i have a question concerning breeding a pedigree german shepherd?

"i ask now would it harm Lucy to have puppies?"

Possibly.

Here are some of the risks I can think of:

Not desexing her puts her at risk of cancer.

Mating can put her in danger of an STD such as Canine Herpesvirus, Brucellisos or Sexually Transmissible Cancer. She could also be injured by the male during mating (bites to the face and neck)

Pregnancy can put her at risk of internal bleeding, trauma of miscarrage and fetal resorption. Or trauma of a false pregnancy.

Whelping can put her at risk of bleeding out (hemorrhage), prolapsed uterus, needing a c-section (which can result in nerve damage and loss of leg movement - being paralized), eclampsia, primary uterine inertia, uterine torsion, pelvic canal obstruction, premature placental separation and fetal distress.

Breast feeding can put her at risk of mastitis and mammory cancer.

Mental damage: Some dogs HATE being a mother and others get so attached that it's psychologically traumatic for them when the pups move on to new homes. Or worse - DIE.

Then there are the risks that you are putting the puppies in medically and physically or worse . . . . . . like ending up in a shelter.

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Believe me - b*tchs that don't have pups don't look at b*tches that do and wish it was them.

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EDIT: Two months ago this was a question from you: """I have a german shepherd which is completely stupid and thinks it is a cat what can i do?"""

And you WANT to breed from it ????

THERE IS NO REASON WHATSOEVER FOR LUCY TO HAVE PUPPIES!! NONE!!!

why don't you spay her and enjoy her….. "pedigree" is just a piece of paper listing the dogs ancestors,,, ALL PUPPYMILL dogs also come with that peice of paper,,, it DOES NOT MEAN BREEDING QUALITY
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The risks of a breeding, pregnancy, and whelping FAR outweigh the risks of spaying the dog. She will not have an idea of missing motherhood…that is a human thought…YOURS. She cannot "miss" it.

You are wanting to breed for the wrong reasons. Just wanting her to be a mother is not a good one. What if she turns out to be a BAD mother and hates it and is forever changed by it??? Are you ready to take that on??????
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Breeding a dog just to "give her a chance to be a mother" is rather silly in my opinion. The dog won't miss it !! I would think you would do her a tremendous favour by having her spade & giving her a happy healthy home.

If Lucy is a purebred with papers and you want to breed her as a business that is a different story but you have to be prepared for all the issues that come with it. There a vet bills, possible health problems for Lucy, the cost of breeding her with a good male & the cost of innoculating the pups etc.
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I think one must consider the other reasons for breeding Lucy - if her pups are sought after by her breeder or others, and you have a waiting list, that would make sense.

Have you contacts with stud dogs that would balance out her faults? Making a better dog is far more important than making more.

It does certainly sound as if you have pulled your weight in the rescue world, and that you would be one to take back a dog you produced, should its circumstances have changed.

If that is true, those are some of the things that go into being a respectable breeder.

How I wish every breed was subjected to all of the quality control that goes into European GSDs! Our dogs would be so different…

Anyway, Lucy sounds like a very lucky girl, whether or not you decide to breed her. It sounds like absolute heaven!
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many years of raising and rescuing dogs

It probably won't harm her but I beg you to take a look in your local shelters and on PetFinder and german shepherd rescues in your area before you decide to breed.The german shepherd is one of the most highly overbred dogs in America.
Once you've allowed your dog the experience of being a mother what's to become of her pups?
Will they all end up in homes where they'll be loved and appreciated for the rest of their lives? Or will they be abused? Neglected? Or be dumped at the nearest shelter when the family you sold to has to move and can't take the dog with? Will they get the medical care they need when they need it? Or does that pair of designer jeans or new video game the kids just have to have rate higher on the buyers priority list than the dog? How many pups are you prepared to keep if you can't sell them?
Please don't kid yourself into thinking that if you sell the pups for a buttload of money each to recoup your costs in testing and such that it will insure the pups welfare for life because it just does'nt happen that way.Females sold for high dollar will undoubtedly be bred several times by fools that have no clue because they see a quick buck can be made.
It's doubful Lucy will ever get upset over never having to deal with the experience of motherhood.You sound like a fairly responsible person where your pets are concerned so let me put it to you this way.By breeding your dog you are essencially playing GOD.It's your choice not Lucy's as to whether she gets to have pups or not.Your choice of a mate. Not hers. Your choice as to where the pups go and when they are ready to leave.Not hers. And if you're going to play God and make all these choices taking away free will from the dog your responsiblity over the pups does not end once the last pup is sold.YOU brought several little lives into the world and it's up to you to insure their safety and welfare for life.Are you prepared to do that?
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Why would you want to bring a litter of pups into your home? You have enough on your plate already by the sound of it

If you work at a sanctuary, you see first hand the unwanted pups and dogs everyday. I'm not saying that this is where your pups would end up, but you never know

It may not harm your dog to have pups, but you just don't know what will happen to them further down the line.

