Cross Breeds

Is it true that small dogs (in my case shih-Tzu) should have puppies at their second heat?

I have a 10 month Shih-Tzu that is coming into her second heat that i want to breed with one day. My mother told me the chances of small dogs falling pregnant after their second heat becomes lower and lower, yet she is still just a puppy to me. Is this true? And secondly, she is a small shih-Tzu and this also worries me for i don't want her to be harmed by the pregnancy. Whats the best thing to do?

Public Comments

1. This is really something to ask your vet and breeding mentor. The ideal thing to do would be to get your dog spayed.
2. No, this is not true for ANY dogs. The YOUNGEST that a dog should be bred is 2 years. The best thing to do would be to get her spayed. http://www.learntobreed.com/breedingrealities.html http://www.geocities.com/learntobreed/truestories.html Read these sites on breeding. http://www.learntobreed.com/ http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/breeding.htm
3. No puppy should be bred until the heat following her second birthday. This is for the ease of whelping, the stronger instincts to be a good mom, and for the mom's own bone/joint health, as she isn't fully developed until 2 years old. You are right..she is still a puppy.
4. Your mom is wrong.. NO dog should ever be bred until they are at very least 2 years of age. Chance of getting pregnant doesn't decrease at such an early age. You need to get the breed specific health testing done, temperament tested and make sure that she is a quality dog, worthy of breeding.. AKC registered etc. Find the male that is best suited for her.. Line up homes prior to breeding her. It's a whole lot more work than just trying to decide if she should be bred when she is a tiny puppy still. Don't take advice from your mom, she has outdated information. She will get you into trouble.. Your dog being bred too young will need a c-section which is expensive.. She will refuse to care for the litter and you will be hand feeding them every 2 hours for weeks.. They won't have a good immune system, and they will have problems when they grow up because their mom didn't care for them.. 2 years and then start thinking about breeding her, once her health testing is done.
5. Dogs should not be bred until they are at least one and a half years old, perferably two years.
6. A dog should be at least 2 years old before having it's first litter. Also, it should only be breed if it conforms to breed standards and is in excellent health. Shih Tzu's are prone to skin problems and ear and eye problems. A dog with any of these problems should not be bred. The best thing to do would be to get your dog spayed.
7. No, absolutely not! Unless the dog was sold to you as a show dog (and is a show dog) or top quality breeding stock, have it spayed. There is no need to breed a female, ever. In fact, she will live longer and be healthier, statistically speaking, if you have her spayed before her first heat. A dog sold as a pet is NOT intended to be used as breeding stock nor show dog. If your dog is undersized, it's definitely not meant for breeding. Don't breed her! Be kind, have her spayed.
8. I just wanted to add that you need to stat reading up... i have a section in my store for whelping (giving birth) and you can look at the books and start watching for them in your local bookstores or whatever. http://pampered-puppy.zlio.net/c/WHELPIN...
9. I don't know how small your shih-tzu is, but I would just check with your vet. I breed my shih-tzus on their second heat and so far we have not had any problems. I honestly don't think waiting for a future heat will cause her not to become pregnant. I read that some people wait until their dogs are two years old before they breed them. There is a good book available on dog breeding called Canine Reproduction: The Breeder's Guide. I have this book and recommend it. You might want to check Ebay and see if you can find a copy or you can order it here http://www.amazon.com/Canine-Reproduction-Breeders-Phyllis-Holst/dp/1577790286/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217726810&sr=8-8 Good luck!