I've always heard that the average age for a Cavalier was 9 or 10--that if a dog died
before that, it was young, and if it got past 10 it was truly a lucky dog. Of course,
I don't hear from everyone...but that's what I've always been told.
As far as Sharon's question is concerned, unless a bitch has been a superb
producer, I don't see much reason to breed her after age 6, no matter what the breed.
I've also never bred a bitch of any breed even 3 times until now...and this one may
be bred a 4th time...maybe. One of the CKCSC rules is that you can't breed a bitch
past age 8, and that she couldn't have more than 6 litters in a lifetime. I think
that's a horrid rule...it made an awful lot of people think that every bitch SHOULD
have 6 litters! Also, not all bitches are in shape to whelp a litter at age 7. Some
are, of course, and nowadays, when the "rule followers" won't breed till a
bitch is 2-1/2, they aren't going to have 6 litters..well, I hope they aren't!
I do think that it should be OK to start dogs earlier than 2-1/2, if they are so
inclined. In many breeds, if you wait that long, the dogs never seem to "get it." Of
course, the Cavaliers don't seem to have that problem, either, but in my life in dogs,
the dogs that are the best at stud work are those that bred their first bitches when
they were closer to a year of age than to 2-1/2.
Like Annette, most of my girls are shown before they are bred, and I don't usually
even start showing them until they are about 2...so I've had no problem complying with
the age protocols there. (Notice I said usually...there are always exceptions--
I did show Nathalie in the puppy classes for a while.)
Just my opinions....
Peggy Mickelson
Woodbridge, VA
http://www.atlastcavaliers.com
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