At what age can males breed?
 

Hi all. I have a male who is 6 and a half months old. He has been humping everything and was wondering at what age can they actually breed? I know that for females you should wait till they are at least in their second heat - but are there any limitations on males?

I'm not a breeder and can't advise on age, but in seeing your prior posts,
is the boy you are inquiring about the same one you said came to you ill from a puppy mill?
I would hope not if you are looking to breed him.
There is a lot of good information in the breeding section, there is a lot of education and work that goes into breeding.
Having the best representation of the breed and breeding to improve is essential!

I too think you should post this in the breeding section as you will get more answers.
But if Reese1 is right in thinking your pup came from a puppy mill then you really shouldnt be breeding him. Good luck :)

My Bailey is almost 14 months and humps his little fox.. :-/ he does it for maybe a minute, stops, and goes to sleep. Maybe our pups get overly excited?

He's too young to breed though... And breeding a puppy mill pup (or any pup) is too dangerous. :(

They can sire a litter at an early age, that doesn't mean they should be bred at that age. AKC rules are that no litter sired by a dog under the age of 7 months can be registered. However, no dog should be used as stud until all prior testing is accomplished.

The rule of thumb for girls is 2nd Heat or 18 months of age. But, that is a guideline. Not only should all her health tests are performed, but her mental maturity should be taken into consideration.

Of course both should be good representations of the breed.

Thank you everyone for your input - I truly appreciate it. But just to get the record straight because out of anger and frustration - I wrote something I should not have. The male yorkie that I got was from Natalie's Wee Little Yorkies - not a puppy mill - a legitimate AKC registered breeder. However, I was angered with her because the puppy she sent me was neglected because it was unsocialized, malnourished, came with kennel cough and giardia. All these things have sinced been attended to and he has now gained weight and cleared of the kennel cough and giardia. This puppy is beautiful and a great example of the yorkie breed and I would like to breed him. I think that any healthy yorkie can get kennel cough and giardia if not properly looked after - these things are not hereditary by any means and I really see no reason why I should not breed him?!?!?

Arent Natalies pups super tiny? Just because they are AKC doesnt mean they are a good representative of the breed

Males make darling, wonderful pets, if they're neutered. And please know that just because a breeder registers dogs with AKC the puppies are not guaranteed to be of quality. The absolute worst dogs in the world can be AKC registered. I'd assess the breeder and from what you've said the person isn't very good. Actually the breeder sounds like one of the bad ones. Did this person help pay for the vet bills for your pup?

And keep in mind that the reputable breeders sell on spay/neuter contracts. Why not neuter your pup to help insure he'll be a good pet?

When you bought your dog, were you planning on breeding him? Frankly, I don't understand why people think they should breed a dog just because he's registered. Being a registered purebred means nothing, especially since people are breeding anything to make money. It's not enough that he looks like a yorkie and he's cute, we already have too many pets available, he should be a nearly perfect specimen of the breed if you are going to breed him, not only on conformation, but health and personality. If breeding is in you blood, please go about it the right way, and find a mentor, someone who will teach you about yorkies and why it important to only breed the best of the best, and what health tests should be done prior to breeding. Remember, once you bred your dog, his personality will change from a pet to a working dog.

I'm so disappointed that featured Yorkietalk breeders are not selling dogs on limited registration, as Raymond's Mom points out, " keep in mind that the reputable breeders sell on spay/neuter contracts."

Yes, she breeds for tiny and sells for astronomical prices. Will sell to anyone on open registration, if they pay her asking price. She's obtained her lines via the back door.

So when you say he's a great example, has he had all the proper testing?
I don't see why you now feel you shouldn't have posted that?? You just posted that two weeks ago! If I bought a puppy that was a "great example of the breed" and especially if he was bought with the intention of breeding and he had all the health issues when I got him, I would be mad as a hornet and I wouldn't feel bad about exposing it later!
Kennel cough, giardia, emaciated, not socialized!

