The Truth About Back to Back Breeding by Beverley Rutland-Manners.
A Hotly Debated Topic when it comes to female dogs.
- Legally Outlawed in Most Countries and Many locations
- Publicly Considered as Being Cruel
WHAT IS BACK TO BACK BREEDING?
- Definition:
Breeding a female dog back-to-back means breeding her on every heat cycle, as opposed to skipping cycles or waiting before breeding again. - Controversy:
Others argue it's harmful to the dog, potentially causing stress and uterine problems, and is primarily motivated by financial gain. - Health Concerns:
Some studies suggest that dogs bred consistently back-to-back may have fewer occurrences of pyometra (a pus-filled uterus), a serious condition that can lead to surgery or death
ETHICS
Mainly composed of online militants and animal rights activists, the Ethics Police do despise back-to-back breeders and see this practice as inhumane. To them, humans who breed their dogs back to back are doing so for more money and just attempt to rationalize what is, to them, a disgusting behavior.
The common misconception is that an ethical breeder should allow their female dog to have a break between pregnancies. It is believed that this gives the dog’s body time to rest and recover from the previous pregnancy before going through another one. But is this really the way it works?
The common misconception is that an ethical breeder should allow their female dog to have a break between pregnancies. It is believed that this gives the dog’s body time to rest and recover from the previous pregnancy before going through another one. But is this really the way it works?
Many specialists in canine reproduction, such as Dr Hutchison, have actually concluded the opposite to be true. According to these experts, once the female dog is fertile (usually from the second heat cycle onwards), she can be bred at every heat until she reaches a point where breeding is no longer desirable. This point is typically determined by observing a significant decrease in litter size or personal preferences regarding future breeding.
It’s important to note that the frequency of breeding should be based on expert advice and the individual dog’s health and well-being. Consulting with a veterinarian or a reputable experienced breeder is crucial to ensure the best outcome for the dog and her offspring.
N.B. Australian Cobberdogs (ACD's) often don't have their first heat until going on for a year old, or even later, especially in the larger sizes. Conversely, male ACD's are often ready to work and are fertile from as early as seven months old.
It’s important to note that the frequency of breeding should be based on expert advice and the individual dog’s health and well-being. Consulting with a veterinarian or a reputable experienced breeder is crucial to ensure the best outcome for the dog and her offspring.
N.B. Australian Cobberdogs (ACD's) often don't have their first heat until going on for a year old, or even later, especially in the larger sizes. Conversely, male ACD's are often ready to work and are fertile from as early as seven months old.
The physiology of the female dog is unique and unlike any other species. This is what the average person fails to take into account.
When other mammals, come into season and are not mated, their bodies recognize that they are not pregnant and they shed out the oestrogen and progesterone lining that has been prepared to help the fertilized eggs nestle into the softness of the uterus lining.
In the female dog, her body doesn't recognize that she hasn't been mated, so this shedding out doesn't happen. Each time that an entire female is not mated when she comes in season, her uterus gets hammered for a full 60 plus days with another layer of progesterone. Progesterone is inflammatory and damaging to the uterus lining when not pregnant.
In the female dog, her body doesn't recognize that she hasn't been mated, so this shedding out doesn't happen. Each time that an entire female is not mated when she comes in season, her uterus gets hammered for a full 60 plus days with another layer of progesterone. Progesterone is inflammatory and damaging to the uterus lining when not pregnant.
Pyometra is a hormonally mediated, two-phased, pathological process. The first pathological change is cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) or thickening of the uterine lining due to repeated heat cycles. High oestrogen levels followed by prolonged and high progesterone levels, promote endometrial hyper-reactivity and gradual cystic hyperplasia.
The second pathologic change is infection. The cervix, as a gateway to the uterus, remains tightly closed at all times, except during oestrus, when it relaxes, in order to allow the sperm to enter the uterus. If the cervix is not closed, vaginal bacteria may easily enter the uterus.
Normally, the uterine environment does not support bacterial residence and survival. However, the pathologically changed uterine lining, as described above, creates perfect conditions for bacterial growth. Additionally the progesterone-influenced and thickened wall prevents the uterine muscles from properly contracting. Therefore the bacteria that entered the uterus cannot be expelled and cleared.
The second pathologic change is infection. The cervix, as a gateway to the uterus, remains tightly closed at all times, except during oestrus, when it relaxes, in order to allow the sperm to enter the uterus. If the cervix is not closed, vaginal bacteria may easily enter the uterus.
