How Old Should A Male Labrador Be To Start Breeding?

[Just love my dogs!]

Hi All

I'm hoping someone can answer this question:

How old should a male labrador be before he starts breeding?

Thanks

[Gigit]

Hi All

I'm hoping someone can answer this question:

How old should a male labrador be before he starts breeding?

Thanks

I think the ANKC have not long posted the legal ages for breeding most breeds. Check out their website.

[Kostalot]

Hi There is no minimum age, however to register puppies, both parents must be hip and elbow xray'd and scored and the scores submitted to your controlling body. This cannot be done prior to 12 months of age. Hope this helps.

[ellabella]

Hi All

I'm hoping someone can answer this question:

How old should a male labrador be before he starts breeding?

Thanks

I think the ANKC have not long posted the legal ages for breeding most breeds. Check out their website.

[ellabella]

Hi All

I'm hoping someone can answer this question:

How old should a male labrador be before he starts breeding?

Thanks

I think the ANKC have not long posted the legal ages for breeding most breeds. Check out their website.

[MissMonaro]

Hi There is no minimum age, however to register puppies, both parents must be hip and elbow xray'd and scored and the scores submitted to your controlling body. This cannot be done prior to 12 months of age. Hope this helps.

This is correct.

I think you will find that males can be used from 9 months and bitches from 12 months - HOWEVER - as Labradors have to be hip and elbow scored prior to mating, this is not done until 12 months of age and even then I wouldnt breed a bitch that young anyway.

[Just love my dogs!]

Hi There is no minimum age, however to register puppies, both parents must be hip and elbow xray'd and scored and the scores submitted to your controlling body. This cannot be done prior to 12 months of age. Hope this helps.

This is correct.

I think you will find that males can be used from 9 months and bitches from 12 months - HOWEVER - as Labradors have to be hip and elbow scored prior to mating, this is not done until 12 months of age and even then I wouldnt breed a bitch that young anyway.

Ok. Thank you I wasn't sure if you should wait 2 years or not My boy is now 14 months old so it sounds like he's old enough to have his hips and elbows x-rayed and his eyes tested.

[sandgrubber]

In theory you could use a boy at 8 months if you wanted to take a risk on the hip and elbow scores. The hip and elbow scores must be registered before the litter is registered, but that's usually four months after the mating. Given that Lab standards only require that hip and elbow scores are on file, rather than have them be of some standard, you'd still be able to register the litter if the scores came back bad. But in my experience, you'd have to be a pretty good studmaster to get a successful mating out an 8 mo old dog.

Personally, I don't like to use a dog younger than 2 yrs, and I prefer to use an old boy who is tried and true. Using an older dog makes sure you see how the dog matures and whether any mid-life problems are apparent, and it avoids the bandwagon of everyone using such and such a dog cause he showed brilliantly in the National (or whatever), only to find out that he has some unfortunate tendency (throws bad mouths, poor temperament, yadda, yadda yadda).

Edited May 9, 2010 by sandgrubber