Just a wondering.....
 

After having read a LOT on good breeders and not-so-good breeders, I have been wondering something......what AGES are good for breeding? Like, when can a female start being bred, and when should she stop being used? And the same for males?? (I know, I think?, that males can be used MUCH younger than females, but I was really surprised by something I read awhile ago about just how young it said a male can start....just wondering if that's right?? And I'm sure not everyone agrees on the ages, but maybe there's a least a general idea??) I am just a mere layperson, and not a breeder, but as a "buyer of Yorkies" :D I think that's something I should probably know!

~I breed mine at 2 years old, but I do know alot of breeders that start at 18 months. But you really don't want to start any younger than that for the girls. I've just retired one girl at 5 years old, but they can get bred up to 6 years old. The boys are usually sexually mature between 10 -12 months. Hope this helps.

:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork

Yes, that does help! I must have read "5 years old" somewhere before, because for some reason that was the number I had in my head (but good to know that it 6 is still ok). And I swear someone told me that they start breeding boys at like 6 mo or so!! I thought that sounded way too young, but who am I to know that!? I'm assuming that since males can sire litters at a younger age, they can also be bred for longer too? Is there an age that males should STOP siring litters?

The AKC site states this:

Keep in mind that AKC Rules do not allow, except with special documentation, the registration of a litter out of a dam less than 8 months or more than 12 years of age at the time of mating, or by a sire less than 7 months or more than 12 years of age at the time of mating.

So that gives you a general look at the ages AKC accepts, but I know many breeders that don't breed their dam until their 2nd heat cycle or 2 years of age, and they don't breed their males until after they are at least a year old. I know of a paticular breeder that used her male stud till he was 10, then she retired him. Unfortunatly not to long after that he was diagnosed with cancer and died.

I personally don't breed my dam's during their first heat, and I wait till the male is over a year of age. But genenrally I like to wait till they have both reached the age of 2.

My personal preference is to breed a bitch for the first time at 2.5- 3 years old, because then they have had time to finish their breed championship before their first litter. I have one very nice bitch who has never gotten her coat back post-puppies because even her adult daughter still chews on her tail and culottes (these are papillons, not yorkies). If I had decided to breed her before she was finished she would not be a CH without having to be isolated from the other dogs to grow coat, something I am not interested in doing.

Personally I prefer to wait on a male dog until he is 3 or 4 or even older. Many genetic disorders so not surface until the dog is middle aged even. I would rather breed my girls to a 6 or 7 year old dog that is healthy than to a 1 or 2 year old dog that is healthly. The only one of my dogs that I have used to sire litters was 6 yrs at his first litter and 8 yrs at his second and third. He is now 9 and has had a long agility career with no injuries, and is healthy (knock on wood). Toy breeders are fortunate in that their dogs can live long, active lives and I personally would like to keep it that way. I have a 2.5 yr old finished CH male that I intend to use with one of my girls but that will probably be 1.5 to 2 years from now. Dogs can sire litters for a very, very long time so IMHO there is no reason to rush to use them.

Rule of thumb is for a bitch 2nd Season or 18 months. Maturity factors into it. Boys should not be used prior to 7 months of age. But, I don't use my boys prior to 2 years of age.

Wow! The 12 years really surprised me!! Thanks for the info...it makes sense that the AKC has rules about ages of sires and dams. And now that you say that, I must have read on here before that some prefer to wait til sires are 6 or 7 before using them. Makes a LOT of sense, too, to wait until a dog is finished showing.....all really great things for me to keep in mind when I start really looking for my next puppy (later this year hopefully :xfingers:...sooo hard to wait)! Thanks!

I think with females you have to look at each one individually. Dogs, just like human children, mature at different rates. I think most of the time it is safe to breed on second heat if the female is not too small and is close to 18 months but if she is close to the 5 lb range then it is best to wait until the 3rd heat. What worries me the most about waiting until the 3rd heat or longer is the risk of pyometra.

The AKC rules for breeding ages apply just to registration. I think no one would ever condone breeding a female that old even though I have heard of bitches 15 years old having puppies. If you have a dog or bitch that produces puppies that is not within those age requirement you can still get them registered by submitting dna if I am not mistaken.

That is true. If the dogs are over the age requirements of the AKC they demand a DNA test to be done to certify the pups. Its on the site somewhere, I just haven't had the time to refind it.