I have kept GSD's for the last 17 years, and never once have I bred a litter of pups. I don't think she will miss not having pups I personally don't think it is neccessary.
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GSD owner for almost 20 years

By letting you GSM Girl have pups you raise the chances of her having mamory tumours later in life. How do I know this? my dear departed old girl had pups before she came to live with me and developed mamory tumours. If as you claim above you work with Bleakholt Animal Shelter I suggest that you read what is on your own website regarding neutuering "Neutering Ensures that the dog cannot have or father pups, protects against certain cancers, helps prevent straying". I would have thought you would have learned something from working with Bleakholt about people breeding their dogs irresponsibly.

On another matter of health,you do realise that all charges to do with breeding will not be met by insurance and also if your dog needs a c section it will cost you.

It's your dog and your call but I would ask you to stop an think again and speak with your colleagues at Bleakholt and get their opion.
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no our northan inuit (shes from manchester) had nine pups with our border collie i no not a great mix but she made a wonderfull mum and it helped to calm her down a little, only you know your dog and if you think she is a mature and sensable dog and would make a good mum go for it, i do think there are a lot of unwanted pups though just get her to the vets for hip score find a great dog for breeding make sure he is hip scored and has a good temprement and be willing to spend spend spend as its not cheap you have vet checks fleaer wormer and a good qulity food for her and the pups. if you go ahead make sure you save a pup for me lol and good luck.
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It might harm her, it might not. But why are you asking on here? Why not ask Lucy's breeder - if they are responsible knowledgeable breeders, they will be able to tell you. If you are prepared to have ALL the necessary health checks done and know enough to find a suitable stud dog you wouldn't have any need to ask. Personally, I wouldn't dream of embarking on breeding until I had been thoroughly involved with a breed for at least 5 yrs (not just owning one as a pet) and was sure I could find suitable loving homes for at least 10 pups
Lucy will not thank you for breeding from her.
Miss H: If GSDs have a problem with hips because of breeding from "slimline" hips - why is it that Labradors have even worse scores? What was your b1tch's hip score? and elbow score?
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Wow - Don' t know why you are getting so much negative feedback here.

Many people want to breed from their dogs because it is an experience. Many owners prefer to let their dogs have a litter of pups before having them castrated/spayed.. if you wanna do this and you are not in it for the money then you go for it.

What I would sugest is that you go and have a very frank chat with your vet. Many German Shepherds do suffer from many hip problems mainly due to the selective breeding trait of small, slim-line hips. Now, carrying puppies can cause problems if her hips are particularly bad. However, if she is a "big-bottomed" shepherd with a square rather than sloped back then this should be of little concern.

Our Shepherd female had a litter of 8 pups before we had her spayed. All pups went to well-vetted, amazing homes (for a very small amount of money) and all grew up to be very beautiful, well-tempered dogs. Our female was a terrinble mum though and just wanted to ignore them… we had to bribe her in her box just to go feed the pups… it was very hard work… but so worth it! Great fun!
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I'm sorry - to let her be a mum is not a valid breeding reason. if you want a pup get one from thre shelter you help at. While I'm a fan of pedigree dogs - A breeder needs years of showing and a mentor (in their chosen breed) who breeds before they should even consider it.

THESE ARE NOT GOOD REASONS TO BREED YOUR DOG:

1. So the kids can see the miracle of birth. Children can learn about birth from books and videos. This does not justify causing a litter of perhaps 10 puppies to come into the world in need of loving homes.

2. She should have one litter before she is spayed/he is altered. WRONG! There is absolutely NO medical, physical or emotional reason that a dog or bitch needs to reproduce itself except to continue the species.

3. You want to recoup your investment. Ha! this reason makes those who breed dogs laugh! . Even if you don't count the expense of showing your bitch and just start with the medical health screenings, it's expensive.

4. She's just so nice all my friends want one of her babies and I want one just like her. I refer you to number 3 above. Those friends who just have to have one of her pups have a strange way of back peddling when the time comes to actually purchase the puppy. And there's no guarantee that you'll have a puppy even remotely like your dog or bitch. So is it worth all the expense to take the chance? It's a lot cheaper to just go to a reputable breeder and buy another dog!

5. She's a champion! She deserves to be bred! Bull Feathers! True, a championship is likely a good indication that she is of top quality breeding stock and many champions are of breeding quality. However I know of some really lovely champions that should NEVER be bred because of health problems or temperament problems or many of those problems in their pedigrees. If a dog isn't sound in mind and health, it should not be bred. Conversely I know of dogs who couldn't finish their championships due to conformation faults but who are among the best producers! I even own one! The point here is this, the whole dog along with it's pedigree and health screenings must be considered before making the decision to breed or not to breed.
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http://www.cyberpet.com/dogs/articles/general/breeding.htm

From a person who does not know how to tell when a female dog is in season, this question takes the biscuit.

You say "my intentions for breeding are simply so she can have the chance to be a mother",

Do a few YEARS of studying before you even think about it.
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Dorothy S.

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