Question About Dog Breeding

Hi Kelly,

I was just wondering what would happen if I were to in-breed my Chihuahua with his grandmother?

Expert Reply

Thanks for your question.

The breeding you are describing would be considered a line breeding not an in-breeding.

In-breeding combinations include:

• Mother to son
• Father to daughter
• Brother to sister

Line-breeding involves mating dogs that are not as closely related in order to preserve certain desirable characteristics found in that family group. Many top breeders have successfuly used line-breeding to establish a particular "look" to their line that still falls within their breed's standard.

The results from any breeding are always a gamble; but if both animals are healthy and you have definite homes for the offspring, then you might go ahead and try it.

Possible problems may surface in the pups if either parent carries any genetic disorders. It would be a good idea to have both animals thoroughly checked out by your vet prior to breeding.

~~ Kelly

I have two Yorkies, a seven-month-old male and a two-year-old female.

How old does my male have to be before he can be used at stud? My female came in heat nine days ago, but he shows no interest in her at all.

~~Aangel

Expert Reply

Hi Aangel,

Technically your male may be old enough to breed, but he's not really ready for it. Personally, I believe a dog should be given time to reach maturity before his energies are redirected into breeding, and then he should only be bred selectively a few times each year.

That said, this sounds like it may be your first breeding experience too, so I have some advice. I recommend you first speak with the breeder you received your female from, and get an opinion as to whether she truly ought to be bred, because not every female should be.

If the answer is yes, then your breeder may have a suitable stud on the premises, or be able to recommend one to you. Matings between virgins are difficult at best, and it would be better if at least one party had some experience.

You will also benefit greatly by having an established breeder as a mentor.

~~Kelly

Hello, I wonder if you could tell me whether it is okay to use a six-month-old Jack Russell at stud? Our bitch is three and a half years old, and we would like to breed her with a friend's male, but I cannot find any information about how old a male dog should be before mating. Can you advise please?

Thank you~~ Katy

Expert Reply

Hi Katy,

Technically, you may be able to use that puppy at stud, but I really don't recommend using such a young dog, especially if your bitch has also never been breed before. The puppy is still growing and needs to put all of his resources into this mission. Most breeders won't use a dog at stud until he's about one year old, and then use him very rarely that first year. You should also be aware that breeding could also alter his behavior, leading to marking and aggression problems. I'm not sure this is something your friend is counting on, but it could happen.

At this point, I would advise either skipping your bitch's season this time around or finding a healthy stud of breeding age. By mating your bitch to an experienced stud, you will have gotten that first time out of the way. She will be more receptive to future breedings and less likely to snap at another stud. If she were to become afraid and snap at the puppy, he might wind up psychologically scarred for future breedings. It's really just as important to manage the stud's care as the bitch's.

Thanks for your question, and I hope you'll take these suggestions to heart.

~~ Kelly.

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