A bitch which cycles twice a year is considered to be on a normal interval of cycles. A bitch can season as early as 6 months to as late as almost 2 years. Most saint bitches experience their first season between 10 and 14 months – more specifically 11 to 13 months. In this regard, a member of the SBCA is to abide by the rules that states breeders should breed a bitch no less than 18 months of age. But to fully engage in breeding a bitch the owner of the bitch must feel the bitch is mature enough to mentally and physically whelp the litter. Some bitches might not be mature in the regard of mentality by three years of age, while oddly others by the age of 18 months can act mature. A bitch bred to young can be immature, which will cause you a lot of work in the whelping room not to mention being a risk around the pups - as well as a young bitch may not be fully developed to evaluate its health (hip, elbow, hock, eyes, epilepsy, thyroid etc). However, a bitch that ovulates three times a year causes a problem – by the time she is 5 her uterus will be in the condition of a 7 to 8 year old bitch. Consulting with a repo vet in the case of having a bitch that cycles so much might suggest breeding the bitch younger and or putting her on a drug to extend the duration of the time between cycles. In the matter of your second Q - breeding a bitch based on the number of litters she can whelp throughout her lifetime that is a matter of the bitch’s ability to recover after her litters and her mothering capabilities – and most importantly her health. However, breeding bitches to often and back to back can result in the phenom of not being fully aware of selecting the appropriate sire for the next litter since the pups from the previous litter are not mature enough to substantively evaluate both confirmationally and also their healthiness.
I would start off by doing a couple things, such as:
(1) Consult with at least two experienced breeders, most importantly the dams mother’s breeder
(2) Is your bitch ready, health, mental?
(3) Are you ready come due time of the litter?
(4) Consult with your vet and a repo vet [repo = reproductive specialist]
(5) Select a good sire, look around if that means shipping semen
(6) Prepare in the matter of constructing the whelping area, progesterone testing/breeding, setting up a time if a c-section need be – and be prepared financially.
(7) Have a clean area for the pups that’s dry and warm.
(
Know how to bottle feed, have a milk formula on hand.
(9) Sterilize and wash hands and cloths to keep the area sanitized
(10) Do not allow others around the pups until they have at least on vaccination.
Good luck!
JL