I have a male dachshund who is 5 months and he is starting to hump everything I was wondering if and when he could mate

I'm going to be harsh. If you don't know the answer to your question, you shouldn't mate him. You don't know enough to breed.

Breeding dogs is not just a matter of putting a male and female together and having puppies. There's so much more to consider. You have a breed that is prone to many health issues. Have you had him tested for health defects he may pass on to his offspring? What kind of testing have you done? Do you know what's involved in breeding? Do you have a breeding mentor? There's a long list of things to do before you even consider mating him.

A responsible breeder only breeds to further the breed, not to make money. In fact, after all the testing etc. even if a breeder charges thousands of dollars for the pup, they usually don't make any money on the pups they sell.

Please don't be a backyard breeder. There are too many unwanted dogs in the world already. In fact, 5 million dogs are put to sleep every year in the US alone.

Just enjoy your dog. He doesn't need to mate in order to be happy.

Good luck.

Excellent answer Alty.

He is certainly old enough to be able to reproduce now but he definitely should not be.

No dog should be bred until 2 years of age. It takes that long for them to fully mature plus there are many health tests that cannot be done (or are not accurate) until that age.

He is old enough now to be neutered and that should stop the humping once the testosterone is reduced.

My 14 old nephew is also old enough to reproduce, but we are against it.:)

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Altenweg again.

Lil_kim, at only 5 months old, your puppy's humping may be more of dominance issue rather than your dog looking to procreate. It sounds as if you have a training issue on your hands. What do you do when your dog starts humping things? How are you correcting him? Are there any other behavioral problems (such as housebreaking, biting, walking on a leash,. ) he is exhibiting that you are having trouble with?

If your only concern is mating him, please listen to what people have posted here. How much do you know about dogs in general? How much do you know about dachshunds specifically? If you purchased your pup from an AKC approved breeder that has given you certification your boy is free from all the genetic defects dachshunds are known for, then please follow Shaz's advice. Two years old is the usual rule of thumb after he has fully matured and your vet has confirmed he is a good stud candidate. If you did not purchase him from one, please do not mate him. You will be doing him a huge service by neutering him. Dachshunds are prone to spinal disc problems (which often leads to paralysis), diabetes, & heart problems. At the moment, petfinder has close to 5700 dachshunds/dach mixes that are sitting in shelters throughout the country. Many have been surrendered because their owners cannot afford the medical expense that comes with the spinal problems.