Your Frequently Asked Questions...about Dog Breeding

Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions about dog breeding! We will be updating this document regularly, so do check back and be sure to submit your questions at the bottom of the document if you have any!

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Vaccinations | Hereditary Diseases | Are x-rays safe? | When and how long to breed your dog | Litter size | Timing your bitches | Diet & supplements | Calcium | Back to back breeding and heat cycles | Progesterone levels & testing | Pyometra | Business Insurance for Dog Breeders | Eclampsia | Eye Disease

Vaccinations

I know that breeding bitches should be well vaccinated prior to breeding. My question is can you vaccinate a pregnant bitch at any time during the gestation period?

The best time to vaccinate your breeding bitch is at least two weeks before breeding. During gestation, vaccines can be dangerous to a developing fetus. In general, vaccination is NOT recommended for pregnant bitches; avoid it whenever possible. 

The Canine Herpesvirus (CHV) vaccine is an exception to this rule. Preliminary research demonstrated that the CHV vaccine decreased mortality rate among exposed puppies. The CHV vaccine is currently only available in Europe.

See our webinar with Dr. Greg Burns, where he discusses vaccination timing for breeding dogs (16:10 - 20:35)

Hereditary Diseases

How can I test a healthy dog to know if they would be a carrier for Addison’s disease?

Addison’s Disease causes insufficient levels of important hormones, such as aldosterone and cortisol. These hormones regulate stress responses, immune functioning, metabolism, and more. Signs of Addison's include increased thirst and urination, vomiting, weakness, and collapse.

In order to test for Addison’s, synthetic ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) is administered into the bloodstream. ACTH tells the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Samples of blood are taken before and after administering ACTH to assess whether the adrenal glands are responding.

Although Addison’s disease is hereditary, there is only a genetic test for Juvenile Addison’s. Juvenile Addison’s affects Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers at a much younger age.   

Researchers are working to find genes that cause Addison’s disease in other dog breeds. Avoid breeding affected dogs and their first-degree relatives. If there is a dog with Addison's in your pedigree, work with a genetic counselor.

Resources:

Purina Pro Club: Research Focuses On Understanding The Genetics Behind Addison's Disease

Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center: Addison’s Disease

What percentage of pups from a breeding of a CEA (Collie Eye Anomaly) carrier to a non-CEA carrier could be carriers?

Collie eye anomaly is an inherited condition in several dog breeds. Dogs inherit CEA in an Autosomal Recessive manner. Puppies must inherit two copies of the genetic variant (one from each parent) to develop CEA.

Breeding a carrier (Xx) to a clear dog (xx) would be expected to result in 50% clear puppies, and 50% carriers. Carrier-to-carrier breeding is not recommended, as it results in approximately 25% affected puppies.

A genetic test is available for CEA. Collies, Australian Shepherds, Whippets and Boykin Spaniels are some of the breeds that are at risk. If your breed is at risk for CEA, have your puppies eyes examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist at 6-8 weeks of age. 

For more information on modes of inheritance, see this article!

Resources:
Collie Health Foundation

VCA: Collie Eye Anomaly

Are x-rays safe for pregnant dogs and their unborn fetuses?

Although any exposure to radiation has its risks, x-rays are considered safe for pregnant dogs. Modern x-ray machines expose animals to a very small amount of radiation, for a very short period of time.

It is beneficial to x-ray your pregnant dog later in her pregnancy (on or after day 52) to get a puppy count. X-rays are considered more effective and accurate than ultrasound for counting puppies, and knowing how many puppies to expect can help you on whelping day. Knowing if and when your dam is finished whelping can help you know if you are dealing with an emergency situation.

Dr. Belton discusses x-rays for puppy counts and prepping for whelping in her Good Dog Webinar, Helping with Whelping (see 9-18 minutes)

Dr. Hutchison addresses the safety of x-rays in his recent Q&A session with Good Dog (approximately 50:45)

When and how long to breed your dog

• How old should a bitch be before breeding her?

