# 1 year old, still no heat.



## fibigrey (Sep 1, 2011)

I have a 1 year old yorkiepin (she turned 1 on june 3) who has still not gone into heat. We were considering maybe breeding her once, but havn't decided.. I talked to the receptionist at the vet's office the other day and she even said it was unusual that she hasn't gone into heat yet.. Is it normal? Could there be a problem?


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## Deaf Dogs (May 28, 2012)

1 year is absolutely normal, infact it can take 'till they're 16 months. My sister's Westie went into heat at 1 year (almost on the nose) and Mouse (my doxie) was 10 months.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Could be normal, could be a problem. Why are you debating breeding her?


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## fibigrey (Sep 1, 2011)

I sortof want an offspring from her... She isn't purebred, so I don't know, but she took on the yorkie appearance, except her hair isn't as long.. Our vet even asked if we were going to breed her.. I guess people call her a "designer breed" But if I bred her I'd like to do it with a purebred yorkie.. but I have alot of research and stuff to do..I don't have the faintest idea where I'd find another dog, or etc... I just havn't made a decision, and I certainly don't want to spay her until I do! LOL


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## LilasMom (Jan 18, 2012)

Do you know of the risks? Breeding a dog can always mean the loss of the puppies, the mom, or both. Are you going to get all the necessary testing done? This is more than just a check up, it is hundreds of dollars worth of tests. She is only a year old so there are many genetic diseases/issues that may not be showing up yet, such as luxating (sp?) patellas. What if there are birth complications? That can be thousands of dollars. Can you care for all of the puppies if you can't find a *responsible* home? This means doing research on potential candidates, not just selling it to a friend with no questions asked. I have many good friends, but a lot of them are just not great pet owners when it comes down to it. To be honest, most responsible breeders would never offer a stud service to someone looking to breed a mixed breed yorkie, so you will be taking a risk if you don't thoroughly research the stud as well first. So if you want to continue your research, keep in mind:

-she could die
-the puppies could be disfigured or die
-the pregnancy could really be hard on her and cost thousands of dollars due to complications
-even with healthy puppies, still hundreds to thousands of dollars in vets bills if bred responsibly
-you could be left caring for 2-6 dogs for around 15 years or so if you can't find responsible homes or if the buyers return the puppy. Giving to a shelter would obviously not be an option since you bred your dog.
-you would be contributing in no way to the Yorkshire Terrier Breed and are just unnecessarily increasing the amount of puppies in this world

I don't mean to be harsh, these are just the realities of breeding. It is definitely not something to be taken lightly. Her offspring also may act and look nothing like her since she is a mixed breed, so that isn't a very good reason to breed a dog.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Please don't breed your dog. There are already plenty in shelters and it could be very very dangerous to your dog.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Breeding her doesnt mean you'll get another "just like her". Even breeders with many years of experience have very expensive emergencies pop up, lose pups and sometimes momma dogs.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Please just spay her...


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## fibigrey (Sep 1, 2011)

At the risk of sounding snarky; I'll do what I want with my dog. You people are way too freakin pushy.

Its really funny you all telling me NOT to breed her but yet so many of you spend hundreds, if not thousands to purchase a pure bred dog from breeders. They weren't always reputable breeders, they started from somewhere as well.
By the way, pregnancy, labor, AND delivery are very natural things and most animals can handle it.. If she can't, I would cross that bridge, and be informed if it were to happen.
I said I had to do more research before I made a decision. I am not the type of person to go into it blind. Just because she is a mixed breed doesn't mean that she can't give good puppies.. There are always people looking for small dogs. Someone paid $300 for her from a breeder. I got her from someone who got her as a gift from the people who paid $300 for her, who's other dog wasn't getting along with her when she was only 10 weeks old. They had moved and returning her to the breeder wasn't an option at the time. I think when and what I decide to do is up to me, and I will make an educated decision when the time comes. If I cannot find a dog to breed her with, then fine, I'll deal with that when it happens, IF it happens, because I didn't say I was going to do it for sure.

I was asking in general about her not being in heat yet, not an entire scolding for potentially wanting to breed her.


