Breeding My male puppy

Question
My puppy is 8 months old, he is a shish Tzu, I have meet a lady at the groomers and she has ask if I could mate my puppy with hers, her dog will be 2yrs. old in March, When would my puppy be ready to breed, and how should we talk about the expenses.

Answer
Hi Pamela,

If you tell your vet you are considering breeding him, the vet can tell you all the things you need to look for before you make the decision - including when your dog is matured enough.

Dog breeding is actually quite complicated to do the right way, and if someone you just met asks about breeding without even knowing anything about your puppy - well, I would have some serious reservations about doing it.

Her female is barely old enough to breed - and your puppy is not even close! We are talking year or more - and even then, there are considerations other than the dogs ages. There are things you will learn about him as he gets older, that will help you decide if you want to breed him or not (things like temperment, health issues, etc.). If you do decide to breed him then, you'd meet with the potential mothers owner and answer any questions about health, background, etc., go over medical records.

But first, the best thing you can do now is talk to your vet about the dog and his potential for breeding.

Hope this helps!