Deciding to breed your dog is a big decision and a choice that is taken after giving it a thought. However, before deciding, you need to know when can a male dog breed.
There are many things to consider, as breeding is not just getting money in exchange for producing cute puppies.
Moreover, you require detailed knowledge even if you have a purebred dog, like planning to start breeding at the proper age and the ways you can that your dog is ready to reproduce.
Hence, to learn when a male dog can breed and when he is prepared, let’s look at the details.
What Is The Actual Age Of A Male Fog To Start Breeding?
A male dog’s sexual maturity can develop at a different age depending on the breed.
However, most males can reproduce effectively by six months and reach complete sexual development between 12 and 15 months.
Due to higher maturity rates in smaller breeds than in larger breeds, a wide range is possible. Plus, male dogs can reproduce continuously and at any moment, even when they are very old.
The American Kennel Club guidelines and rules prohibit the registration of a litter whose sire (a term for healthy unneutered males) was either younger than seven months or older than 12 years at the time of mating unless additional paperwork is presented.
Male dogs are thought to be capable of having a litter at any time after reaching sexual maturity, even if they are still intact.
They are the most fertile at 12 to 15-month age and have the highest testosterone levels.
During this time, your dog might engage in activities like marking his territory with urine and roaming. These are standard traits of any unneutered male dog, but they are more prevalent at this age.
Ways To Confirm That Your Male Dog Is Ready To Breed
To determine if your male dog is ready for breeding, you should confirm his health, genetic traits, and his fertility.
Hence, you can establish that your male dog is ready to breed with the help of the following ways:
1. Make Sure Your Dog’s Age Is Appropriate For Breeding
Making sure your dog’s age is appropriate for it to start mating and breeding is essential to caution taken by dog parents. The standard age for male dogs to start breeding should be at least around 1 ½ to 2 years.
Moreover, it is suggested not to run multiple medical tests on a dog until he turns two years. Hence, it is helpful if your dog is two years and can breed healthily.
2. Get Your Dog’s Fertility Status Checked
Like humans, dogs can also experience infertility issues and difficulty with a low sperm count. Moreover, dogs can also face problems in breeding if their age is not suitable or have any disease or physical disorder.
Therefore, ensuring your dog is fertile and capable of mating with an ideal female dog for breeding is necessary.
Furthermore, you can take your dog to your regular vet to perform your dog’s fertility test to confirm that he’s fertile.
3. Confirm The Dog’s Fertility With Your Vet
When you are done running tests on your dog with the help of your vet, the vet will confirm your dog’s fertility.
Furthermore, if your dog has any fertility problems, go ahead with your vet’s suggestions. The vet will most likely tell you to wait a year or two more and get one more fertility test done when you think the dog is ready.
4. Get Your Dog’s Health Check-Up Done.
You should make sure your male dog is healthy before breeding him.
Ask your veterinarian to thoroughly examine your dog to look for conditions, including hip dysplasia and joint difficulties.
When your dog breeds with a female dog, you don’t want these health problems passed on to his pups, so you want to ensure your dog doesn’t have them.
5. Know Your Dog’s Genetic Traits
If your dog isn’t of a pure breed, you need to have genetic tests performed to determine its makeup.
Knowing your dog’s genetic traits in detail can make it easier for you to pair him with a suitable mate. Also, it obtains a decent understanding of the genetic structure of any babies he may produce.
A veterinarian or a trusted online testing firm can help you set up a genetic test. A dog swab sample must be provided for the genetic test to be completed.
6. Confirm the Breed Standards Of Your Dog
By studying the breed standard, check to see if your dog is a healthy representation of his breed. ?
To learn more about the qualities your dog has to have in order to breed, conduct some research on the breed through the national parent club.
Certain characteristics, such as a particular coat color or body shape, may be purely physical. Certain characteristics, like your dog’s attitude or disposition, may be behavioral.
What Kind Of Behavioral Consequences Occur When Don’t Neuter Your Dog?
It has been believed that dogs tend to get angry if their testosterone level rises. So, when you don’t neuter your dog, their testosterone level will rise higher, along with gradually rising aggression.
Both of the consequences can be dangerous as intact males are more likely to start fights with other male dogs and might start biting people.
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Conclusion
Knowing when can a male dog breed is better before you randomly allow your dog to breed. Multiple physical tests must be done before breeding, as your dog’s health is more important.
Also, breeding your dog is not as hard as it is thought to be. However, it should be done by ensuring both male and female dogs are safe.
Moreover, if you’re in doubt, you can consult your vet and confirm if your dog is ready to breed.
FAQs
A new sperm cell can be produced in around 60 days, and it takes an additional two weeks for it to mature.
Starting to cock its legs and showing more interest in dogs of the other gender are two signs that a male dog has entered puberty.
The probability of accidental breeding increases since dogs might get pregnant during their first estrous cycle.
The peak testosterone level in male dogs occurs between 6 and 12 months of age.
