Breeding Older Bitches

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346 – The Annual, 2023-24

By William Given

She is the kind of bitch every breeder loves to have around the house. She is correctly constructed, very attractive and is a great mover. She has a pleasing personality and excellent ring manners. She also possesses an amazing ability to produce superior puppies and she is a great mother. The problem is, she is not getting any younger, and so her fertility is not what it once was. Fortunately, good breeding management practices and veterinary advancements can help.

Due to pedigree, show win record and history of producing outstanding puppies, some older bitches are quite valuable. They have a history of consistently passing on their superior conformation and temperament to their offspring. Until it is very clear that these bitches are done, owners may opt to try for one last litter. For that exceptional senior bitch, leading edge services add to the breeder’s reproductive options when breeding older bitches.

From ages 3 to 6 years, a bitch is in her reproductive prime. Then, somewhere between 6 and 12 years of age, her fertility starts to decline. The older a bitch gets, the steeper the decline becomes. Of course, every bitch is an individual with her own unique health history and genetic tendencies.

Are you considering breeding an older bitch? Why does a bitch’s fertility decline with age, and what can be done about it? There are steps, some simple, some leading edge, that breeders can take to obtain a litter from a bitch with waning fertility.

Old Oocytes

Click here to read the complete article
346 – The Annual, 2023-24

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Posted by AnthonyA on Jan 23 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.