Canine breeding
- Fact:
It is better not to untie dogs that are not purebred, do not qualify for selection into the tribe, or do not meet any other criteria. - Fact 2:
The female begins to come into heat for the first time between 6 and 10 months. - Fact 3:
The optimal time for the first mating is the bitch’s third heat, when she is approximately 1.5-2 years old - Fact 4:
In order for a bitch to become pregnant, it is not enough to simply pair her with a male. This should be day "X", the time when ovulation occurs
Reproduction is a process as natural as death. Mother Nature took care of this, providing living beings with a full set of necessary organs for conception, gestation and birth of offspring. As for dogs, they cope perfectly well with the required physiological aspects even without human control. But this is when it comes to unsystematic reproduction, so to speak, “by chance.”
This is out of the question for purebred dogs. The decision to breed puppies is a deliberate, well-planned act. They prepare for it, comprehend all available information regarding mating, learn to help pets if necessary. High-breed dogs are bred for a specific purpose - no one wants to sell weak, sick puppies. That is why they treat the appearance of canine offspring as if they were their own, with no less trepidation and seriousness.
Suitable age for breeding a dog
When a dog goes into heat for the first time, it means that the body is ready for fertilization. But this does not mean at all that it can already happen. As a rule, the full physical formation of a dog does not coincide with the onset of puberty, so premature mating can slow down the further development of the animal. During this period, his muscles and joints are still poorly developed, and his psyche is not sufficiently formed. In fact, this is still a puppy that is too excitable and unbalanced.
Mating of a dog should be carried out when the animal’s body is completely ready for it. Puberty occurs at approximately one and a half years of age or even a little later. Timely mating will ensure that the new phase of the animal’s development proceeds more harmoniously and naturally.
Recommendations
The first time to pair a bitch with a male is when she is in her third heat. So that at the time of mating the age is one year and 8 months. This is the right time for the animal to become sexually active. The body at this age is already formed and ready to bear young. The puppy from such a female will be healthy.
Choose an experienced dog as a partner. Males are not bred before 2 years of age. The offspring of a young male will be weak. For pedigree purposes, the breed of the partners must be the same.
The female is not bathed before mating. Otherwise, the smell will be washed off, and the “bride” will not arouse the interest of the “groom”. If your pet needs bathing, wash it 5 days before the date.
During the period of heat, the female dog cannot be trained. The owner transfers the training.
For a healthy litter, the bitch is exempt from training, competitions, security duties, and physical activity. The female puppy should be well-fed and calm.
Choice of mating day
If a male dog can participate in mating on any day, then the owners of female dogs should monitor the period of estrus, which occurs every 6 months and lasts from two to three weeks. At this time, only a few days are suitable when breeding dogs is possible. On what day of estrus can this process be scheduled?
In the first 7-10 days, the bitch has a heavy discharge; during this period, the eggs mature, and despite the fact that males are already showing increased interest in her, the dog does not let them get close. This stage is called “proestrus”. The next period (estrus) lasts 2-4 days, these days are considered the best time for mating. The eggs are ready for fertilization, the discharge becomes a little smaller, and the dog is already more willing to allow male dogs to approach him. During this period, the day of estrus is chosen, when the dogs are mated. In order for the result to be guaranteed, two matings are carried out with an interval of 1-2 days.
process
Mating occurs on the territory of the male. Otherwise, the male will be unsure and will not approach the bitch. Mating can also happen on neutral territory, during a walk. Animals should not be disturbed.
Mounting of a male dog is not carried out immediately. The female needs to get acquainted “at a party” and play enough. Then she will allow the boyfriend to move on to active actions.
After ejaculation, a “lock” occurs - bonding. A phenomenon during mating when dogs do not separate for a long time. Gluing can last half an hour. Don’t try to separate the animals, the female and male will sort it out. If the bitch begins to pull out or lie down during the mating process, carefully hold it. Try not to scare the animals. When the “lock pose” does not occur, the dog loses interest in the partner, and the mating is postponed.
Control mating increases the chances of fertilization. It is done in two days.
How is estrus going?
In the first stage, estrogen production increases, causing the internal genital tract to swell, causing swelling of the vulva. Thanks to this hormone, a special smell appears that attracts males. Blood penetrating from the vessels of the uterus comes out. Estrogen is produced by the follicles until its amount reaches its maximum. After which there is an increase in luteinizing hormones, which leads to the growth of follicles and causes ovulation. It is during this period, even before the moment of ovulation, that females become sexually estrous.
But the eggs become ready for fertilization no earlier than after 2-3 days. It is easy to calculate on what day of estrus dogs are mated - days from the second to the fifth from the moment of ovulation are considered optimal. Then the production of the hormone progesterone increases, as a result of which the swelling of the genital mucosa subsides, and the amount of discharge decreases every day. The entire estrus period takes approximately 3 weeks.
