When you first start out as a breeder, there are often a lot of questions about when is the best time to breed a Goldendoodle with another. If you are questioning when the best age to start the breeding process with your new dog, I can help you with that answer.
So, what is the best age to breed a Goldendoodle? For Goldendoodles that haven’t been bred before, the optimal age for breeding is when they reach the age of 2 to 3 years. Factors such as size, health, and temperament of the Doodle will help determine this age. If you start breeding females at age 2, you’ll be able to breed several times.
When we’re dealing with when to breed dogs, it’s vital for any dog that you start at the right age, and also really consider the health of the female. Starting when she’s too old or too young can lead to dangerous complications.
What Is The Best Age to Breed a Goldendoodle?
A Doodles’ best time to be bred for the first time should be when the female is between 2 – 3 years old. The males’ first breeding time should also be when he is around 2 years old.
Goldendoodles are beautiful and loving dogs, and it’s not exactly a surprise that they have gotten in such high demand. If you own a Doodle and you are thinking about breeding it, probably the most essential thing to know of is that you make sure you don’t try until it’s the right time.
Waiting for too long or beginning too early can end up causing many issues to the female.
Breeding takes quite a bit of knowledge and isn’t something you should just do on a whim. It will make a world of difference for both you and your Doodle if you actually know what you are doing before you attempt to breed a younger pup.
When you’re breeding dogs, you’re supposed to attempt to improve a breed, so reproducing should only be done if both the female and male are in their best possible health.
If you aren’t totally familiar with how breeding should be done, you can find a lot of information online. The American Kennel Club is the best source of information when it comes to breeding, click this link to learn more.
Make sure you get all the paperwork ready, and then it’s really up to you as the breeder to have confidence in the task you’re undertaking, especially when it comes to breeding your female or male Doodle at the correct time (and with the correct methods). And once all these things are accomplished in the correct manner, you can look forward to a litter of healthy and adorable little fuzzy puppies.
RELATED ARTICLE: HOW LONG DO DOODLES STAY IN HEAT
Why is This Age the Best
It takes quite a lot of preparation when you’re planning to breed a new litter. And if you own a female that you are planning to breed, 2 years old is not only a good age to start, it is also the absolute earliest you should begin.
At the age of 2 years old, a female dog is at a normal sexual age, while also being mentally mature enough to be able to handle a pregnancy. Male dogs have developed enough at age 2 so that you can double-check if they have the best possible genes you are interested in passing on.
When a female reaches the age of 2 or 3, she has experienced a few heats throughout her life and will be more used to the feelings that follow that period. She will also have reached her full height and weight.
Being more physically developed is very important before attempting to breed. A dog at 2 years old also has the same mental maturity is that of an adult, so pregnancy and becoming a mother will be easier for her than if she was still just a puppy.
A Female dog that have her first puppies after the age of 2 years old are more mature and better prepared to nurture their pups.
And if a dog is only between 2 or 3 years old for her first litter, it also means that there is still a lot of time to breed her more than once before she will become too old. This is another important reason for not to push or rush the dog to having to quickly breed again after having delivered her first-ever litter.
There are many people who prefer to wait until the female Doodle is a bit more mature, and at the age of 3, there is still plenty of time for a dog to have her first puppy litter.
From ages 3 to 5 years old, a female dog is also more likely to have a larger number of puppies, and that is also something that many breeders take into consideration before breeding.
When we’re dealing with a male dog, waiting until after the age of 2, is not as much about the reproduction process, but more about the health of the litter. It is a lot easier to tell if a male dog will have any health issues, such as hip dysplasia, to give to his offspring, after he is more than 2 years old.
A goal with breeding is to produce a better breed of dogs, so if the male and female aren’t both in the best possible health, any breeding should really not be considered at all.
Why Breeding Too Early Can Be Harmful
If you begin breeding when the female is still too young, it can be quite dangerous to your females’ health. While most Goldendoodles will typically go into their first heat phase when they are around 6 months old, they shouldn’t be bred until they are at least two.
Just because you can start breeding earlier, it certainly doesn’t mean that it should. If you begin breeding too early, it can result in problems for the female as she usually won’t be fully developed and it can also cause health issues for the puppies.
There is an increased risk of your dog having to need a C-section if she isn’t 2 years old at the time of breeding, due to her not being completely developed.
If your female Goldendoodle experiences her first pregnancy as being difficult due to young age, she might never be able to have another litter of healthy puppies later on. And rushing a dog will not only make it so she might not be able to breed again, but it can also end up severely hurting her health
The reason why a male should be bred when he’s around 2, is to ensure that he doesn’t have any bad genes that he might pass on to the litter, but also make sure he has some desirable traits for a new batch of Goldendoodles.
The temper is another thing that any breeder will have to be aware of. A male Goldendoodle who is overly-aggressive is not a good breeding prospect. As I previously mentioned, the reason for breeding is to make a better breed. Goldendoodles are generally known to be very loveable dogs with a lot of energy, but if the dog is 2 years old, any bad traits will usually have shown themselves.
Why Breeding Too Old Can be an Issue
If you begin breeding when the female is too old it can be really hard on her, but it’s not all that serious for a male. A female Goldendoodle who has never previously reproduced until they are over the age of 6 are at a much higher risk of having complications during the pregnancy.
This is the same situation with humans where older women can face some scary statistics when they get pregnant.
And while it certainly is possible that everything will go smoothly, there is certainly a higher risk when it comes to older Goldendoodle trying to have puppies, especially if it’s something they have never experienced before.
These risks include but aren’t limited to:
- C-section necessary
- Miscarriage
- Female not going into labor – which can be fatal to both the mother and her puppies
- Stillborn puppies
How to Prepare Your Goldendoodle When it’s Time
When it’s time to prepare your Goldendoodle for breeding for the first time, there are some preparations that will have to be made a long time in advance, and not just when your Doodle around 2 years old.
Probably the most important thing you should do is to get your dog, female or male, socialized with other dogs. If you have a Goldendoodle that’s properly accustomed to other dogs, it will make the mating session a whole lot easier. And socialization isn’t just something you should start doing a few weeks before the first breeding. It takes months and years, so start as soon as you bring the pup home!
Keep records of your female Goldendoodles’ heats. If she is regular, you will be able to find the correct time to introduce the stud and avoid wasting any money on mating that can’t possibly result in pregnancy.
Getting a Goldendoodle socialized around and with other dogs will make the entire breeding process a whole lot easier to handle.
If you have a female Goldendoodle, you should get an experienced stud. Your dog won’t really know exactly what she’s doing the first time and if the male is inexperienced and doesn’t know either, there’s a high probability that things won’t go all that well.
If you’re the owner of a male Goldendoodle, make sure that you create an environment where he doesn’t feel emasculated, as that definitely won’t help to make the process easier.
Young Goldendoodle who have never been in such as situation before, won’t be packed with a whole lot of confidence, so following just a few of these tips, will give it a much better chance of making a litter for the first time. But don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen the first time you try. Nature works in a mysterious way.
Just remember to always put the health of the female Goldendoodle before your need for having a litter. And some females might benefit a lot by waiting a little bit longer than other dogs. Don’t breed them when they are too young, and don’t wait too long until the female has gotten too old either.
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