age to breed

Question
I have a shitzhu/pekingese, she's a little smaller than a shitzhu and this is her second heat.  She is also 14 months old.  We will be breeding with another shitzhu.  My vet said its safe on her second heat and someone said her vet said wait until the third heat to safely breed her.  will I have to worry about her dying or a c section.

Answer
Hi Gina:

It's always advisable to wait until a female's third heat cycle or a minimum of 18 months of age before breeding. Smaller breed dogs tend to do better at a younger age than large breeds but if I were you I'd wait another 6 months or until her third cycle.

As to your concerns about her, you should know that regardless of age any time you choose to breed your female there are risks involved. As you mentioned, a C-section is not unusual if normal vaginal delivery isn't possible. Any time a dog undergoes anesthesia, just like people, there's always a chance they won't recover; however, most vets now use a much safer anesthesia so the odds are far better than they were years ago. There are other risks though. I would urge you to read through the following links to get an idea of some of the possible negative outcomes that can result. I'm not saying they will, merely helping you to be better educated as to the possibilities.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/hvpup1.html

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/breeding/breeder2.html

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2084&EVetID=3001962

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=1342

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/mastitis-in-dogs/page1.aspx

http://www.minschnauzer.com/puppys/puppy%20owners.html