Answer
As a rule, the mating process in animals takes place without intervention from the owners. In order for the meeting of dogs to take place with a guaranteed result, it is necessary to create suitable conditions. If you become the owner of a pedigree breed selected for breeding, you will have to take into account a number of factors before mating a female with a male that is suitable by all standards. For example, the cycle, the size of the dogs, weight and even age are taken into account.
As a rule, a female dog reaches sexual maturity when she reaches twenty months of age. Estrus occurs earlier, at six to nine months, but it is not recommended to breed a dog in the early period. This will harm the dog and create a risk of giving birth to puppies with poor health. The best period for mating is from 11 to 15 days from the beginning of estrus.
Signs of heat
An attentive owner will immediately notice some changes in the behavior of a dog that is going into heat. The animal becomes less obedient. Due to hormonal changes, the dog begins to behave more actively and freely. Droplets of blood appear from the genital loop, which the dog constantly licks. Males begin to show increased interest in her.
During this period, you should not engage in training, because the dog does not listen to commands well and behaves too playfully. It is better to postpone training until the end of the heat.
In order not to dirty the floor and furniture in the apartment, dog owners often use special underpants or diapers for their pets. But experienced dog handlers recommend teaching your dog to lick himself thoroughly from the very first heat.
Condition of the bitch's internal organs after mating
The dogs were mating unattended; when they came out, they were already stuck together, and when they separated, the bitch had an oval part inside out. Is it supposed to be like this or did the dog end up in the wrong place?
Answer 2
To determine the nature and extent of the negative physiological consequences of mating, it is necessary to understand the physiology of mating itself.
Bonding during mating
Every breeder knows the phenomenon of mating. This condition is also called sticking or locking.
Bonding is understood as a spasm of the peri-vaginal muscles that grasp and firmly hold the tip of the male penis. It usually occurs at the moment of mating and is considered a sign of successful fertilization. But veterinarians claim that this is not true; pregnancy occurs even in the absence of mating.
Although the process is natural, it can lead to unpleasant consequences. During the “lock” phase, no attempts should be made to influence the dogs. Any sudden movement is potentially dangerous. Although even without human intervention this is possible.
Physiological phenomena after successful mating
The mating phase begins after ejaculation and lasts on average from 10 to 40 minutes. After this, the dogs lose mutual interest and run away.
After mating, it is necessary to carefully examine the female. It happens that after the mating process is completed, a white, cloudy liquid is released from the vagina. Sometimes bloody inclusions are observed in its composition, and a sharp unpleasant odor is felt. This is normal and harmless. The white liquid is an excess of genital secretions and becomes a lubricant during mating.
There is no need to do anything; let the female lick the genitals on her own.
Everting of the vagina after copulation
Usually sexual intercourse takes place without negative consequences for the bitch. However, there is a risk of injury during the gluing stage. In case of careless sudden movements or falls, vaginal inversion may occur. This can happen with physical human intervention or with exposure to sudden loud noise.
Vaginal prolapse (prolapse) is a serious pathology; even a healthy individual is not immune from trouble. Basically, the cause of the phenomenon is the anatomical features of the animal’s body.
In practice, there are two types of prolapse - complete and incomplete. In the first case, complete loss of the vaginal walls occurs; they resemble a donut in shape. With partial prolapse, the ventral wall is everted. It falls out of the loop and visually resembles a tight, bright red ball.
How dangerous is vaginal prolapse?
If vaginal prolapse occurs, the animal may feel quite well, although more often it experiences great discomfort due to the difficulty of emptying the bladder.
If the urethra is severely compressed, the dog often sits down, urinates in small portions and breathes heavily. As soon as the bladder cavity becomes full, symptoms of acute intoxication appear and the body temperature gradually rises. The female becomes passive and refuses food.
As the situation worsens, the dog begins to lick and chew the surface of the inverted vagina, which further injures and contaminates the damaged organ. As the pain increases, ulcers begin to form on the vaginal mucosa. The result is serious health problems, including death.
How is vaginal prolapse treated?
Typically, the prolapsed vagina is reduced using brute force and sutures are placed on the loop. This method is conservative and is used with minimal clinical manifestations. Unfortunately, in more serious cases, it does not relieve compression from the urethra and the pressure of inflamed tissue on the loop.
If the individual is not of breeding value and the female is not expected to produce offspring, the prolapsed vagina is excised. Otherwise, they resort to a less aggressive surgical method - excision of the fallen walls and careful suturing using strong catgut. The operation is performed under combined anesthesia (spinal version is used), which minimizes the likelihood of complications in the postoperative period.
How to control your dog during heat
All the dog’s aspirations during this period come down to attracting the interest of male dogs, leaving his scent everywhere. Therefore, it is quite difficult to control her behavior, which sometimes defies any logic. If a dog is well trained, it will follow the owner’s commands even at the sight of a male dog. The same applies to a male dog - if he is trained, he can always ignore the smell of a female dog in heat and run to the owner’s call.
