Owners with female dogs should be prepared for the animal's natural periods of heat. This is one of the stages of the reproductive cycle, indicating that the dog is ready to reproduce. To protect her from unwanted pregnancy and various health problems, the owner needs to study the signs of estrus in dogs, its characteristics and the duration of the cycle.
In the article we will tell you what estrus is in dogs, what its stages are, when it starts for the first time and how it goes, the main symptoms, how many days it lasts, how often it happens, what the owner should do during this period, how to help the pet, is it possible to wash the dog During estrus, at what age does estrus stop completely.
The American Staffordshire Terrier is in heat
The first heat of an American Staffordshire Terrier female occurs at 6 – 12 months.
It takes place twice a year (there are exceptions) and lasts from 7 to 28 days (on average two weeks). At this time, the Amstaff female can become pregnant. The cycle is experienced in 4 stages:
| Stage | Duration | Discharge | Signs |
| Proestrus | 4 – 9 days | bloody | Males during this period are interested in females, but without reciprocity. |
| Estrus | 4 – 13 days | yellowish color | The bitch becomes favorable to the representatives of the “stronger sex”, conception is possible. If you touch the lady's tail, she moves it to the side and lifts her pelvis. |
| Metestrus | 60 – 150 days | — | The bitch stops letting males in. At the beginning of this period, false pregnancy is possible. |
| Anestrus | from 100 to 160 days | — | Ovarian activity decreases. There are no significant external signs. |
Price of a dog
The cost of an American Staffordshire Terrier puppy varies from 12 to 60 thousand rubles.
The price of a puppy primarily depends on the region and the class of puppies.
- Show-class show puppies cost from 30 to 60 thousand rubles
- Breed class 18-30 thousand rubles. (purchased for professional breeding)
- Pet class 15-18 thousand (bought not for exhibitions and breeding), have some minor deviations from the standards
Pregnancy in an American Staffordshire Terrier female
You can knit a dog when it reaches 2 – 2.5 years. If the dog is older than 4 - 5 years, pregnancy and childbirth may be associated with complications.
IMPORTANT! “Pregnancy is for health” is one of the most dangerous myths of many owners!
Pregnancy is not a healing process. This is a lot of stress and strain on the immune system and internal organs. Therefore, only a perfectly healthy dog should give birth.
As a rule, the pregnancy of an Amstaff bitch lasts 63 days. The maximum difference is from 53 to 71 days, in which case the puppies are born viable.
1. At an early stage (the first 3 weeks after mating), it is impossible to determine whether the American Staffordshire Terrier bitch is pregnant.
2. At the 4th week, using ultrasound, you can estimate the approximate number of puppies.
3. At the 5th week, the sides become more convex (sometimes the sign is absent until the 7th week), the skin of the nipples becomes lighter.
4. At the 6th week, puppies can be palpated. After this, the size of the fruit increases, the nipples become softer and larger.
IMPORTANT: It is better if the palpation is carried out by a veterinarian; you can damage the fruit yourself.
During pregnancy, the dog should move, but not become overtired. The expectant mother should not be disturbed unless absolutely necessary, take long trips by car or public transport, or be kept in a noisy, cramped room. If during pregnancy your dog's condition suddenly changes, he begins to refuse to eat, his temperature rises, or there is discharge from the genitals, you should consult a veterinarian.
The second half of pregnancy may be characterized by minor mucous discharge. The discharge becomes abundant, yellowish or greenish - this means that labor is approaching. 1–2 days before giving birth, the dog begins to worry, whine, lick the genitals, and scratch the walls or floor. Pulse, breathing, and urination increase. The dog refuses food and drinks constantly.
Pros and cons of the breed
Pros:
- Unpretentiousness
- Compact, can be kept in an apartment
- Low irritability, quite difficult to get angry
- Versatile, an excellent guard, protector, as well as a wonderful friend and companion.
