Breeding Labradors..?

Around nine months or depending if they are full grown.

bY; cLiXeR

There is absolutely no good age to breed labs. It never ceases to amaze me the inability of some people to understand what moral responsibility is.

I know from your question you dont care about the 17,964 homeless labs that are listed on Petfinder right now, and thats the ones who are still alive, now that it is the end of the day, but dont even try to tell us you are not a backyard breeder. If you werent a byb you wouldnt even be considering breeding after seeing that staggeringly huge number.

I wonder how many of them are puppies who were going to stay in the family. Do you even know how large lab litters usually are?

Labradors and Pit Bulls are the most common dogs in shelter across the U.S. They are overbred by bad backyard breeders and puppy millers due to their popularity as a breed. Unfortunately, those cute little puppies turn into 60-80 balls of energy who act like puppies well into their adult years. So very often around the age of 1-2, labs end up as strays or surrendered at Animal Shelters because that 75 lb puppy isn't as cute as it was when it was 12 weeks old.

No dog should be bred before the age of 2 or prior to their second heat. Because labs are prone to elbow and hip dysplasia and kidney and eye problems, no lab (male or female) should be bred before having the necessary health certifications required by the OFA (including double negatives on hips). Additionally a dog should not be bred unless it is determined to be of breeding stock based on their show or field titles.

Additionally you need to consider much more than just what age to breed. You need to consider the veterinary costs of mom, dad, and the puppies (including deworming, dew claw removal, puppy shots) as well as food, providing shelter, and screening potential breeders. Done properly, you will not make money off labradors. People who want hunting dogs are going to pay thousands of dollars for them from a good bloodline, but for the average family, a lab at a shelter (for the steal of $50) is a much better family pet.

ADDED:

Why not love some shelter labs, give a home to an unwanted dog. Don't contribute to the pet overpopulation crisis. There is no excuse - you may love your dogs personality and want one just like her. Personality is not heritable. Things such as size and color are only predictable and not guaranteed.

You are a backyard breeder. Otherwise, you would know what it takes to breed your dogs.

ADDED:

I have no tolerance for people who breed their dogs especially when I have already seen 30 dogs come into our program this year (that's a dog a day) and seen lots of dogs that we can't take into our program be put to sleep. And this isn't just labs. When I go to evaluate a lab at a shelter, I don't want to leave the others behind, so along with my work with the lab rescue, I notify various other breed and non-brecific rescues to try to save some shelter dogs from euthanization.

I have a lab myself and I know what I looked for when I bought her...no matter what age, you need to make sure:

1) There are champion lines in the parent's pedigree

2) No history of hip dyplasia, eye problems, etc. - make sure all tests are done. Labs cannot be certified until 2 years of age for this (therefore, breeding should NOT occur until after 2 years!!!!)

3) Labs are overbreed to begin with - please do not add to the population unless you are prepared....

I love labs and I do not like to see BYB breeders put so many in the shelter!!!

Not trying to preach, but if you are asking for what age they should be breed, I highly doubt you are ready for 10 puppies!!!

No dogs should be bred under 2 years. Labs mature later than other dogs anyway. Your lab needs time for the body and mind to develop fully. Breeding a female before 2 years of age is too hard on the body because the body is still growing. And the girl is not mentally mature to be a mom before 2 years. She could reject the pups or eat them because she's freaked out.

And while you're waiting... get your have health clearances and championships to prove why your labs should breed.

Oh, please do not do this. There are so many being killed everyday in shelters. If you want Lab puppies there are plenty that need homes. I get emails daily about dogs in need and many of them are Labs.

It is so incredibly irresponsible to breed your dogs and yes, you would be a backyard breeder. Real breeders and the AKC need to start speaking out against people who want to breed for profit or on a lark.

Please do not do this.

They should never be bred younger then 2 years of age..in addition they need hips and elbows x-rayed and certified by OFA or PennHip and eyes tested by an opthamologist and CERF certified...this is VERY important for Labs since they have a high rate of hip & elbow dysplasia and eye problems.They also need to be evaluated to make sure they meet breed standard (this is important no matter if breeding to sell, show, hunt or just as a pet only)

Hi Kaycee, We rescue retrievers, and trust me when I tell you that there are plenty of them in the shelters that are purebreds to keep five local rescues nice and full. They are still dying in the shelters. With that in mind......if you are intending to be a respectable and responsible breeder: You will need to have an education in genetics in order to screen out some of the diseases and musculo-skeletal disorders that are commonly found in the retriever lines. You will also need to hip/elbow test your sires and dams, as well as the pups before sale. If any are positive for musculoskeletal problems, they should be spayed/neutered, so as to not bring any more dogs that have painful abnormalities into the world. You will need to OFA eye test your sires/dams and the pups before sale. If any are positive for ocular disease, they should be sterilized to prevent litters being born with hereditary ocular disease. You will need to register your sires and dams with AKC, and register each litter. Selling unregistered litters is a very good indication of people breeding for money, rather than love of the breed. You will need to commit to taking the dogs that you brought into the world back, at any time in their lifespan, no matter what the reason. Can you do this reliably? Are you willling to do this? Breeders that truly care about their dogs will. Warning.......breeding for the betterment of the breed will not cause a monetary gain, rather it will cause a monetary drain. If you are planning to breed for any other reason than to show or betterment of the breed, you are what is commonly known as a "backyard breeder". This is looked upon as a very greedy reason to breed by both humane people and responsible/reputable people, usually with a reason of "money" or unreportable income as the incentive. With all of the purebred labs dying in the shelters, it would be advisable and morally correct to carefully examine your reasons for breeding and bringing more dogs into the world.

2 years old is best.

If you don't know about the hips going back about 5 generations I would suggest having both dogs checked for hip displacia.

I knnow you said you were keeping the pups in the family but first htis can be very apinful to teh dogs as wellas some surgery is over $1000.

I'm just saying this for a peace of mine. Please don't get me the wrong way as one that is trying to preach to you.

Also just so you know my lab had 14 pups and htey all lived. I'm not sure if you realize they can have that many.

no dog should be bred BEFORE: 2 years of age, championship titles acquired, their hips, eyes, and elbows have been certified, they have been tested for std's, and they are both registered with a reputable kennel club (not the continental kennel club).

to do so otherwise is just irresponsible.

add- again, unless you follow certain steps PRIOR to breeding your dogs such as making sure they are free and clear of genetic diseases and finding out if they are worthy of being bred, you ARE back yard breeder and have no business breeding. it doesnt matter if you keep every single puppy or not.

You should wait unttil the female is on heat and make sure there are low chances of genetic diseases by speaking with a dog breeder