You should wait until a female dog is mentally and physically mature before breeding her. If OFA hip/elbow testing is required/recommended for your breed, you will likely need to wait until your dog is two years old before testing and assessing for breeding (note: PennHIP can be done when dogs are much younger). For smaller breed dogs, especially where hip or elbow dysplasia are not a concern, 12 to 18 months may be an appropriate time to start breeding.

See this Good Dog Webinar Q&A Webinar with Dr. Robert Hutchison, DVM at around 20 minutes

How many litters/what age should you stop breeding? How much does this vary by breed?

How old is too old to breed?

As dogs age, their fertility changes. Pregnancy rates and litter sizes are optimal when breeding bitches are 2 to 4 years of age. After 5 years of age, most dogs will have a harder time getting pregnant, a harder time maintaining their pregnancy, and will have smaller litters. Research has shown a strong association between the bitch’s age and the size of her litters. Many international kennel clubs recommend retiring a bitch after either 5 litters or at 7 years of age, unless otherwise consulting with a veterinarian.

As your dog ages, you may see signs of decreased fertility, such as abnormal cycling, smaller litters, or failure to breed. These are signs that it may be time to retire your bitch. However, if your dog is healthy, has a great temperament and genetics, you may want to attempt further breedings. We recommend you only do so under the advisement of a reproductive veterinarian. 

In general, we recommend pre-breeding soundness exams for all breeding dogs, and if your dog is older than 5, work with your veterinarian to assess her health and recent pregnancies before breeding her again. 

Dr. Burns discusses how age impacts dog fertility in his recent Good Dog webinar, The Breeding Female and Neonatal Care (at around 12:57)

Litter size

I breed Rottweilers, recently I have gotten two new females and their litters are 3-5 puppies each. All my other dogs averaged 8 puppies per litter. What could cause these smaller litters?

Unfortunately, there’s no one magic bullet to ensure that your dog will have a litter on the larger side of what is typical for their breed. Research has shown that many factors can influence a dog’s litter size, including:

• Breed size 
• The bitch’s age 
• The bitch’s overall health
• Nutrition
• Frequency of breeding
• The method of breeding/mating
• Genetics
• Level of inbreeding (COI)

In general, larger dogs tend to have larger litters than small breed dogs. Older dogs tend to have smaller litters, with a notable decrease in litter size after five years of age. Dogs need time to recover after giving birth and may have a small litter following a larger litter. Fresh semen is associated with larger litter sizes compared to using chilled or frozen semen, and natural breeding and surgical AI are the most successful at producing large litters. Line breeding is associated with smaller litter sizes, as is a higher COI (coefficient of inbreeding).

A pre-breeding soundness examination is a great opportunity to discuss your breeding dog’s health with your veterinarian and put her in the best position to produce a healthy litter!

References

Borge, K. S., Tønnessen, R., Nødtvedt, A., & Indrebø, A. (2011). Litter size at birth in purebred dogs—A retrospective study of 224 breeds. Theriogenology, 75(5), 911-919.

Greer, M. L. (2014). Canine reproduction and neonatology. CRC Press.

Leroy, G., Phocas, F., Hedan, B., Verrier, E., & Rognon, X. (2015). Inbreeding impact on litter size and survival in selected canine breeds. The Veterinary Journal, 203(1), 74-78.

Timing your bitches

How long after tying is a bitch’s due date?

The exact due date cannot typically be determined only by the tying date. The most accurate way to determine your dog’s whelping date is through progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) testing. This will give you a narrow window of when your bitch’s eggs are most likely to be fertilized.

Good Dog: Narrowing down your dog’s whelping date

A normal canine pregnancy lasts 57 to 65 days. On average, most dogs will give birth 63 days after mating (but the range can be 59 to 72 days!). Note that it can take a few days between breeding (the act of mating) and conception (when sperm fertilizes the eggs).

VCA: Pregnancy in Dogs

If your dog is 68 days past breeding, consult with your veterinarian ASAP as delayed whelping can be associated with dystocia and neonatal mortality.

Dr. Kristina Belton also addresses the use of progesterone and LH testing to determine whelping date in her recent Good Dog webinar, “Helping with whelping.” 

Is there a reason why dogs have puppies prematurely?

Sometimes puppies are born before the expected date because the date of conception was incorrectly calculated. These puppies are fully developed and are not premature. 

Puppies who are truly premature are born before they are fully developed and may have several health problems and lower survival rates. They are small, with little hair, and may have underdeveloped organs. Premature puppies may be rejected by their mothers and generally need specialized care including hand or tube feeding.

Premature birth is usually due to a health problem, such as hypoluteoidism, a rare condition that leads to low progesterone levels. Other causes include infectious diseases such as herpesvirus or brucellosis, genetic abnormalities, and if the bitch is experiencing high levels of stress.

Diet & supplements

Is it safe to feed a pregnant female puppy food, or is there too much extra calcium in it?

At what point during or after pregnancy do we start adding the puppy food to the bitch's diet. 

Yes, it is safe to feed your pregnant dog puppy food, but timing and type are important. For the first two trimesters, your pregnant dog should eat her regular adult diet (both the same type and amount of food) to prevent obesity. We recommend feeding food that meets the AAFCO nutrient requirements for your dog’s life stage and size.

At the beginning of the third trimester (around day 40 of pregnancy), you should switch your bitch to a diet that is complete and balanced for growth/reproduction, or labeled as “for all life stages.” Do not feed a growth diet that is for large-breed dogs if she is not a large-breed, because it has a different calcium to phosphorus ratio. 

Tufts: What to feed your pregnant or lactating dog

VCA: Feeding the pregnant dog

How important is the protein to fat ratio for breeding/lactating bitches? 

For your breeding dog, keeping her at a healthy weight and on high-quality adult dog food is the most important way to increase the chance of a successful pregnancy.

During the last few weeks of pregnancy and lactation, your bitch’s caloric needs will increase significantly. During the third trimester, feed her a commercial growth diet that is approximately 30% animal protein and around 18% fat. Approximately 20–30% of the diet should be from carbohydrates. Commercial growth diets that meet AAFCO requirements will fall in this range.

Johnson, C. A. (2008). Pregnancy management in the bitch. Theriogenology, 70, 1412-1417. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X08006468 

Fontaine, E. (2012). Food intake and nutrition during pregnancy, lactation and weaning in the dam and offspring. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 47, 326-330. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/rda.12102

Besides good nutrition, proper vaccinations/worming and pre-breeding testing, are there any supplements/vitamins that will increase the size of a litter and prevent birth defects?

To date, there are no studies showing that any supplements or vitamins will increase litter size. As  mentioned, good nutrition, regular exercise, and keeping your dog at a healthy weight are all important (obesity may reduce litter size, and is associated with dystocia in dogs).

Folic acid supplementation starting when the bitch is in heat may be helpful in preventing cleft palates in some dog breeds (Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Pugs); however, a study found no benefits for Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and their crosses in reducing cleft palates. Your veterinarian can help you determine whether your dog needs folic acid supplementation during pregnancy.

Good Dog Webinar: Canine Reproductive Nutrition & Pediatrics

Good Dog Pod: Nutrients for your breeding dogs

Domoslawska, A., Jurczak, A., & Janowski, T. (2013). Oral folic acid supplementation decreases palate and/or lip cleft occurrence in Pug and Chihuahua puppies and elevates folic acid blood levels in pregnant bitches. Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 16. https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/31468 

Gonzales, K. L., Famula, T. R., Feng, L. C., Power, H. M. N., & Bullis, J. M. (2021). Folic acid supplementation does not decrease stillbirths and congenital malformations in a guide dog colony. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 62, 286-292. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.13292 

Calcium

Does feeding a pregnant bitch too much calcium in her diet lead to whelping problems?

Pregnant dogs should NOT be given any supplemental calcium, because it disrupts the production of hormones by the parathyroid.  Your dog’s body is prepared to regulate her calcium levels without supplementation, and calcium supplements during pregnancy can disrupt this process. Counterintuitively, supplemental calcium during pregnancy can cause lowered calcium levels, and can lead to a life-threatening condition known as eclampsia.