General symptoms indicating illness
In addition to discharge, which is not always a full indicator of the dog’s health, it is important to monitor its behavior during pregnancy and respond to any changes. You should be concerned about your dog's health in the following cases:
- loss of appetite and interest in food;
- a sharp increase in temperature;
- constipation or diarrhea;
- irritated or depressed state of the animal.
The general apathetic state of the dog, combined with a lack of appetite, is an alarming symptom.
Signs of readiness for mating
Owners, of course, should know which dogs are mated on what day of estrus, but there are also a number of signs by which one can determine readiness to meet the “groom”. The genital loop increases in size and becomes soft to the touch, the discharge from it becomes yellowish in color, when stroking the dog’s croup, it moves its tail to the side and stands in a pose. All these signs indicate that ovulation has occurred and the dog is ready for mating. As a rule, this happens 13-15 days after the start of estrus.
Experienced dog breeders recommend keeping a diary describing the timing and characteristics of their dog’s estrus. In some individuals, there is practically no discharge during this period, the loop may remain rigid throughout the entire estrus, and the dog may exhibit aggressive behavior towards male dogs. The owner should know these individual characteristics of the dog. Keeping a diary will help you take into account all the errors when determining the right day for mating.
There are differences in the process of copulation among dogs of different breeds, since they have their own physiological characteristics and specificities characteristic of one or another variety.
Large breeds are quite heavy and often require the presence of the owners, or preferably a professional instructor, when breeding dogs. On what day of estrus the German Shepherd is ready for this process is determined by characteristic signs (as a rule, this is only 3 days between 9 and 20 days of estrus). Before breeding, you should not feed your dog for 12 hours. It is mandatory to put a muzzle on both the dog and the bitch, as aggression may occur. To prevent the dog from sagging under the weight of the male during mating, the owner needs to secure it under the belly.
The likelihood of pregnancy from a miniature
Answer, please! I have three dogs: a boy and a girl, a miniature and a Westie. The Westies were mated according to plan on the 12th and 14th days of estrus, but on the 16th they forgot to lock the dogs. I was gone for 25 minutes, heard a squeal, quickly ran downstairs and saw the news and the miniature stuck together. Question: is there a chance of getting pregnant from a miniature? Last year the news had a party according to plan.
Answer 1
Experienced breeders are familiar with the situation when kittens from different males are born in a litter. This is possible thanks to the phenomena of superfecundation and superfetation. If doubts arise regarding the purity of the future litter, it is easy to assume the likelihood of the appearance of mixed-breed puppies by analyzing the current conditions.
What is superfecundation
When there are puppies of different fathers in a litter, they talk about the phenomenon of superfecundation (from Latin - superfertilization). The meaning is this: several eggs are inseminated with genetically different sperm. This happens quite rarely, but it is quite possible. Cases have been recorded in which people were born with twins related solely through the mother. For animals the situation is quite likely.
It is possible to determine the occurrence of a superfecundation by noticing the presence in the litter of female dogs with signs characteristic of miniature dogs - hard, wiry hair, appropriate color, etc.
Why is superfecundation possible in dogs?
After mating, sperm penetrates the uterus, due to the peristalsis of the walls, moves further along the oviducts and fertilizes the egg in their upper third. While in the genital tract, sperm remains active for up to 6 days. Any males mated to a female within 3-5 days of ovulation can become fathers of cubs.
Sometimes there is a phenomenon that leads to the birth of puppies from different males - superfetation.
Superfetation in dogs
After insemination, the eggs remain in the oviducts for a number of days and develop to the morula stage - early embryonic development.
The development of fertilized eggs stimulates the enlargement of the corpus luteum - temporary glands formed after ovulation. They secrete a specialized hormone, progesterone, which blocks the development of egg follicles and stimulates the integration of chorionic villi (choroid) into the uterine mucosa. From this point on, the function of the corpus luteum ceases. This creates the conditions necessary for the further development of the embryo.
As long as the growth of ovarian follicles is not completely blocked, the possibility of delayed ovulation with the release of eggs remains possible. If this happens, new fruits will develop. Moreover, the puppies will be born a little later than the normal birth dates. This phenomenon of additional pregnancy is called superfetation (Latin - superfertility).
How to determine the probability of cubs being born from different fathers
When planning mating, the owner of the bitch determines the range of days favorable for mating. The optimal time for mating is 11-15 days from the beginning of the estrus phase. But the time of readiness for mating varies for each individual and often goes beyond the statistical average. Sometimes fertilization occurs already on the 8th day, in others only on 15-17.
Breeders determine the timing for mating based on the duration of the sexual cycle:
- with a cycle of 21-23 days, the period of 10-14 days is selected for mating;
- with a cycle of 26-28 days, mating is planned for 14-18 days.
