# Needs breeding advice for our nearly six year old miniature dachshund.



## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

Our nearly 6 year old miniature dachshund only goes on heat once a year. We have always wanted to breed with her, but the timing has never been right. This year we have time.
She started menstruating last Friday (23 September)and is still bleeding today- actually quite heavily.
We need to try to calculate the days when to take her to a dog (I have done this numerous times with our Scotties who have all died)but am now unsure.

I suppose we need to look when the blood changes colour, but I am used to calculate from the first day of menstruation.
Two questions: I hope she is not too old??
Has anyone an idea when we should take her to a dog?



Thanks for any advice.


----------



## SharonM (Mar 2, 2010)

At 6 years old she is way too old for a first litter, please don't do it, you risk losing your bitch!


----------



## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

don't bother . 6 is far too old to breed a bitch first time.


----------



## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

Can only echo what the others have said - 6 is far too late for a first litter - please don't put your girl at such a risk.,


----------



## vizzy24 (Aug 31, 2008)

As the others have said, this is a massive risk for you girl at this age!


----------



## casandra (Aug 1, 2008)

6 is way too old for her to be having a first litter. I wouldn't even entertain a 4.5 year old for a first litter.

No bitch should be bred before she is 18-24 months old, but after a certain age, if she has not had a litter, her pelvis firms up and will not be pliable enough to pass puppies. You'd end up with a C-section (expensive and usually out of hours as they seem to love surprise whelping in the middle of the night!) at best or a dead dam and litter at worst. Please do not breed from her, you would be putting so much extra risk on her life for selfish reasons. It is not worth the risk! Please have her spayed after this cycle.


----------



## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

I too can only echo what everyone else has said. 6 years old is too old for a first litter.

My bitch had to have a ceasarian earlier this year the cost was over £400 and done by my own vet. If she had had to have it done during the night by the emergency vet you could easily have added more than £1000 to the bill


----------



## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

In short 'Never'.


----------



## Guest (Oct 1, 2011)

I would of thought a dog that age was too old to have a litter regardless of whether it was her first or not. It seems to me a bit cruel to put a dog of that age through a pregnancy.


----------



## SpringerHusky (Nov 6, 2008)

My lil Babies said:


> I would of thought a dog that age was too old to have a litter regardless of whether it was her first or not. It seems to me a bit cruel to put a dog of that age through a pregnancy.


I think that can vary on the dog but I would say at 6 would be the last.

Sorry can only echo what everyone else has said 6 is too old and you risk killing your girl


----------



## sianrees1979 (Feb 27, 2009)

i agree with everyone else at 6 years old she is too old for a first litter have her spayed after this season.


----------



## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

I hate to sound like a parrot, but six years is too old for a maiden bitch, please have her spayed, the risks are too great to put her through the rigours of whelping


----------



## avz10 (Apr 3, 2010)

Well, this was an overwhelming response. Thanks for that, but we are all very disappointed, as we have not bred for a number of years. She turned 6 yesterday.

We have bred for many years, first with cairn terriers and then scotties, but we always tried to start at the second heat etc. We never lost a puppy.

Is it really necessary to spay her? Our area is extremely well secured. She cannot get out and no dog has ever came in (Johannesburg!!)

Thanks again


----------



## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

My lil Babies said:


> I would of thought a dog that age was too old to have a litter regardless of whether it was her first or not. It seems to me a bit cruel to put a dog of that age through a pregnancy.


A fit bitch who has already had a litter shouldn't have any problems at 6 years old.

Even just taking two litters from a bitch, if you leave a reasonable gap between litters and add in a possible miss on a mating - when taking into consideration gaps between seasons, then 6 is far from unreasonable.

The eldest age a bitch can have a litter registered is 8 providing it isn't her first and permission is gained from the KC - prior to this ruling, there was no age limit, and historically, there are bitches who've had litters at 9/10 years old 

My eldest had her first litter at 4 years 4 months and her second at 5 years 8 months and was absolutely fine - in fact, the second litter took less out of her than the first even though she gave them more. She fed both litters until all but the last pup left at 9 weeks and 11 weeks.

Conversely, her eldest daughter had her first litter at 2 years, 3 months, that isn't a mistake I would make again, it was too early.

Her youngest daughter is 3 this month and only now do I feel she is ready.

Bitches do have very small windows for having litters if you start at a reasonable age and leave a good gap between litters - but just to re-enforce again - 6 is way too old for a first litter.



avz10 said:


> Well, this was an overwhelming response. Thanks for that, but we are all very disappointed, as we have not bred for a number of years. She turned 6 yesterday.
> 
> We have bred for many years, first with cairn terriers and then scotties, but we always tried to start at the second heat etc. We never lost a puppy.
> 
> ...


It's concern for your bitch which prompts such a response - the risks are simply too high.



avz10 said:


> We have bred for many years, first with cairn terriers and then scotties, but we always tried to start at the second heat etc. We never lost a puppy.


 That's young 



avz10 said:


> Is it really necessary to spay her? Our area is extremely well secured. She cannot get out and no dog has ever came in (Johannesburg!!)


It's entirely your choice whether you neuter her or not - there are well documented health benefits to neutering bitches - but others are left entire for all sorts of reasons.


----------



## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

^^^^ what she said, it is too old I'm afraid, although I know perceptions change depending on where you are in the world. More recent thinking is that bitches need to be that bit more mature, but not too mature before having their first litter, so the second season for many would be too early, depending on when they have them of course, some bitches don't have them as regularly as others.

This article, although a few years old, is a good read and will hopefully give you a bit more information towards the decision about whether to spay or not:

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf


----------



## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

The bitch I had a litter off earlier was 6 when she had her litter. 

She had aborted a litter 18 months previously and we had she is a fit and healthy bitch who had previously had a litter with no problems. She had to have a ceasarian half way through the whelping. Not because of any problem but because she had a big litter 10 pups and was very tired. She coped very well and was back in the show ring when the pups were 4 months old.


----------

