To breed or not to breed....

[Lula-Mae Famous]

My 3 month old little girl still weighs under 2 pounds. She is a tiny little girl.

Since I have had her I get stopped, strangers ask, friends ask, family asks "are you going to breed her!?!?"
I tell them "just becuase she is small it doesnt mean she will have small puppies. I am more concerened with her health than making money off her pups. So, no. No I will not be breeding her."

Recently someone told me that it was good for the dog to have a litter before she is spayed. This person wasn't looking for a puppy, just passing on advise.

What is the healthiest thing for my dog. I dont care if she has puppies or not. I love her and dont want another dog and dont care to sell any, but if breeding her once is good for her (?!?) I guess its something I could look into when she is older. I just want to know what is best for my baby.

Any advise?

[Mardelin]

Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

1. Your female dog or cat will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—is a veterinary procedure performed under general anesthesia that usually requires minimal hospitalization. Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. There are major health benefits for your male animal companion, too.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male dog or cat—the surgical removal of the testicles—prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

3. Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary greatly, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.

4. YouR male dog won't need to roam away from home…
An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get one! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

5. …and he will be much better behaved to boot!
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and human legs when stimulated. And FYI, a neutered dog protects his home and family just as well as unneutered dog--and many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
It's no use to use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

7. Spaying or neutering is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with neighborhood strays…or the cost of cleaning the carpet that your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box, or the cost of…well, you get the idea!

8. It's good for the community.
Stray animals pose real problems in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna and scare children.

9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to witness the miracle of birth.
We've heard this one a lot. But you know what? Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the trust behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner.

10. It packs a powerful punch in the fight against pet overpopulation.
Millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

[Lula-Mae Famous]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pet

1. Your female dog or cat will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—is a veterinary procedure performed under general anesthesia that usually requires minimal hospitalization. Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. There are major health benefits for your male animal companion, too.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male dog or cat—the surgical removal of the testicles—prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

3. Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary greatly, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.

4. YouR male dog won't need to roam away from home…
An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get one! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

5. …and he will be much better behaved to boot!
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and human legs when stimulated. And FYI, a neutered dog protects his home and family just as well as unneutered dog--and many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
It's no use to use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

7. Spaying or neutering is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with neighborhood strays…or the cost of cleaning the carpet that your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box, or the cost of…well, you get the idea!

8. It's good for the community.
Stray animals pose real problems in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna and scare children.

9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to witness the miracle of birth.
We've heard this one a lot. But you know what? Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the trust behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner.

10. It packs a powerful punch in the fight against pet overpopulation.
Millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

Thank you but I do plan on spaying her eventually. I just want to know if doing so before she has a litter is more healthy than letter her have a litter first.

[marcerella02]

She is WAY too small- assuming she survived the whelping- she is at no advantage health wise after having a litter than having her spayed at 6 months.

[topknot]

I would have her spayed and not have a litter. First of all you do not know how big she will get and could be too small to breed. Second you do not even know if she has the qualities to be breed. Then she might not survive whelping.

I do not believe that breeding them first before spaying makes them healthier. I think what Mardelin was trying to tell you is it is healthier to have her spayed, before she has a litter. I agree. I was also a vet tech before and know a little.

Yes, have her spayed and do not listen to others wanting a pup. They have certain reasons why they want you to breed her. They do not have the emotional attachment and love to her - you do! And of course everyone will like her now - she is a pup! Puppies are so cute, especially yorkie puppies!

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Lula-Mae Famous

Thank you but I do plan on spaying her eventually. I just want to know if doing so before she has a litter is more healthy than letter her have a litter first.

The reason I posted those is that the first one answers your question on whether it's healthy to allow to have one litter. If you google around, most every vet article will support the reason.

[Doggy Bear]

I don't know if this is true or a urban legend (like it's better for a female to have one litter in is life) but I have heard that the male should be smaller then the female to prevent troubles when the mother is having her babie, so if your yorkie weight 2 pounds at 3 months so we are talking for a male of 2 pounds....aren't we are looking for troubles?

(excuse my english I'm from Montréal, Québec and my first language is french)

[BamaFan121s]

No, it is not healthier for her to have a litter before being spayed. I think that is an old wives tale, but certainly not the case. And, as mentioned, it sounds like your little one will end up being way to small to safely carry and whelp any litter as it is.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Doggy Bear

I don't know if this is true or a urban legend (like it's better for a female to have one litter in is life) but I have heard that the male should be smaller then the female to prevent troubles when the mother is having her babie, so if your yorkie weight 2 pounds at 3 months so we are talking for a male of 2 pounds....aren't we are looking for troubles?

(excuse my english I'm from Montréal, Québec and my first language is french)

Breeding a smaller male to a larger female is a misnomer. Knowing what is behind each dog (pedigree) is what one should be looking for. Granted one would not breed an undersized or oversized yorkie, be it either female or male.

[Lula-Mae Famous]

Thank you so much!

I would never breed her simply to sell, I have no interest in "making my money back", she was worth every penny!

I just want to do what is best for her. She is my little girl and I would never want to put her in danger. Thank you.

[BamaFan121s]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

Breeding a smaller male to a larger female is a misnomer. Knowing what is behind each dog (pedigree) is what one should be looking for. Granted one would not breed an undersized or oversized yorkie, be it either female or male.

So true. It absolutely baffles me to see time and time again the advice given that "as long as your male is smaller than the female, you're all set" when there is SO MUCH MORE to it than that! The size of the male and female alone mean little to nothing. You have to take into consideration the size of the other dogs in the lines as well. You never know when a small 3 lb male could be a throwback from a line of 6-7 lb dogs!

[smartpuppiepets]

You should be talking to your vet about this. Or should i say a vet that you trust.
I understand you plan to get her spayed sooner or later and that is not the question here.
There is a lot of research that actually suggest that the healthiest thing is to get a female dog spayed before she has her first heat. It diminishes the chances for mammary glands tumors and cancers, also there are other benefits depending on the type of spay performed.
Some vets will just remove the horned shaped uterus, others will perform what is called "ovarian hysterectomy " and they remove the ovaries as well as the uterus. In my opinion this is the best method.
It also prevents Pyometra, a very dangerous infection of the uterus.
There are a lot of healthy benefits from spaying a female dog BEFORE her first heat . Just do a bit of online research you will find some reasons. I will not remember the right "terms" to post here everything, but i am a big advocate of spaying, it has many advantages !

I am sure you will make the best decision for you and your baby and with your research and all you will be sure you did the right thing at the end !

XOXO