Mating a husky: at what age is a dog ready for the first mating, how long does pregnancy last and how to give birth correctly

Mating is a responsible decision.

In order for the process of mating and childbirth of a dog to go without complications, and for the puppies to be born healthy, it is necessary to have certain knowledge and properly prepare for this process.

In this article we will talk about what needs to be taken into account before mating a husky, at what age and on what day of estrus dogs should be bred, how this process generally proceeds, how long pregnancy lasts, how to care for a pregnant dog and how to properly deliver a baby. .

At what age can you breed a Husky?

The optimal time for the first mating of a bitch is 3 heats . In case of mating too early (at 1-2 heats), there is a high probability of complications during the birth process and a difficult recovery period after them.

In addition, the risk of having a small litter, a sagging back in the bitch, and the presence of congenital pathologies and developmental anomalies puppies

Older dogs should not be bred either - with age, the hip joints lose flexibility, which increases the likelihood that the bitch will require a caesarean section.

If we are talking about male dogs, then they should be untied no earlier than 1.5-2 years. Using male dogs for breeding too early has a negative impact on their health and life expectancy .

Puberty

Puberty in huskies is the time when the formation of the dog's reproductive system is completed. The pet is physiologically prepared to produce its offspring. In this regard, there are differences between females and males - males are ready for mating earlier than females.

At the same time, veterinarians and zoologists do not recommend mating immediately after reaching maturity, because in most cases young dogs are not psychologically prepared for mating. In addition, if mated incorrectly, the female can damage her genitals. Due to the injuries caused, infertility may develop.

Male

In males, puberty occurs at the age of 8 months. During this period, only the structure of the reproductive organs is completed, while other tissues only continue to form. If you arrange for him to mate before a year, the following unpleasant consequences may occur:

Underdevelopment of skeletal muscles, rupture of muscle tissue on the back. In a young male dog, against the background of general excitability, the muscle tone along the spine and in the pelvic area increases. With a sharp contraction of the muscles, fragile fibers can rupture, which will lead to sagging of the back and problems with movement. In addition, pain can cause psychological trauma.
Hormonal changes in the body lead to a change in the dog’s character. The dog becomes difficult to control and the animal cannot be trained. The pet is able to escape from the owner.
A young male will give a small litter or will not be able to fertilize a female

The most suitable age for mating a male is 2-2.5 years. With earlier mating, the owner may jeopardize the health of the pet.

Bitch

Puberty of female huskies occurs at the age of 8-12 months. During this period, they experience their first heat, so she can immediately become pregnant and bring puppies. At the same time, early mating has a negative impact on the dog’s body. In addition, there is a risk of having offspring with various congenital diseases.

Mating is possible only during the onset of 3 heats at the age of 20 months.

How do you know when a dog is ready for breeding?

There are several ways to determine whether a bitch is ready for breeding:

medical - the method consists of taking a smear from the dog’s vagina and testing it in a laboratory;
visual - if the husky is ready for mating, she raises her tail, her loop is enlarged, her nipples swell, the discharge becomes light pink;
mathematical - ovulation occurs 11-14 days after proestrus, 1-2 days before this is the most suitable time for mating.

NOTE!

To determine the day of ovulation in a dog, you should record the dates of each heat.

Males are physically ready for mating already at six months, but should not be untied before 1.5 years. If there are plans to make money from matings, the pet should be trained in advance and mated for the first time at the age of 10 months, choosing a calm, experienced bitch for this.

Is it necessary to untie a male dog?

The absence of mating does not cause any harm to male dogs and does not cause them moral suffering. It is natural for any dog to live its life and not produce offspring. You don't have to untie

your
dog
, he will not be offended by you. It is part of his nature to live without mating.

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On what day of heat should you breed?

When choosing a day for mating, you should focus on the bitch’s readiness to let the male in.

This is evidenced by such signs as:

flirting with male dogs - the female accepts the courtship of dogs of the opposite sex, allows male dogs to approach her;
change in discharge - instead of bloody, it becomes pinkish-straw;
reaction to touching the loop - the bitch moves her tail and lifts the loop, she reacts the same way if you put your hand on her rump and press a little.

The recommended mating date is 11-15 days after the start of estrus.

Meeting the “Siberian beauties”

The first meeting should take place after walking the dogs and on an empty stomach.

It is better to introduce the pets to each other in a spacious area, for example, in a field or planting, where they could run and play, and only after that you need to take the guest to the dog’s “den.”

This is done so that the male does not get nervous, and the bitch is not hostile towards the boyfriend.