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

> Its really funny you all telling me NOT to breed her but yet so many of you spend hundreds, if not thousands to purchase a pure bred dog from breeders. They weren't always reputable breeders, they started from somewhere as well.


Not true, a reputable breeder starts by getting another reputable breeder to mentor and guide them. They do not breed unproven and unhealth tested dogs, ever. Breeding is so much more than putting two dogs together. Your dog is very young, and likely did not come from reputable breeders, so you have no idea what types of genetic health problems she could still develop, and even if she does not develop them, she can still carry them and pass them to her pups. You seem to care about your dog, I'm sure you do not want to create dogs with potentially painful and life threatening health issues, right? So, I already posted this on another thread, and I'll post it here again:
Have you performed all necessary genetic health tests (NOT a vet check up) to ensure that your dog is free of all potential hereditary diseases in both breeds that she is mixed with? Do you have money set aside in case a c-section is required (not uncommon in small breeds)? Are you prepared to provide a minimum 3 year written health guarantee to your puppy's new owners, and are you prepared to take any and all of them back at any time if their owners can no longer care for them? 
If you cannot answer yes to each and every one of these questions, I'm sorry but you should NOT be breeding your pup. Also, while breeding and giving birth may be natural, many, many female dogs still do lose their lives giving birth, and sexually transmitted diseases are also not uncommon in breeding, particularly if you are breeding to a dog that has not had any health testing done.



> I was asking in general about her not being in heat yet, not an entire scolding for potentially wanting to breed her.


This is a public forum, and as such, when you post, you open yourself up to more answers and comments on more than your specific question. You take that risk when you post here. People are free to post on any information that you include in your post, and in the case, whether or not your pup should be bred is a valid concern.


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## musapan (Jul 10, 2009)

Spay your little girl. It isn't fair to breed her, and put her life and health in danger just because YOU 'want an offspring'. SHE doesn't want babies. She just wants to be healthy, loved and safe. Dogs are not like humans, they don't 'all want babies someday'. Breeding her would be very dangerous for her breed and size, and she just wants to have you love her!

There are millions of dogs and cats that are destroyed each year because there aren't enough homes to go around. Please don't put more puppies into the mix.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Most of us are pushy because we are the ones who deal with the litters like you may produce. The unwanted, not so perfect, and out grew being cute, didn't have the health tests so have major issues that owner didn't want to deal with, the puppies we have to assist with euthanasia because there are just so many.


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## musapan (Jul 10, 2009)

*"Its really funny you all telling me NOT to breed her but yet so many of you spend hundreds, if not thousands to purchase a pure bred dog from breeders."*

Who? The vast majority of the people in this forum have rescue dogs from shelters, myself included. I would never, ever, in a million years spend 'hundreds, if not thousands' of dollars to get a dog that was most likely produced from a puppy mill, or an inexperienced breeder who didn't care enough about their dog to breed the pups for quality or health, and were just looking to make a quick buck. What we were trying to tell you is that you're putting your dog in unnecessary danger, which brings me to my next point:

*"By the way, pregnancy, labor, AND delivery are very natural things and most animals can handle it.. "
*
Yes, animals can handle it, but it's a very difficult process that is made MUCH MORE DIFFICULT when we've been breeding certain dogs for decades to have the SMALLEST POSSIBLE SIZE without taking into consideration how hard pregnancy will be on them. Boston Terriers, for example, can hardly ever have natural child birth, they almost always need a c-section, and many bitches die during the process. We have bred dogs foolishly for a very long time, breeding them with bad genetics and traits, making it harder and harder to produce healthy litters later on. Your dog is no exception.

My point in particular was that there is no REASON for you to breed your dog, other than selfish reasons. (Money, 'just because', or 'I want cute puppies!') The fact of the matter is that your dog does not want puppies, she just wants to be happy and healthy, and this a decision that is going to affect HER, not you. (And please don't say, "How do YOU know what my dog wants??" Humans are the only animal in nature that breeds for material reasons, opposed to advancing and maintaining their species. They don't WANT to breed, they HAVE to. It isn't a choice.) If you care about her, you'll get her spayed, and do more research on the current homeless animal epidemic in this country before thinking about bringing more puppies into the world.

