Is my 10-month-old German Shepherd old enough to sire puppies?

It's not recommended to mate a male dog until he is at least two years of age. That's because large breed dogs can take up to 15 months to be sexually mature, and at two years of age, the dog will be fully mature both physically and emotionally. I would wait until Bruno is two years of age before mating him.

Bruno won't be fully mature physically and emotionally until he is at least 18 months to two years of age. That's because large breed dogs mature slower than the smaller breeds of dogs. But that doesn't mean you can't get a puppy now, and I would recommend having Bruno neutered before getting another dog. Unneutered dogs can and do become very territorial and aggressive when intact dogs enter their home, and that can cause a lot of problems for you to deal with daily. In addition, if you get a female, this can lead to unwanted puppies when she goes into heat. GSDs are a very active breed, and if you have the time and energy to give both dogs all the exercise, attention, and training they need, there is no reason why you can't get another GSD.

Large dogs such as Tasha often do not come into heat until 10-15 months old so I'm not concerned yet. I like to have them be at least two years old and have their hips checked with an X-ray for hip dysplasia before breeding. German Shepard Dogs can have bad hips that can be passed on to the puppies so I always want to make sure both parents have good hips before breeding. Generally I recommend the female dog only have one to two litters as having puppies and raising them is a lot of work for her, and you too! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Tasha.

It's never recommended to mate a female dog older than six years of age due to the increased difficulty of giving birth. I would wait another week, then take Sydney into the vet for a blood test to look for the hormone relaxin. If that is present, then she is pregnant. Should she be pregnant, you can have her spayed to terminate the pregnancy and prevent any future pregnancies. Spaying her would also prevent her from developing a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus. If you do decide to keep the pregnancy, then I would work closely with your vet during her pregnancy so that any problems are identified quickly. You should also be prepared both emotionally and financially for the possibility of her needing a c section to give birth safely. I hope this helps!

Hi, and thanks for your request. Yes your feeling is absolutely right! He has still about 15 to 25 pounds to put on!! Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Ideally, she should not be bred until she is at least 2 years old. This will ensure she is fully develop and able to maintain and whelp a litter. It is likely you will not be able to complete any genetic testing or infectious disease testing on her and any potential stud before she is no longer receptive. A complete exam with your veterinarian if there are concerns about her current growth/condition.

I typically recommend that female dogs are spayed before they go into their first heat. With a German Shepherd being a larger breed, that can be closer to 12 months of age. I would spay Casper before that time. It is never recommended to breed a dog on their first heat, so no, I would not let her have litter first. Best of luck, I hope this helps!