The earliest age you can breed your dachshund depends on its gender. Dame (female) and sire (male) dachshunds become fertile as early as six months of age, and can in theory be bred as early as that. However, it is recommended that you wait a little longer, instead of breeding when the dogs have reached physical and sexual maturity, likely closer to one year old.
Any dachshund owner looking to breed their beloved companion will want to know at what age they can begin the breeding process. This article will discuss the earliest you can successfully breed your dachshund and also explore the reasons it’s often recommended you wait a little longer until the dog reaches both physical and sexual peak maturity. These reasons include the safety and well-being of the female and babies, as well as the virility of the sire.
How Long Should I Wait?
So, if it’s best to avoid breeding at the first signs of fertility, how long should you wait? The generally accepted rules and customs recommend waiting until the female dachshund, the dame, has had her first heat. This means it would be at least her second heat before she was bred.
Likewise, the rules and customs generally recommend waiting to breed your male dachshund. Ideally, you would wait until he has reached his peak fertility which is around 12-15 months of age.
There are various valid and considerate reasons to follow the accepted waiting times. We will discuss further the earliest possible time to breed your dachshund, as well as the reasons to wait. It is also important to note that many kennel clubs and registries, such as the American Kennel Club and the Dachshund Club, may refuse to register the puppies if their recommendations aren’t followed.
Earliest Fertility: Female Dachshunds
At six months old, your little dame likely still exhibits many of the normal characteristics of puppyhood. However, she is also likely approaching sexual maturity. At six months of age, it is physically possible for most female dachshunds to conceive.
If you’re the doting owner of a female dachshund puppy, you may be surprised to hear that dames can become pregnant around six months of age. It is common for dachshund dames to experience their first heat at around six months. This heat, sometimes also called a season, signifies that your little dame is now fertile.
It goes without saying, keep an eye out for signs of heat or you may find yourself with an unexpected litter of puppies! Besides, as we are here to discuss, it is not recommended that a dam conceives in her first heat.
Earliest Fertility: Male Dachshund
We already noted that, at six months, dames likely still behave very much like puppies. Without a doubt, the same goes for sires as well. Despite their youthful behavior, these puppies could be able to conceive. At this age, it is entirely possible that they could physically produce a litter.
At only six months, however, it is unlikely that the sire is physically fully grown. For this and other reasons, which we will discuss, it is recommended you wait to breed the first litter.
Reasons To Wait: Female Dachshunds
At six months of age, dames are far from fully grown. Despite being able to conceive, it is recommended you wait to breed because it would be a lot of stress on her body and because she would likely not yet be of the correct temperament. Let’s discuss these two issues in further depth.
Physical Stress
A major reason to wait past a female dachshund’s first heat, likely around six months, is physical stress. At this age, she has likely not reached physical maturity. This is to say her body has not fully developed and is not at its full size.
Having a body and frame that is not yet fully developed means that there would be a lot of physical stress on the dame if she were to conceive during her first heat. The growth of the litter could place undue stress on the dog’s frame. On top of that, lactation in such a young animal would be a physical stressor.
A dog at six months of age is still growing. Physically and mentally, they have not reached maturation, even if they are fertile. To avoid the physical stress that lactation and growing puppies would have on the dame, and to avoid a dangerous pregnancy, it is recommended you wait until her second heat.
Mental Readiness
Beyond the physical stressors, it is important to consider temperament. After whelping, the temperament will affect the way the dame rears the puppies. A dame that is too young may not yet have the right temperament to be a good mother, but she may be very well-tempered for rearing her pups with a little more maturity.
Reasons to Wait: Sires
A male dachshund may become fertile around 6 months of age, similar to that of the female dachshund. However, there are good reasons for you to wait to breed the sires as well.
A sire will not be fully grown at 6 months of age, instead, the sire is still growing and developing physically. The sire may not be at peak fertility, and this could affect the outcome. When breeding a male dachshund, you can proceed at the earliest signs of fertility, but you may ultimately be more successful with conception if you wait for peak fertility.
Final Thoughts
If you’re the proud owner of a dachshund, you may be eager to begin breeding. While you may be able to achieve a pregnancy when a dachshund is as young as six months old, it is a good idea to wait a little longer.
The generally accepted rules and customs, urge you to wait until your female dachshund is in at least her second heat, or until your male dachshund has reached its peak fertility. This is for both success and safety reasons.
Waiting may seem frustrating, but following these recommendations will ensure that the litter can be properly registered. Even more importantly, it will protect the safety of the dam and puppies.
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