And lastly: 

*"I'll do what I want with my dog."*

She's not a pair of shoes. This is a living, breathing animal, and none of us here were trying to irritate you, or be pushy. We love our animals, like a mother loves her children, and we wanted to make sure we were giving you all the information you needed to understand why spaying her was the best thing for her. That being said, the above line worried me a bit. Of all the people in this thread, YOU should be the one most concerned about the welfare of your sweet little dog. It isn't about what YOU want. It's about what she needs. And she certainly doesn't need to get pregnant, and risk her health just because you want her to. 

In conclusion, we were only trying to help you and your baby out. I've worked at pet stores for nearly a decade, (only pet stores that work with rescues, NOT puppy mills,) and it just pains me to see all of the people breeding their dogs so they can 'sell the puppies', or because they 'wanted her to have AT LEAST one litter'. These are not breeding machines, they're living beings, and they have no choice in the matter, so it's up to us to make the best, healthiest decisions for them. :3

(Sorry for posting twice, by the way. I only read the first post before posting before, but later I had time to read all the responses.)


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Nothing is natural about a yorkie poodle mix. Or any of the breeds we have created.

Death, however, is natural. It is completely your choice if you breed or not. It is also your choice to be responsible.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

> I'll do what I want with my dog.


Look at my sig. Those are the two dogs I have rescued, dogs created by people like you. Go to petfinder.com and put in your zip code. Look at the hundreds of dogs near you in need of homes. Where did those dogs come from? From you. From people who sorta wanted another of their dog, but didn't want 5 more dogs, so off with nice man you go, he was so polite, I'm sure you'll be fine.

Muggsy I got at 11 months. He had been severely abused. Once, I was petting him belly and thought I found his belly button. Then I found another, then another. What I found was _cigarette burns_. 7 in total. I'm sure the person who bred him had no intention of handing him over to be burned repeatedly, but that's what happens.

Kabota I got at 3 years. He spent so much time in a crate, his ribs were flat on one side and his one back leg is smaller than the other. His teeth are a mess, worn and broken, from trying to chew his way out. The other day, a friend of mine was flailing around with his baseball cap to kill a wasp and Kabota peed himself and ran away. I found him upstairs, pressed into the wall of the hallway, shaking. I don't want to know the story there, but I can guess.

These are the fates of mixed litters bred by people who kinda want another. That is, if they aren't just gassed to death by the dozen in a shelter. 

Do what you want, but doing what you know to be wrong simply because you can doesn't make you a good person.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

My dog isn't even a rescue... She's a Craigslist throwaway. No doubt she was probably some designer thing originally, since breeding Chihuahuas to whatever seems to be pretty popular. She was a happy dog when we got her but she smelled like urine and was loaded with fleas and had kennel cough and allergies. She was also terrified of men. I can only guess what the grandpa of the ladies I got her from may have done to her. When I had three of my guy friends over, they cornered her accidentally and she SCREAMED bloody murder and hid under the bed the rest of the night. I'm sure the person who bred her never expected her to end up in a situation like what I got her from, but she did and she's lucky she found me. Dogs bred by irresponsible breeders end up in abusive, neglectful situations. Please heed our advice and get your baby spayed.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Count me in with the shelter crew! I've got a small mixed breed dog, and he's awesome! And I got him at 8 wks old - the shelter I got him from got him from another shelter where his litter was scheduled to be euthanized. Yep, a litter of 8 week old small "designer breed" type dogs going to be euthanized because there are just too many dogs out there.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Spay and she can adopt an offspring that looks just like her. Go on petfinder and you can find hundreds of little poodle mixes needing homes. http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/23190930

I will be breeding my first litter in another 18 months, give or take. Before that happens I'm looking at at least $1,500 in health testing to make sure there's no genetic issues that can be passed on. As well looking at a few seminars on breeding coming up, several club memberships. That's not considering showing the dogs and getting some titles as well as getting a website done and making sure I have enough good homes before it happens. I have raised a few foster litters here, including one with parvo where one pup didn't make it, helped screen homes and train difficult dogs for rescue and volunteered at spay and neuter clinics. 

