Initially when we began thinking about breeding Saint Berdoodles, we thought it might be better to allow Waffles to have one litter, and then skip a heat cycle, to allow her body a break after having puppies. I mean, as a human, this makes a lot of sense. Having two kiddos back to back (13 months apart) was really hard on my body.
However, I am a member of several groups on Facebook, including a couple groups where veterinarians weigh in. From what I can gather, many vets say it is actually better to allow breeding back to back. One commented that she was not only a vet, but a breeder also. She said not to compare dogs to humans, that in the wild dogs bred without skipping heat cycles and that “a pregnant uterus was a happy uterus.”
There were numerous vets who recommended you allow a dog to have a certain number of litters and then spay her, reducing her risk of reproductive cancers. I was surprised to hear this, as I had assumed we would give Waffles a break between litters. But maybe we shouldn’t…
I realize, just like everything else in the breeding world, this is a controversial topic. Know that we always put the health and well being of our dogs first.
Waffles last litter of puppies is 4 months old now! Hard to believe! No signs of any heat thus far, but that’s fine with us. She’s busy gaining weight and living the good life, getting spoiled rotten.
She and Beau are so sweet. They love each other! And they love being together. He will cry at night in his kennel if Waffles isn’t with him. And when she gets to the kennel, he starts jumping so excitedly. It’s just the sweetest!