What is the ideal breeding age for dogs?

This question seems to elicit different opinions especially from numerous dog experts from around the world. What is your answer to this question? I surely want to hear your side on this issue so that we can also help dog lovers who are confused. Thanks.

 

The reason there are so many answers to that question is because there are so many breeds and so many different sizes of dog. Typically, you want to wait till the dog is physically mature and has completed growing inside and out (that is, all of the internal organs are fully developed, the bone growth plates have capped, and so on, as well as full height being achieved). The dog's brain must also be mature, both physically and emotionally.

As a rough rule of thumb, toy dogs and other small breeds stop growing at about 6-8 months, mature physically at about a year to 18 months, and are emotionally mature at about 18 to 24 months. Medium to large-sized dogs stop growing at about a year to 15 months, mature physically by 18 to 24 months, and are emotionally mature at about 24 months to three years. Giant breeds can continue growing until they are about three years, physically mature about four years, and seem emotionally mature early on because they are so placid (in general). And, of course every dog reaches physical and emotional maturity at its own rate. My little dog Rider just "dropped his chest" at 17 months, which indicates he's filling out and becoming physically mature, but emotionally he is still very much a puppy. His dam, Mercie, did not fully develop for two years and took three years to reach emotional maturity. I once bred a Toy Fox Terrier before she was 18 months old because she matured so quickly and doing so fit into my plans at the time, but Mercie was not bred until she was nearly four. I consider both breedings to be "ideal" breedings, for those individual dogs.

 

From my personal experience and that of friends with the same breed, Bangkeaws are late developers. At two years, Bangkeaws are still at the chewing stage. I bred Candy at three. She was a very good mother, though.