The saying is true—dogs are man’s best friend. Our pets, specifically dogs, become part of our family. We love them. We take care of them. We take them with us on various trips. So, just like any family member, we’re concerned about specific behaviors that may harm them.
One question that you may ask is, can male dogs mate with their mother? Similarly, can you breed father-to-daughter in dogs?
Yes, male dogs can mate with their mothers and produce healthy, happy offspring, but the risk of health issues in their children is much greater which is why it is not recommended under normal circumstances.
Sometimes you will notice the male offspring trying to mate with one of his female siblings. This is not incest. Unlike humans, animals don’t live by the same morals we do, simply because they’re not created like that.
But the explanation is not so straightforward. While they definitely can interbreed, the question of whether they should is entirely different.
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Can a Dog Breed With Its Mother?
Yes, a dog can breed with its mother but it’s not recommended. Although it’s technically okay to breed dogs from the same litter—siblings—and breed them with their parents, it generally isn’t good for their health. Therefore, it’s not recommended that dogs be crossbreed with their offspring, siblings, or parents.
Why Do Dogs Breed Within Family?
Although inbreeding among dogs is usually uncommon, let’s face it, dogs can breed with any other dog—mother, father, sister, or brother. It doesn’t matter. Once a female dog goes into heat, it’s fair game for any male.
Part of this is due to their instinctive nature. For some animal species, inbreeding is relatively common. When someone asks what happens when my dog gets pregnant by her son or what happens if a dad dog gets his daughter pregnant, the answer is tricky. This is because the animal world is different from ours.
Incest in the human world is a malicious, criminal act intended to harm someone. On the other hand, inbreeding among animals is based on their instinctive behavior and many times to preserve the species. Preservation of the species can also be known as survival of the fittest. So, it’s not a question of morality or insidious intent when it comes to dogs.
Animal species breed and conceive several offspring at one time. Dogs can have up to nine offspring in one birth setting. Why? Survival of the species, and sometimes, the breed. Although the average lifespan of a dog in human years is 105, in dog years, that’s only 15 years. If they don’t breed and produce offspring, eventually, the species can become extinct. So, when dogs reach sexual maturity, they immediately start looking for mates to continue their species.
Do Wolves Mate Like Dogs?
Yes, wolves generally mate like dogs and follow the same structure. Among wolf packs, males and females of the same family will co-exist. This is the alpha male and the alpha female mating. They will mate with one partner. The male offspring may stay within the nuclear family but will not reproduce. If they leave the family, they breed with a female from another pack.
You may be wondering why we’re mentioning wolves. Well, dogs and wolves are from the same species of canines and, therefore, are closely related. Wolves are wild canines; dogs are domesticated canines. Therefore, their behavior and genetic structures are similar too.
Domesticated dogs act similarly. So can male dogs mate with their mother? Although they can, it’s usually rare. Instead, most male dogs will go elsewhere to mate.
Why Do Some Dog Breeders Practice Inbreeding?
Dog owners practice inbreeding to maintain the desirable traits and characteristics of a certain family. One reason we have so many different breeds of dogs today is due to human intervention.
Oftentimes, in an attempt to maintain these favorable genetic traits and characteristics, dog breeders and pet owners engaged in inbreeding may neglect important things like the quality of life, life expectancy, and the increased likelihood of diseases. Unfortunately, health is overlooked by external characteristics.
One example of these is teacup dogs. These dogs have been bred to be as small as possible. They are bred like this because some find it attractive to have a small dog they can take everywhere that fits in a cup, pocket, or purse. They are gentle, don’t bark, and are more like a baby or baby doll than a dog.
These teacup dogs are bred from already small dogs like Poodles, Pugs, Shih Tzus, and Yorkies. They are inbred from the “runts” or the smallest of the litter to make the smallest dog possible. The market is enormous for these tiny dogs.
However, the runts of the litter are often that small due to a congenital disability or some medical condition. Therefore, the health risks for these dogs are vast. This means their life expectancy is short, and they generally have poor health overall.
Teacup dogs are prone to a host of health conditions, including hypoglycemia, heart defects, sliding kneecaps, dental and gum issues, collapsing trachea, seizures, respiratory problems, digestive problems, and blindness.
