just want some suggestions oon how old is to old for dog breeding. i have a german shorthair that is in great health and is 8 yrs old. i want to breed her but am considering her age. i know of some bitches that are 9 years when bred but wonder about the safety of an older dog. this would also be her first breeding.

thanks for your opinions.

8 yrs old in my opinion is pushing it, however, if she is in good health (have your vet check her out), and she is still having normal cycles then I dont see why it would be a problem. Hopefully wvvet will weigh in on this one, he has been at this vet business longer than I have!!

IF YOU FOLLOW THE RULES AND WHAT ALOT OF VETS SAY, THEY WILL PROBABLY SAY 7-9 IS ABOUT IT. I AM NOT SURE. I HAVE BEEN BREEDING FOR A LONG TIME, AND HAVE BRED MANY 9, 10, AND 11 YEAR OLDS. I JUST BRED A 13 YEAR OLD BITCH , A COYOTE HOUND, AND SHE HAD 8 PUPS. THEY ARE 9 WEEKS OLD AND NEVER LOST A ONE.

The age of the dog, size of her, health conditions, size of the stud, conditions in which she will be living in throughout the pregnancy and whelping phase all play a part in deciding. Is she physically sound as well as emotionally? Definately have a vet do a complete exam, including blood panels before breeding her. Stress levels play a big part in maintaining a strong pregnancy...be sure that there won't be issues there. Good luck! As long as this is her 1st litter, I would also reccommend getting her tested as to when she is going to be fertile. At her age, it may not be as easy as breeding young ones. And make sure the breeding is witnessed. You don't want any tearing or fighting going on during the proccess.

As has been stated by others, a lot depends on the dog's health. My wife and I have a policy that we don't breed our girls past 7-1/2 years old. Period. I'm sure there are as many opinions as there are breeders, but in our opinion, there's just too much of a chance for problems beyond that age. We would feel just awful if we lost one of our girls because we wanted to squeeze one last litter out of her.

Bruce

Well I'm 50, and I hope to keep going for a while yet..... But anyway, if you're refering to dogs. I wouldn't breed a female past 8. Would prefer no later than 6.
Also, do you really need to breed her? Once a female has pups, you increase here chances of getting mammaliarian cancer 200x. And even if you get her spayed after breeding this will not reduce the risk once she has had a litter.

i don't see any problem breeding up to ten if the bitch is healthy and has been raising pups. I would hesitate to breed that late in life for a first litter. More my opinion than fact I suppose but it is based on the experiences I have had over the years.

Ezzy