- Energetic and active
- Perfectly suited for city life
- She is balanced, so she reacts absolutely calmly to the city noise and bustle
- Perfectly trainable
- Devoted to the owner
Minuses:
- Activity - a fairly active dog that requires daily physical activity and long walks of at least 1.5 hours at least 2 times a day
- Education and training required
- With improper upbringing and lack of training, a dog can become uncontrollable, aggressive, or, on the contrary, too cowardly.
- Striving for Leadership
Therefore, from the first days of the puppy’s appearance, the owner must immediately show the dog who is the leader and owner.
False pregnancy in an American Staffordshire Terrier
False pregnancy is a common occurrence in dogs of all breeds, including Amstaffs. This is the name for the psycho-physiological state of a bitch that has not been fertilized, but still shows signs of pregnancy. In this case, the dog diligently arranges a “nest” and may even experience something similar to contractions. As a rule, false pregnancy is observed in dogs with irregular matings and is associated with hormonal development disorders.
IMPORTANT: If a dog is sterilized, a false pregnancy will not occur!
If the Amstaff bitch begins to show signs of false pregnancy, it is necessary to remove the toys. Self-licking of nipples increases the symptoms of false pregnancy. This can be prevented by putting a collar and blanket on the dog. Limit your protein intake.
If the bitch is showing aggression, extreme agitation, or developing physical problems (such as mastitis), medication will be needed. Contact your veterinarian.
IMPORTANT: False pregnancy can be a symptom of a disease (hypothyroidism or liver dysfunction).
If there are frequent strong manifestations of false pregnancy in the American Staffordshire Terrier, you should contact the clinic for examination. Most likely, you will be asked to donate blood for biochemistry and hormones.
Characteristics of the dog
Strong with a powerful torso, a hardy dog that has quite strong watchdog and security qualities. Signs of aggressive behavior only appear when the dog feels a threat to itself or its owner.
He gets along well with children, has a balanced psyche and has amazing intuition.
Giving birth to an American Staffordshire Terrier at home
It is necessary to prepare everything you need in advance. The “birthing room” should be warm, ventilated and calm, as well as comfortable for people - you will spend quite a lot of time there. A week before the expected birth, move the Amstaff bitch to the “delivery room”, she should get used to this place.
Prepare a box for newborns (special beds are available for sale). You will also need: infrared heating lamp, disposable diapers, heating pad or plastic bottle with warm water, cotton wool, cotton rags, towels (8 pieces), hand wash, thermometer, milk replacer, bottle and pacifiers, muzzle, collar, leash, glucose solution.
Keep your veterinarian's phone number visible.
A day before the event, the dog refuses to eat, and the body temperature drops. The bitch becomes restless, tears up the bedding and makes a nest.
IMPORTANT: The dog must be closely monitored so that it does not climb into a hard-to-reach place.
When labor begins, call your veterinarian and let him be on call just in case. Place a collar on your American Staffordshire Terrier bitch. Next, your task is to sit quietly and not fuss. You can do yoga or meditate.
Stages of labor
| Stage | Duration | Characteristic | Behavior |
| First | about 12 -24 hours | The cervix relaxes and dilates, mucus comes out, contractions without pushing, the temperature is lowered | The dog is worried, often changes its position, looks back at its stomach, breathing is rapid, vomiting is acceptable |
| Second | normal up to 24 hours | The amniotic fluid recedes, the temperature returns to normal, the abdominal walls are tense, contractions are combined with pushing, puppies emerge from the birth canal | The dog stops worrying, breathes quickly, lies down in one place, strains, after the fetus comes out, breaks the placenta and licks the puppy |
| Third | The afterbirth comes out from either the placenta or the baby part of the placenta. Usually, after the birth of a puppy, the placenta comes out within 10-15 minutes. Sometimes several come out, after 2-3 puppies. | The bitch tries to eat all the afterbirth, do not allow her to do this. One or two is the maximum, otherwise there may be intoxication (diarrhea, vomiting). | |
The puppy is born in a “package” - a transparent film called the afterbirth. Usually the Amstaff bitch tears it herself and eats it. Don't be alarmed - this is normal, she won't eat the puppy.