It would be a lot easier be lazy, let the three intact dogs outside goofing around right now just breed at will and sell the pups for a fraction of the cost. I wonder if a 'merle golden border' would be a designer breed worth more? Ugh.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

To answer your question. Yes it is unsual for a dog of your girls size to have not gone into heat yet and it could mean that there's a problem. Typicaly the smaller breeds have their first heat from 6 months to 1 year old. Larger breeds take longer to develop so they might not have they're first heat until they're ~2 years old, and some sighthound lines are known for taking up to 3 years to have their first heat. But your girl is not a sighthound or a large breed. Unless you've spoken to the breeder to find out if this is normal for your girls family, I would start considering doing a medical evaluation on her possible fertility if breeding is a priority. 

It is possible that she could have had a silent heat or her heat was not a big as you may have been expecting and thus missed. Once dogs have their fisrt heat they usually continue to have a heat cycle about every 6-10 months depending on the dog, again smaller dogs then to cycle more often than larger dogs. Since breeding is something you're are considering, you should check your girl at least every other week. That way you'll know whats normal for her and will be able to spot an impending heat cycle or health issue soon enough to do something about it. Give the size of your girl if she hasn't had a heat cycle by 18 months old then you'll want to consult with a repro vet to find out whats going on.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

fibigrey said:


> At the risk of sounding snarky; I'll do what I want with my dog. You people are way too freakin pushy.
> 
> Its really funny you all telling me NOT to breed her but yet so many of you spend hundreds, if not thousands to purchase a pure bred dog from breeders. They weren't always reputable breeders, they started from somewhere as well.
> By the way, pregnancy, labor, AND delivery are very natural things and most animals can handle it.. If she can't, I would cross that bridge, and be informed if it were to happen.
> ...


Actually my Dobe's breeder WAS always a responsible breeder, she started in the breed showing dogs, had a mentor who helped her get started and answered all her questions, was there to deliver the pups and help take are of them and health tested from day one. Oh and I didn't pay 'thousands' of dollars for her, I adopted her from the breeder after she reposssed her from the previous buyers because the person violated her contract. Responsible breeders do it right from the start and they don't breed for the reasons you've stated, only to improve their breed (purebred) or to create dogs for a specific job (mixed breed). 

You have a MIXED breed dog that is common in most shleters and most likely came from a puppy mill or other unethical breeder, get her spayed and don't risk her death by breeding her.


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## mashlee08 (Feb 24, 2012)

I dont know how to quote, I dont use this forum very often. But I am the other side of things, I am one of the people who paid money from a breeder. 
But what I got from my dogs was all the health results of her parents AND grandparents. Hip and elbow scores eye tests and all other diseases associated with the breed. 
All up my breeder who owned both parents and 3 of the grandparents would have spent well over $10,00 dollars on tests and making sure the dogs she bred would be healthy and she did the most she possibly have could to make sure I would get a happy healthy dog from that litter and I could be confident wouldn't have issues that could have been avoided. I don't mind paying for that. She only ever breeds if the thinks the litter is going to be a functional working dog and it is going to contribute to the breed overall.
Disorders can come from further up the line, can you be sure your dogs grandparents didnt have any serious health issues? What about the stud and his lines? You never know what you could end up with.

That being said, I am also a vet nurse. And let me tell you, it is not fun doing volunteer work at a shelter and all the work ALL day is putting down puppies and kittens. They don't get a nice goodbye, there is no time for that. Its just see you later puppy and the body goes in a plastic bag with the rest of the dead animals. If your prepared to sit through that for a day, then by all means do it. But its where pups from your litter could end up. 
There is no sorta wanna litter from her or kinda think she could have nice puppies. The world doesn't need it. The dog doesn't need it, and you don't need it.


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## LazyZoe (Apr 8, 2012)

mashlee08 said:


> That being said, I am also a vet nurse. And let me tell you, it is not fun doing volunteer work at a shelter and all the work ALL day is putting down puppies and kittens. They don't get a nice goodbye, there is no time for that. Its just see you later puppy and the body goes in a plastic bag with the rest of the dead animals. If your prepared to sit through that for a day, then by all means do it. But its where pups from your litter could end up.
> There is no sorta wanna litter from her or kinda think she could have nice puppies. The world doesn't need it. The dog doesn't need it, and you don't need it.


