Dam productive years - Page 1

I am planning to buy a 5 years old Dam. Is 5 years old female GSD still good for breeding? How long can I still used her for breeding? Considering she is still healthy. I need your expertise on this subject. Thank you

I would find out if she's had any previous litters first, if not, why. I bought a 4 yr old female that had never had a litter, and she has gone on to have litters of 8, 12, and recently 9 but I don't think I'd do it again due to the uncertainty of it. Some people breed until 7, others until 9.

I usually retire dogs at age 5. I have seen pyometra in females as young as age 6. Some females do produce pups even at ages 8 and 9. Personally, I don't take chances.

Just out of curiousity, when do you start to breed them? How many litters do you normally let them have? Just thinking if you wait until hips are done, titling done, dog is around 2, here in my area, might be 3 yrs before titled, then retire at 5? Just trying to get other thoughts, not bashing.

I know you were asking another, but I was shocked at the ages and amount of puppies these females are produceing back to back. personally I breed first litter at 3 1/2years old wait a year breed a second and then maybe breed a third litter a year later then thats it they are spayed. I have had children and know what they take out of your body I could not breed a dog more than that I love my girls and see how it changes them makes them age early and makes them harder to hold thier urine so forth so on. I would like to know on average how many breeders give the dogs a heat in between breedings and just how many litters they are getting per female? I am obviously not in this for money.

vomlandholz, asking me? I don't have a set formula for deciding when a bitch will be bred or retired, it is individual for each dog based on physical condition, previous litter history and the like. I do require the bitch to be hip certified prior to breeding. As soon as a bitch shows any issue with fertility or whelping, I generally retire (spay)her. Or course I've had the occassion when a breeding goal wasn't reached and I tried breeding bitches beyond the 5 year mark. Sometimes this is successful, sometimes not. When facing tough decisions, I always put the health of my female ahead of all else. Currently I have a 5 year old female who just had a 3 pup litter via c-section (her 1st). She's getting spayed in about 1 month. I just don't see a good reason to take a chance with her for an additional litter 1 year from now. She had 2 litters previously.

I learned the hard way. Bred her, had 8 pups, 7 survived. Bounced back very quickly. Bred her again, she had 12 (10 survived), back to back. Felt so guilty, she skipped the next 2 seasons. Now I do know a dog in my females lines that was bred back to back consistently and had 7 litters overseas. I couldn't do that.