# How long to wait between breeding?



## j towne (Jul 27, 2006)

I always thought you should wait a cycle or two after a litter before you breed the female again. I was just at my vet and she said now they recommend breeding back to back.

I told her I didn't want to breed her for 2 years because I want to finish her master title and don't want another dog until she was at least 4. My vet didn't agree with that. 

What do the rest of you think?
*____*
Baking


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## YardleyLabs (Dec 22, 2006)

j towne said:


> I always thought you should wait a cycle or two after a litter before you breed the female again. I was just at my vet and she said now they reccomend breeding back to back.
> I told her I didnt want to breed her for 2 years beause I want to finish her master title and dont want another dog intil she was atleast 4. My vet didnt agree with that.
> 
> What do the rest of you think?


There are arguments both ways, and it depends somewhat on the amount of time between cycles. A dog goes through most of the hormonal stresses associated with pregnancy with each heat cycle whether it is bred or not. With each cycle that it is not bred the likelihood pf pyometra increases. Based on that, I tend to be biased toward breeding the dog whil it is young and then spaying. Unfortunately, that messes up training and competition schedules. 

If a dog cycles every six months, it only has three months to recover post-weaning before it goes into heat again. I would be reluctant to do a back to back breeding. 

If a dog cycles every nine or more months, it has six or more months to recover. If the dog had an easy pregnancy and no negative reactions to the whole whelping/nursing process, I would not worry about it too much assuming the dog wasn't being overbred during the course of its life and was getting lots of time for training and just being a dog.


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## Bridget Bodine (Mar 4, 2008)

Nick
Do what you want to do, get her title, then breed her as young as you can. If she is going to be 4-ish when you anticipate finishing MH , she will still be pretty young.

Dr. Hutchison , one of the top repro vets in the country, says that the uterus is the healthiest when pregnant, and for each season that you skip the uterus deteriorates in health. That you should breed back to back, whenever possible and spay as young as possible. You can get a phone consult with Hutch for $40, let me know if you want the phone #

Bridget


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## j towne (Jul 27, 2006)

Bridget that is who the vet and her tech were pretty much quoting. The tech has been to like 3 of that guys clinics.
________
Vaporizer Genie


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

I've read & respect what Dr Hutch says but sometimes reality has a place too. If you are primarily breeding for yourself, and would rather have some titles in place first (and learn more about her in the process). Also, if you want to space your dogs out a bit in age, then I'd wait. I have waited until 4.5 to breed the first time, and had 8 puppies. She was 6yo the 2nd time w/ 7 puppies (from a 12.5 yo male). Just bred a 4 yo for her first... looks plenty big for not yet 6 wks. 

JME, but if it means rushing things for textbook reasons, I'd not. I think a healthy dog can wait until they are 4 if need be. And no, I'd not want to breed back to back, even if my work allowed it. I think it's too hard on the human for one, but I'd rather see how the first litter develops before putting another out there. Anne


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## Bridget Bodine (Mar 4, 2008)

I agree with Anne... reality has a big part in life. Is this the Momma of the litter you just had? If so you will have a much better idea of what she produces, (looks, talent and clearances) AND have your title.

I am not disagreeing with Hutch, there are time and places for everything... but I would be getting the title first... if you like the litter she just had, maybe breed back to back next time then spay at 5-6yrs old.

Good luck, BB


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Dr Hutchinson is saying what is the ideal, and the ideal for the healthiest uterus is the least amount of cycles and back to back breedings and spay. This was news at one time as people just believed that the pregnancy was the state that took a toll on the uterus, but it is the progesterone. Dr Hutch looks at the uterus when he does surgical AI's and there is no way one can tell from looking at the dog's outward appearance of health what the health of the uterus is. 

I do know one thing by experience, is you are increasing the risk of not having a normal litter by skipping cycles or by waiting past the age of 6 to breed the first time. However, actually competing a performance does not lend itself to back to back breedings. I look at the condition of the female after breeding and then before breeding. I've had some with big litters look just right after weaning and I have had different dams look like they have been starved after a big litter. Also, almost all my females have longer cycles after being bred-they are 6 months plus after the last litter was born. So, skipping cycles before you breed the first time or in between breedings may not give the best results, but many females do fine with it.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

I always ask my vet now to tell me what my girls' uteruses look like at spay time. I had my 2 6.5 yr olds spayed last winter/spring. The one that cycled frequently (5.5-6.5 mos) had had 10 heat cycles, and 2 large litters w/ the 2nd one just 3 mos before spay. The other had had 8 cycles (7-8 mo cycles) and 2 avg sized 7-8 pup litters. Both looked great, thankfully, but I have a comfort zone of allowing no more than 10 cycles. 

That said, my friend's 4.5 yo show Golden pyo'd while on my watch this past fall... she had not been bred and I don't think her cycles were unusual at all. Anne


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## Kasomor (Nov 29, 2008)

Depends 

What's your goal with this bitch? Working/ hunting/ titles/ or puppies??

There are just too many factors for a cookie cutter answer. Size of previous litter, difficulty in whelping, health of bitch, frequency of cycle... are all things that may prevent me from doing a back to back.

It sucks when you have one that cycles every 6 months and your training goes right out the window. Been there, done that...

My youngest cycled for the first time at 2 years 9 months old. She was bred on that heat. She's 5 months from date of whelp now and she will be bred again when she comes back in... because your guess is as good as mine when that will be!


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