Saying Hi - Have Question

[BellaScarlett]

Hello Eskie lovers!

I'm considering getting a pup and have been checking breeders' websites.

My question is, what age do you first breed an eskie? A breeder in my area has a female that just turned three years old and is having her third litter in the fall. Is this considered over-breeding?

Thanks for answering.
Bella

[eskieagilitygal]

Depends on the dog and when she started.  If she's almost four, then "maybe" not, as some will breed back to back heat cycles., which can be 4-9 months apart depending on the bitch.  Avg. Being 6 months.

With that said I personally would not breed the first litter until 2+ years(after all health tests) and you know she's
Physically Mature.  Breeding back to back would depend on how she rebounded from the first litter.  If she in good shape physically and nutritionally.  Having a litter takes a lot out of a dog and the bigger the litter the more it takes out of them.   I think most breeders skip cycles, but more will chime in, I'm sure, and give you their opinion.
 
If you go to the AKC or UKC Breed club sites you can go to the breeder referral section and e-mail for  a breeder list. 

[EskieMa]

Most of us want you to have the best eskie pup possible that will grow to spend their adult and senior years with you in the best of health.  

We screen for an eye disease called PRA that can cause blindness and our adults also have eye exams every few years to screen for other eye problems.  These are not done by your local vet but specialized ophthalmic vets.

We also do not breed until the hips of both male and female are xrayed and known to be compatable to that breeding.  This test is run through the OFA, Orthropedic Foundation of America, and canNOT be done until the dog is at least 2 years old. And then it might take another month or 2 to get their results and certificate.

Most of us do not breed back-to-back, like every heat cycle. Rather we prefer that are females rest a cycle or two so they are in optimal condition.

Now do the math; ask for the test results and see if that litter is what you want.  

[DebbieA]

Hi and welcome!  Another suggestion would be to check PetFinder to see if there is a young Eskie available in your area.

[eskilady]

Welcome to the Board! Who is this breeder that you are thinking of getting a puppy from?  Maybe someone here knows of her or heard about her and can help.

[BellaScarlett]

Thank you all for your replies. Kinda confirms what I thought.

eskilady, I would not be comfortable naming a breeder on the internet.

[Eskielove24]

Welcome to the board! Good luck on getting your puppy! Hope that we can see the pics of your new puppy when it comes home!

[katie's mom]

Bella-Scarlett:  You haven't said anything here that would necessarily be embarrassing to your breeder.  On the contrary, you might give her some free publicity.  People name their breeders on this Board all the time.  Often their breeders are *on* the Board.  This is not to compel you to do anything that you don't want to do, but rather to let you know what the "culture" is here.

[Geno]

I know nothing about breeding Eskies, but WELCOME to the board.

Geno

[eskieagilitygal]

Thank you all for your replies. Kinda confirms what I thought.

eskilady, I would not be comfortable naming a breeder on the internet.

I'd be inclined not to name the breeder. What's more important is that they be informed, what to ask for and about when looking for an eskie puppy.  They can then make an informed decision themselves about if the Breeder is a person they wish to do business. 

We can also refer  to the breed clubs referral list of breeders

[nevada.the.eskie]

Welcome and good luck on finding an eskie puppy that works for your family.

A good thing to do when researching breeders is to contact the AKC and UKC breeder referral representatives. This is because not all breeders have websites. Call and talk to the people and ask questions about them and their dogs. In my opinion (though most reputable breeders would agree with me), a good basis for minimum health testing would be Optigen (PRA), OFA hips, and CERF. You can actually verify the results of these tests by going to the OFA website and entering the dog's name or registration number and their breed. Recently the CHIC program was created to have a centralized site that shows what dogs have had all of basic/minimum testing recommended by the parent club. This is still new, so not all of the older dogs have been added to the database yet, because many breeders need to renew the CERF certificate on their dogs and have all of the information registered through OFA.