What should we do?
 

Hi everybody. I would like some advice regarding our 4 1/2 pound female. Initially we thought we might breed her after she got older. Maybe just once for the family experience. We have children, and I thought we might all enjoy caring for puppies. Our children are older, 9 and 15. At first I was told by Lexi's breeder that we should not breed her unless she makes it to 5 pounds. I was in the vets office the other day to get her bordetello for Lexi since she was going to the groomers and I mentioned that she was not going to get big enough to breed. She is 8 months old. They dissagreed with me and said they have small litters all the time and the important thing is to make sure that the daddy is small also. I really do not want to endanger my dogs life so I suggested to my husband that maybe we should just forget about breeding her and get her spayed. But he said he could not stand to have her put under anestesia for the spaying. He is afraid she might have a reaction to that. (She also has a couple of extra teeth that need to be removed). I know she might need a c section which is also surgery if she got pregnant which would also cause her to be put under. What are some of ya'lls opinions? I am totally open to suggestions. We have not made any decisions regarding this. We also thought we might make a little money on her puppies but maybe not? We would have to pay for the stud and what else???? Is it not worth it? She is the coolest, sweetest , dog in the world.

Don't do it.
 

If you feel she is the coolest sweetest dog in the world, why would you consider endangering her life with a litter? She is too little, and it seems to me that you have not bred dogs before. If I am wrong about that, I apologize.

There are many threads on here that can tell you all about the dangers of letting your dog whelp. There are also some very recent grief stricken ones from people who lost their females as recently as last night.

I wouldn't put my pup through it. I will let the breeders give you all the reasons why not.

I would not breed her and would have her spayed if she were mine. I think an experienced breeder can push it and maybe breed a 4 1/2 lb yorkei but I dont think someone that is inexperienced at breeding sholuld be breeding even a 5 lber that is still pushing it as far as I am concerned.

So breeding her is much more dangerous than spaying? Just asking. It seems like I have read post from people that have lost their precious dogs both ways. That is why I was asking if maybe we should do neither? I am a sponge, not an expert, so enlighten me. :)

There is some risk when you have them spayed but I think the health benefits outweigh the small risk there is. There are many dogs spayed and neutered safely everyday. I definitely think there would be more of a risk if she got pregnant.

Right on, Chachi
 

Here Here! :thumbup:

If she is small , spaying is the better thing to do .


Personally , I would not allow too many peoples around a Yorkie when whelping because she is already nervous when starting . Also , if she have complications , it will not be a very good experience for the kids to watch .

I would agree that not breeding her is the best idea. She is just a little too small to make sure that all goes safe, not that there is ever a guarantee. But I would say spaying her is much safer, our Magic was only 3lbs when she was spayed and came out just fine, yes there are times where things don't go right, but spaying her would be for the best. I am sure the breeders on here can give you more information about why not to breed her!!

spay, spay spay spay,spay spay is way for you to go

There are all kinds of horror stories in the breeder section about breeding "smaller" girls...I do not have experience and would recommed you do a lot of research prior.......

She will need to have those baby teeth out and no better time for that than when she is being spayed. Make sure you are comfortable with your vet though. I think some vets are not as experienced with the little guy's as they are with the big ones.
There are many more risks breeding her at her size than there are spaying her. Besides the stud fee you have x-ray, check-ups, tail docking, shots worming, food, and many other things when there is a litter. I only had two with this past litter and they have already cost me $600. Raising a good healthy litter is not cheap.
You also need to make sure that your little one is breed quality, no luxating patellas, bile test, a good pedigree. Good luck in your choice.

We have one in the RIP section today where the mother and all the pups but one have died. This wasnt a small yorkie that was bred either. We also have a breeder on here that almost lost her small yorkie during a c section.

breeding
 

Unless you are a breeder you probably have not heard about the "Yorkie wheel" in the sky.
When you decide to breed a litter, you spin the wheel..sometimes it stops on a space in your favor and all goes wonderfully..no problems, beautiful pups, mom is fine..lucky you!
Sometimes it stops on a space not so lucky...the worst is a dead mother, dead pups, sections, sick pups, sick mother, tears, heartbreak and lots of money.
The really miserable thing about this crazy wheel spinning is, do it enough and you can be guaranteed it will land on the worst place possible at some point for you. Always has in the past, always will in the future.
Good Luck in whatever you decide.