Thank you so much for saying that. I think there are too many people out there who can't think past the "adorable puppy" part of breeding (and I am generally referring to the irresponsible BYB's and others who don't put much thought into breeding their dog). To the OP, why breed just because she's "your dog" and you can "do what you want" with her? She's not an inanimate object. She's a living, breathing, sentient animal. Why add to an overpopulation of unwanted animals just because you can? Why potentially doom your dog's pups to being euthanized...just because? Why don't you go volunteer in a kill shelter for a month and then see how you feel about irresponsibly breeding your dog.


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

Speaking as one who has purebred dogs: not all of us spend unseemly amounts of money on our dogs. One of mine, the best quality one, came to me for free. He was part of a co-bred litter, and the co-breeder that had him could not keep him. The primary breeder did not make provisions for him, and could not keep him, and was planning to get him to a pet home. The co-breeder offered him to my DH and me, knowing we'd show him. So, he is here now.

My other two, from a different breeder, cost about $300 combined. One is now 9, and an AKC champion, the other is his nephew. The nephew was show-potential quality, but did not mature into it.

My point is, though some purebred owners may come across as "holier-than-thou," and you think we spend tons of money acquiring our dogs, it's not always true. Those responsible breeders are often far more interested in getting their puppies into happy forever homes, than they are in making money.

Oh, and don't forget that many of us who are involved in purebred dogs are also involved in rescue. So many of us deal with the aftermath of irresponsible breeders...


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

Please spay her. The world already has enough puppies & dogs that need homes. Don't contribute to that. The ONLY dogs that should be bred have had multiple, costly health tests and the ONLY reason to breed is to improve a particular breed. What you have is an expensive mutt. There is absolutely NO need to replicate that. The only responsible thing you can do is spay your dog. It's best for her, too.


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## Deaf Dogs (May 28, 2012)

Sighthounds4me said:


> Speaking as one who has purebred dogs: not all of us spend unseemly amounts of money on our dogs. One of mine, the best quality one, came to me for free. He was part of a co-bred litter, and the co-breeder that had him could not keep him. The primary breeder did not make provisions for him, and could not keep him, and was planning to get him to a pet home. The co-breeder offered him to my DH and me, knowing we'd show him. So, he is here now.
> 
> My other two, from a different breeder, cost about $300 combined. One is now 9, and an AKC champion, the other is his nephew. The nephew was show-potential quality, but did not mature into it.
> 
> ...


I just wanted to say, OMG look-it your Borzoi's!!!! I LOVE the look of them! I'm such a terrier person, but the Borzoi is on my list as well


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## TyberAnne648852013 (May 3, 2021)

fibigrey said:


> At the risk of sounding snarky; I'll do what I want with my dog. You people are way too freakin pushy.
> 
> Its really funny you all telling me NOT to breed her but yet so many of you spend hundreds, if not thousands to purchase a pure bred dog from breeders. They weren't always reputable breeders, they started from somewhere as well.
> By the way, pregnancy, labor, AND delivery are very natural things and most animals can handle it.. If she can't, I would cross that bridge, and be informed if it were to happen.
> ...


Hi I know this is old but go you!! Don’t listen to the people who constantly put breeders down. It’s rediculous. And the “testing”. Pshh for what. Something dogs have been doing for thousands of years. You don’t go through extensive genetic testing to have a human baby lol. I hope you did decide to breed her and im sure everything was fine. I’ve been breeding dogs since I was young with my parents when they breed golden retrievers. Now I breed mini dachshunds and bloodhounds. My dogs are never crated unless potty training or going to bed. They run free on 4 acres of underground fenced property all day together. And they’re very very happy. Yes things can happen and there are risks with everything. But isn’t that life? Don’t let others judge you. In my opinion do what you do to make you happy and at peace and let the others worry themselves into a deep sleep. 😊


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

You've resurrected a nine year old thread, where most of the people who commented aren't even active on the forum any more, quoting someone who was banned.... 

As an FYI, there are lots of people who go through genetic testing and counselling before having children when there are known serious health concerns in their families.


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

I am closing this thread to further replies, given its age. Feel free to start your own thread if you're interested in discussing these topics, so long as everything is kept polite and respectful in accordance with forum rules.


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