Sometimes mating can happen right during acquaintance, do not panic and do not interfere with intercourse. If this is the first experience for both individuals, then you should seek the services of an instructor.

It is not recommended to keep dogs in small apartments. Because “lovers” can cause mayhem and ruin the interior.

An inexperienced male dog may be constantly distracted from his work by external stimuli, so you need to ensure silence.

If the female is overfed, she will quickly gain weight, and her desire for sexual activity will also significantly decrease. In addition, it is physically uncomfortable for the male to mount.

How to choose a pair?

It is important to take a responsible approach to choosing a male dog for breeding, since this is one of the fundamental principles of obtaining a quality litter.

It is necessary to pay attention to the working qualities, heredity and health status of the applicant, to study his advantages and disadvantages - this will help to avoid the possibility of mating a bitch with a male who has the same set of negative characteristics.

If possible, puppies born as a result of mating with this male should be examined. This way you can guess what the puppies will be like and understand what qualities the male will pass on to them.

IMPORTANT!

For the first mating it is better to choose an experienced male.

Preparing the dog

Before mating, approximately 30 days in advance, it is necessary to treat the dog against ectoparasites and helminths, and, if necessary, to vaccinate.

In addition, you need to collect cultures and pass a bacteriological analysis, the results of which will show whether the animal has viral herpes, streptococcus, staphylococcus or any other hidden infections that can worsen the husky’s condition and cause the death of the litter.

About half an hour before mating, the bitch needs to be fed and walked, but the male should not be fed.

Only a completely healthy dog that is not overweight or signs of exhaustion can be bred.

Basic rules step by step

Mating is carried out on the territory of the dog. This is necessary so that he feels confident, calm and not distracted by unfamiliar smells.

In addition, you need to follow a few more rules:

mating should be carried out in the first half of the day, preferably early in the morning;
both the dog and the bitch need to be walked in advance so that they empty their bladders and intestines;
during mating, it is necessary to exclude extraneous, distracting sounds;
You need to lay a carpet on the floor to prevent the dogs' paws from slipping;
Cream or Vaseline should be used for any lubrication the bitch may require.

After the male has completed several mountings, a “lock” that binds the dogs occurs, and then ejaculation occurs.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

Mating is a crucial time in the life of both the dog and the breeder. The main responsibility in this case falls on the owner of the bitch, who needs to prepare the pet both for the procedure itself and for subsequent changes in its body. It is important to choose the right day for mating and the male, remembering that mating will take place on his territory. If you are not sure that you will be able to independently help the animals during mating, it is better to invite an experienced instructor to the mating and follow his instructions.

Looking for a partner

An interesting fact: among huskies, who live in packs in the vast expanses of the north, mating is the result of a long relationship between animals.

Today, dog breeding is a popular hobby for thousands of people.

But do not forget that when choosing a mate, the owner of the breed bears great responsibility for what the next generation of huskies will be like.

It is advisable to attend numerous exhibitions, be a member of a kennel club, and also improve your pet’s working skills.

Don’t be lazy, because the number of proposals to combine pedigrees directly depends on how famous and titled the husky is.

A good Husky stud dog should:

have strong sexual dimorphism;
persistently transmit characteristic features to offspring;
have a powerful and “deep” voice;
strive for leadership;
be active and aggressive within the natural norm for the breed.

Quite often, experienced breeders drag newcomers to special breed exhibitions, where they, having received awards and excellent descriptions, unwittingly become aces even in such difficult issues as breeding and raising huskies.

How can you tell if your dog is pregnant?

During the first 2-3 weeks from the day of mating, pregnancy can only be judged by indirect signs associated with changes in the behavior and appearance of the pet:

the dog loses its appetite, it refuses to eat, including its favorite treats;
the bitch becomes less active, sleeps a lot, behaves apathetically;
in dogs that have previously given birth, already on days 14-20 after fertilization, the nipples swell and acquire a pinkish tint.

More obvious signs of pregnancy begin to appear at the 3rd week of pregnancy - the dog develops toxicosis, nausea and vomiting, and viscous, sticky and transparent mucus that has no odor is released from the loop.

CAREFULLY!

An admixture of blood in the discharge indicates a threat of miscarriage, and if it smells unpleasant or has some color, it means that an infectious process is occurring in the bitch’s body.

4-5 weeks after mating, the most reliable signs of pregnancy appear:

hair falls out around clearly protruding nipples;
the stomach begins to round;
with the beginning of the 5th week, the dog’s weight increases noticeably;
the bitch's appetite increases;
The tone of the abdominal wall increases.