Normally, the uterine environment does not support bacterial residence and survival. However, the pathologically changed uterine lining, as described above, creates perfect conditions for bacterial growth. Additionally the progesterone-influenced and thickened wall prevents the uterine muscles from properly contracting. Therefore the bacteria that entered the uterus cannot be expelled and cleared.
How common is pyometra in dogs? Pyometra is perhaps the most common life-threatening reproductive condition in intact females. According to statistics, 1 in 4 non-spayed female dogs will develop the condition before reaching the age of ten years. In other words, pyometra occurs in approximately 25% of intact female dogs.
Which dogs are affected most frequently? Pyometra usually occurs in older females (>6 years) as a result of repeated exposure to heat hormones (such as oestrogen and progesterone). Abnormal heat cycles, fake pregnancies and hormonal treatments (e.g mismating injections) increase the risk of this disease.
Which dogs are affected most frequently? Pyometra usually occurs in older females (>6 years) as a result of repeated exposure to heat hormones (such as oestrogen and progesterone). Abnormal heat cycles, fake pregnancies and hormonal treatments (e.g mismating injections) increase the risk of this disease.
I refer to the expertise of Dr Robert van Hutchison DVM.
Dr Robert Hutchison DVM is recognized internationally for his work with canine frozen semen and canine reproduction. He is Director of the international Canine Semen Bank of Ohio,
He is an adjunct professor in veterinary clinical sciences at Purdue University.
Dr Hutchison was on the board of directors and program chairman for the Society of Theriogenology (reproduction)
He was as well, chairman of the Canine and Feline Fertility and Sterility Group.
He is also a reproduction consultant for VIN ( In the context of veterinary medicine, VIN stands for Veterinary Information Network and it is a large online community for veterinarians, providing access to information, resources, and a platform for networking and discussion within the veterinary field.)
He is an adjunct professor in veterinary clinical sciences at Purdue University.
Dr Hutchison was on the board of directors and program chairman for the Society of Theriogenology (reproduction)
He was as well, chairman of the Canine and Feline Fertility and Sterility Group.
He is also a reproduction consultant for VIN ( In the context of veterinary medicine, VIN stands for Veterinary Information Network and it is a large online community for veterinarians, providing access to information, resources, and a platform for networking and discussion within the veterinary field.)
The effect of progesterone on the canine uterus.
In his seminars, Dr. Hutchison explains that the progesterone level in a bitch remains elevated for two months after ovulation whether or not she has a pregnancy. This is critical, because progesterone is often inflammatory to the lining of the uterus. When a bitch cycles and there’s no pregnancy, the uterine lining thickens from the inflammatory effects of progesterone and that can increase the risk of infection (pyometra) and endometriosis as well as mammary and other tumours..
Dr. Hutchison says the often-fatal Pyometra though it has been long thought to be a bacterial disease, is actually an inflammatory disease, with the bacterial infection being a secondary factor. In Dr. Hutchison’s own words, the progesterone “hammers the uterine lining for 60-plus days, each time a heat cycle is skipped."
It's suggested not to skip a season, because we have been preserving the uterus from the effects of progesterone. What would be the benefit then of exposing her uterus to two months of progesterone each cycle? Progesterone's effect on the uterine lining is the reason why bitches six and over have a 33.3 percent less chance of conceiving than bitches under 6 years of age.
(Dr. Hutchison also says that bitches should be spayed as soon as they no longer will be bred to help avoid future pyometra and other problems. Research shows that spaying also helps prevent mammary cancer, particularly when done by 4 years of age.)
Human females shed the lining of their uteruses every cycle. Female dogs only shed their uterine lining when whelping! As these linings stack up, they lose flexibility and elasticity, which can also contribute to fertility problems as that can affect the ability of eggs to attach. So Dr Hutchison's advice is to breed your bitches young and breed back-to-back and not to skip cycles unless you have a medical reason to do so. To add to this, skipping a pregnancy puts your bitch at risk for a phantom, or pseudo pregnancy—a false pregnancy.
False Pregnancies
False pregnancies are common in dogs because they provided an evolutionary advantage to dog packs in the wild—wolves, and wild dogs. If a bitch in a pack has a false pregnancy, that means she will lactate and can help nurse the puppies of other females. But it may shorten her own reproductive life or damage her own body.
