How often should a female dog be bred?

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I noticed on my breeders website that Sophies mom is going to have another litter of puppies in July or August. Sophie was born on December 25, 2010. Isn't it too soon to breed her again? Just wondering...

[Jennifer and Jack]

I agree Karen, Jack and his our new puppy were conceived naturally. It was a toy poodle with a mini golden doodle. I do not know how the mini golden doodle's came into existence though. I think a step stool was involved but I know it was not AI.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I have absolutely no knowledge to back up your opinion, but I share it also, Karen.

[DeeDee and Sheila]

Karen, have you heard any stats on how cancer has affected either labradoodles or goldendoodles?  That is the ALD's big premise.  That there are several breeds in ALd's, enough to really mix up the genes for cancer.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, I haven't looked into cancer statistics at all. I think it would be a lot harder to find reliable information on that, because although we do know that certain breeds seem to develop certain cancers more than others, the causes are not as clear as they are with other diseases or conditions.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I am really naive when it comes to this stuff as I only have talked to one breeder about this and I know for a fact that her mother dog is a family pet, well cared for and given the first consideration when it comes to how often she is bred. There must be guidelines and I would hope that the vets caring for these mother dogs are overseeing their frequency of production. Of course I am talking about a responsible breeder who takes her pregnant dog to the vet each time. I have read that 2 litters is max for some dogs, but I don't remember the time span in having them safely.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I should add that I know Sophie Bear's breeder keeps her dogs as family pets or with carefully chosen guardian homes. I know she has a special bond with SB's mom and that she loves her very much. So that's why I found it surprising that she was being bred again so soon and was just curious if dogs are different than humans when it comes to recovering from giving birth. Todd's point seemed to make sense...

[Ginny Nightingale]

I can only speak form the limited experience of owning a female in a guardian relationship with my breeder who had her pups here at my home which I raised. I also had one of her other guardian females deliver pups here and I raised those also. My breeder waits until the age of two after all health tests are complete to breed them. The nutrition requirements are very clear and high quality food and supplements are used. My dog is now going to be 3 in July after having a litter in January. She apparently comes into heat every 9 months, not 6 months, so will probably deliver again this fall (you count the 9 months from the beginning of the last pregnancy.) I am eager to have her have the remaining 2 litters at which time she will be spayed--because she will be younger and stronger thus more likely to have no issues with the delivery. I must say that dogs often have a MUCH easier time--she was absolutely fine after delivering 6 pups in just under two hours--after the first was born, there was very little in the way of pushing or straining. The other dog I hosted had 2 pups by C-section and was bouncing around the next day! So, we really can't use human standards when comparing.

I think the breeder wants to have the litters quickly so that the dog is still young and also to get the guardian family "off the hook"--that way they don't have to deal with heats for years.

I don't think two litters is maximum for a dog--It would be nice to limit it to two, but three doesn't seem too bad. My female worked very hard taking care of the pups for three weeks, then went her merry way and I had to bring her in to them every few hours to feed them. By the age of 6 weeks, she would spend only 5 minutes feeding them then would leave--so she really didn't put too much effort into "raising" the litter--but I sure did! I guess it depends on the mother dog. 

[Jennifer and Jack]

What a cool story, our little puppy is going to be born this weekend in a guardian home, and then after she delivers brought back to the breeders home for the eight weeks, I love to hear how the mothers are with the puppies etc... Thanks for sharing.

[April Cliber]

IMO, it's fine AS LONG AS the mom is under a vet's supervision and is very healthy.  If the mom is fed quality food, is in a home where she's well cared for and is a loved pet then back to back litters are usually completly safe.  Again, so much depends on not only the dog's health but how they do as a mother.  The same way some women bounce back after having babies and thrive being pregnant and others are sick as a dog. (Pardon the pun. :o) ) I personally prefer to breed earlier (after health testing and second cycle) and  then retire early.  Older moms (over 4) have more risk with pregnancy and delivery.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

That sounds fair. Thanks.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks. That is interesting. Thanks for sharing your friend's take on things. That reminds me, I have a friend who is breeding his Boston Terrier. I'm going to ask him.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Todd's explanation, as always, was a good one.  It has a lot to do with laboring of a dog though. I"m thinking of the overall health.

As for me, (a  human of course) I thought pregnancy was extremely difficult to recover from.  I was told a year to completely recover and... right around a year I started to feel fantastic.   Until the next day when I got morning sickness.

If it were my dog, one litter is enough.  Must be why I am not a breeder.  LOL