I'm no expert, but I would like to add one other thing. If I was you, I'd find a new vet. For them to encourage you to breed a small girl is just bad practice, in my opinion. You need someone who is experienced in small dogs and that should also make the spaying safer. JMO. I can see you are a very caring and loving yorkie owner because you are asking questions and doing your homework BEFORE making a decision. good luck

They can do a complete battery of tests before putting a yorkie under anesthesia. Have that done. I would never risk my yorkie's life for breeding. Not in a million years.

I completely agree with you Teri. Your vet should be more responsible, after all, if it wasn't for these forums, the vets would be our only point of expertise. If the vets are going around saying it's ok to breed the tiny little girl, Lord only knows who else is spreading that rumor. I hate to say it but maybe he knows it will get him extra money into his office especially if she has complications. I hope none of this offends you, we're just concerned for your girl as I see that you are. I commend you for asking the questions before making a decision. I own a tiny and she was 2 lbs and a few ounces when she got spayed..No Problems at all.

Jade and Mitsou were 2 pounds when they have been spayed .

I would never suggest breeding a dog that small- especially to someone who has not had any experience doing it. I think you had the right idea about getting her spayed and getting those teeth out at the same time. If she is already 8 months old and still under 5 lbs. I would not expect her to get much larger. She may get fatter and gain weight that way- but you have to also consider her small frame. Don't risk it. You be so much happier in the end. :D

The ultimate decision is yours. You should wait till her second heat to begin with and she could have gained the weight by then. Which ever way you go, if you do decide to breed, ALWAYS make sure the male is smaller than the female. But 2 small dogs do not always equal small puppies...and that's where you will run into complications.

I'm so glad you came to YorkieTalk and asked questions before your decision. There has been quite a few very sad families here lately loosing pets thru breeding.

Don't you think it would be a better FAMILY EXPERIENCE for all to just keep her healthy and safe and with you daily to love? We had both of our little girls spayed as small as 3 lbs with no problems. If you want your children to experience puppies , visit a breeder and let them look at the full picture and learn from it, like a field trip at school. Pups and moms require a lot of delicate care and a lot of experience. Good luck in your decision.

I am not a breeder. I have a 9 lb yorkie. I bred her for some of the reasons your thinking of (the experience, make a little money, the kids) WELL..... let me tell you, it is really not fun, it is ALOT of work. The worry alone was horrible (and she is twice as big as yours). Then the puppies come, and you worry about that, then the milk comes in, and you worry about that, then there are the tails to be docked and dew claws removed, wormings, shots....Then they get three or four weeks and go Poo and pee everywhere. But that alone was not the worst of it. Finding good homes for them. Oh, you may have a friend or family member that says "I want one". But when they get here, and are ready, they have changed their minds. I worried and worried myself sick about finding them good homes. I still wonder about one lady. Lots of people will lie. Well, and like someone else said, after all the expenses..... the money you thought would be there isnt. Really think about this, and if you dont have to work, taking care of mom and puppies may not be so bad, but do think about the worry of it all. (plus, its funny how the kids do not want to let the puppies go, let alone you not wanting to let them go. You will love them SO much, it will rip your heart out) wow, sorry to sound to down and gloomy, but.... it really IS hard.

Thanks everyone. I guess the right thing to do is just get her spayed and hope all goes well with that. :) But you guys need to be there for me when I am worrying myself sick on that day. Gosh, I never thought I would ever worry about a dog the way I worry about my kids but she is so different than any other dog I have owned. She is like our baby.

Please get your dog spayed.

How can you (or your husband) be worried about your dog's having an anesthetic to be spayed and then possibly put her through having puppies and a possible C-section - both of which are far more dangerous for her?

