Animal Doctor

Don't Foist Wedding Costs Onto a Beagle

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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Dear Dr. Fox:

I have a 3-year-old female beagle that I bought to mate with my pug to produce and sell puggles. My beagle is in perfect health, and I would like to know how you feel about mating her every time she comes into heat. I don't want to do anything to hurt her.

I bred her with my pug twice last year, and she had pups in January and August. Would it hurt her if I bred her again when she comes into heat? My son is getting married, and selling a litter of pups would help with wedding costs.

D.C.

Swartz Creek, Mich.

Dogs should not be bred more often than every other heat, many experts say, because they need time to recover. I would never justify breeding more pups, whatever the breed or mix, to get money to buy my children a nice wedding.

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