At what age can my westie have her first litter?

You should do YEARS of research before you attempt to breed a dog. And before breeding your own, how about assist a local REPUTABLE breeder in breeding so you have some experience and see how it's done?

You wouldn't believe how expensive it is to raise a litter. And almost no profit is made at all, if any.

I suggest you tell your friends and family to look into local rescues and shelters to find a Westie or a Westie mix.

"Why breed and buy while shelter dogs die?"

Why do the people you know want a Westie?? Do they know anything about the breed? I would reccomend not breeding her since you obviously did not get her from a responisble breeding. Which means you do not have a clue what she could be carrying and passing on to her puppies since her parents probably were not health tested...and I doubt you're going to test your girl. If you did get her from a responsible breeder, the breeder would be making plans to breed her, not you. I really hope you reconsider!

I always waited until they were 3,I would think long and hard before making a big decision like that!I still have 2 cats from my cats litter from June 2005 it aint always easy finding homes!

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Originally Posted by lucyloo55

the reason I would like to breed her is because I have members of my family and a few people I know who really want a westie.

The reason I posted the question on here is because I want to do it properly and in an informed manner.

I have never had a dog who has had pups in my entire life and this is why I would be a novice at this but I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

I really can not stand people who always think the worst of people before knowing any facts.

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Ok first,Have you thought about "What can go wrong" Some females just cannot handle delivering a good friend of mine lost one of her top dogs who had already had 3 litters,Have you thought about Cost?Have you thought about the 8 weeks ahead of having puppies overwhelm your home.I am not against breeding at all i bred German Shepherds but,you need to think things over!!

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Originally Posted by lucyloo55

the reason I would like to breed her is because I have members of my family and a few people I know who really want a westie.

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Have you had extensive and expensive tests run so that you know she is the best possible Westie to breed? I'm certain you wouldn't want to pass on unfavorable traits and diseases to family and friends who may very well breed those puppies and continue to pass on those traits. If you have had those tests run on the mother and father then I apologize for what I'm about to type. You have given us VERY little information and I suspect you of being a back yard breeder.

Tell your family and friends that there are plenty of people the breed Westies ONLY to better the breed or to go to a shelter. There are many too many dogs getting put down for the reasons you mentioned for breeding.

I think you are on the wrong site. You might want to go on Google and type in “irresponsible breeding.” While you’re at it you might want to look up all the homeless puppy and dog faces that you personally are just adding to for no good reason. So many dogs are euthanized because of people like you. I only hope you can make better choices with other life decisions since you SEEM to be taking this too lightly.

Again, if you have two PERFECT Westies then I apologize.

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Originally Posted by lucyloo55

I have never had a dog who has had pups in my entire life and this is why I would be a novice at this but I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

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Start somewhere!?! I can't imagine how many dogs will be put down if you decide to breed irresponsibly over the years. Unbelievable! :mad:


Like I posted before, I'm jumping to this because of the information she gave us. If she has done all the genetic testing and waits until the pup is of age then I will very much apologize. I really don't think that's going to be the case. I hate when people do things without realizing the consequences for their actions.

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Originally Posted by lucyloo55

the reason I would like to breed her is because I have members of my family and a few people I know who really want a westie.

The reason I posted the question on here is because I want to do it properly and in an informed manner.

I have never had a dog who has had pups in my entire life and this is why I would be a novice at this but I guess everybody has to start somewhere.

I really can not stand people who always think the worst of people before knowing any facts.

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if someone you knwo wants a westie, help them find a REPUTABLE breeder or rescue. this is a much better thing to do!

believe it or not we are not thinking the worst of you. we've had way too many people come here asking the same question. we are looking out for the well being of your dog. it's not that we don't know the facts, we just know what happends to people that want to breed their "pet".

i understand your intention of wanting to do this right, but honestly the best way to do it is to NOT do it at all.

"everyone has to start somewhere" WTF?! this is just a foolish and stupid thing to say.

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Originally Posted by lucyloo55

I want her to have one litter of pups and the thing is that I get 6 weeks holiday in the summer every year so I hope to be able to time it so that she has her pups in that time.
She is only 8 months old at present. What age will she be able to have pups??
Thanks

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There are 105 westies listed on petfinder today alone, maybe your ppl would like to adopt as these dogs are in danger of dying.

Best thing you could do is spay your dog, having litters of puppies are all well and good until something goes wrong and you are face with a $2000 vets bill or losing your dog and the puppies. Westie do have a lot of problems birthing then you should run a full screen of tests before breeding add another 500 so it goes on .

Don't Litter adopt a shelter dog.

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Originally Posted by flip195

There are 105 westies listed on petfinder today alone, maybe your ppl would like to adopt as these dogs are in danger of dying.

