If you had nothing else to breed and the only link to your bloodlines were an 8 year old gorgous bitch who had big litters and easy whelpings, would you breed her again? NO FLAMES please.
If she's healthy, I'm not sure why you "couldn't" but if you haven't gotten anything worth moving on with from her previously easy whelped large litters, what makes you think you will now?
I wouldn't. I agree, if you haven't gotten what you wanted in previous litters, it's highly doubtful you will now. I bred a bitch 2 times, different sires, consistently produced everything I didn't want. I spayed her and am enjoying her as a Performance dog. I also have personal experience with a friend losing a very healthy 7 year old bitch during whelping. I love my dogs too much to risk it.
I did it and finally got what I wanted from my older girl. It was a line breeding and it took that long for the right stud dog to be born and be old enough to have his clearances and be used.
Prior to the breeding, I did a complete health work up on my girl and she cleared everything with flying colors. It was an easy delivery and she gave me what I knew she was capable of producing.
Thank you Laura. I'm thinking of breeding my seven year old again. She is healthy, in good physical condition and mellowed. Was a very good mother to two prior litters. Thank you.
I would really think hard about it. Is it worth it, if something happens to her. My 7 yr old for all the reason you think of to make it okay, ended up with a ruptured uterus and almost lost her. The worse thing I have been through in 30 some yrs of breeding. She had whelped easy, but litter before was 10. So who knew I was pushing things and for what ?
Just know that the odds are going in the wrong direction with age. Twice I bred older girls. The first one had 2 puppies. One was tiny and did not survive. The other had a heart murmur. The second girl bred at 7 had one puppy seen on the ultrasound. It did not make it to term, so there were no puppies.
As you can imagine, I would not do it again. There is enough heartbreak without tempting fate. Just my experience.
When I bred my 7-year old bitch who had previous easily-whelped litters, she had her biggest litter - 10 puppies - all free-whelped, lost the last one, but the remaining 9 were just fine. Her mom had a large litter of 12 at almost 7 years old as well.
