I'm hoping someone will have the answer to this question. I have an 8wk old male rotty puppy. I noticed that he does not have any testicles, is this normal for this age? A friend told me that his testicles haven't came down yet. I've never heard of anything like this before. Can anyone clear this up for me. This is my first male dog and I really don't know. I am planning to get a female rotty in a year and mate them when its time, but I can't do that if there is something wrong with him.:confused:

Your friend is right. Sometime around 4 months you will start seeing a bulge back there, and the testicles will slowly descend usually being fully descended by 6 months. At that time all but the most carefully selected dogs should be neutered.

It is very important to carefully select only the very best dogs as breeding stock. And I mean far more than AKC breed standards. Any sort of physical or behavior problems make a dog unacceptable for breeding. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop many people, and consequently we are slaughtering dogs lacking homes by the millions. There is no crying need for more back yard breeders.

Having a dog carries responsibility to learn a little about dogs, and considering breeding carries much more responsibility to educate yourself in order to not add to the misery. The page on responsible breeding at American Kennel Club - akc.org is a good place to start. Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten. is a good start on seeing the problems otherwise. You have plenty of time to start learning what you need to know. Read some books, Successful Dog Breeding, by Chris Walkowicz, DMV, is a good one to start with.

Your rottie probubly didn't have his growthspurt yet, but parts of his body haven't fully developed yet. So there is nothing to worry about. In time he will grow bigger and body parts will arive.