[gg4000]

When I first got my GSD, I was thinking about breeding. His breeder (litter owner) is willing to assist and I would check with the vet and be very responsible. I've been reading a lot of articles on the web. Now I'm not so sure.
I have to decide to get him neutered or not. Once it's done, it's done.
Is there a time limit? He is now 8 months old.

I also read about freezing his semen. Not sure how they get it???
I don't know the cost or if it will ever be used.

It seems that his health, happiness, and behavior will all be better if I just have him neutered.

Do I really want to breed?

[Yogi]

As a long time breeder I can tell you this is not for the faint of heart. It is time consuming and costly. Many assume you can make money doing this but in fact you are lucky if you break even.
Reputable breeders (and I use the term loosely) are involved in breeding to the betterment of the breed. Putting the correct dam and sire together is crucial along with temperament. The assumption that a male and female will just mate and have puppies sound much easier than it is.
Having the proper education (which you do not get or learn from the internet) is crucial. Having a hands on mentor and working with them through litters of theirs is the best way to be educated. From the beginning to the end of the process.
I generally do not recommend it to most as you noted, neutering him which can be done at any time will in most cases ensure a happy and healthy pet and when you think about it, is this truly not the reason you got him?

[gg4000]

Thank you for the reply. I spoke to a trainer yesterday who told me about some of the benefits of neutering. Right now I can't take him to a dog park or beach. He barks and lunges at every dog. But with a lot of work, maybe I can get control of that behavior. Neutering may or may not change the behavior. Nico was the number one dog from the litter. If you visit his web page, there's a link to the pedigree data, showing his mom and dad and beyond, were world champs. After speaking with his breeder, today, I was also informed that he would probably not be able to be a show dog. That was my plans for him too. So I might try to deal with the behavior rather than neuter. But I still would value more opinions.

[Yogi]

If according to the breeder he would not be able to be a show dog, than why not neuter. As for world champion, sorry there is no such thing. Each club ie: AKC, CKC etc has their own CH dogs. If you show them in other countries this only makes them multiple champions should they win. There is no world championship for dogs. In addition, being that there appears to be issues with the dog, any reputable breeder will not use him. Temperament is a big issue when looking to breed. Neuter may not resolve the issues but in most cases will reduce them. I had the same issue with my purebred German Pinscher, he was show quality and his pedigree includes double CH titles from Europe and the US.
But do to his attitude I did not feel breeding would ensure that the problems would not carry over. Since neutering, his lunging at the other dogs has stopped and now sees the smaller Miniature Pinschers I raise as his playmates not his threat.

[Lara's mom]

For those who really feel that they want the experience of raising a litter of newborn pups, fostering is a really good option. Despite all the hype about spaying/neutering dogs, every year pregnant females are surrendered to shelters all over North America because irresponsible owners did not bother to spay/neuter and then don't want to deal with the expense and work that is involved with caring for the mom and the pups. Puppies born in a shelter are at risk for a great many diseases and infections which is why the best possible solution is to foster out the pregnant mom so she can have her pups in a safe environment.

However, as other posters have pointed out, it is not for the feint of heart. Things in the birth process can go wrong very quickly. Even if everything goes right with the birth, the mother, may not feed them which means that you will be up every couple of hours around the clock feeding the babies and stimulating their bowel movements, making sure they are warm, etc. It is a tremendous amount of work. Once the pups are ready to leave the whelping box and begin exploring their world, you will mop up more puddles than you ever thought possible! At a certain point, they will have to be weaned off of either their mom's milk or the milk replacer. Both mom and her babies will need check-ups and the babies will need to begin their series of vaccines.

Now, comes the hardest part of all. You've spent 8 - 12 weeks bonding with both the mom and the pups but, the day comes when it's time to say good-bye. It's time for them to go back to the shelter to be put up for adoption. Every time I've had to do it, it is heart wrenching. It never gets any easier. I cry every single time. I know the puppies will get adopted. Everybody wants a puppy, right? However, what about the mom? Her chances of finding a forever home aren't nearly as good.

The good thing about fostering a pregnant mom is that you get loads of support from the shelter. They pay for the vet care and the food, etc. Also, you just may discover that you've found the dog of your dreams and will have first pick in adopting. However, the very best reason to do it is that you are saving many lives. Often pregnant females are just put to sleep if there are no foster homes available because the shelters are already overcrowded and newborns don't do well in that atmosphere.

For those of you who have the time and the love in your heart, I urge you to sign up as a foster parent at your local shelter. You will be a part of saving so many lives and will experience the joy of raising pups or nursing a sick or injured dog back to health. There is no better feeling than watching a dog that you've nursed and cared for, wagging his/her tail as they leave for their forever home!!!

[Lara's mom]

I keep hearing about all these people who are so determined to allow their dogs to breed...How strange that all of these wannabe breeders won't help a pregnant dog in need...It really makes me wonder about your actual commitment.

I've whelped and raised more pups then I can even remember. Despite what the shelter provided, I always ended up spending way more than I received for their care. I have never begrudged one red dime! The joy of seeing those babies grow and thrive was worth EVERY penny!

So, to all of you who think you are going to make money off of the pups that you breed, excuse me while I treat myself to a good laugh. When you factor in the cost of prenatal care for mom, the potential emergency costs for the birth if things don't go right, the vaccines etc., trust me; if you even break even, it will be a miracle. BTW, this world is very short on miracles....