breeding first time

Question
Hello, My name is Liz and my dogs name is Rieay. She is my first german shepherd, she is 8months and I want to let her have one litter of pups before having her fixed. I would like to know what age to have her breed the first time. I was told that the first time they go into heat is not a good time to breed her that I should wait for the second time, is this true? I would like any information you can give me as I have never had pups before but have been around them and I would lvoe to have at least one litter with her she is such a beautiful girl. She is all black and her parents were both brought over from germany with some friends we know. her parents are beautiful dogs and have beautiful pups. I have recently found a male black german shepherd that is 2yrs old and is ready to be a stud, the family that he belongs to want to raise dogs so plan to get a female from the parents that i got Rieay from and for us helping them they are willing to let there dog Gus breed our Rieay. Thank you for all the help you can give me on this subject and if there is anything else you can tell me about first time breeding I would be very thankful.

thanks from Liz

Answer
Hi, First a dog shouldn't be bred until they are at least 2 years of age as they are not completely developed physically.  Their first heat can be between 6-9 months of age and then should be every 6 months.  A dog's heat cycle breaks done into 3 segments basically. The 1st 7-10 days, they tend to bleed heavier and will not accept a male, the 2nd 7-10 day segment their vulva will swell and they will be willing to accept a male. The last segment also will last approx. 7-10 days and they will be going out of heat and not accept a male.  Second, GSD's are one of the worst breeds for passing on genetic faults so you are going to want to test her for a lot of different things before breeding her.  She needs to be tested for the following conditions before she is bred.  She may not show signs of having the conditions, but she can still be a carrier and pass on the conditions to her pups.  The sire should also be tested as he to can pass on the same conditions.
1.  Hip Dysplasia - GSD's have the highest incidence of Dysplasia of all the breeds due to reckless breeding and dogs not getting checked.  Even if the parents are cleared, that does not mean your dog is.  It is not 100% full proof just because the parents are cleared.  I personally know of dogs that had parents with great hips who couldn't pass x-rays
2.  Von Wilhebrands - Blood disorder
3.  Diabetes & Thyroid Problems - Well known in GSDs
4.  Eyes Certified - check for genetic faults in the eyes (Glaucoma very common in GSDs)
If your friends do get into breeding GSDs, tell them to learn before they breed.  We have a lot of people out there just breeding to make a fast buck and producing bad dogs which has all but destroyed the breed.  I wouldn't want them to add to it.  Hope this helps,

Dawn