Boxer Mates

Question
I have a 13 week old boxer dog and was wondering at what age it would be best to bring a bitch into our home to mix with him as a permanent play mate and eventually to breed together.

Answer
Hello Emma:

A lot really depends on how much work you're prepared to do. Obviously as a puppy, it would be easy to simply get a female puppy as a playmate/companion now; however, you'd have to be extremely careful & attentive once she reaches about 6 months of age as that's the average time when a female will experience her first heat cycle. It's best not to even attempt a breeding until both dogs are a minimum of two years of age & have both had a thorough pre-breeding health screening performed by a qualified reproductive veterinarian. Unfortunately many health issues do not show any symptoms until after the age of two or older so it's also wise to learn as much as you possibly can about each dog's lineage & their health to ensure you'll only produce the highest quality puppies. If you opt to wait before getting a female, the same ages still apply & I'd recommend having a plan well ahead of time to keep them separated when she's having a heat cycle & is either too young or you're skipping a heat in between litters. Most females have a cycle approximately every 6 months. Hope this helps!