Hi,

Quick question - my bitch had her last litter in June 2010, she is now in season and I am looking to breed from her again - is this too soon? Worried that next time she comes into season will mean the pups will be ready near Xmas which is obviously not ideal.

Thanks

Mating her at this season will mean a litter born nearly two years after the last - not a problem. :-)

I would say its fine, she has had about an 18 month rest and as long as she is in good condition and healthy why not.

Only worry I have is perhaps it is too late to start thinking about a mating when the bitch is in season, you may, of course, done all the research needed and have a stud lined up in which case no problem as she should be in good hard condition again by now.

If only there were more like yourself, who left a 18 month gap between litters..

I like minimum a years gap, but with slight delay in seasons after a litter normally find if I have left one clear season in between it is about 14 months plus, and if anther on top it's nearly two years or sometimes two years.

A lot will depend on the bitches age when she had her first litter ) mien have been at least two years old but more often nearer three, or sometimes older) and how many litters you plan to take from her as to who you space them out.  I like to have the last litter before 7 years of age and have only had one bitch whelp at 7 yrs 1 month, but she had her first litter at nearly 4 years old.

I have had two bitches have litters with over a 3 year gap and had whelping issues, so I don't like to go more than two years between litters.

Also if your shoving your girls and they are a breed with a coat you can basically say they loose a year on maternal duties and recovery, so to breed alternate years means they still have a show career in between their maternal duties.

I think this is a fine gap. My dogues are.considered too old for a first litter at 4 and I don't breed before 2 years.

Everyone will have different views, dependent on what breed thay have.  And Barbara is so right about the gap between seasons - we get no guarantees.

I have a breed that is mated on their second season.  But I like all my bitches spayed by the time they are 4.  Huge difference to the large breed owners.

My best bitch had a litter in January one year, and had her next season in rather less than I would have expected.  By the time her next season came around and I wanted her mated to a specific line, I bit the bullet.  And have no regrets that she had her next litter less than a year after her first.  Her next litter was born in December, a few weeks short of a year.

It wasn't a back to back mating, but she was in top condition, and had only reared two pups, so mating her again for another 2 was my best shot.  I won't breed from my bitches after 4, there are far less whelping problems if they are bred young.  And having 2 litters before spaying is not overbreeding them.