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Posted by alicat613 on March 11, 2003 at 21:40:53:

In Reply to: Re: How many litters? posted by Lynn on March 02, 2003 at 19:25:39:

:It totally depends upon the individual dog. If the person really, and I mean REALLY knows his/her dogs, he will know if it is best for that dog to go back to back or if it will run the dog down. From a purely scientific point of view, it is best to breed back to back if the dog can handle it, get the litters done and spay early rather than expose the reproductive organs to cycle after cycle of hormones. Not all individual dogs can handle this though and will need to skip a cycle. So, it may be just fine for the dog. It may be that the guy is cranking litters out for money and not even thinking about the dog. There really isn't enough info to tell.

:Lynn

Your scientific view of it makes a great point, but it relies on both situations resulting in the same number of pregnancies. IE in your theory it is either breed back to back, get your 6 litters out of her ASAP and spay, or skip cycles and spend 12 breeding years to get 6 litters. But there are other choices such as breeding her twice, not back to back, and spaying. Ethically I feel we have a responsibility to animals not to use them as puppy producers. Breeding back to back or countless litters, even when skipping cycles, is not ethical or right in my eyes!

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