Testicles

Question
I bought a german sheperd (AKC) and was very frank with the breeder that my intent was to breed him.  On the day my wife picked him up we found out that he has some fatty tissue however that would not cause a problem with him breeding.  The following day we brought the puppy to our vet and he had indicated that the dog had only dropped one testicle and apparently the breeder felt that was un-important as she never said anything about it.  My question is how long does it take for both testicles to drop and is it common or uncommon for only one to drop and the other to follow later on?

Thank you

Answer
Hi Lou, both testicles have to be down by 6 months as the hole to the scrotum closes off at that age and then the testicle is unable to descend.  Undescended testicles are not that uncommon, but the bad thing about it is that it is a hereditary fault, and is passed on by the sire, so your boy will pass it on to his sons.  Which means you can produce puppies that have undescended testicles.  How old was your puppy when you picked it up?  Both testicles aren't always down by 6-9 weeks of age, which there is nothing wrong with.  So don't mistake that for an undescended testicle issue.  If the dog is closer to 6 months and the testicle is not down, then I would be concerned.  You can work the testicle down into the scrotum, by slowing rubbing it into place everyday.  It may slowly work its way back up, but doing it everyday can help to get it to stay in the scrotum.  If you need more help, just let me know.  Good Luck.

Dawn