How to Know When Enough Is Enough- Breeding a Proper Amount

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you’re a caring dog owner and breeder, the question is sure to be on your mind-

How many litters of puppies should my dog have?

This is a great question, that proves to be quite complex! Governments debate this very thing and set laws in some countries to address it. People fight and argue on social media to defend their opinions. The debate results in a wide variety of practices… but which is correct?

Nobody wants to be a puppy mill- producing pups at a rabbit-like rate without adequate care and attention. This is 100% wrong and should always be avoided.

But what about when you’ve got an INCREDIBLE mom who produces amazing litters- above breed standard? If she is improving the breed significantly, should she have more litters than the average female? Where is the middle ground?

Wolf Ancestry

First, let’s take away the emotions, feelings, and ethics of it all (Don’t worry- we’ll add that back in later) and just focus on health facts for a moment.

What is a dog’s body capable of?

To answer this question, we look to the dog’s natural ancestors- the wolf. How are wolves bred in the wild without human interference?

1.The alpha female and the alpha male will mate for life. There are exceptions, such as if one of the pair dies.

Only under certain conditions will a subordinate female mate, such as if there is a particularly harsh winter. In more difficult climates where populations need more litters to survive, it is more common for subordinate females to mate.

What does this tell us?

Nature regulates breeding through social dominance. Only the best are bred, which produces the best gene combinations for the pups. These top-notch wolves are more likely to thrive having inherited the best survival traits.

We, as dog breeders, can follow this example by breeding only the best candidates- which will improve the breed. Learn more at Building Success: Quality Parents Make Quality Puppies

2. Another important comparison between wolves and dogs is that wolves usually only cycle once per year, as most dogs will cycle every 6 months (of course allowing for individual adaptation).

A wolf typically births and raises one litter of pups per year, often in the spring. This can be a great measuring stick for how much mothering a dog should be expected to do.

Many dog breeders limit the number of litters to one per year- following the pattern of the wolves.

3. Finally, for the big question- how many litters does one female wolf typically produce in a lifetime? Most wolf mothers max out at 6 litters in her life.

Her body may continue to cycle, but it is likely that she will not be the alpha female in her old age, and therefore will not breed. A younger female will take her place, and that female will be the one to breed.

Although it may seem unfair that she is replaced, the change of roles suits her body’s needs by naturally regulating overbreeding in the wolf pack. She is protected from the toll that continued and excessive breeding would have on her body.

The wolves example has established a CAP- meaning the absolute most that a female could physically handle (6 litters in a lifetime)- but ethics may demand less.

It’s time to add back in the ethics of it all to find where the true balance lies. Spoiler alert- it’s LESS than 6- erring on the side of protecting our females!

Unexpected Dangers of Breeding

Breeding brings many unexpected dangers, meaning that each cycle has risk.

Let’s say you choose to breed your female- what are the risks?

Get the supplies and education that you need to help pregnancy, whelping, and raising puppies go smoothly using our Whelping Kit!

1. The pregnancy could go wrong. There are a number of problems that can result from pregnancy complications, such as:
   • Pyometra- an infection in the uterus that can be caused from puppies passing away in utero, especially if they are developed enough that they cannot be reabsorbed by her body
   • Miscarriage- The puppies may die in utero, which can result in a difficult birth or reabsorbed puppies. This can be emotionally difficult for the mother.
2. The birth could go wrong, medically referred to as “Dystocia”. These could be life threatening for puppies or mother. Even if the mother survives, there could be emotional scarring.
   • The puppies could be too large to birth smoothly. A puppy could get stuck in the birth canal.
   • A puppy could turn sideways, causing it to block the birth canal and get stuck.
   • Puppies can have defects that cause them to grow to an unnatural size. Other pups can pass away in utero. In both cases, the likelihood of a difficult birth increases.
   • The mother’s pelvis may be smaller than normal, causing a difficult birth.
   • Learn more at Mother Dog Could Die In Labor- Keep Her Safe
3. Health issues related to healing after pregnancy.
   • Mastitis- The mammary glands can get infected and swollen. This could be life threatening if not treated immediately.
   • Metritis- The tissue in the uterus gets infected after birth or after a miscarriage. This can be caused by retained decaying tissue from a deceased pup or a retained placenta.
   • Eclampsia- When a mother dog’s calcium is too low due to nursing the pups. This is a medical emergency and should be treated immediately.
   • Hemorrhage- Losing too much blood during whelping.
   • SIPS- Each pup has its own placenta, meaning there are multiple sites of placental attachment. If they do not heal properly, the mother will experience SIPS.
4. Raising a litter of puppies can bring stress to the mother. Some dogs handle this well and are natural mothers. Others need fewer litters as coping is more difficult for them.

Each time you choose to breed your female, consider the risks you are taking on. It is wise to avoid overbreeding as this is equivalent to “over gambling” your dog’s life and wellness.

Unexpected Dangers of Skipping a Cycle

Surprisingly, there are also risks associated with skipping the heat cycle altogether.

A dog’s reproduction system is designed to increase levels of hormones during the heat cycle, then maintain higher levels of hormones all through the pregnancy. The interesting part is that the hormones remain elevated even if the dog is not pregnant.

What does this mean for her body?

Your dog could have a false pregnancy- which is when the body “acts” pregnant although it is not, such as the nipples enlarging. Some dogs even produce milk although they are not pregnant. You can blame the hormones for that!

The scary part is that the risk of a pyometra increases in female whose heat cycle is skipped, especially in an older female.

The hormonal changes cause her uterus to fill with fluid and tissue buildup, as it would in a pregnancy. But these changes aren’t doing a job like they would during an actual pregnancy.

The stagnant fluid and unnecessary tissue turn to pus and infection. This is life threatening and often results in the female being spayed in an attempt to save her life.

A responsible dog owner will breed a reasonable number of litters and then spay the female to prevent unnecessary risks.

As a bonus, this also protects the female from unintentional breeding accidents and unplanned litters.

Overpopulation Crisis

Worldwide, the population of dogs and puppies is too large for the number of loving and caring families to support. This is a problem- resulting in dogs in the shelters or without homes.

Why continue breeding at all?

That is an important question that every breeder should ask themselves. The fact is, if you don’t have a good answer to this question, you should stop breeding.

Your pairings need to improve the breed. That is the only reason to breed and the only way to combat the rise of backyard breeding and puppy mills.

Producing quality puppies will solve the reasons that dogs are sent to the shelter.

1. A responsible breeder educates families and helps them adopt the perfect pet for their home, making life-long partnerships. Read here for How to Match the Right Puppy to His Forever Family. Also check out our Complete Bundle of Dog Breeder Forms- Intended to Share with Your Customers.
2. Healthy dogs produce healthy pups, eliminating or decreasing genetic problems.
3. Puppies who are raised well have sound temperaments. Learn more at Quality Life through Early Neurological Stimulation
4. Loving breeders accept responsibility for the pups that they produce for the entirety of the dog’s life. That means if a family must give up the dog 5 years later, the breeder will accept the dog back. This prevents the dog from going to the shelter.

A responsible breeder follows best practices, which protect her puppies from the shelter.

She also considers the demand for a litter BEFORE breeding the parents, which ensures that the pups will find great homes, even if this decreases her paycheck.

Many breeders only move forward with a pairing if they have a waitlist of screened families who are waiting for these puppies!

If you are ethical, the market might determine that you should breed a female fewer times than you had planned. Always keep the wellbeing of the dog and the breed as a higher priority than the money.

My Female’s Age

It’s not just the number of litters that counts but also the female’s age.

A female should not be bred before 2 years old or on her first heat cycle. Upon the completion of her first heat cycle, her body has fully matured physically. Her mind may still be maturing up to 2 years old, when she is officially considered an adult.

Breeding before 2 years old is the equivalent of a teen mom. Due to inexperience, they don’t tend to raise puppies well. Waiting is much better for you, the puppies, and the mother.

Around 6 years of age, the dog’s reproduction system tends to struggle more. Births are more complicated, miscarriages are more common, everything is more difficult on mommas and puppies… and on you as the breeder.

The best age range to breed your dog is between 2 years old to 6 years old.

Tying It All Together

Let’s list the principles we have learned and tie it all together to answer our initial question: How many times should I breed my dog?

1. We, as dog breeders, can follow the wolf’s example by breeding only the best candidates- which will improve the breed.
2. Many dog breeders limit the number of litters to one per year- following the pattern of the wolves.
3. The wolves example has established a CAP- meaning the absolute most that a female could physically handle (6 litters in a lifetime)– but ethics may demand less.
4. Each time you choose to breed your female, consider the risks you are taking on. It is wise to avoid overbreeding as this is equivalent to “over gambling” your dog’s life and wellness.
5. A responsible dog owner will breed a reasonable number of litters and then spay the female to prevent unnecessary risks.
6. A responsible breeder follows best practices, which protect her puppies from the shelter.
7. She also considers the demand for a litter BEFORE breeding the parents, which ensures that the pups will find great homes, even if this decreases her paycheck. This is how a responsible breeder combats overpopulation.
8. The best age range to breed your dog is between 2 years old to 6 years old.

Applying all of this knowledge, I recommend the following breeding pattern:

Carefully assess which females to breed in order to find the best candidates. Many females should not be bred at all.

For top notch females, begin breeding at 2 years old, after the first heat cycle.

Breed once per year, raising one litter per year. Before each litter, consider the demand for the puppies before breeding (this is one way to combat overpopulation).

In order to comply with all ethics, limit each female to 4 total litters in her lifetime. Observe each female’s recovery during and after each litter to determine if she is emotionally and physically healthy enough for another litter. Some females may have 0, 1, 2, or 3 litters based on their needs.

Spay the female after her 4th litter (or whatever number is best for her) to avoid risks.

Always use best practices in raising puppies in order to produce quality puppies.