Having puppies for the "family experience" or for "fun" is not an acceptable reason to breed any dog. (The dog pounds are putting hundreds of little puppies to sleep because they were born for this same reason.) Why would you put any dog through this so that you can have a "fun experience?" -And, incidentally, possibly losing your little dog or having her hurt or be sick or go through a C-section and/or losing some of her little puppies or having to handfeed them to help them stay alive --- may end up not being the "fun expericence" you though it would be. At any rate, it will especially not be fun for your little mother.

Please spay your little girl and help her have a long happy life with you and your family. That is really what you want.

Dogs should not be bred for fun. Who's having the fun? - and the fun may not be fun after all.

Carol Jean

I do agree you should have her spayed. To safe guard your llittle gal before surgery always demand your vet to do a preanesthetic blood panel before doing the spay and teeth extraction.

:yeahthat: I agreed! You need to get yourself another vet. I don't know about you but I feel your vet is in it for money and money only. If you have a litter or two, they are gonna need vet care. And with a small female, chances are she would probably need a C-section too - more money for the vet. If it all goes well, great! If not, you would be the one with a broken heart. I won't risk it if I were you.

you're really smart to ask questions before jumping into breeding....I remember THINKING I wanted to breed my oldest Chanel - my Vet said she was a great weight and build ...he actually asked me if I wanted to and I told him the thought occured to me -

His next question was HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE LOSING HER.....My mind snapped back to reality and I said I Couldn't handle it. Needless to say - the risks FAR outweigh the joy of puppies and my girl is bigger than yours too....If she's your baby like my girls are to me - I sure couldn't risk it...

We'll be here for you if you decide to spay her - It IS nervewracking but a very common procedure

Nice job!
 

Judy, I am so pleased that you and your family have made this decision! I really feel it's for the best for your family and for your pup, and I think it's really smart of you to go ahead with a spay.

We will ALL be here for you when you get her spayed! Please let us know when you have made your appointment, and we will all be watching!

I am really proud of you! You came here for advice, and you are actually going to HEED it! You ROCK girl! :D

My opinion is that you have plenty of time to see if she grows more, I would not allow her to breeed untill she is at least 2 years old, but then I didn't want my daughters getting preg at 12 eather, as far as never breeding before, if you think that its a posibility read everything you can, get ahold of a mentor, then descide, but wait untill she is 2,nothing has to be descided today except getting those baby teeth pulled

I really do hope you go with the spay. I understand wanting the family experience of raising puppies and such, but that can be done by volunteering at a vet's office, human society, spca, or even the zoo. There are so many unwanted dogs and puppies right now that are a result of "let's see what it's like" and the owners not thinking long term down the road. I did it by accident for a dog I rescued off the side of the interstate. I took her in to hopefully find her owners or a new home, not realizing she was already pregnant and that is likely the reason she was thrown out on the interstate. I have three children so they witnessed this event of birthing 9 puppies from this six MONTH old abandoned mommy dog. While it was a magical moment and heart-tugging, it is extremely costly, tiresome, stressful, and heartbreaking when you have to find home for those babies you grew to love. Yes there are rewards but in the end it's not worth it unless you in it for the long haul. It's not as easy as just getting a box with some blankets. You have to have a play area for the puppies cause they will mess on EVERYTHING. You have to have a rest away area for the mommy when she needs alone time. Instead of a vet bill for one, you will have a vet bill for multiples.

Please think about volunteering or even renting the movie "Milo and Otis" is really want to witness the miracle of birth from a dog. I agree that kids should see this momentous event, but not at the risk of your baby and not at the risk of innocent puppies either.

That's just my opinion. I'm hoping I didn't come off too harsh, as that was NOT my intent. And I agree with the others - for your vet to encourage the risk to your baby was irresponsible on his part.

God bless.

I did not know having puppies was more dangerous than having her put under anestesia. That is why I asked in the first place.

As far as needing to put these puppies to sleep for lack of finding parents. It would not be an issue where I am from. Plenty of parents, not enough yorkie pups. Even if we had had trouble finding parents we would have never put them to sleep. The idea is crazy.

I am curious as to your idea of acceptable breeding. It sounds like, and maybe I interpreted your response wrongly, that there is no good reason for breeding yorkies.

But we are not going to breed her anyway. I learned enough to make my decision.