VCA: Eclampsia in dogs

Dr. Naik @ 50:50 on the impact of supplemented calcium on nursing pups (skeletal deformities, stunted growth)

Good Dog Webinar: Canine Reproductive Nutrition & Pediatrics

Does giving calcium after whelping shut down the mother's ability to make calcium on her own?

Calcium levels are regulated by the parathyroid, and at any time in her life, over supplementation could impact the homeostasis of calcium levels. Calcium supplementation is ideally done under veterinary supervision and only when medically necessary.

VCA: Pregnancy concerns in pets

I would like clarification on giving calcium during labor and when nursing

Does calcium help with contractions in a tiring mother? 

Does calcium affect whelping dogs?

Is calcium recommended for whelping? Does it interfere with oxytocin? 

If a dog is healthy and is eating a balanced diet, there is no need for calcium supplementation at any time. 

Calcium gluconate may help with uterine contractions, and once a healthy dog is in labor, it is generally considered safe to give her an oral calcium supplement. However, there is no strong evidence that calcium supplementation is necessary for health or behavior during whelping or lactation. Calcium supplementation outside of veterinary supervision should be done with caution, as calcium can affect the functioning of the heart. Calcium should not be given if a bitch has a puppy lodged in her vaginal canal. 

To date, there is no evidence that a calcium supplement helps with a bitch’s behavior, or that it prevents or aids with aggression or makes a dog behave in a more maternal fashion.

Calcium and oxytocin may be given together in the veterinary clinic when dystocia is present. Generally, calcium may increase the strength of uterine contractions, while oxytocin may increase the frequency of contractions. These drugs must only be given under direct veterinary supervision. If they are used inappropriately, they can cause rupture of the uterus and death of the bitch and puppies. 

From Dr. Belton @ 48:53:

Good Dog Webinar: Good Dog's Second Annual Health Symposium

“Other ways you can support her…oral calcium…The ones I use in a veterinary setting are either Calsorb or Oral Cal +. You can give Tums. I know some people like to give ice cream and yogurt…those are fine… but they don’t have that much calcium, and some dogs have lots of diarrhea from dairy.”

From Dr. Hutchison @ around 33 minutes:

Good Dog Webinar: Q&A with Dr Hutch

“I very rarely use calcium….It is quite rare in a practice (where I have four doctors that do pretty much nothing but reproduction) to see a bitch that has calcium problems that isn’t induced by supplemented calcium during pregnancy or something like that. 

In the old days, people said, “Bitches who don’t want to take care of their puppies are calcium-deficient.” We run ionized calcium. They aren’t deficient. As a matter of fact, most bitches…their calcium levels are higher than they were when they weren’t bred. So to just arbitrarily supplement calcium makes no sense at all. Probably bitches that are nursing need calories. They don’t need calcium. 

So calcium just isn’t a big part, now that the dog foods are all balanced…I’m an evidence-based person. I love a story, just like anybody else. I want to believe that the things I was told back in the 1950s were true. Most of them, I don’t think are. Now that I can check ionized calcium, now that I do it (and many of these bitches are having C-sections because they’ve been in labor)—not verifying it just makes me question how much calcium really needs to be supplemented.”

Davidson, A. P. (2012). Reproductive causes of hypocalcemia. Topics in companion animal medicine, 27, 165-166. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193897361200061X 

Greco, D. S. (2008). Nutritional supplements for pregnant and lactating bitches. Theriogenology, 70, 393-396. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X08001970

Greco, D. S. (2014). Pediatric nutrition. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 44(2), 265-273.

Greer, M. L. (2014). Canine reproduction and neonatology. CRC Press. https://www.vetsmall.theclinics.com/article/S0195-5616(13)00223-4/fulltext 

Merck Veterinary Manual: Labor and Delivery in Dogs and Cats

Back to back breeding and heat cycles

What’s better for the female. Breeding back to back or skipping cycles?

Dr. Burns at 1 hour:

Good Dog Webinar: Good Dog's Second Annual Health Symposium

“It would be ideal strictly from a reproductive health standpoint to breed back to back to back and then spay.”

Dr. Hutchinson @ 6:03:

Good Dog Webinar: Dog Reproduction Q&A With Dr. Hutchison

“Should you breed back to back? And the answer to that is... it is the way the bitches heat cycle is made. 

