Is my female akc st benard to young to mate she is 11 months old my male akc is 4 years old. this is her second heat. should i let them mate or should i keep them seprate like i have been trying to do?
by 
cpike82
ANSWERS: 3
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Since this is a giant breed, 11 months is WAY too young to breed. We have newfoundlands and we always wait for their first heat after their 1 1/2 yr. birth date. And we make sure the bitch is old enough to get an accurate OFA certificate. I wouldn't dream of breeding unless both dogs cleared ALL health exams and x-rays. According to the guidelines for breeding St Bernards from the St. Bernard Club of America the bitch should be at least 18 months of age. These are huge dogs. they take a very long time to mature. She's not done growing herself and just doesn't have it in her physically to grow her body and a litter of pups, especially when Saints tend to have huge litters at times. Here is some info from the Saint club. http://www.saintbernard.org/guidelines.html
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Wait until she is at least 18 months old if not 2 years old. This gives her body time to mature and you time to see if she will pass any genetic faults. These fauls sometimes don't show up until 1-2 years old. Get her OFA'd at 1 year, this shows her hips are in good condition and she is likely to pass those good genetics on. If it shows she has bad hips and legs I would not breed her at all.
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I would suggest not doing it till your dog is at least 3 years old the reason i say this / with your female only 11 months that would be like a female girl have a baby at 14 to young still a puppy for several years but you have to decide for your self a vet will more than likely tell you to wait a while
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