How old is too old to breed?

Question
QUESTION: I am thinking of buying an 11 week old Brittany puppy.  Both parents are AKC registered, but the puppy is not due to age of father.  The mother is 8 years old and the father is 12 years old.  Does the age of the parents affect the health of its offspring?  Thank you.  The answer is needed ASAP since my girls want to get the puppy tomorrow.

ANSWER: Hi Jean. It's quite possible for dogs this age to produce healthy puppies. The pups could be registered by the AKC if the breeder wanted to do a sperm count on the male and submit it to the AKC. It has to be done by a vet. The age limit on the males is 11 (I believe)years of age by the AKC. Anything after that, and you have to produce a sperm count to be able to register the pups. Good for mom and dad! :-) If the pups are healthy, then I'd say go for it, as long as you have done your research on the breed and know what you're getting into. I'd say without a doubt that your new pup would definitely have longevity on it's side. Good luck!

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QUESTION: Having her registered AKC is not that important to us.  Her being healthy is what is most important.  We are familiar with the breed since we already own a 6 year-old Brittany who we just love.  Do you think $300 is too much to pay for a puppy without papers?  She also has a herniated umbilical cord that we have been told can be fixed when she is spayed.  Thank you.

Answer
Well, it depends on your area. Look in your paper and see what a registered Brittney is going for. Also, talk to some local breeders, if possible. You can also go online and see what the 'normal' cost is. Personally, $300 is a bit steep for a dog that isn't registered. If the pup comes from a good breeder, and the parents have been health tested, then $300 is probably cheap. It's really hard to put a price on the time and effort a really good breeder puts into their dogs. If you're comfortable paying for it, then go for it. I'd talk to a vet first, and find out about how much the hernia is going to cost to fix to make sure that it's not going to break you.:-)