Yorkies age

Question
QUESTION: I have a female yorkie, and she is 6 years old. Is she too old to breed??
I know dog years makes her older, but I don't know how old is too old.
Thanks!

ANSWER: Sara,

Has she been bred before? If so was it on a regular basis?  A dog that is used for breeding can usually be bred until they are eight years old.  Keep in mind that in some ways dogs are like people. Every time you have a child it takes a toll on your body.  The same is true for dogs.  Depending on how many time she has been bred in the past and how often should have an effect on how old she is when you stop breeding her.

If she has never been bred before then you may run into other problems.  If you waited until you were forty before you had your first child there are more chances that you will encounter birth defects or complications.  There is also the chance that you will not be able to conceive.  The same is true for dogs.

When breeding my dogs I was always careful to only breed them once and then I would skip a heat to avoid damaging them physically.  When they were pregnant I would feed them meat that was high in protein to keep them as healthy as possible while their bodies were going through so much. I bred one of my females when she was seven years old.  Her pregnancy seemed normal and everything went along on schedule.  When she had her baby it came out fully formed but it was mushy like it was missing a lot of its bone structure.  

That was the last time I bred her.  The bottom line is that the decision is up to you because you know your dog best.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you.
She has never been bred before. And she is very healthy otherwise.
Is there more of a risk with her not having been bred before?
She is the best yorkie I have ever had, and I would really love to have one of her puppies to keep when she is gone. But not if it means losing her in the process.
The puppy you mentioned, that was soft. Was it still born? Or did it make it?
Thanks again,
  Sara

Answer
Sara,

The puppy was born dead.  There is no way it could have survived because its bones had not formed.  I do not think that breeding her would be detrimental to her health.  If she is too old then what will probably happen is that she will not be able to conceive.  Just make sure you breed her with a male that is much smaller than her.  The standard is usually a 2.5 pound male to a 5 pound female.  Using that ratio will greatly decrease your chances of having complications during the birthing process.

I would suggest that after you breed her and she has her puppies that you consider getting her fixed.  Females can get cancer or have problems with their reproductive organs when they get older.  Getting them fixed reduces the risks.