At the end of 2 months, the pet’s belly noticeably enlarges and sag, she often licks herself, begins to look for a place to give birth, and colostrum is released from her heavily swollen nipples.

To find out for sure if your husky is pregnant, you can:

take a test for the hormone relaxin (from 21 to 26 days after mating);
perform an ultrasound of the uterus (on days 24-28);
take an x-ray (on days 52-58).

You can also find out about pregnancy and even the number of puppies through palpation, but this should only be performed by a veterinarian or an experienced breeder.

How is pregnancy going?

During the first 3 weeks, no external changes are observed in the dog’s body. There may be some changes in the behavior and well-being of the bitch, expressed by decreased activity, loss of appetite, and drowsiness. Some individuals experience nausea and refusal to eat, while others, on the contrary, have an increased appetite.

No significant changes in your dog's care are required at this time.

Around day 28-32, the husky's nipples swell and the belly enlarges slightly. The beginning of the 2nd month of pregnancy is characterized by the dog gaining significant weight.

IMPORTANT!

It is necessary to reduce the dog's physical activity, but continue to walk with it to maintain muscle tone and prevent obesity.

By the end of the 5th or beginning of the 6th week, pregnant dogs begin to prepare their den and look for a place where they can retire.

With the beginning of the 8th week, the puppies in the womb of the bitch begin to move. The dog behaves as carefully as possible and becomes less active.

You can find out how many days are left before giving birth by observing the dog and changes in its condition:

25-30 days – the bitch’s body weight and abdominal volume increases;
maximum 20 days – transparent thread-like discharge appears from the loop;
15-10 days – nipples swell;
3-2 days – the dog produces milk;
Day 1 – the husky refuses to eat, body temperature drops to 36.5 °C.

Throughout pregnancy, the owner must closely monitor the pet. You also need to provide her with a place to give birth and feed her puppies. This could be an enclosure placed in one of the rooms, or a spacious box.

Sterilization and castration

It is best to spay a female dog from about six months to one and a half years. Earlier sterilization can lead to her developing health problems, and sterilization at the age of over 8-9 years is very poorly tolerated by the body of an aging dog.

A male dog should be castrated after the onset of puberty and, in any case, not earlier than a year. Early castration at 3-4 months is fraught with problems in the future. But it is also undesirable to castrate after 8–9 years of age due to the deterioration of health typical for this age.

ATTENTION! Before scheduled sterilization or castration, you need to conduct a thorough examination of the animal and pass the necessary tests to make sure that the dog is healthy.

The owner of a bitch who decides to get puppies from his pet must closely monitor her health and provide proper care and feeding, and, if necessary, follow all the veterinarian’s recommendations. Only in this case, his dog will easily endure pregnancy and will be able to give birth and raise wonderful healthy puppies without complications - worthy representatives and successors of the glorious husky family.

How long does it take to bear puppies?

Huskies typically stay pregnant for 60-63 days. But these are only average data; in practice, how long a dog bears puppies depends on many factors, including the conditions of keeping the dog, the correctness of the care provided to it, the health of the bitch and its characteristics.

It should also be remembered that the first pregnancy is usually longer than subsequent ones.

If 57-72 days pass from the start of pregnancy to birth and newborn huskies do not have any developmental defects, they have every chance of surviving.

NOTE!

If 73 days have passed since the breeding day and labor has not begun, you must take the dog to a veterinarian who will perform a cesarean section.

How does a husky give birth, how to understand that it has started and how to treat it at home

The fact that the husky will give birth in the near future can be judged by:

refusal to eat about a day before giving birth;
decrease in body temperature to 36.5 °C;
noticeable movement of puppies;
restlessness and rapid breathing of the bitch;
the appearance of milk;
the dog's desire to hide in a secluded place.

You can also understand that a dog has started giving birth by the fact that the dog began to scratch the floor and the bedding on which it was lying in an attempt to make some kind of “nest” for itself.

The birth of a husky consists of several stages:

preparation - the beginning of contractions, opening of the cervical canal, the stage has no externally noticeable signs and lasts 2-12 hours;
fetal hatching - after the uterus is fully dilated, puppies begin to appear, the stage is accompanied by contractions and pushing;
postpartum period - begins from the moment the last puppy appears and lasts until the end of the lactation period.

Before giving birth to a husky, you need to prepare:

clean bedding;
medium-sized, sharp sterile scissors;
iodine or brilliant green;
threads for tying the umbilical cord;
a notepad and pen for recording the time of birth of the puppies, their gender, weight and color.