In his seminars, Dr. Hutchison explains that the progesterone level in a bitch remains elevated for two months after ovulation whether or not she has a pregnancy. This is critical, because progesterone is often inflammatory to the lining of the uterus. When a bitch cycles and there’s no pregnancy, the uterine lining thickens from the inflammatory effects of progesterone and that can increase the risk of infection (pyometra) and endometriosis as well as mammary and other tumours..
Dr. Hutchison says the often-fatal Pyometra though it has been long thought to be a bacterial disease, is actually an inflammatory disease, with the bacterial infection being a secondary factor. In Dr. Hutchison’s own words, the progesterone “hammers the uterine lining for 60-plus days, each time a heat cycle is skipped."
It's suggested not to skip a season, because we have been preserving the uterus from the effects of progesterone. What would be the benefit then of exposing her uterus to two months of progesterone each cycle? Progesterone's effect on the uterine lining is the reason why bitches six and over have a 33.3 percent less chance of conceiving than bitches under 6 years of age.
(Dr. Hutchison also says that bitches should be spayed as soon as they no longer will be bred to help avoid future pyometra and other problems. Research shows that spaying also helps prevent mammary cancer, particularly when done by 4 years of age.)
Human females shed the lining of their uteruses every cycle. Female dogs only shed their uterine lining when whelping! As these linings stack up, they lose flexibility and elasticity, which can also contribute to fertility problems as that can affect the ability of eggs to attach. So Dr Hutchison's advice is to breed your bitches young and breed back-to-back and not to skip cycles unless you have a medical reason to do so. To add to this, skipping a pregnancy puts your bitch at risk for a phantom, or pseudo pregnancy—a false pregnancy.
False Pregnancies
False pregnancies are common in dogs because they provided an evolutionary advantage to dog packs in the wild—wolves, and wild dogs. If a bitch in a pack has a false pregnancy, that means she will lactate and can help nurse the puppies of other females. But it may shorten her own reproductive life or damage her own body.
Email from Dr. Robert Hutchison to Breeding Business
"Although we hate to stand in between and not take a clear stand, we do have to remain balanced on the topic of back to back breeding. It is a case by case kind of scenario that also depends on the breeder’s expertise, knowledge, and experience.
On the one hand, if you are extremely experienced and your bloodline has been producing quality litters for years, you may choose to follow your instinct and breed back to back the bitch of your choice.
On the other hand, if you are just beginning or unsure about the quality of your breeding stock, you may prefer to wait things out after first breeding so both the dam recovers and the litter gives you feedback a year or two later. You can then decide to stop breeding the bitch, find a more suitable stud, or repeat the same breeding.
Progesterone is inflammatory to the uterine lining. While true it is needed for pregnancy, the level is the same when the bitch ovulates and is not bred. Progesterone causes diseases such as cystic endometrial hyperplasia, mucometra, and pyometritis for example.
Skipping cycles does not benefit the uterus."
Ref:
Dr. Hutchison's Reproductive Seminar | (dpca.org)
"Although we hate to stand in between and not take a clear stand, we do have to remain balanced on the topic of back to back breeding. It is a case by case kind of scenario that also depends on the breeder’s expertise, knowledge, and experience.
On the one hand, if you are extremely experienced and your bloodline has been producing quality litters for years, you may choose to follow your instinct and breed back to back the bitch of your choice.
On the other hand, if you are just beginning or unsure about the quality of your breeding stock, you may prefer to wait things out after first breeding so both the dam recovers and the litter gives you feedback a year or two later. You can then decide to stop breeding the bitch, find a more suitable stud, or repeat the same breeding.
Progesterone is inflammatory to the uterine lining. While true it is needed for pregnancy, the level is the same when the bitch ovulates and is not bred. Progesterone causes diseases such as cystic endometrial hyperplasia, mucometra, and pyometritis for example.
Skipping cycles does not benefit the uterus."
Ref:
Dr. Hutchison's Reproductive Seminar | (dpca.org)
SUMMARY
Back to back breeding depends on the individual case and the breeder's expertise, knowledge, and experience.· Such breeding will always be on a case by individual case basis.
My personal observational criteria when deciding whether to breed back to back.
Back to back breeding depends on the individual case and the breeder's expertise, knowledge, and experience.· Such breeding will always be on a case by individual case basis.