Since the unexpected mating of a West Highland Terrier and a Miniature Schnauzer occurred on the 16th day of estrus, the possibility of getting pregnant from a Miniature Schnauzer exists. By this time, in young females, the eggs are only immersed in the uterine cavity, and on days 21-22 they are integrated into the wall.
Mating of small dogs - on what day of estrus is it carried out?
Small breed dogs require virtually no assistance during mating, but due to their miniature size, certain difficulties arise. Therefore, a situation cannot be ruled out when the participation of an instructor is required, especially if this concerns the first mating. Determining the appropriate date requires careful observation of the dog. For example, a toy terrier's heat lasts 20 days. 7-9 days pass from the moment the bleeding appears, when it becomes lighter in color. On days 10-16, the discharge becomes completely transparent; it is during this period that the dogs are mated. On what day of heat is a Toy Terrier ready for breeding? This can also be influenced by the individual characteristics of the dog.
The behavior of a dachshund during heat is not much different. These dogs are not aggressive, so a muzzle is worn when mating in exceptional cases. But a collar is a must, it is necessary in order to hold the dog when it is standing in the castle. Mating is carried out approximately 12-15 days after the start of estrus.
The ovulation period lasts only three to five days. During this period of time, fertilization can occur. You should not use the very first day for this, even if fertilization takes place, there may be very few puppies in the litter. The most favorable two days are in the middle of the ovulation period for such a process as mating dogs. On what day of estrus dachshunds are ready for this process can be determined by the dog’s behavior.
Care features
On the eve of the first estrus, the female may experience discharge from the loop, juvenile vaginitis containing a small amount of pus. There is no need to worry, this phenomenon is normal. Everything will return to normal as soon as the heat passes. If this does not happen, then it is worth undergoing an examination to identify various pathologies.
To make the estrus period more hygienic (especially for estrus in dogs kept in an apartment), you can purchase elastic panties for one-time use. They will prevent your dog from leaving bloody spots around the house. But still, you should not wear them all the time; veterinarians advise allowing the female to remove the discharge on her own by licking it.
During the first heat, the dog may not understand how to behave, so it is worth teaching it to remove spots. And to do this you need to remove carpets and rugs from the floor.
During the period of heat, the dog requires care:
- You should avoid long walks in winter to prevent your pet from catching a cold;
- There is no need to take her out to places where other dogs gather;
- Walks are strictly on a leash.
If suddenly it was not possible to prevent an unwanted mating, then it is forbidden to give the dog drugs to help terminate the pregnancy. This will cause significant health problems for the pet, which lead to infertility in the dog.
An important factor is keeping the dog during heat. If you do not plan to breed a dog and get puppies from her, at the first sign of estrus you need to start taking precautions:
- Keep a close eye on your dog while walking and avoid all contact with dogs of the opposite sex.
- Walk your dog on a short leash: even the most well-mannered and docile pet can run away during heat, not paying attention to any commands.
- Do not allow your dog to mate - it is impossible to separate the animals during intercourse.
- Do not take your dog while in heat to competitions or shows. This will cause anxiety among the male dogs present at the show. During heat, a dog does not respond well to commands and can be disobedient.
Possible deviations
Some bitches, regardless of breed, have their own physiological characteristics, when it can be problematic to determine their readiness for mating. The discharge is not bright enough, sometimes there is a completely bloodless estrus, so it is simply impossible to notice it. Sometimes the loop practically does not increase in size and remains rigid throughout the entire period of estrus. Sometimes the bitch’s aggression towards the dog manifests itself even at the time when the dogs should be mated. On which day of estrus to make plans for a trip to a male dog, only knowledge of the individual characteristics of your dog will help you determine. Observations and records made during previous heats will be very useful here. They will help determine the optimal day for mating.
Castle phenomenon
Why does a dog dig holes in the yard: what to do
The purpose of an animal's existence is to give birth. Dogs do not mate for the sake of pleasure - a natural physiological process has the ultimate goal of prolongation of the species. Crossing and sticking together is a guarantee of fertilization and a successful outcome of intercourse.
Important! Dogs stuck together are pitiful and helpless. They are dependent on each other and vulnerable.
At this time, a serious process is underway in the female’s body - sperm tend to the uterus and end up deep in the womb. The risk of loss of material is eliminated - the female has every chance of becoming pregnant. Another important point is that when the lovers open up, the weakened partner will not have the strength for another contender. “Love Lock” is insurance for a male dog to conceive puppies from him.
This behavior and physiology is characteristic of many school animals. The pack is divided into alpha males and weak, unworthy competitors. Strong animals strive to be the first to cover the female. The “lock” phenomenon is observed in the closest relatives of dogs - wolves, as well as foxes and hyenas.