IMPORTANT: Do not allow the bitch to eat the afterbirth if it is greenish-black in color with a putrid odor.
Keep track of the number of afterbirths, there should be as many as there were puppies. Sometimes the afterbirth may remain inside and only come out at the end of labor.
IMPORTANT: If at least one placenta remains inside, this is fraught with inflammation (metritis) for the bitch. If you are not sure that all the placenta has come out, be sure to take your dog for an ultrasound.
A puppy can be born while the bitch is standing. It falls to the ground, but it's usually harmless. Intervention is only justified if the mother is in shock, ignores the cubs, or attacks them. In this case, call an experienced breeder - he will tell you what to do.
Something went wrong…
If the mother tries to attack the puppies, muzzle her and move each pup out of earshot. Remove the film, wipe the puppy with a towel, and remove mucus from the mouth and nostrils with a syringe. If the puppy is not breathing, try rubbing him with a towel. Sometimes artificial respiration is necessary - gently breathe air into the puppy's mouth and nose. The chest should rise at the same time. Repeat the breath every 2-3 seconds until the puppy begins to breathe on its own. Place the puppies in a cardboard box with a heating pad. Make sure the kids don't get burned.
IMPORTANT: Remember that the dog is in a state of shock, talk to it gently, calm it down.
After the birth is over, when the Amstaff female has rested and drunk milk with glucose, try introducing her to the puppies again. Lay the mother on her side, hold her head, stroke her. A second person can hold the puppy to the nipple. If the bitch has accepted the puppy, you can carefully place the rest. But keep holding it.
Even if everything is fine, you should not relax. After feeding, clean the puppies and wash their butts. If your dog is comfortable licking the puppies, you can choose to risk leaving them in her care or take the box away and return it for the next feeding.
Sometimes, in the first hours after giving birth, due to shock, the Amstaff bitch ignores the puppies: she refuses to feed, wash or stay with them. Here you will have to force the bitch to feed the puppies, but you will have to wash the babies yourself. Massage (clockwise) the perineal area with a cotton swab soaked in warm water to stimulate the release of feces and urine.
Sometimes an Amstaff female tries to kill her offspring. But it’s still better to force her to feed the puppies. Put a muzzle on her and secure her in a lying position. One person can hold it and the other can apply the puppies to the nipples. Artificial feeding is not a substitute for breast milk, so use it only as a last resort.
Important: Puppies need a full feeding every 2 hours.
As a rule, sooner or later the Amstaff female still accepts puppies. Cases when hatred turns out to be persistent are extremely rare.
Warning: Whatever happens, even if the bitch eats all the babies, don't blame her. The birth of the puppies was your idea, and it was you who forced the bitch to give birth. She doesn’t understand what she’s doing; hormonal imbalances and shock force her to behave in a way completely unusual for her.
Possible complications
Caesarean section is the surgical removal of puppies when they cannot be born naturally. If you leave puppies within reach of a recovering bitch, she may kill them.
Eclampsia is milk fever associated with calcium deficiency. Symptoms: anxiety, semi-consciousness, tossing, and sometimes convulsions. A calcium injection can work wonders in this case.
Mastitis is a bacterial infection of the mammary glands. Symptoms: fever, lack of appetite. The affected nipple is hot, sore and swollen. Veterinarian consultation and antibiotics are required.
Metritis is inflammation of the uterus after childbirth. Causes: retained placenta, injury or dead puppy. Symptoms: dark discharge, loss of appetite, high fever. Urgent treatment with antibiotics is required, possibly a smear test.
Amstaff dog color
- Plain, cream, white,
- Black - the wool has a rich black shiny color
- Black Boston - the main color of the coat is black, the muzzle, neck, paws are white
- Blue - light blue wool or dark dark blue
- Two-color,
- brindle,
- Red boar with dark hairs
- Palevo - blue
- Piebald
