Within an individual breed standard of course!! trying to compare studs at the middle and higher weights of a breed standard. Would love to hear any experience's on this, many thanks. My bitch is at the lower end, stud is at the high end. Reason I am so interested in this stud is because he is MRI 'clear' for SM, so is his Dad and the line is known for good hearts. I've been asking breeders I know but opinions differ.

I tend to overlook size if its at the larger end of the standard there are more important things to consider especially if your bitch is mid to small range.

In my own breed size did increase with the use of more American imports but we are now coming back down again.  My own champion male from an American stud is top end, size wise and has produce some large ie 10kg males with litter mates in the 6-7 range as per the standard.  As long as you know the background of both dogs ie how many oversized animals have been produced in the past in both lines - my tiniest bitch came from an 8kg mother so her pup I am breeding this time is going to a small male despite her being low end standard wise. 

Should have made my post clearer, it's the whelping I'm interested in, concerned about pup size versus size of Mum. 

Many thanks for your reply Schip.

I once bred a small bitch to a large stud. She had 9 massive puppies and had to have a c section ( her uterus had split!!). She then had a hard time keeping up with their milk demand. She got there in the end and all 9 survived but it was hard (she was a brill mother)!!!!!!!!

I wouldnt do it again.

I have just bred a very large bitch but chose a nice small well balanced stud...........she was actually a lot bigger than him but they complimented each other very well.

Hope this is what you were looking for. xx

I think it depends on breed, and very much on what background information you have about the lines.

I have a very small breed, known for bad whelpings and C-sections.  I have been working for years, towards a self whelping line.

A few years ago I kept a male pup from one of my litters, hoping to show him.  I had used a nice dog from a good show kennel.  My boy (like Topsy) just grew and grew!  Yet the sire weighed 4lbs. 

I was disappointed, but once I keep a pup, if show potential doesn't pan out, they still stay.  This boy had super type and coat, but I wasn't prepared to mate him to a small bitch.  One of my girls is way over size, and I felt that I had nothing to lose by a test mating. 

The litter, produced a year ago, was 3 normal size pups, self whelped.   One girl grew very big, and went to a pet home.  The boy was nice, but I didn't want another male, and he went to a friend. The third pup, a bitch, was chosen by my mentor as the pick of the bunch, and I kept her.  She has been a good bet!  Definitely within the show standard which is 4-6lbs, and I'm delighted.  

Although I admit that, even knowing the size of dogs in his pedigree, I wouldn't have had the nerve to put him to a smaller bitch.

arent most dogs bigger than bitches anyway? most standards say this

Personally I'd be looking at the size of pups from the parents and grand parents of both lines to have some idea of pup size and how the bitch might cope ;) as well as the size of the dog to the bitch.  

As far as breeding a large dog to a small bitch (or vice versa) I can't see how this will help achieve breed standard size pups?  Surely if a bitch is smaller than breed standard requires, then a dog who is the correct size (as well as complementing her other attributes) is more likely to produce some correct size pups - otherwise you are likely to get a mix of large and small pups with no guarantee of any correctly sized pups ?

One thing to remember, size of pup at birth is not necessarily any guide to the size of the dog when adult ;)

Thanks Dill, Personally I'd be looking at the size of pups from the parents and grand parents of both lines to have some idea of pup size and how the bitch might cope  as well as the size of the dog to the bitch.    that's the info I'm currently trying to get.

My bitch is not smaller than the breed standard, she is at the lower end of it weight wise, but I get your point, thanks.

Thanks to everyone who has posted :-)

If I was going to breed my bitch whatever her size I,d be looking for a correct size dog to use on her.
My last girl I bred from was a top sized bitch to a correct sized dog she only had one male pup who is correct but the girl I kept was topsize.
I,d never use a large dog on a smaller bitch in case she had trouble whelping.

> arent most dogs bigger than bitches anyway? most standards say this

Not usual in my breed. 

Most breeders in my breed would use a small dog to a larger bitch.