Can my 13-year-old male Dalmatian still breed with a young female?

Hi from across the pond! Thank you for your question. While there is no exact age to stop mating, it is generally recommended the have their semen analyzed on a regular basis to ensure good sperm quality and quantity. Sometimes these factors can decrease as dogs get older. Hope this has helped!

Yes she could be pregnant as males can be fertile at 5 months of age. She can carry a litter of pups, but her pelvis may be too narrow to give birth normally. Best is to discuss this with your vet who can do xrays of the pelvis and determine whether it will be possible for her to give birth without needing a cesarian section. If you do not want her to have pups and do not want the risk in the future I suggest you have her spayed.

IT is not uncommon for older bitches that have not been neutered to go in pup - it is possible she was previously too dominant to accept mating by the local males and her social standing is different with the new male or she may have very irregular or infrequent heat cycles. Be sure to closely monitor her for any evidence of twitching, confusion or seizures over the next 3-4weeks as older nursing mothers are more prone to low blood sugar and low blood calcium levels. Start to feed the pups from 14days of age in order to reduce the burden on her energy reserves

At her age, she should no longer be having puppies. It is to much of a strain on an older dog. That does not mean, however, that she couldn't get bred by a male! I would consider having her spayed for safety as well as her general health.

Yes, intercourse is possible between these two breeds, no matter age or size. The only way to prevent this is to keep them completely separate from each other, with no way to get to each other or to have at least one spayed or neutered.

Anecdotally speaking seven years seems a bit old to start a dog breeding. As they get older they tend to have problems such as difficult labor's, uterine infections as well as eclampsia. If you really want to breed your dog I recommend you discuss with your veterinarian risks specific to your dog as well as what male you would be breeding her to as that could affect her ability to have puppies naturally.

If Lilly is not spayed it is possible she could become pregnant if the two dogs were alone together at any point. If you suspect a pregnancy, you can have it confirmed with an ultrasound at the vet’s office. Please feel free to ask any further questions here on the forum. Happy to help!