What's your greatest fear when you have a bitch to breed? Your greatest fear is you're going to miss it because she's not going to be in for another six months…The bitch has a diestrus and the diestrus means that when she ovulates the progesterone lasts as long if she's not pregnant, as if she is pregnant. So it's not so much: are we skipping a cycle? The bitch’s body doesn't skip the cycle.

So my point has always been if you have a two year old bitch you bred, OK, we are going to wait, skip the next one until she's three realizing there's some damage but is minimal. If we have a bitch who's five that's been one of the outstanding members of your breed and you suddenly bred her at five and now you have to skip the next cycle. Well, I'm going to tell you a statistic, and this has been proven in years and years and years repeatedly, is that six years of age in a bitch is magic - at six years of age, her conception rate starts to drop a third, her litter sizes tend to drop. So, youth is the friend of reproduction. So, if we're starting to skip cycles on a bitch five and six years of age the chances are, we may not even be getting another litter out of that bitch.”

What can I do to get my bitch to start having normal heat cycles again?  She had normal heat cycles until shortly before her third birthday. She is now five.

First of all, let’s define “normal” heat cycles. On average, dogs reach sexual maturity by six months of age, but this can vary widely by breed. Most dogs have two heat cycles each year - meaning the time when they can become pregnant. However, this can ALSO vary greatly by breed and individual dog and “normal” may be between 1 and 3 times per year. There is no particular time of year where dogs will come into heat, although some breeds may be more likely to cycle in the springtime.

When there is a change in your dog’s heat cycle, especially if she is older than five, when fertility starts to wane, this indicates that the ovaries are functioning differently than they used to. This can be a result of aging, or can be a sign that there may be hormonal changes, environmental stressors, or other health issues (such as thyroid issues) impacting your dog’s cycles. 

We recommend a full veterinary workup, and ideally, a consultation with a reproductive specialist, to get to the underlying cause and determine whether your bitch could benefit from treatments, such as medications that can help induce estrus in your dog.

VCA: Estrus cycles in dogs

VCA: Infertility in female dogs

Progesterone levels & testing

When is the best time to get a progesterone test?

Is there a formula for progesterone to determine time of birth?

How low does the progesterone typically go, or is there a range, before the actual birthing begins?

Dr. Kristina Belton also addresses the use of progesterone and LH testing (starting at 7:26) to determine whelping date in her recent Good Dog webinar, “Helping with whelping.” 

Progesterone testing should be started soon after signs of proestrus (first stage of the heat cycle) are observed (usually starting on day 6 of the heat cycle), and then repeated every two to three days until levels approach 3.0 ng/ml. Then daily testing can confirm ovulation, which occurs when progesterone reaches 5.0 ng/ml. A follow up test can confirm that ovulation actually occurred, as progesterone levels increase to around 20-30 ng/ml post-ovulation. The optimum time to breed is 2-3 days after ovulation and whelping generally occurs 63 days after ovulation.

Baseline progesterone levels are low (<2 ng/ml) then start to rise through the bitch’s cycle, until ovulation when the level reaches 5 ng/ml. Ovulation is complete when the progesterone level is at least 20 ng/ml. It will continue to rise to as high as 90 ng/ml, regardless of pregnancy (progesterone level is not an indicator of pregnancy). As the bitch nears parturition, progesterone will drop to less than 3 ng/ml, which is when it is safe to deliver puppies. If levels decrease to less than 1 ng/ml, puppies should be delivered within 24 hours.

I'm curious about progesterone in pregnancy, what are the incidences of loss due to low progesterone? Can we do anything to diagnose malfunctioning corpus luteal production of progesterone beyond progesterone testing? Are  progesterone supplements helpful? 

Low progesterone levels in pregnancy are known as hypoluteoidism, luteal insufficiency, or premature luteal failure. This condition is believed to be rare but may be underdiagnosed, and the prevalence is unknown. We also don’t know if hypoluteoidism causes pregnancy loss, or is the result of premature fetal death from another cause. 