My personal observational criteria when deciding whether to breed back to back.
- Is her physical condition good?
- Did she lose condition last time?
- Did her udders spring back into place quickly after she weaned her puppies?
- Does she enjoy being a mother?
- Was her last whelping effortless and without complications?
The Science Behind Breeding Back-to-Back
First, we need to understand dogs are not the same as humans. They are not the same at all.
In humans, if conception doesn’t occur, then the uterine lining is shed and that is what we know as a period. The bleeding in humans comes at the end of a cycle.
In dogs, it doesn’t work that way. When a dog comes into heat, she bleeds. The bleeding is not because she is shedding her uterine lining. Rather, it is her notifying any surrounding males that she is coming into season. Her bleeding is like her posting a large advert outside that says she will be available for a date in about a week!
When the bleeding stops, clear discharge comes, and during that clear discharge she will have her fertile days.
In the event she does NOT get bred during her heat, no eggs are fertilized, and nothing is implanted into the uterine lining, then that lining doesn’t get shed out, it just sits there. Unlike humans, dogs don’t shed that lining unless they whelp a litter of puppies.
That means that every heat cycle that goes unused, a new uterine lining will be stacked on top of the previous one.
This is the very reason that intact females are at risk for pyometria. Pyometria is an infection of the uterus. So, if the lining isn’t shed, it gives more opportunity for a bacterial infection to rapidly grow in the uterus and for progesterone to cause inflammation.
With that thickening of a uterine lining, it is also more difficult for fertilized eggs to implant themselves there, potentially causing their loss, leading to smaller litters. To further complicate things, the cervix stays conditioned and elastic when it is used. The cervix is how the puppies exit the uterus when they're born. It expands during labor to pass the puppies through. If it has lost elasticity, you run the risk of puppies getting stuck during whelping, which quickly turns into a C-Section.
In humans, if conception doesn’t occur, then the uterine lining is shed and that is what we know as a period. The bleeding in humans comes at the end of a cycle.
In dogs, it doesn’t work that way. When a dog comes into heat, she bleeds. The bleeding is not because she is shedding her uterine lining. Rather, it is her notifying any surrounding males that she is coming into season. Her bleeding is like her posting a large advert outside that says she will be available for a date in about a week!
When the bleeding stops, clear discharge comes, and during that clear discharge she will have her fertile days.
In the event she does NOT get bred during her heat, no eggs are fertilized, and nothing is implanted into the uterine lining, then that lining doesn’t get shed out, it just sits there. Unlike humans, dogs don’t shed that lining unless they whelp a litter of puppies.
That means that every heat cycle that goes unused, a new uterine lining will be stacked on top of the previous one.
This is the very reason that intact females are at risk for pyometria. Pyometria is an infection of the uterus. So, if the lining isn’t shed, it gives more opportunity for a bacterial infection to rapidly grow in the uterus and for progesterone to cause inflammation.
With that thickening of a uterine lining, it is also more difficult for fertilized eggs to implant themselves there, potentially causing their loss, leading to smaller litters. To further complicate things, the cervix stays conditioned and elastic when it is used. The cervix is how the puppies exit the uterus when they're born. It expands during labor to pass the puppies through. If it has lost elasticity, you run the risk of puppies getting stuck during whelping, which quickly turns into a C-Section.
When you combine the stacked uterine linings, lack of elasticity of the cervix, and risk of pyometria, it is no wonder that dogs who are bred later in life for the first time, or who are bred sparingly over years, have so many more complications in whelping.
Some people think that having a litter every six months or so is a lot, and hard on the bitch; but that’s because a lot of people are comparing the timelines to humans.
Canine gestation is only 63 days, but for humans it's nine months. A dog having a litter every six months or so is like a woman having a baby every two years. If a female dog is cycling regularly, that is an indication that her body is healthy and able to reproduce.
Some people think that having a litter every six months or so is a lot, and hard on the bitch; but that’s because a lot of people are comparing the timelines to humans.
Canine gestation is only 63 days, but for humans it's nine months. A dog having a litter every six months or so is like a woman having a baby every two years. If a female dog is cycling regularly, that is an indication that her body is healthy and able to reproduce.
Having Too Slow Whelping Problems? Too Many C Sections?
It is the writer's contention that whelping problems like so many other traits, are generational in occurrence and that when heat cycles are routinely skipped, these problems will surface in the 2nd and third generation and beyond.