c-section. Another problem with the small females is that their uterus can rupture. I have never bred a female under 5 lbs because to be honest, it would scare me to death. If you have ever helped deliver puppies and you see the momma straining and crying out in pain you would understand what I am talking about and these are 5 to 7 lb females. I can't imagine a 3 lb female having puppies. It is always the first litter that is the scariest because you watch and worry as the momma pushes and strains and you are thinking 'what have I done to this poor baby'. Finally, if you are lucky, they finally are able to push out that first baby. At any moment though something can go wrong, a puppy might get sideways in the birth canal and the momma, no matter how hard she tried she can't deliver the puppy and then you have to rush to the vets. For me, there are just too many risks in breeding small females but you must also realize the same risks exist for the bigger females, but the risks are just not a great.

Your puppies parents might have been 4 lbs and 3 lbs but you also have to consider how big were the grandparents. I know many small parents that had offspring that grew up to be much bigger than they were.

The truth is we're talking about size and not truly weight per say. When you are looking at whether a bitch should be able to free whelp the average size newborn yorkie or not you are looking for a pernium ( the space between the anus and the vulva) that measures about the size of the span of three fingers ( about 2 1/2 inches). The space between the pelvic bones should measure 2 fingers wide or about 2 inches. These minimum requirements usually correspond with the size of the average 5 pound yorkie. Breeding a bitch that is smaller than this not only risks her life because of c-sections and possible complications but increases the chance that her offspring will be too small in the pelvis to free whelp as well continuing the problem.

You know..I've never thought about the uterus rupturing but that is a possibility. It's really amazing to me how much the uterus stretches..it goes from being extremely tiny to huge and then back down to a small size again. If you have an extra tiny uterus, I guess it could stretch too much and rupture. Hmm..I love when I learn something new :)

you are right...it's not really about weight..it's about size. You could take a healthy 3lb dog and overfeed it to make it 5lbs..wouldn't make it any safer to breed (in fact this would be less safe). Many times we use weight when we are talking about our dogs because frame size is harder to explain I guess...but its important to remember its the actual size of the dog that is most important..not necessarily the weight. Weight can be just a number

Well said! :thumbup:

That is so true about size and not weight. For example, Lola came to me overfed and very chubby. She weighed 6.5 lbs, but has a smaller frame than Maddie (who is 5 lbs). Now, I'm slowly working down her weight and she's right under 6 at this point...but still has a long way to go. The vet said she SHOULD weigh between 4.5 and 5 lbs. That is the CUTOFF for breeding for me. It made me a little uncomfortable at first, but she has a wide space between the pelvic bones and a solid structure. Anyways, the point is, it has much more to do with structure than with weight in these smaller breeds.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I agree. Excellent post!

thank you everybody! it all makes more sense to me now. it is more about what shouldnt be done rather than what cant be done. i understand now that it is possible but more dangerous for all involved... so when people say they "have to be 5 pounds," they dont necessarily mean anything under that is incapable of breeding, but rather it is a lot more risky. also, thanks to ladyhawk for the explanation about size rather than weight, that really helped clear things up. i have never read about the measurements/space required for birth. I guess in my mind I just thought that the puppies of 4lbs or less females would be smaller in the womb to compensate for lack of space or something, so when people said they have to be 5lbs it didnt make any sense to me

:interesti