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if she still breeds her dog after knowing there are this many homeless westies(a breed she wants to breed) that are in danger of peing killed, she's heartless. :(

Please Get Her Spayed And Adopt A Dog From A Shelter. There Are Plenty Of Them Needing Homes Already!!

If improperly bred, these dogs will be a nuisance and very bad. They will have behavioral problems and health problems. The members of your family should just buy from a certifeid breeder with years of expeirce.

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

You should do YEARS of research before you attempt to breed a dog. And before breeding your own, how about assist a local REPUTABLE breeder in breeding so you have some experience and see how it's done?

You wouldn't believe how expensive it is to raise a litter. And almost no profit is made at all, if any.

I suggest you tell your friends and family to look into local rescues and shelters to find a Westie or a Westie mix.

"Why breed and buy while shelter dogs die?"

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well said, Jess.

Arghhhh!! :mad: :( PLEASE GET YOUR DOG SPAYED! It not healthy for a dog to have puppies..... IMO. She'll live longer, stay healthier, and mnay other good things will happen if you spay your dog.
PLEASE SPAY YOUR DOG!!

Hey there, I won't bash you, don't worry :) I'm not going to scream SPAY YOUR DOG at you, don't worry. What I will do is try to set you off in the right direction. You obviously have a passion for your dog and puppies alike. That, however, is not reason enough to breed. I don't have the heart to type it all again, but I don't think you *read* my previous post. So here it is again in all its glory :p

(I boldened the parts that will help you go about your breeding in a proper and well informed manner)

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Originally Posted by Giselle

Because a friend of mine wanted a Westie, I know that this breed in particular seems to be more susceptible to allergies, bladder cancer, luxating patellas, and eye problems.


http://www.westieclubamerica.com/health/concerns.html

As you can see, there are a wide range of diseases that the Westie, in particular, is prone to. It's up to you the owner to avoid these health maladies. The best way is to screen your dog via blood tests, Optigen ( http://www.optigen.com/), OFA (http://www.offa.org/), PennHip (http://www.pennhip.org/), CERF (http://www.vmdb.org/cerf.html). It should be worthy to note that your dog must be around 2 years to have successfully screened and passed her patellas and hips. So to answer your initial question, you'll have to wait a couple years for those puppies.

If your b*tch passes all these tests, congratulations! You have a very nice healthy foundation for a successful breeding program. Now it's just time to evaluate why you want to breed. In order to "prove" your dog can help improve the breed, you'll need to enter her in either field trials or conformation shows. Or maybe she excells at an entirely different event completely. The point is that she brings something new to the table. She needs physical proof that she can help better the breed, whether it be through her fantastic conformation or her strong work ethic. Being "cute" and "sweet" simply is not enough in this overpopulated world. I truly hope this gave you something to chew on. If you're still interested in breeding, pair up with a REPUTABLE breeder and see if they would like to mentor you. Chances are you'll have to wait a couple months/years to get your hands on a good foundation b*tch, and you'll have to wait even longer to acquire the semen of a good stud dog. For starters, you can attend a local dog show and talk to the Westie breeders or visit: http://www.westieclubamerica.com/teamwestie/rrc.html

Breeding isn't a six-week venture. It's a life-long dedication to the breed.

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Yup! Everything is in bold. Please do read it all.
As well, if your family members want a Westie, please advise them that despite their fluffy, white image, they are TERRIERS at heart. They dig. They bark. They fight. And, boy, are they feisty. Terriers (Westies, included) are notorious for starting dog fights. As such, your family and friends need to enroll the Westie puppy in obedience and socialization classes.

If you want help on finding a mentor, just PM me. I and many others on here have the proper resources to point in the right direction. It would be wise, however, to consider spaying your b*tch and apprenticing under another breeder. I sincerely hope you choose this option.

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Originally Posted by Giselle

Hey there, I won't bash you, don't worry :) I'm not going to scream SPAY YOUR DOG at you, don't worry. What I will do is try to set you off in the right direction. You obviously have a passion for your dog and puppies alike. That, however, is not reason enough to breed. I don't have the heart to type it all again, but I don't think you *read* my previous post. So here it is again in all its glory :p

(I boldened the parts that will help you go about your breeding in a proper and well informed manner)

Yup! Everything is in bold. Please do read it all.
As well, if your family members want a Westie, please advise them that despite their fluffy, white image, they are TERRIERS at heart. They dig. They bark. They fight. And, boy, are they feisty. Terriers (Westies, included) are notorious for starting dog fights. As such, your family and friends need to enroll the Westie puppy in obedience and socialization classes.

If you want help on finding a mentor, just PM me. I and many others on here have the proper resources to point in the right direction. It would be wise, however, to consider spaying your b*tch and apprenticing under another breeder. I sincerely hope you choose this option.

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VERY well put! :)