First, the bitch’s water breaks, then she begins to push, and the cervix opens.

The puppy appears in the amniotic sac, which the bitch chews; if she does not do this, you need to tear it apart yourself in the area of the newborn’s head, and clean his mouth of mucus with a napkin. Afterwards you need to bandage and cut the umbilical cord. Approximately 20-40 minutes pass between the appearance of puppies.

After the puppy is born, the placenta should come out, their number should match the size of the litter.

If the birth takes place without complications, the bitch will do everything herself and the breeder just needs to be close to the pet, observe the process, accept the puppies, support and calm the dog.

You need to agree with your doctor in advance and keep his phone number handy in case of unforeseen complications.

About the expense item when breeding a breed

So, first of all, I strongly advise you to think a thousand times about whether it will be possible to organize breeding in material terms. I will not name specific amounts, since everything is individual. I’ll just list the points that need to be taken into account:

Organization of the place. Even if the house is private, it is still important to take into account some nuances. So, huskies are a curious breed. This means that one of the many pets will certainly steal something from the neighbor. Therefore, in my opinion, it is simply necessary to take care of the fence. Let me remind you of one more feature of the husky - making tunnels. This is the real passion of this breed! So, at the same time as installing the fence, I strongly recommend concreting the floor.
High quality food. In order for an animal to grow up healthy, only high-quality food is needed. Moreover, there are different types - for children, for juniors, adults, for pregnant and lactating bitches.
Examination by a veterinarian. In general, huskies are fairly healthy dogs. However, cataracts and hip dysplasia are something that can happen in a Siberian dog. And, as a result, affect the offspring and breeding. Moreover, it is not always possible to find a good specialist not far from the nursery.
The Siberian Husky is a breed that needs not just exhibitions where beauty is assessed, but also those where working qualities are tested. I will add to this that the payment is usually made for each day of the exhibition, of which there are usually two. Some similar events for dogs are also held abroad.
Mating – breeding dogs on a professional basis involves searching for the most ideal pair. And this, in turn, may also require investment.
Childbirth - the help of a specialist may well be needed. Despite the fact that the husky is an independent dog, unforeseen situations do happen. A veterinarian will continue to be needed for vaccinations for the younger generation. All this must be taken into account at the very beginning of planning animal breeding.

How many puppies are born?

The size of the litter depends on the bitch's heredity, her individual characteristics and age. As a rule, husky bitches over 7-8 years old have small litters, while younger dogs give birth to an average of 5-12 puppies.

You should not expect a large litter from a bitch who is giving birth for the first time. Most often this is due to an incorrectly chosen mating date - often the husky owner makes a mistake and bleeds his dog earlier or later than necessary. Therefore, 4-5 puppies are usually born in the first litter.

If in the future the owner of the bitch takes into account and corrects the mistakes made, there is a high probability that subsequent litters will consist of 8-12 puppies.

Useful video

The video explains in detail how huskies are mated:

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Huskies have long been popular among dog breeders.

However, despite the fact that this breed is quite strong and healthy, when breeding them it is necessary to take into account some of the characteristics of these animals, related to the fact that they were originally bred to work in the North, and therefore, in terms of physiology, they are somewhat different from other dogs.

What to feed after childbirth?

There is no need to make any changes to your dog's diet during the first 4 weeks of pregnancy. From the beginning of 2 months, you should increase the amount of protein in the bitch’s menu weekly by about 10%, and be sure to give her vitamins and minerals, fruits, vegetables and herbs.

If before pregnancy the bitch’s diet was based on industrial feed, she should not be suddenly switched to natural food. The most suitable option in this situation is to feed the dog food intended for puppies or pregnant dogs.

At 6 weeks the bitch needs to be fed 3 times a day, and starting from 7 weeks - 4 times. At the end of 2 months, it is necessary to exclude meat from the diet, replacing it with sea fish. From the beginning of the 9th week until the 4th day after birth, bitches and fish should be removed from the menu, and the total amount of food consumed should be reduced by about 25%.

A few days before giving birth, the dog needs to be fed 4-6 times a day, but in small portions.

After the birth of the last puppy, the bitch should be given milk with glucose and 2-3 drops of cognac. During the first days after giving birth, the bitch should be given only easily digestible semi-liquid, preferably fermented milk, food. Also, clean drinking water should always be freely available.

During the first week after birth, the dog should not be given meat - this can lead to eclampsia.

During the entire lactation period, the bitch needs high-quality high-calorie food, and with each week the calorie requirement increases by 25%.