Breeding 7 year old bitch first time

[addler]

This is not me, this is my parents.

They have always had a fanciful idea of 'letting her have one litter' to 'experience being a mother' and 'as my dad says it calms them down'.

I thought that as she's got older they had let this idea pass into obscurity where it belongs, but tonight over dinner announced she was about to come on heat and so in 2 months I should prepare to have some puppies to look after. This was said in such a way that I should be pleased or excited about it We have emigrated back to my home country and are living with them for the foreseeable, we have a baby and a toddler.

This is a 7 year old English cocker who has never been bred from, has had problems with slipped disks, and is an incredibly clingy, nervous and anxious dog. She could fill a bingo card of 'why not to breed a dog'. They've never bred a dog. They know nothing about breeding a dog.

I know this is a stupid fucking idea, but I want to approach my parents calmly and be able to explain to them why I think that in a way that will make them understand and listen.

So far I've gathered some articles and information on why you should/shouldn't breed your dog, the genetic testing a Cocker would need to pass and info on the age of a dog especially for a first litter.

I'm struggling to find any statistics regarding how dangerous a first whelping would be for a dog of 7, if anyone could point me in the right direction of some or of any other studies/research/information I could show them I'd greatly appreciate it!

Sounds like a very bad idea to me and would be detrimental to her health. I think the real reason for this is for them = the money .

Bloody hell, that's a terrible idea. Guide dog broods retire at that age, so I can't imagine having a first litter would be advisable.

Can you suggest they discuss it with their vet?

I totally agree with you that their reasons are nonsense and the plan sounds unsafe in myriad ways. If they know you are against it, will they actually listen to you or will they dismiss your (legitimate) concerns as nonsense because you don’t like the idea? I would suggest that they discuss it with their vet first. Surely the vet will talk them out of it with sensible, level headed, evidence-based reasons?

What motivates them to do this? Can you leverage that motivation to talk them out of it? e.g a PP mentioned money, can you total up both a realistic and worst-case cost i.e. vets bills, puppy food/care, vet long-term if it severely affects her health?

Hopefully they won't be able to find a responsible stud dog.

Tell them bluntly, this could kill her, and break their hearts, and condemn a litter of badly bred puppies to a miserable life as unhappy unloved pets.

I agree with the sentiment that you need to bluntly tell them that this pregnancy is likely to end in no dogs at all as it could kill her. Even just the mating part, done irresponsibly (and no one with a reputable stud dog is going to breed a 7 year old bitch) could end up with some seriously nasty injuries.

Basically they're trying to kill their dog :(

She’s too old for her first litter. Plus, your parents are completely unprepared and don’t know anything about breeding.

A friend of my dh, his dog just dropped puppies. They are only a few days old, but already she’s lost 6 of them.

She gave birth to ten, but due to the mums inexperience, the owners inexperience and other factors, mum has smothered some and eaten two…

Won’t need to find a reputable one. Anyone who has an intact male, and who cares about the money will let them breed a 7 year old bitch

I’d be cobbling together an emergency pyometra next time they’re out
of town.

Breeding dogs is really hard work. It will be 8 weeks of very little sleep. Constant cleaning up and their house will get destroyed.

Dog breeder and exhibitor here. Far too old, especially for a smaller dog. She would likely have a small litter and need a c-section. It doesn’t calm them down either. They’d be better off getting her spayed

This makes me so sad. I really hope you can talk them out of it OP. It'll be a bad stud-nobody with any sense, experience or who's a viable breeder will allow theirs to mate with a 7 year old first timer. And it could kill her, she's likely to harm the pups.
How awful :(

If it helps, my next door neighbours pup was the only survivor of a litter of 12, simular scenario apart from the bitch was only 5. They know the person who bred her(family member) and the bitch survived but is a changed animal, depressed and sad all the time and has multiple health problems now. The puppy is very very anxious likely to having no playmates/littermates to teach him.

It's just not a good idea :( I'd be paying paying them NOT to do it

I can sense your frustration from your post. I’m glad you are on the dogs side. Ask them to have the vet give a ‘health check’ first & hopefully the vet puts them off. Poor dog.

Since your numpty dps have put far fetched emotional logic into play ask them will it be fair to let the ddog have babies and take them away.....
I would be very glad I lived far away from such people op..

With spinal issues it’s very likely to end in no dogs to be frank.

Having seen the effort and sacrifice that goes into well bred puppies I’d not touch breeding with a barge pole.

I’ve bred kc reg chihuahuas in the past. I also have a stud. I wouldn’t breed from or to a 7 year old bitch who is a first timer - however unfortunately there are many who would! Puppies are hard work and I have only bred tiny ones! They poop everywhere, chew things, bark and whine! Whelping and nursing bitches need specific nutrition and supplements in order to prevent things like eclampsia - they would be at real risk of losing their girl if not just getting a huge vet bill. Insurance often will not cover the cost incurred of misadventure during breeding so they will need a nest egg for in case anything goes wrong!
its also quite a misnomer that breeders make a lot of money from selling puppies, if they’re well taken care of, microchipped, vaccinated and fed high quality food etc then there often isn’t a lot left over!

‘Mum, your dog is a badly bred, neurotic mess and is far too old to be having her first litter. What on earth are you thinking’?

Suggest she speaks to ddogs vet... Bet he can talk some sense into her...

This...

I don't think it's money driven, they're quite comfortable. I really think it's coming from an ill-conceived notion of thinking it would be a 'nice' thing. Ignorance really is bliss in this case, they know less about breeding than I do and I know practically nothing bar that it's a really dumb idea for them.

They adore this dog, they got her a few years after our beloved 15 year old boy was put down that we had growing up, and all of their kids had left home, and she filled a space in their home and gave them someone to love and dote on (and spoon fed her breakfast )

I think the route of checking with their vet sounds like a good idea! Hopefully they'll listen to them.

Licensed working cocker breeder here. She's too old, even more so for a first litter. They presumably don't have a license to breed dogs?
It's a very bad idea.
Breeding dogs is not all cute puppies and happy families. It's a lot of work, worry, money, space, time, mess, smells, cleaning, worming, weight charts, temperature charts, vaccinations, flea treatments, weaning, feeding, selling, vetting all potential new owners. So even taking the age of the bitch out of the equation they'd have to be properly prepared.
What will they do if something goes wrong? Failed whelping, dead or stuck puppies, emergency C-section, what if no one wants the pups and they have to keep them far longer than eight weeks? Will they be prepared for drip feeding a litter if she won't bond and won't or cannot feed them?
Has the bitch been health tested? KC registered? Co efficiencies worked out for potential studs?
Bad idea best left to professionals.