breeding male toy

Question
How old does my male toy poodle need to be before I can successfully breed him?  He's six months now.

Answer
Hello Carole,
Males tend to start getting sperm around 9 months of age, but its best to wait until the dog is at least a year before breeding him so that he (and his sperm) has a chance to mature some.  Using a very young dog can cause inmature sperm to reach the egg, which can result in miscarrages and unsucessful pregnancies.  

You should also be sure to get the male a Pre-Breeding health check, just to make sure that he doesn't have any genetic issues that can be passed on to the puppies.  Same should go for the female if you own her.  A female should also wait until she is 2 yrs old before breeding.  Her body needs to fully mature in order to carry healthy puppies to term.

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim