Depending on the species, female huskies reach sexual maturity at 6-8 months when the first nest appears. But it is better to breed a bitch no earlier than one and a half years old; earlier matings may be idle. The bitch is ready for mating until she is 10-12 years old. Most often, Laika bitches have empty nests 1-2 times a year, seasonally. In Karelian-Finnish huskies, maximum activity is observed in January and August, East Siberian huskies are characterized by one empty nest at the end of the calendar year, West Siberian huskies are active for mating in February and September, and Russian-European huskies are most active in January and early autumn . Pregnancy occurs quite quickly in all huskies.
False pregnancy is rare. The best mating for huskies occurs when it is not the dog that is brought into the territory of the bitch, but vice versa. This is especially necessary if the bitch is naturally aggressive.
When can you breed a husky?
No matter how much you would like to get the long-awaited tiny babies as soon as possible, there is no need to rush in this matter. the husky develops up to two years of age . The body must be fully strengthened in order to produce healthy and strong offspring in the future. Therefore, the first, second and even third heat should pass without incidents or unforeseen situations. Carefully monitor the bitch during this period; it is advisable not to let her off the leash during walks, so that the lady does not run away after the gentleman she likes. Be especially careful from the tenth day of estrus. It is during this period that the chance of becoming pregnant after contact with a male increases and, accordingly, “bringing” unwanted offspring. But, let's talk about everything in order.
So, your girl's first heat should occur at the age of six months. Depending on the physiological and individual characteristics of the bitch, this period can vary up to nine months.
Important! As soon as you notice the first signs of estrus (enlargement of the loop, changes in behavior or discharge), immediately write down the date in a notebook. This will make it easier for you in the future to track the cycle of estrus and properly prepare for a husky pregnancy .
As a rule, estrus occurs twice a year, every six months. There are also exceptions when the female body is ready for mating only once a year. But, as mentioned above, estrus is not a sign of the body’s readiness, it is a sign of maturation. A bitch can be bred at the age of one and a half to two years. That is, approximately on the third or fourth heat.
Vaccinations, antiparasitic treatment and treatment during pregnancy
Vaccination is carried out strictly before mating, since the administered drugs can cause abnormalities in development or death of the fetus. Mother's immunity is transferred to babies during feeding and lasts up to 2-2.5 months.
Treatment against parasites is also recommended before mating, namely 14 days before the meeting of future partners. Anthelmintics are quite toxic, so they can negatively affect the health of puppies. Pregnant bitches are only allowed to take anthelmintic drugs if they are directly infected. In this case, the animal is given more gentle anthelmintics: Milbemax, Prazitel, Drontal Plus.
Any treatment is carried out only under the guidance of a veterinarian. The drugs are selected individually, taking into account their effect on the body of the expectant mother and her babies.
Pregnancy
So, you did everything right, prepared, found a gentleman and carried out a successful mating, re-fixing the result. The work done signals the upcoming offspring. But the very beautiful position of the bitch pretty much frightens novice dog breeders, because there will be no obvious signs that a pregnant husky will not show up in the first couple of days. Changes in behavior are possible; the girl becomes lethargic, calm and less mobile. Food refusal is likely. As a rule, this apathy disappears after a week, and then the dog returns to its normal life.
Obvious signs of a female dog appearing only after a month. Her appetite and thirst increase significantly. The dog becomes calmer, obedient and flexible. An enlargement of the abdomen is noticed, and, depending on the stage of pregnancy, the fetuses can be seen on ultrasound or palpated.
Estrus and mating
The date of the first heat is March 16, 2009, the date of the second heat is March 22, 2010, the date of the third is April 17, 2011. The date of the fourth heat is March 5, 2012. Let's start keeping a diary. ( first day
).
March 13 ( 8th day
) progesterone 0.49 ng/ml.
March 15 ( day 10
) progesterone 1.21 ng/ml. There is no way to control progesterone anymore, we are leaving for mating for a few days.
March 17 ( 13th day
) mating took place.
As always with Ambergris, the discharge does not lighten by the days of hunting... The discharge is saturated in color. March 18 ( 14th day
) re-mating. The castle takes about 20 minutes.
March 23 ( 19th day
) males show less interest. Ambergris eats very well. Sleeps a lot. Discharge of dark color of melted meat, opaque.
How long does a husky's pregnancy last?
average gestation period for huskies But even here you should not lose sight of the individual characteristics of the bitch and the nuances of this process. It is considered normal if a pregnant husky walks for 53 - 71 days. Too early childbirth, as well as postmaturity, are fraught with negative consequences, both for the future offspring and for the bitch herself. If husky puppies are not born on the 71st day of pregnancy, you must urgently go to a veterinary clinic for examination and consultation with a specialist. Remember, any delay can cost the lives of the puppies and mother!
Pregnancy in dogs: timing, periods and features of gestation of puppies in different breeds
Breeding a breed is a responsible and painstaking task that involves you in all aspects of the life of a particular animal. To get good results, breeders need to know how long pregnancy lasts in dogs, how it progresses, and what care the bitch needs. The expectant mother will need the help and support of the owner at every stage of pregnancy. Left unattended, it may not be able to withstand the load and suffer from complications.
Caring for a pregnant bitch
Despite the fact that giving birth to a husky is a natural process, the dog still needs additional care and special treatment during this period. Carefully monitor your diet, include in your food as many healthy foods as possible, rich in various vitamins and minerals. Be sure to include vitamins in the daily menu of a pregnant woman, and after a nursing husky. But you shouldn’t buy them yourself. The huge variety of vitamin supplements is sure to confuse you and lead you astray. Therefore, be sure to consult with your veterinarian about possible vitamin and nutritional supplements.
In addition to nutrition, be sure to monitor your pregnant bitch. In recent weeks, do not allow her to jump from the sofa or other high surfaces. Reduce physical activity, eliminate strong, forceful exercise. But you shouldn’t feel too sorry for the dog. She should lead a full lifestyle, walk and even run every day. All this will help prepare the body for the birth of husky puppies.
What factors influence gestational age?
The gestation period in dogs can vary in length. How long it will last depends not only on whether the female is a small or large breed. The following factors influence the course of pregnancy:
- Number of pregnancies. Usually, in bitches giving birth for the first time, pregnancy lasts longer than in dogs that have already had experience giving birth to offspring.
- Pet's age. Young females often give birth on time; older animals sometimes carry their cubs to term.
- Injuries and diseases. Premature birth of puppies can be caused by illnesses or injuries received during pregnancy.
- Lack of nutrients and vitamins. Exhaustion of the body also often causes deviations in gestational age.
The birth of the husky
The long, painful wait is behind us, and any day now the husky should go into labor. Is everything ready for you? No? Then write it down quickly, it’s time to start preparing.
If a Laika gives birth to puppies for the first time , be sure to agree with the veterinarian about the upcoming event and his presence at it. It is best if you entrust this matter to a professional who knows his business. If you decide that you will deliver the baby yourself, then you should stock up on:
- clean diapers;
- antiseptic-treated scissors;
- bandages;
- a heating pad with warm water;
- a separate box where newborn husky puppies will be placed immediately after birth;
- scales for weighing babies;
- multi-colored ribbons for marking newborn puppies;
- notepad and pen for writing.
Since pregnancy lasts for huskies on average 63 days, but deviations from this date are possible, you should be ready as early as the fiftieth. Collect everything at once in a separate bag and put it away until hour X, when labor begins, you have everything at hand.
The bitch herself will tell you that a husky is giving birth. A day or two before the upcoming birth, the dog becomes agitated, begins to burrow and set up a family nest, and flatly refuses food, drink, and even walking. A sharp decrease in body temperature is also considered a sure sign of impending childbirth. Therefore, it is important to systematically measure the animal’s body temperature from the fiftieth day in order to clearly trace the dynamics of changes.
If the dog is absolutely healthy, and the gestation of the husky puppies proceeded smoothly, there will be no problems with childbirth. No outside participation is required, and all you have to do is monitor the process and weigh, tie ribbons and make appropriate notes in your diary.
If for some reason, after giving birth, the dog does not take up the puppy, does not lick it and does not show interest, you should literally take matters into your own hands. If necessary:
- cut the umbilical cord;
- Take the puppy in your hand, covering it with the other, and shake it well. This is required to remove excess fluid and mucus from the respiratory tract.
- then wipe the baby and attach it to the mother until the next puppy comes out.
- As soon as labor resumes, put the previous baby in a box with a warm heating pad. You should not cover it with blankets so that the baby does not get confused and, for example, dislocate a paw by catching a claw on a soft blanket fabric.
- As soon as the husky whelped , all the puppies were born, and the last placenta came out, wash it, give it warm water and be sure to take it for a walk. After giving birth, a Laika may refuse to go for walks, afraid to leave the puppies. It's okay, because a five-minute walk in the fresh air will do her good.
Important! After a walk, wash your animal thoroughly. Not only the paws, but also the stomach, genitals and even the face. All this is necessary so that the new mother does not bring any infection to her still weak babies.
- Then the babies will stay with their mother, and you will be able to watch the development of the husky puppy !
From emptying to whelping
We sleep in any position. The first heat (estrus) in most bitches with their correct physical development most often occurs in the seventh or eighth month of life, but it is not recommended to breed them at this age, because early mating can have a very negative impact on the further general development of the dog (cessation of growth, weakening of the back, etc.). With rare exceptions, empty space occurs quite regularly - every six months. Both females and males should be allowed to breed not earlier than two years of age and not older than ten years of age. Observing the bitch, you can notice that already a few days before the start of emptying, she changes her behavior: she loses her appetite, shows anxiety, and then a visible sign occurs - estrus, bleeding from the vagina, gradually increasing in the first days, and by the eighth - on the tenth day it turns into ichor or stops altogether. By this time the loop swells greatly or, as dog breeders say, falls out. At this time, the bitch allows the male to mate. True, there are deviations in time, and some dogs mate at a later date, but, nevertheless, they should be tried to be brought to the desired male on the eleventh or twelfth day, and if mating does not work out, the male should be brought in daily until the desired result is obtained. . The duration of emptying, with minor deviations, is on average about 25 days. At this time, you need to be especially attentive to your pet: close the doors and do not let her off the leash when walking. When mating is carried out according to plan, the owner of a male dog usually knows about the day of mating several days in advance and must increase the amount of raw meat in the dog’s diet, and add one raw egg to the food per day or two. It is best to allow dogs to be mated in the morning, after they have had a good walk; the male should not be fed before mating. In winter, it is better to arrange matings in an apartment, keeping in mind that after mating you can go outside with the dog in about thirty minutes, because... A hot dog taken out into the cold can easily catch a cold. If the bitch is brought in on time, she helps the male with all her behavior and after a short game the act of mating occurs , during which, as a rule, mating occurs. Then the owners take their dogs by the collars, place them side by side or with their muzzles in different directions, and, preventing them from tearing and thereby damaging the genitals, hold them there until the mating is completed. There are known cases when fertilization of eggs occurred without mating. A day after the first mating, a so-called control, repeat mating can be done. It is not recommended to mate a bitch every time - this will quickly affect its appearance and working qualities. What difficulties may arise during mating and how to get around them? It happens, especially among bitches mating for the first time, that they show viciousness towards the dog - they snap at him and even try to bite him.
A bitch should not be allowed to bite a dog, because... A male dog repeatedly bitten during mating may later prove to be completely unsuitable for breeding work. To prevent this from happening, the owner of the evil bitch needs to stand in front of her and grab the collar with both hands, not allowing her to turn her head. Sometimes a timid bitch presses her tail and crouches. The owner of the dog should intervene here. With one hand he moves the bitch’s tail to the side, and with the other he lifts it under the belly. It also happens that a gambling male who has not mated for a long time, after several unsuccessful attempts to make a cage, throws sperm on the ground or on the floor. In this case, it is better to separate the dogs for an hour and a half, and then let them approach each other again. But even with a favorable outcome of this meeting, control mating is mandatory. Rarely, there are inactive males, however, they can be aroused by leading an empty bitch in front of them. Unfortunately, some owners of male dogs not included in the mating plan are looking for random matches for them. In addition to the fact that such matings can result in the dog becoming ill, his owner very soon becomes convinced that he has done him a “disservice”, because a male, mated at least once, does not calm down, but, on the contrary, begins to even more actively look for empty bitches, running away from the owner. If it happens that your bitch, for some reason, mates with a random male dog, do not use any means to artificially terminate the pregnancy - let the dog whelp, and then destroy the litter so that the crossbreeds do not fall into the hands of hunters. After mating, the bitch must be isolated from the street and taken for a walk only on a leash. The dog should be kept in this mode for 10-15 days after mating. The average length of pregnancy in dogs is 63 days. In the first half of whelping, it can be used for hunting, although towards the end of this period - without much load. During the second half of pregnancy, the dog should be left alone. Ten days before whelping, the bitch kept in the room should be given a certain place where she will be less disturbed by the people around her and the light - preferably somewhere in the corner behind a screen. You can use a rug as bedding, but not soft bedding. In about a day, you can determine that the dog is preparing for whelping: it retires to its place, refusing to take even tasty morsels. The bitch should not be disturbed during whelping, but, of course, the owner should watch her. There are dogs that, during the birth of puppies and for some time (3-6 days) later, do not allow anyone, not even the owner, to approach them - they snarl and bite, although before that they were very affectionate. But most bitches allow the puppies to be picked up. The whelping of well-grown, strong and healthy bitches fed with fortified food during pregnancy occurs mainly without any complications and only sometimes requires human help. First of all, try to lay the dog down during whelping so that she does not rest her butt against the wall, then make sure that the born puppies are freed from the film, which the mother usually chews and eats, but sometimes she does not do this and then the film must be torn and removed to the owner himself. After the birth of each puppy, a so-called place or placenta comes out, which do not prevent the bitch from eating, because... it contains substances that stimulate milk production and postpartum uterine contractions.
The puppies were recently born.
Sometimes it happens that a newborn puppy appears dead. Having freed him from the film, let the bitch lick him, and if he yawns several times, opening his mouth wide, then put him closer to the nipples - there is no reason to worry, and continue to watch him. If, after licking, the puppy still does not show signs of life, take it in your hands, turn it upside down, open its mouth with a slight movement of your fingers and begin artificial respiration. Artificial respiration can revive an apparently dead puppy. As soon as he begins to open his mouth, at least convulsively inhale air, place him next to the bitch. A dog whelps, depending on the number of puppies, for up to five hours, and only in an emaciated or very obese bitch, labor can last up to a day. For the first few hours after whelping, the bitch does not leave the newborns, and then, having calmed down somewhat, asks to go outside. This should be used to, firstly, replace the soiled bedding and, secondly, inspect the puppies, culling the ugly ones and removing them from the nest. On the second or, in extreme cases, on the third day after whelping, it is advisable (especially for long-haired dogs) to rinse the hair, because... the fringe (the dog's latrine) will stick together and dry out so much that nothing but scissors will help. True, some owners cut off this hair before whelping, but the dog’s hair takes a long time to grow, and the dog loses a lot in appearance without it. You need to wash it with lukewarm water, throwing a few crystals of potassium permanganate into it to get a pale pink solution. After water, the hair is combed well, dried with a clean rag, and the dog is not allowed near the puppies for at least an hour until the hair is dry. At this time, it’s a good idea to change the bedding again. Now the worries about the puppies begin, keeping them is not as easy as it seems at first glance.
There are bitches, especially young ones, who, due to inexperience, protect their offspring, so cover them up that they often crush the puppies. One of the reasons for this behavior of the dog may be its presence in too crowded a place. If, despite the measures taken to eliminate external causes, the dog continues to crush the puppies, the owner must intervene and try to save the babies from the too “hot” love of their mother. To do this, take a box of such a size that the puppies of the entire litter can easily fit in it, and lay a fairly thick, soft and warm bedding on its bottom. It would also be a good idea to line the sides of the box with something warm, but so that these sides do not fall to the bottom and the puppies cannot get entangled in them. Now, as soon as the mother, under your supervision, feeds the babies and they begin to fall asleep at her nipples, take them and put them in the prepared box. The puppies, after squeaking a little, will quickly gather together and fall asleep. On top for warmth, if the room is cool, the box can be covered with dense material, leaving an air hole in the corner. The puppies sleep peacefully for two or three hours, and you can do your business or relax. As soon as you hear a fuss or squeak in the box, take the babies out and put them in the bitch, and after the next feeding, put them back in the box. With this regime of keeping puppies, one condition must be met: the box is placed in a place that excludes the possibility for the bitch to climb into it or pull out one puppy at a time. This method of holding puppies is perhaps the only one, using which during the first ten days of their life, one can hope that all of them will be raised safely.
In a litter, dogs have from one to twelve and rarely more puppies (an average of six ). When a large number of puppies are born, the owner of the bitch is faced with the question: should all or some be culled and destroyed? When solving this dilemma, it is necessary to take into account the age of the nursing bitch and her physical condition, as well as the usefulness of the puppies. The most favorable period for a dog to raise puppies should be considered its age from three (second litter) to seven (fifth litter) years. If more puppies are left under a bitch than she has nipples, the owner should monitor their feeding, removing milk from the nipples that have already been sucked and feeding those who have not yet received a nipple. It must be said that the successful raising of puppies to be physically strong and healthy largely depends on the owners of the bitch. While feeding the puppies, the bitch should receive food at least 4-5 times a day and should be taken out for walks the same number of times. After weaning the bitch's puppies, her nipples become rougher and may even become inflamed. In this case, they need to be massaged with camphor oil. A few words about the discipline of the breeders themselves. On the same day when the mating is made, a mating certificate must be filled out, which must indicate the conditions under which it was carried out, i.e. what the owner of the male will have if the outcome is favorable (the cost of the puppy is at the price established for this breed, depending on the class of the sires or the puppy, which the owner of the male chooses second from the litter after the owner of the female). After this, within three days the act of mating must be registered in the hunting society at the place of residence of the owner of the bitch. If there is only one puppy in the litter, the owner of the male dog is not owed anything; if there are two, the mating conditions must be met. No earlier than 18 days after birth, puppies must be examined by a person authorized by the hunting society and an inspection report must be drawn up, on the basis of which birth certificates for puppies (pedigrees) are issued. It is the duty of each owner of a bitch, after the distribution of puppies, to submit to his section a list of who and where they have been distributed, which greatly facilitates the work of the breeding sectors, which take into account the demand and distribution of puppies. Sometimes the question arises: who should take the dog for mating - the owner of the male to the female or vice versa? Here a lot depends on the capabilities of the owners, but it is customary to bring a bitch for breeding.
Nikolay Valov. “Hunting and game management” No. 3 – 1971.
A little about feeding
A nursing husky needs a balanced diet. Now she needs this more than ever, because puppies take all the beneficial vitamins and minerals through milk. Watch the bitch’s diet and choose the menu carefully, since the husky feeds the puppies . Then, as the kids grow up, you will have to take care of a healthy menu for the younger generation.
Pregnancy and childbirth in dogs is a natural process. And, if the dog is completely healthy, there are no significant pathologies, then there will be no problems with childbirth. All you have to do is prepare the dog, choose a gentleman and clearly understand how to care for a pregnant bitch. Also, knowledge of how to deliver a baby and what to do with puppies will not be superfluous. After all, situations are sometimes different and unforeseen. The only thing I would like to draw attention to is that no matter how confident you are in your abilities, be sure to agree with the veterinarian about an emergency call if something goes wrong. This will be a guarantee and additional insurance that nothing bad will happen to your girl and puppies.
- health
- Laika
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Condition of the dog before birth
The imminent appearance of offspring can be recognized by sudden aggression towards strangers, the construction of a “nest” and the creation of hiding places with food supplies. A few days before giving birth, the pet begins to produce milk and loses its appetite.
In the last day, body temperature drops by 1-1.5 °C. The expectant mother becomes very restless, digs “holes” in the floor and sits down in them. At this stage, take her to the “nest”, since there will be no more than 1.5 hours left before new family members appear.
