At what age do dogs begin to mate?
Dog owners don't always know what time it costs to take them. An animal must be bred only after it reaches physiological maturity. In this regard, it is worth distinguishing between sexual and physiological maturity.
Help with mating
For your information! A dog can become pregnant at the age of six months to a year; the first heat occurs at the same time. Depending on many factors, these dates may shift, especially for large dogs.
The owner of the animal may not notice the first heat at all, but it is necessary to monitor your pet. You need to be vigilant and prevent her from mating with any male dog. It is worth recording in the calendar the time when this period began for the dog and subsequently monitoring the peaks of sexual activity.
Animals can mate without the knowledge of their owners, but this should not be allowed. A dog should be bred no earlier than it reaches 3 years of age. By this time, it will be formed physically, and therefore the birth is more likely to be successful.
Important! You should not delay the first fertilization until after 5 years of age, as late births can have a negative impact on the dog's health. It is more likely that you will have to have a caesarean section.
First heat
Puberty problems
The maturation of young males suggests certain negative changes in the behavior of the animal. For many dog owners, this becomes a serious problem and a significant cause for concern. Sexual desire can manifest itself to a greater or lesser extent. It always causes similar consequences, which include:
- loss of appetite;
- mounting other dogs and household items;
- agitation, aggression;
- attempts to escape;
- disobedience to the owner;
- excessive hyperactivity.
Are all estrus days favorable?
Mating a German Shepherd for the first time: on what day of estrus
The sexual cycle includes 4 stages, each of which has certain characteristics. It is necessary to sort them all out in order to say on which day of heat the dog can be bred.
| Phase name | Duration | Characteristic | External signs | Ready to Mate |
| Proestrus | 7-10 days | First days of heat | The loop becomes more swollen than on other days of the cycle | The dog is not ready for mating, does not allow males to approach, but actively shows attention to them and may begin to flirt |
| Estrus | 4-12 days | The eggs are released from the ovaries into the uterus. Ovulation will begin a couple of days from the beginning of the phase. | The loop is very swollen, the discharge stops completely or becomes transparent | The bitch is ready for mating, takes the necessary position |
| Metestrus | If pregnancy does not occur, the dog's body goes into anaestrus. | Decreased arousal | The loop decreases | The dog doesn't let males in |
| Anestrus | Until the next heat | Rest period |
Note! There are other ways to figure out when to take your dog in heat. Laboratory tests provide more accurate results, which increases the likelihood of successful fertilization of the bitch. To do this, you need to take the animal to a veterinary clinic and take a smear or test to determine the amount of progesterone in the blood.
How to calculate the breeding day for a dog
At what age can a cat become pregnant for the first time?
Depending on the breed, a dog's heat can last up to a month. But the animals need to be brought together within a certain period, which is worth calculating. It is recommended to keep a special diary tracking the sex life of the bitch in order to know exactly on which days of estrus the dog can become pregnant.
Most often, on the 10th day after the start of estrus, you can try to breed dogs, since the favorable time for this begins. But you should act based on medical indications, and not hoping for luck.
Mating with an instructor
Diagnosis of the result
You can find out if a dog is pregnant already in the first two weeks after mating, but to do this you need to be observant. Symptoms are behavioral rather than physiological. Your dog is pregnant if:
- her appetite has worsened - she will eat for herself and the puppies later, but for now her body is in “hormonal shock” and has no time to eat;
- nausea in the morning - this is toxicosis, the body “protects itself” from foreign symbiosis in the womb;
- the temperament has changed - the animal suddenly fell into melancholy, behaves distantly and sleeps all the time or, conversely, caresses more than usual and does not leave people;
- swollen nipples - in bitches who have given birth, this happens in the first week; in nulliparous ones, the color of the nipple may change, and the skin around it may become somewhat denser.
From the third week, you can reliably establish the fact of pregnancy using a blood test. If the level of the hormone relaxin is elevated, your efforts and efforts were not in vain. The mating of the dogs was successful: in two months you will receive a delivery. Perhaps reviews from experienced dog breeders will help you better prepare for this important period.
Progesterone in dogs for mating: table
How long after giving birth can a cat become pregnant?
Not all owners can say with confidence what day of heat the dog should be bred on. Often this information may be unknown even to experienced breeders. In such cases, you should contact your veterinarian to do a progesterone test. The results will tell you when to start breeding if your dog is in heat.
| Lower limit (ng/ml) | Upper limit (nmol) | What to do |
| It is worth repeating the analysis after 4 days | ||
| 2 | 12 | It is worth repeating the analysis in a couple of days |
| 5 | 22 | Ovulation has occurred, you can inseminate after 2 days and in the next 3 days |
| 8 | 33 | You can inseminate on this day and the next 2 |
| 11 | 60 | You can inseminate on this day and the next |
| >19 | >60 | You need to inseminate on the same day |
For your information! This analysis can be done not only in veterinary clinics; regular hospitals are also suitable. But in this case, you should not say that it is the blood of a dog, since doctors will refuse to carry out the procedure. Material for analysis is taken from a vein, which is why it is recommended to entrust this to specialists.
When should you breed a German Shepherd?
It is optimal to breed a bitch on her 3rd heat, usually at 18-22 months of age. Males can also be born from 18 months of age. This is the minimum recommended age. But if there is practically no upper age limit for a boy, then a girl must be mated no later than 4 years.