Hypoluteoidism is often observed between weeks 3 and 5 of pregnancy. Weekly progesterone testing may be recommended if luteal insufficiency is suspected.

If your dog is pregnant and is diagnosed with hypoluteoidism, progesterone supplementation may be recommended if the puppies are still viable. The timing of progesterone supplements is very important, as they can be harmful too early or too late in a pregnancy (potential side effects include cryptorchidism, and dystocia). Progesterone supplementation should be used with your veterinarian’s guidance.

Good Dog: What is hypoluteoidism?

Becher, A., Wehrend, A., & Goericke-Pesch, S. (2010). Luteal insufficicency in the bitch-symptoms, diagnosis, consequences and therapy. A review of the literature. Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/heimtiere, 38, 389-396. https://europepmc.org/article/med/22212752 

Görlinger, S., Galac, S., Kooistra, H. S., & Okkens, A. C. (2005). Hypoluteoidism in a bitch. Theriogenology, 64, 213-219. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X0500004X 

Johnson, C. A. (2008). High-risk pregnancy and hypoluteoidism in the bitch. Theriogenology, 70, 1424-1430. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X0800647X 

Pyometra

Can young dogs get pyometra?

Although pyometra is most common in middle-aged or older dogs, it can happen in younger dogs, and it has been observed in dogs as young as 4 months of age. Pyometra is caused by bacteria, such as E. coli, usually after a dog’s heat cycle, when the uterus is more susceptible to infection. If bacteria from the vagina cross through the cervix and into the uterus, infection can occur. 

DVM360: Canine pyometra: Early recognition and diagnosis

MSPCA-Angell: Pyometra: What is it and why does it happen?

Business insurance for dog breeders

Business insurance for dog breeders, suggestions?

Good Dog teamed up with business insurance firm, Mourer-Foster for a Good Breeder Q&A Webinar about navigating business insurance as a dog breeder. 

Mourer-Foster is a full service insurance agency that also offers specialized business insurance for dog breeders. Watch the recording to learn about business insurance as it relates to your breeding program here: https://www.gooddog.com/good-breeder-center/business-insurance-for-dog-breeders

Eclampsia

Is it safe to breed a dam who previously had eclampsia? Or should I have her spayed?

Eclampsia or hypocalcemia is a life-threatening condition that develops when the dam’s calcium levels in her blood drops precipitously. Eclampsia most commonly occurs when the puppies are one to four weeks old, which is the time when the dam is producing the most milk. It’s important to remember that pregnant dogs should NOT be given any supplemental calcium, because it disrupts the production of hormones by the parathyroid.

Feeding your dam a high-quality diet formulated for pregnant or nursing mothers is essential for not only your dam, but your dam’s pups as well.

From Merck Veterinary Manual: “Owners should be warned that eclampsia is likely to recur with future pregnancies. Preventive steps to consider in the bitch include feeding a high-quality, nutritionally balanced, and appropriate diet during pregnancy and lactation; providing food and water ad lib during lactation; and supplementing feeding of the puppies with milk replacer early in lactation and with solid food after 3–4 weeks of age. Oral calcium supplementation during gestation is not indicated and may cause rather than prevent postpartum hypocalcemia. Calcium administration during peak lactation may be helpful in bitches with a history of eclampsia.” 

From board-certified veterinary nutritionist at Purina, Raj Naik, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition): “If I’m feeding a complete and balanced dog food, I don’t have to worry about supplementing anything else. I don’t have to worry about rotating between foods. I want to make sure my dog is getting everything that he or she needs, so I am going to be feeding a complete and balanced diet in the form of a kibble.”

Eye Disease

I'm interested in breeding recommendations from experts relating to eye disease.

For expert breeding recommendations relating to eye disease, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) collaborates with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) to administer the CAER eye examination program. The ACVO Genetics Committee provides breed-specific breeding advice, which is published annually in the ACVO Blue Book. 

You can find more information here:

•  ACVO CAER Exam Info
• OFA Blue Book – Breeding Guidelines

Our team also put together this article on eye certification through OFA, which is included in our Health Hub under health testing and screening for eye disease.

Updated 6/12/2025