What is a good age to breed your German Shepherd? - Page 1

Hello, my name is Ashley and I have a 16 month of German Shepherd named Mara. The breeder said if I bred her with one of his other dogs in future that all he would want is pick of the litter. We got her at 4 months and she has became a very great companion. I want nothing but the best for her so if I do go through with this, what would be a healthy age to do this? She is going to be fixed after because these puppies are a huge responsibility. Anyone with experience on the topic and the answer to my question, will be appreciated. Thank you for taking your valuable time to read this :)

You should ask your breeder. If they want a puppy, they should be willing to help you out along the way.
Vonrivera

I have. They said between 18-24 months is a good age. Does anyone else agree with this?

As a minimum, you should get your dog's hips and elbows graded if you are considering breeding. OFA ratings are done at 24 months or older (or pre-lims are done at under 24 months of age). Beyond this basic health testing, you may want to think about titling her before breeding. The training process may reveal issues that you don't want to pass on to another generation.

Okay thank you! This was very helpful and i'll be sure to do more research on your given topic

Best time to breed is after they are breed surveyed. So...hips/elbows checked, IPO1 done, show rating, AD completed. Until then, not worth breeding.

Side note: I would recommend a show score and working title before breeding as well. :)
Vonrivera

I am going to play Devils Advocate here

As Laura says hips elbows certified at 24 months hopefully the proposed sire will have his done as well.

Why do you want puppies. If you don't (you stated you wanted to spay her) then don't have them. 

He wants puppies from her make a contract that he buys the whole litter, may be half the market value and pay you a fee for raising them. Get a contract, get the money for raising them as soon as they are born and at 8 weeks half the market value when he picks them up. Don't forget to include her extras while pregnant.

If you have been told how much money you will make forget that you may spend more if there are complications and she could die.

Will the Breeder pay for any or all Vet bills as it is his idea and goal for a puppy.  Get a contract in writing.

If she is such a good breeding female why did he sell her and to a client who was not interested in breeding.

Many don't believe in titles but it is an added way to see your dogs temperament and if it should be carried on.  Showing your dog in the conformation ring will also give you a clue as to the faults she may have.

Again, hopefully the male has done something to show he is worth breeding to in the same way.

Good luck

 

 

I would just add to what the others have said: Yes, puppies will be a great responsibility.

What people who breed casually do not always realise is that puppies are also a lot of hard work.  Even when nothing goes wrong medically with the dam or pups, you are in for having your household turned upside down for many weeks, to accomodate their needs as they grow; you are in for a good deal of extra cleaning; you have to arrange your social life around them for up to 3 months.   Many people find they get into this and it gets tiresome - so e.g. they let the pups go too early.

Although I know AKC doesn´t ask for it, your female should at least be x-rayed and OFA certified for hips and elbows.
The same rules for the stud...
Your girl is out of "working lines" ( great grand parents ), but the ancestors are not able to guarantee working ability, that´s why real German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts all over the world do title and show their dogs prior to breeding.
For a "newby" it´s not easy to sell puppies, in the worst case you may end up with high vet bills, and several puppies nobody wants to buy ( and out of your post I guess you love your female, and you will feel responsible for the pups ). It´s not always easy to find "good" homes...

For the breeder the "puppy for stud fee" deal is great, but not necessarily for you.

Kind regards, she is a pretty girl