to spay or not to spay

Question
Hello, I have a 9mts Yorkie that weights 2.5 pounds. This is my first pet and my yorkie is showing signs that she will be in heat soon (according to my puppy research) and I'm faced with the question of should i spay her or not. I would like for her to have puppies of her own but I'm scared of the possibility of her pregnancy going bad like caesarian or complications at birth due to her weight. How hard are the pregnancies for small toy breeds? and what are your opinions. I have met the mom of my puppy and she weighed 3 Lbs and has had multiple litters, are complications hereditary?

Answer
The first question you need to consider is are you willing to take responcibility for the puppies of your dog for the rest of their life. this is the key to being a responcible breeder. if not then you should spay your dog. if yes then you should consult with your vet for additonal resources, and tests to determine posible health problems your dog/breed could have. do genetic testing. research the breed standard etc. possibly even get involved in a local breed, or competitive group working on obedience, conformation, agility, or some other title for your dog. I have considered breeding for many years, and have decided to breed my beagle. so she is not spayed but should she develope a health disorder I would be prepared to contact not only the breeder I purchased her from, but any person who bought one of her puppies. for the rest of there lives. remember that there are many dogs in shelters from irresponsible owners, and breeders, petshops etc. can also influence your choice. if you are not prepared to support puppies of your puppies then you should not breed. the trend in consumers is for amaller dogs but this may not always be the healthiest choice for the dog. you should also consider your puppies health most breeds should not be bred on there first heat. they have not developed to there full adult size and will have more complications if you are going to breed you should wait until the dog is older. but the decision to spay should be made at a young age. as the benfits are greater the earlier you spay.  I could write more but this is a very hot subject for pet owners to consider, and there are two sides to the issue. one pet over population, the other the pet industries from the AKC to pet shops. please consider both before you breed the lives you bring into this world are your responcibility.