At what age can my westie have her first litter?

[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

[moosmom]

From what I know, you should let her go into heat once before you mate her. WHY you want to breed her is beyond me, since there are SOOOO many unwanted pups desperately needing homes.

[buttercup132]

Why are you breeding her?

I would say not age I'm against breeding as are most people on here....get her spayed is the best if you want a puppy go to the shelter I'm sure theres either a Westie rescue near you or I'm sure you could find one in a shelter.
I suggest you watch this video its the link on the first post..
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=99111
Theres also this thread
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...nvincing+breed

Please dont breed her theres enough purebreds that are homless dont add to the number
Theres also this wich is very true
10) You like the idea of having a house overrun by dogs you were unable to sell.

9) You'd rather spend all your money on dog bills than buy that new faux fur coat/build the new house addition/get that new car/buy a boat, etc.

8) You get to spend all your spare time at the vet's office.

7) Making enemies with the neighbors is a big priority on your list of things to do.

6) You never wanted a yard with grass anyway--mud is so much more stylish.

5) Staying up all night bottle-feeding sick/orphaned/bitch-rejected puppies is your idea of a good time.

4) You savor the idea of having to explain to the kids why Fifi didn't come home after that one-way trip to the veterinarian during labor complications.

3) It will be fun watching the kids' expressions when you tell them that all the puppies they were so enthusiastically looking forward to having, died.

2) Chewed-up furniture, peed-on rugs, and fur everywhere is THE new "look" in home fashion.

And the number one reason to breed your dog is......

1) Adding to the huge number of genetically inferior/homeless/euthanized dogs is something you've always wanted to do.

[caseysmom]

I am assuming from your question that you know next to nothing about breeding, please have your dog spayed. Unless you are a responsible breeder you should not be doing this. You would be a back yard breeder.

You will hear a lot more from others on this board, most of us feel pretty strongly about this subject.

[IRescue452]

2-3 years is best I believe, why would you want to breed your dog. Do you know the risks? Do you know all the steps for breeding, the health tests, the money you need to set aside for complications? After all the research you'll find you are doing yourself and your puppy a favor by not breeding.

[lv4dogs]

From what I know, you should let her go into heat once before you mate her. WHY you want to breed her is beyond me, since there are SOOOO many unwanted pups desperately needing homes.

ACtually they should go through at least 2-3 heats, they should be at least 2 years of age before they are bred.
BUT you should ONLY breed to improve the breed. Both parents (and preferably further back in the lines) should all have complete health tests to make sure their eyes & joints are stable & ok and have no genetic diseases that may be passed on down the road (like diabetes, allergies, etc... etc...) the parents should also have titles to prove they are a great specimin of the breed.

Can I ask why you want to breed her?

[k9krazee]

Hello! Welcome to PT.

May I ask WHY you want to breed your Westie?? We believe that the only people that should breed dogs are those that are doing it to BETTER the breed, show their dogs, have completed the health testing, have homes lined up WELL in advance, etc.

Please do not breed your dog There are 105 Westies currently on petfinder that need homes. And for every dog you sell, that is one more dog out there in shelters that has to die. Please reconsider!!

[kb2yjx]

Ditto to ALL the above posts!!! There are THOUSANDS of cats and dogs being put to sleep EVERY DAY in the US because there not enough homes!!! Save lives, please have your dog spayed!!!

[moosmom]

lv4dogs,

Thanks, I stand corrected.

Why DO you want to breed??? That was my first question.

[Suki Wingy]

DISCLAIMER: Since you posted very little info, I have to make assumptions.
I'm guessing she's not show quality because you would have asked your breeder that first. Since you didn't, and you are thinking about it, then that probably means that she's not from a reputable breeder. A responsible breeder would have spayed all the pet quality puppies. Because she's from that type of lines, chances are she'll pass on some sort of disorder, even though she might not show it, or there will be a complication durring pregnancy or birth, in which case you might loose all or some puppies, or even your precious bitch.
The tests to make sure she doesn't (as well as the sire) have any problems that might cause death/complications durring birth or pregnancy are very expensive. Plus C-sections and after birth care can get VERY expensive.
Additionally, letting your bitch come into heat increases the chance of reproduction-relacted cancer, which are also very high.
Finally, breeding dogs carelessly quickly leaves a trail of destruction that we then have to dedicate our time and money to save.
*Only breed if you have a goal in mind as to what you will make better, whether for show or work. (Not to many westies actually work going to ground nowadays)

[kimboe]

Get her spayed. Please

[critter crazy]

DITTO TO ALL THE ABOVE!!!!! SPAY YOUR DOG AND GET A RESCUE!!!!!!!

[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.

In addition, each pure breed of dogs has its own particular hereditary problems; some minor, some impairing, and some possibly fatal. Some may show a very strong hereditary basis and others not much more than a tendency to "run in families." The Westie is no exception. Failure to screen for hereditary problems before breeding often results in the "doubling up" of unfavorable genes, and the results are distressing for the buyer and dog alike.

- The West Highland White Terrier Club of America

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.

[lute]

don't even consider breeding her unless you do what's lited below!!!...

wait till she's 2-4yrs old.
genetic tests
vet check-up
shots up to date
register her
find a REPUTABLE breeder that has a nice male that contridicts your westie's faults.
show her in conformation, agility, obiediance, etc.
make sure you have homes for ALL the pups when they are ready to go to their new homes
take back the pups when
be ready to take back the pups if their homes don't work out.
have PLENTY of money stashed away for stuff for the pups such as shots, food, emergancy kit, vet care, etc

i've forgot some of it, but it takes A LOT to have a succesful, healthy litter.

oh, if you just have a cute little pet you want to breed....DON'T BREED HER!!!!!!!
if you still want to breed your "pet" go visit a humane society and just know that a lot of those puppies won't make it out of there alive just becase there are no homes for them....and if you breed you will be adding to this.

if you want cute pups running about your house become a foster parent to a animal shelter or rescue(even a westie rescue). you'll be litterally saving lives.

[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.