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To know when to stop breeding a female dog, follow the general rule that a dog over the age of 8 should not be bred. Additionally, if youre planning to breed a dog thats older than 5, consult a vet for a health check. You should also consider ending breeding after a dog has produced 4 litters. If your dog has demonstrated inheritable conditions, such as blindness or heart problems, stop breeding to avoid perpetuating these issues. To learn how to recognize health complications associated with breeding, scroll down.
Sunil Kotwal “I wanted to know about the number of litters I can have safely from my both the females. This article helped me a lot. Thanks for the information.”…” more What is the oldest age a dog can have puppies?
Do you want to breed your female dog, but you wonder what age is too old? Up to which age can dogs actually get pregnant and have puppies?
The quick answer is that dogs can have puppies nearly for the entire duration of their lives. Dogs as old as 12 years or older can theoretically become pregnant. However, these late pregnancies are often associated with complications for both mother and pups.
Let’s look at why dogs can become pregnant so late in life, and how to know when it is too late to breed your female.
At What Age Do Female Dogs Become Sexually Mature?
Unlike male dogs, who can mate literally every single day once they reach puberty, female dogs can breed only when they are in heat.
Female dogs usually reach sexual maturity when they are six months old, but smaller breeds can go into heat as early as four months of age.
Even though they are fertile and able to get pregnant, it’s not recommended to breed female dogs during their first heat cycle. As with male dogs, you should wait until your female is fully grown before attempting to mate her for the first time.
The size and breed of your dog will determine when the best time is to mate your female for the first time. Smaller breeds reach adulthood earlier than their larger counterparts and can consequently become pregnant safely much earlier.
After having their first estrus, also known as heat or season, female dogs usually go into heat every six months until they get old.
However, this time frame can vary from one dog to another and can depend on the size of the dog. Generally, smaller dogs go into heat more regularly than larger breeds and can produce more litters during their lifetime.
The heat cycle is divided into four stages: proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. In the proestrus phase, which lasts around nine days, a female dog has a bloody vaginal discharge and attracts males, but won’t breed with them.
The estrus phase also lasts around nine days, at which time the female is fertile and will allow being mounted by a male dog. In most cases, ovulation happens within the first 48 hours of the estrus phase, but this can vary greatly.
The diestrus phase lasts 60 to 90 days, during which time the dog’s reproductive system is under the control of the hormone progesterone.
This phase happens whether or not the dog has gotten pregnant, and some dogs may develop signs of false pregnancy during this stage.
Lastly, the anestrus phase is the time when a female dog can no longer become pregnant and is a period without sexual activity. In most cases, this stage lasts between three to four months.
Although some become fertile much earlier, the AKC rules don’t permit the registration of any litters from dams that are younger than eight months old at the time of the mating.
And while old female dogs can have puppies, the female’s fertility starts to drop after five years of age.
Female dogs that are too young or too old can’t handle the strain the pregnancy puts on their bodies, which often leads to birthing complications, premature labor, and stillborn puppies.
That’s why it is imperative that you don’t start breeding your dam too early or continue to do so when she gets old.
Should you skip Breeding your females after pregnancy or breed back to back?
Whether you’re a responsible breeder facing the question of when to retire your dogs or you’re looking for a puppy – age matters.
Checking the ages of the potential sire and especially the dam can be vital for the health of the puppies as well as parents.
So the question emerges “how old can dogs have puppies” and what is the age limit?
There are many factors that need to be taken into account when determining whether a dog is up for breeding, among them are:
A healthy female can legally be bred until 8 years according to most breeding clubs. However, it’s best to retire her after 5-6 years to avoid complications for both the mother and the pups.