One common question among dog owners, and even those people interesting in breeding is how old should their dog be before they breed? How old is too old? How young is too young? It's important to understand that when a dog breeds it has a huge effect on the overall health and well being of the puppies who are born.
The numbers vary from one dog breed to another, and it's always important to know more about the specific breed before taking any advice. What works best for a Labrador, a Dalmatian, a German shepherd, and a Great Dane are all going to be different.
When deciding how old your dogs should be before they breed starts out with the general rule of thumb that the female dog (the dam) should be at least 2 years of age and should be no more than 5 years of age. Once again, however, this is a general rule of thumb and it is not a hard and fast rule that applies to every single dog.
The male dog (also often referred to as the sire) can be older than the dam but should still not be more than seven years of age in most cases. This again is an issue that gets tackled on a case by case basis.
Generally speaking the best dogs for breeding are in the prime of youthful breeding age. Depending on what your intent is, such as breeding pure breeds, there might even be "rules" from breeding organizations on what the rules are for mating dogs and still considering them pure bred. The key here if you're working with an organization or going by their rules is to contact their professionals about your breed and see what they have to say.
There are very particular reasons for breeding dogs at a certain age. Breeding a dam over 5 years old can be unhealthy and dangerous for both the puppies and for the mother dog. Most professionals agree that a female dog should not be bred during their first cycle. Many of those dogs are still too immature and there can be complications.
Skipping the first cycle and waiting until the second cycle, which should take place after they are two years old or older, will help make sure that there are less complications and the puppies are more likely to be healthy.
Another important aspect is to make sure that females aren't bred every year. Once they're old enough to breed, it's still best to breed them every other year to allow them the recovery time that they need and to insure the health of not only the dam but also the pups themselves.
If you ever have a question on a specific breed, look for local breeders or clubs who might be able to give you more detailed points and information based on the very specific breeds that are involved
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