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How to determine that a bitch is ready for breeding
There are a number of signs to tell if a dog is ready for breeding. The main thing is estrus. This is a natural psychophysical process. This period can occur 1-2 times a year and last about 20 days.
Loop before estrus and at rest
The dog’s behavior at this moment may be very different from its usual behavior, which will surprise its owner. A previously affectionate pet may begin to show aggression towards other animals, stop obeying the owner, and try to escape. She will also leave marks in the hope of attracting a male and show interest in male dogs she meets on a walk.
During estrus, the bitch's vulva may become very swollen and spotting may appear. The animal may begin to shed and also stand in a position appropriate for mating if you stroke its rump.
Important! Laboratory tests will help determine exactly what day your dog ovulates. The optimal day for mating can be determined using a smear. The material is collected from the walls of the vagina.
In the open air, the drug is dried, colored, and then doctors study it. If a large number of keratinized cells located alone on the glass are detected, it is concluded that a favorable day has arrived for mating. To make the result more accurate, it is recommended to carry out the procedure daily, starting from the third day of the onset of estrus.
Dog smear
Laboratory tests increase the likelihood of effective fertilization, which is especially important if:
- after previous matings, pregnancy did not occur;
- for mating it is necessary to transport the bitch over a long distance;
- Insemination to obtain offspring is carried out artificially.
Note! All studies do not give a 100% result, and therefore you should not place high hopes on these methods, since the animal’s body can be very unpredictable.
Basic rules, instructions
There are two ways to carry out mating: manually, with the help of the owners, or without it, when the dogs do it on their own. Experts recommend turning to the second method more often, and resorting to the help of owners only if the dogs categorically refuse to breed themselves. The animals are introduced to each other and then left alone. You need to periodically check how the process is going. If circumstances go well, the animals will do everything themselves. But if this does not happen, the female is stubborn, aggressive, the male is smaller and cannot get closer, the dogs need help.
Instructions on how to do this:
- The dogs are taken to a place designated for mating and soft collars are put on them.
- The owner of the bitch holds her by the collar with one hand, and with the other under her belly, so that she cannot wriggle out when the dog begins to mount.
- The owner of the male guides the dog; if, due to the difference in size, the male does not reach the female, a stand is placed on him.
- As soon as the castle is formed, the dogs are turned in opposite directions, with their backs facing each other. They hold it so that the bitch does not wriggle out.
- If the dog is caught in a noose, but the lock does not happen, it is necessary to keep the dogs in this position for at least about 15 minutes, after which the dog is allowed to get off the bitch.
- Next, the owners draw up a mating certificate and a payment agreement.
- 1 - 2 days after the main mating, it is recommended to carry out a control mating, sometimes more than one, especially if there were doubts that everything went well. The second control mating takes place 1 - 2 days after the previous one.
Dogs cannot be forcibly pulled in different directions; they must free themselves from the castle on their own. The duration of this period is from 5 to 15 minutes, and sometimes up to an hour.
Mating dates should be entered into the calendar to know the approximate due date. After mating, animals need a walk and rest.
Key mating rules and advice from dog breeders
It is recommended to consider the size of the dogs during mating. Each of the options should involve the help of owners or special instructors who will help carry out the entire process correctly.
Large dog breeds:
- Caucasian Shepherd Dog;
- German dog;
- Siberian Husky;
- Labrador Retriever;
- American Staff Terrier.
Mating of large dogs
Small dog breeds:
- Cocker Spaniel;
- pug;
- chihuahua;
- dachshund;
- Spitz;
- Jack Russell Terrier;
- York
Terriers can fall into different categories depending on the breed.
Note! It is recommended to crossbreed animals of the same breed.
After mating, dogs begin the mating process, which can last from several minutes to several hours. Tied dogs should not be disturbed again at this time, so that they do not damage the genitals. This situation will resolve itself sooner or later.
If there is no gluing at all, then it is recommended to conduct a test example. It is done just in case 24-48 hours after the first mating. In this case, you no longer need to pay attention to favorable days. Fertilization occurs after the sexual organ is inserted into the dog's loop, and therefore mating is not at all necessary.
If we are talking about mating purebred dogs whose offspring are subject to strict requirements, it is recommended to contact a specialist who will independently calculate favorable days and also help in the mating process. His services are not as expensive as it might seem at first glance, but in his hands the mating will take place correctly from the point of view of animal physiology.
Possible complications
It would seem that mating dogs cannot have any complications, since this is a natural process, but in practice everything is a little more complicated and sometimes the following difficulties are observed:
- aggressiveness of the dog towards the owner of the bitch (you need to distract the dog’s attention);
- discrepancy between partners' sizes;
- inaccurate determination of the timing of sexual heat and mating;
- inappropriate parameters of the bitch (too fat or, conversely, too thin);
- structural anomalies of the genital organs and gynecological diseases;
- unsatisfactory condition of the male sperm (low sperm concentration or insufficient sperm activity).
In addition, the possibility of psychological problems should not be ruled out: for example, a female dog may be frightened by an unfamiliar area and try to run away (especially if the male behaves aggressively).
To avoid problems, try to prepare in advance for all possible scenarios. Did you know? The Tibetan Mastiff is recognized as the most expensive dog breed in the world. These giants show their superiority with all their appearance, so it is not surprising that wealthy people buy them. So, a puppy of this breed was sold in China for 1.5 million dollars.
