I read about a breeder of working dobermans whose upcoming litter is sired by a 8 1/2 month old. How does the youth of the sire affect the litter to be?
Since the original post I've learned that it is recomended that the breeding dogs be at least 18 months. In order for any health or temperment issues to fully surface in the prospective sire/dam prior to breeding. Also, there aren't any working titles available at that age 8 1/2 months, so the sire/dam couldn't be titled.
I think the best kind of breeder is one that also works/trains his dogs for the intended task, and has a deep understanding of the required physical and temperament traits. With repeated experience watching the pups from his own stock develop I think at 8 months the breeder can have a very good idea about the temperament and health of a particular young dog. Time is always of the essence in breeding good dogs. I can understand if a breeder confident in the quality of such a young dog didn't think that waiting was necessary.
To me titles are much less important than my own assessment in terms of attaining my goal of producing good dogs. Titles are to increase the value of the dog. The fact that the dog is too young to title is not a factor for me.
What my concern and where my knowledge lacks is the following; Theoretically the dog passes on its genes as they are present in him having received them from his parents. Looking at it this way it shouldn't matter at what time of his life the dog passes on his genes. I suspect however that environmental factors do affect the passage of these genes. Environment does affect the dog's physiology and psychology. Hormones and chemical balances are different in dogs of differing temperament and/or status. Maybe somehow this carries through to the reproductive system and consequently affects the arrangement/combination of genes which are responsible for temperament and physical traits. I think it takes a very experienced breeder of dogs that bred for a very specific task to be able to answer this question.
.What my concern and where my knowledge lacks is the following; Theoretically the dog passes on its genes as they are present in him having received them from his parents. Looking at it this way it shouldn't matter at what time of his life the dog passes on his genes. I suspect however that environmental factors do affect the passage of these genes. Environment does affect the dog's physiology and psychology. Hormones and chemical balances are different in dogs of differing temperament and/or status. Maybe somehow this carries through to the reproductive system and consequently affects the arrangement/combination of genes which are responsible for temperament and physical traits. I think it takes a very experienced breeder of dogs that bred for a very specific task to be able to answer this question.
Thanks Dan. At that age the only thing that the dog can offer is it's genes. The question is whether or not training and life experiences (which this dog can't have too much of) affect it's genes in any way. Dan, if you don't know, then I certainly don't. In so many words the breeder states that their breeding program is to produce 'strong' and 'civil' dogs (my wording). How much defense drive could you see in a dog that age? Is 8 1/2 months a puppy or young adult for the doberman breed?
If you followed another thread where I was talking about what age I'd start training a PD you may recall I said with few exceptions I'd wait till the dog was a year old, because the dog has to be mature enough to handle some pressure in defense. It's a general statement and should be perceived as a guideline not as absolute truth. There are fast maturing dogs that will react well to pressure in defense at as young as 7 months, I've seen this in GSD. If I can make the dog win every time and it gets stronger every session then there's no reason not to do it. But this is if I have a good working relationship with the dog's owner or vice versa, I'm the owner and my friend is a helper, and we both have a good understanding of what we're trying to achieve. It's not the same as a person coming to me off the street with a 6 month old pup and wants a PD. So at 8.5 months it's very possible to see what a dog has to offer as far as sharpness and aggression. Some lines just mature very fast. I don't know much about the development of dobe pups but it makes sense to me that they'd mature fast. A working dobe is a relatively sharp dog. I'm not sure but I think I heard they don't live as long as the average GSD.
I heard someplace and I am sure someone here can set me straight but aren't dobermans as a breed suseptable to brain tumors? Someone told me that at one point and I know I had a friend with one that went wacko and they said he had a brain tumor.
I met a lady who told me something similar about a rottweiler she owned. One day they came home and the dog was aggressive, wouldn't recognize his people. They later found he had a brain tumor.
Age of sire
In so many words the breeder states that their breeding program is to produce 'strong' and 'civil' dogs (my wording). How much defense drive could you see in a dog that age? Is 8 1/2 months a puppy or young adult for the doberman breed?
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