It's so sad that breeders like the one that bred this little guy can't be shut down. They're not only ripping off so many unsuspecting people but think of the suffering they're causing their poor dogs. Heartbreaking.:(

Have you shown him and had experienced breeders agree that he is an excellent example of the breed? Or is it based on your opinion because he's cute? Not being a wise-apple here, but it's an honest question. He can't truly be identified as being "sire worthy" at his young age- he needs to fully mature before that can be judged.

Do you have a mentor? Do you know the health history of his entire line? How are his hips and knees?

If someone sent me a malnourished, unsocialized dog with Girarrdia and kennel cough, the LAST thing I would want to do is breed him. If she's so lax on those things, who knows what other corners were cut in the breeding of his dam and sire.

Are you willing to be responsible for the health of the pups he throws? There's more to being a stud owner than sitting back and collecting your "fee".

Are you willing to have a dog who marks? One who's personality is changed because he wants to go after every female in heat?

Did you know that just because he is tiny doesn't mean he will throw tiny pups?

Are you eager to add to the over population of pets in the U.S.?

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

They should be at least 25 lbs and no younger than 12 years old to breed.....

I quit smiling, I'm laughing out loud now.

Indeed! And they also shouldn't be bred until after they've been neutered.

They should be at least 25 lbs and no younger than 12 years old to breed :D

And they also shouldn't be bred until after they've been neutered.:)

I believe that most people who go on YorkieTalk for the first time is because they want to find out as much information as possible about the puppy they just got - or others like me - who just have a question or two. Most people need to be educated (me) about breeding yorkies. Yes - they are adorable - and I think - most people think - "Wow - wouldn't it be great to have puppies of this most adorable breed". Instead of being sarcastic - wouldn't it be great to just try and give the answers to the questions asked - and try and educate these unknowing people of what is really needed to properly breed a yorkie.

I truly thank some of the responders of my question (Mardelin and Nancy 1999), the negativity and sarcasm is really unnecessary. It just angers people and turns them away from this very informative site. I would suggest positive, and educational responses so that people do the right thing. Maybe the negativity should be turned towards the ones that actually put these breeders (Natalies Wee Little Yorkies) as one of the "Featured Breeders" on this site. It sends the wrong message as to who is reputable and who is not.

Hi there, welcome to Yorkie Talk:D Sorry if you feel that some of the replies were sarcastic or negative. The members here really are very very helpful, BUT there have been so many people lately that come on here and ask about breeding and they haven't exactly been receptive to the wisdom and experience given to their posts. I sure hope that you'll stick around and learn even though you may feel that some were a little rude or whatnot. Please forgive that, it's only because it can get exhausting when person after person comes and asks about breeding their pet right away, and some even have already done so, and then these same folks get nasty when they don't like the advice they're given. You are very right that we all need to try to maintain an atmosphere of education and caring:love:

I know nothing about birthin' no Yorkies, just from what I've read here over the last few years. Enough to know that breeding is NOT for me! Good luck:D

Lunas Momma summed things up very well. Yorkies are the #2 most popular breed in the country and when that happens the breed suffers horribly. Back yard breeders and puppymills want to cash in on the popularity and the health and welfare of the breeds starts a downward spirial. And trust me, yorkies are going down fast. I think much of the sarcasim is caused by frustration. Those that write the posts care about the breed. As for Natalie, you're right, she's at the bottom of the barrel. One of the worst mills going these days. Have the owners of this list been contacted about the fact that she's a featured breeder?

I truely understand your frustration with the negativity. But, as stated before you are new and haven't been witness to what has gone on in the past and continues to this day. We that been here a while have attempted to answer and educate those that have asked them. More often than not, advice, education is not taken and the dog(s) are ultimately the ones that suffer from inept people that are attempting to make a buck off the backs of their dogs. And most of these people have a standard statement "We all have to start somewhere".

