Gundog Training Forum

hi.

I have a 2yo lab bitch. hips elbows eyes and DNA are all great. I was going to put her in pup in her next season. hopefully keep two for my picking up team. would you consider two as too young? have a fully health tested dog I wanted to use. opinions wanted please. the bitch was bread by a friend of mine to my dog so really keen to keep pups out of him.

thanks

If you are just talking physically I think two is the perfect age for a first litter. Even 18 months is good. Just like people they do best the first time when young and fit. It might be too young for a bitch to prove if she is worthy of breeding but it sounds like you are committed to that anyway.

40 odd days picking up this season with her amongst others. quiet steady and good game finder.will put more handling into her over the summer but verry promising so far.

I am in almost exactly the same boat, I intend to breed from a 2 year old bitch this summer (she will be nearer 3 than 2 really), in a perfect world I would have possibly preferred to give her another year to mature but she has shown me everything I need to see in her work and the dog I intend to use will be 11 later this year so I am going ahead. I was forced into going a bit earlier than possibly ideal as the bitch I originally acquired to breed from simply didn't have what I wanted in her and I gave her time to prove herself (or disprove?) before I accepted what I already knew in my heart but had wasted 3 years. Then I got another bitch who does have what I want.
Thanks Dawnrazor!!

Many years ago I was given a Springer bitch of really high class breeding by a fellow who was Canada's Top Trialer. The condition was I would breed her once to his best male, I could keep one pup but he got the rest of the litter. Anxious to get the obligation behind me I bred her at 18 months. She had an easy delivery, was a wonderful mum and went on to have a great working career. She had two more litters and was still hunting for me at 13. So as far as her physical well being I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Nickheref wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:19 am Then I got another bitch who does have what I want.
Thanks Dawnrazor!!