How many litters...

Question
I have bred my miniature Dachshunds twice.  I was wondering how many litters my female can have before I have to retire her?  She has had no issues giving birth.  She only goes into heat about every 16 months.  Is this because she got pregnant during her first cycle?

Answer
Hello Heather:

According to the American Kennel Club, "No dog or litter out of a dam under eight (8) months or over twelve (12) years of age at the time of mating, or by a sire under seven (7) months or over twelve (12) years of age at the time of mating, will be registered unless the application for registration shall be accompanied by an affidavit or evidence which shall prove the fact to the satisfaction of The American Kennel Club."

So, although the general guideline is not to breed beyond the age of twelve years, I personally feel it's up to you as to when she should be retired. My opinion is the maximum age I would allow breeding would be 8 to 9 years of age provided she's had no health issues, either when whelping, nursing or in general. The fact that she only has a cycle every 16 months strikes me as very odd. Most females experience a heat cycle on average every six (6) months. I would never breed back to back litters, as this can lead to calcium depletion in the bitch which can result in an array of problems. It's generally accepted it's best to skip breeding every other heat cycle, but if I were you I'd ask your vet for some diagnostic testing to try to determine why her cycles are so far apart.

Assuming you follow the norm, she should not be bred until a minimum of 18 months to two years of age & then once every other heat cycle & assuming you retire her at age eight (8) that would be a total of approx. six (6) litters. I'm sure you only want what's best for her & her health so always remember, any time she's bred things unexpected can occur & you take a chance with every pregnancy. Always to err on the side of caution!