Hi I have some questions about female GSDs.
We have never owned a girl before.
Ruby is 5 mnths. old now.

Here goes:

At what age is the best to have her fixed?

Should we let her have at least one litter before she gets fixed?
(I read that they make better PETS if they have one litter before fixing)

Is there anything else I should know about female GSDs?
Where can I research some more on them?
The book I have doesn't go into great detail on female GSDs.
Thanks so much! Mark Roland

i don't believe at all that they make better pets if they have one litter before being fixed.

breeding i can only imagine to be an absolute huge responsibility - taking care of the pups and finding them suitable, life-long homes. that's not easy. plus, what if it doesn't work out? would you be prepared to keep those puppies?

also, unless your dog has attributes that are so wonderful they need to be passed on - don't breed her. what would be the point? it's not contributing to the breed. (to be responsible i think you'd also have to wait until her hips/elbows could be certified).

edit to note: i have no experience w/breeding, but i do have experience w/rescue, and what happens when people aren't more responsible about breeding their animals, or allowing them to breed. that's where i'm coming from, but i really think a lot of the dogs that are bred should not have been.

 Quote: mark roland

Hi I have some questions about female GSDs.
We have never owned a girl before.
Ruby is 5 mnths. old now.

Here goes:

At what age is the best to have her fixed?

Most vets will do it any time after six months. In fact, once your dog hits six months old, your vet will probably start harrassing you to have it done. My personal opinion on this is that they should be spayed once they stop growing. (about 12 months old)

 Quote: mark roland

Should we let her have at least one litter before she gets fixed?
(I read that they make better PETS if they have one litter before fixing)

My first reaction here was to be trite ("are you kidding"?)... but then I realized that you are serious. Please, tell me where you read this. Not only is it preposterous, but that exact line of thought is one of the reasons why over seven million dogs are killed every year in the United States. There are more dogs than good homes. Did you know that only one out of seven dogs stays in the same home from age 8 weeks until death?

It is sometimes hard to understand the time, work, research, knowledge and commitment it takes to raise a litter of puppies. That is why the breeders who do it RIGHT, charge $1800 for a puppy (like Ed and Cindy).

Unless you are set up to be a breeder, and have a basic knowledge of veterinary medicine, canine inheritance and genetics, behaviour, nutrition and development, the risks to your dog (and the pups - many times pups do not make it) NOT TO MENTION the right facilities, PLEASE do not even CONSIDER breeding your dog. There are WAY too many poorly bred, poorly raised, poorly socialized dogs in this world. I have an idea because I work in rescue and I see these dogs every day. The last thing we need is another well-intentioned, backyard breeder who bred a litter without any planning or research to "make their dog a better pet". And what will you do if no one wants to buy your puppies? (I should know - I have a litter right now that is 13 weeks old)

Remember: A dog is a great pet because it is a dog. Because of how it was bred, born, raised, fed, and trained. Not because it became a parent!

Carol mentioned that she leaves her dogs intact. You need to understand that Carol is a very experienced dog trainer that owns many dogs and knows her way around a kennel. Her dogs are working dogs. The very fact that you asked the questions you did, suggests to me that you are not experienced enough to own an intact dog and prevent an unwanted litter. The only reasons to leave your dog intact after it is an adult would be if the dog was a show dog, or a working dog. Since you want a pet, your dog should be spayed by the time she reaches adulthood.

I hope I did not sound mean or condescending in my post, that is not my intention, only to honestly answer your questions and to educate. You will find that many people on this board are very knowledgeable trainers and willing to help. Enjoy your stay here!

Edited by Angela Burrell (11/28/2007 09:04 AM)
Edit reason: make paragraphs! oops

Mark,
When to spay a pet GSD? I don't think it matters much, they're still going to be a bitch!!!!!!! But that doesn't matter to those of us that like females. We like bitches, what can I say.
There are some interesting links in the Jennifer Mullen thread of 10/02/07 about spaying and nuetering.
In the last month or so the answers I've gotten from a few vets, that is the answers I got after I threatened them with watering boarding torture, is that for the health of the animal, quote; 'After her first cycle, and before the second.'

And please don't take this wrong,
WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE PET GSD's IN THIS WORLD SO NO BREEDING!
Randy

Good answer, Angela! I wish more people thought like this! The fundamental reason to breed a dog should be to further the breed.

Usually I totally agree with Randy Allen, but I have to weigh in with Angela and Carol on this one: ESPECIALLY in the case of large breed dogs, spaying should not occur until growth has stopped. 2 years of age.

Also, unless you know you can't keep other dogs from your dog (i.e., your dog lives in the backyard) during its heat cycle, there is really no reason to spay, except laziness. You're talking about a major hormonal change, it may not always adversely effect animals, but why do it if you have a choice? The more I research, the more I come to believe in the idea that God has some sort of master blueprint, and that a natural dog is more healthy than a dog living with mans ideal modifications.

Well damn it, why can't I get any straight answers from those guys? Maybe torture isn't reliable after all.

Now I'm going out with a dart gun and capture a vet in the wild. Score some truth serum and hold the @%##&(~ untill I get every diry little secret they know.

Hmmmm now where did I put that puppy crate?
Randy

Hahahaha! Well you get points for originality.

It is sad to say, but vets might not always be the best source for information on animal care. (wow!)

Hi Mark. You've gotten some great advice on breeding your girl. There is really no need too as far as it influencing how good a pet she will be. I very rarely have my males neutered but I do get the girls spayed because I've had a few of them develope pyrometria, basically an infection of the uterus which can be life threatening. To me a good age would be between 16-24 months.

Lisa