Take a look at the breeder, rescue, sick & injured sections. Literally hundreds of post about yorkie females losing their lives, pups born with genetic defects, irresponsible breeders placing pups too young or sick pups.

These are living, breathing little creatures that have been placed in our hands to safe guard.

Yorkie Talk though a great place to talk to people with a common interest "The Yorkie" and at times educational. It really isn't a place to begin your journey into breeding. For that you need to find a good mentor.

:yeahthat::thumbup: So sorry for my sarcasm. It's just a way to deal with posters that normally get great advice, but decide to ignore it anyway. I can't tell you how many times I've seen knowledgable breeders give advice as asked, only to get badmouthed and ignored by the poster because it's not what they chose to be told. (And I've only been on here for a few months!) Please be wise and do as Mardelin says. Best of luck and enjoy your new baby boy.

I can't tell you how many times people with puppies, puppies, baby dogs are wanting to know when they can breed their dogs! What is with that? It's like "I've got a male, with papers (any kind of papers usually do), and I've want to breed him, how soon can I put him on a female and start making the big bucks?"

Rarely, as in NEVER, does the poster say a word about wanting to be careful, wanting to make sure the male doesn't get hurt or catch a disease. What about the females you are going to breed your dog to? Do they matter, because a lot of the people with dogs they want to breed don't sound as though they give a flip about the female dogs. AND I haven't seen one of those posts that even mentions breeding healthy puppies with good conformation and good temperaments.

Maybe that's why people get sarcastic.

Can you give us a comparison of your dog with the breed standard and tell what about him makes you think he is a good representative of the breed? How many dog shows have you been to in order to see real, live, walking, moving representatives of the breed? Or have you seen mostly pictures? NOT the same, I assure you. How long have you been studying the breed? How many books have you read about genetics and breeding dogs?

Tone is hard to read in many posts, maybe in some of the posts from people who want to know how soon they can breed their puppy, their caring tone doesn't come through and they really do care about the breed, the health of the male, the health of the female, and the health of any puppies that are bred. It can be hard to tell.

Wasn't/isn't this breeder a Featured Breeder here at YT? Or am I thinking about someone else? If so, and YT is promoting her as such, Admin may be interested to know of the issues you've had with her.

:thumbup:

It's also hard to take things seriously when someone comes on and one of their first posts is asking about breeding. For many people here, myself included, it sends up a red flag that the pet was bought for the express purpose of making money and not for being a loved and cherished member of the family.

To be perfectly honest....... that is why I got this puppy - to breed him to the female yorkie I already have, as well as an addition to our family. I never had the intention of becoming a full time yorkie breeder. I did however, want to breed them - ONCE. I have had yorkies in our family for over 25 years now, I have read, have researched, spoke with my vet, and did not make that decision lightly. BUT.............. getting more information from this website - ENLIGHTENED ME!!! Obviously my thoughts have since changed. I know now that I should not. But, some people, who are new to this site and who have their mind made up on breeding their dogs - should get the proper information from people making these comments - and not just "Don't do it". They should be given the proper information - just like I received - but without berating and degrading someone who really isn't aware of the dangers and the reasons why they should not. And Yes - Natalie's Wee Little Yorkies is one of YorkieTalk's Featured Breeders - what a shame!

After reading here, learning here, and talking to some great breeders that have seen it all, there is no way, ever that we would want to ever breed.....yorkies! Well, any breed for that matter. Just way to much to go wrong. We will leave it up to the Mardelin's for Yorkies and my old breeder for Cane Corso's. Anyone can breed, but all you may wind up with a someone like me!

What I find so frustrating is the obsession with breeding "just one time" as if that makes someone less a bad breeder than someone who does it multiple times. And yes, you are a breeder if you have bred your dog even 1 time. It seems to me that if someone was truly interested in breeding, they would do all the research before they bought a dog for that purpose.
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