What’s more, if they miss one meal, their blood sugar levels drop, which can cause seizures and death. Because they are so small, the likelihood of them being hurt, bones broken, or sprained is significant.
But the profit from these tiny creatures is huge, which is why these dogs are bred like this to this day.
Types of Dog Breeding
Here are the different types of breeding dog breeders are involved in:
- Breeding: Two parents are selected to control the type of offspring produced and desired.
- Inbreeding: Breeding from the same family to maintain certain physical traits and characteristics shared by both parents.
- Line-breeding: Breeding from the same genetic line but not from the same family.
- Out-cross Breeding: Breeding of two dogs from different families and different genetic make-up.
Besides this, there are a few other common breeding practices done throughout the world by breeders.
Unethical Breeding Practices
Another reason some breeders engage in inbreeding is for dishonest and unethical reasons. Unfortunately, some people are in the business of breeding animals for profit.
Usually, since the breeder will typically own both mother and son dog, or father and daughter dog, the question of which owner gets the offspring becomes irrelevant. The breeder will get to keep all the offspring and, therefore, all the profits.
They are taking advantage of not only the animals but honest folks who seek to own a pet. It’s not fair to the dogs or possible dog owners to simply inbreed for the sake of gaining profits. Therefore, always make sure that you are purchasing your dog from an ethical, legit breeder.
Why Would Dogs Want To Breed With Other Members of Their Family?
Dogs generally want to breed with other members of their family because they have no choice and can’t wander off elsewhere. Many pet owners keep two or three siblings from a litter. Not many choices for the dogs to choose from.
So it’s not so much why dogs want to breed with other family members as much as they have very few choices as domesticated pets outside their family circle.
What Happens When Dogs Mate With Their Mother?
Like humans, animals in the same family share much of the same genetic composition or DNA. When inbreeding takes place, it weakens their DNA. For example, huskies have very thick fur; when inbreeding occurs, this can cause the fur not to be as thick.
The bad news is that inbreeding among family members can reduce their lifespan. It can also cause physical defects, allergies, a lack of bone growth, and other conditions. The good news is, interestingly, dogs seem to have an innate understanding not to inbreed with their offspring or parents.
Do Dogs Avoid Inbreeding?
Yes, dogs generally avoid inbreeding even though they will mate with any other dog, innately, they stay away from inbreeding with siblings, parents, or offspring. They avoid inbreeding primarily by scent and recognition. They can smell each other and recognize kinship and avoid mating with one another.
By nature, they also engage in these four things:
- Recognizing Kinship – They can detect relatives
- Dispersal – They simply leave their family and venture out on their own.
- Extra-Group Copulations – They find another mate.
- Reproductive Suppression – They exercise self-control.
What Happens If A Mother And Son Dog Mate?
If a mother and son dog mate, there’s a 25-30% chance that their offspring will inherit bad mutations from its parents, which is why it is generally not recommended.
Do Dogs Mate With Their Mother?
Yes, dogs do mate with their mothers if they have no other choice. While they do exhibit some form of hesitancy, they do tend to mate with their mothers when they reach sexual maturity.
What Happens If A Dad Dog Gets His Daughter Pregnant?
There’s a high risk of the mother giving birth to dogs that can end up with a variety of hereditary diseases and a reduced life span. However, there’s also a chance that completely healthy offspring will be produced. But, the risk is definitely not worth it.
Conclusion For Can Male Dogs Mate With Their Mother?
Mating and breeding are separate notions. Can male dogs mate with their mother? Yes, it’s possible. Can you breed mother-to-son dogs? Yes, but you shouldn’t. The problem with inbreeding lies with humans—it’s usually done by those with bad intentions.
As mentioned before, one way to simply avoid this is to adopt another dog not related. Inbreeding can be very challenging.
You may end up with a healthy dog, but your chances of having a dog with health problems increase significantly. Desirable characteristics and traits may end up putting the dog in grave danger with serious health issues. Avoid dog breeders who profit from inbred dogs with no regard for their health.
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For more information about Dog Inbreeding, check out the video below: