And what are the disadvantages of breeding too early? "Breeding and getting your dog pregnant on her first heat can also pose health risks for both your dog and her pups, like bad genes being passed on, and behavioral changes like aggression."
Some smaller breeds can go into sexual maturity at four months, while larger breeds may need to wait until they are two years old. The best age for a dog to get pregnant will depend on when she reaches sexual maturity.
A: A dog is said to be in heat when they are in the proestrus and estrus stages of their reproductive cycle. During proestrus and estrus a dog will have bloody discharge from the vulva, and during estrus, a dog can get pregnant.
For many dogs, the first heat is 'silent' or does not have clinical signs associated with estrus. Additionally, many dogs' first estrus cycle is unlikely to allow successful breeding, therefore the standard practice is to wait until the second or third heat cycle before breeding.
When a dog becomes pregnant by accident, it may be necessary to terminate the pregnancy. This is done after much investigation into the reasons for the pregnancy, the need to end it, and the safest method of proceeding.
Lifting a pregnant or injured dog
If your dog is expecting, you should avoid the belly area if you need to pick her up. Put your hands under her chest and back end instead. If your dog has an injured or sore back, get help if necessary so that you can keep her back completely level as she's lifted.
The most obvious sign your dogs mated is that your female becomes pregnant. If the dam's heat cycle ends, their nipples begin to swell, and they show less interest in food within the first week or two after the suspected mating, contact your veterinarian as there's a strong chance the female dog is now pregnant.
The fertility rate in a slip mating is not quite as good, as there is often some spillage of semen when withdrawal occurs prior to the locking phase. However, conception is still possible and even likely, providing ejaculation occurred prior to the dogs' separating.
However, it is important to note that it can be possible for your female to become pregnant right up until the end of her season, up to four weeks.
Dogs new to mating may experience a bit of anxiety at being locked together, but it's a natural process. Help your dog to remain calm and stand still until the two can safely separate. This will occur on its own once the male dog's arousal subsides.
The dogs are virtually locked together for 15-20 minutes (two to 30 minutes is also normal), during which time ejaculation has taken place. The sperm is released at the beginning of the tie, during the happy feet dance (see below).
It is normal for a dog in estrus (heat) to continue to have bleeding even after they've been bred. As long as the bloody discharge isn't excessive and you dog isn't acting unusually (not eating, acting lethargic,vomiting or having diarrhea) then this shouldn't be cause for concern.
The dog estrous cycle is made up of four stages. These are the proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. The proestrus is the most obvious stage, while the other stages are more subtle.
For female dogs, sexual maturity is reached between age of 6 to 12 months. This means they can get pregnant at just 6 months of age. Dog pregnancies normally last for nine weeks (approximately 60 days), although they might give birth sooner or later.
If you own a female dog, the most important thing to remember is that she can get pregnant at any time during her life. Although older dogs are less fertile than their younger counterparts, there is still a risk of unwanted pregnancy.
Since each female dog may have six or more puppies with each mating and they may mate twice a year, the pet overpopulation problem can only be resolved through spaying and neutering programs.
Dog pregnancy diagnosis. Your vet can confirm a pregnancy with either a dog pregnancy test, which measures her hormone levels, from days 21-25 of her term, or by ultrasound from day 20-22. From around day 30 your vet will be able to carry out a physical examination to count how many puppies your dog is having.
A whopping 40% of female dogs will fall pregnant after just one mating session! That incredibly high number means you are at considerable risk of having a litter of unwanted puppies if you are not careful. Thankfully, there are relatively safe means to prevent pregnancy after mating.
If different males mate with the female on different days, she can fall pregnant by both of them. This is because the sperm survive for days in her tract, and are ready and waiting when she does ovulate.
If you take her in immediately, she can be treated with diethystilbesterol (DES) tablets for 5 days. This is the closest thing to a “morning-after pill” for dogs, but it may not even work. DES can cause serious side effects, each of which can lead to other complications.
In the early stages, it can be difficult to know if your dog is pregnant, but if the mating has been successful, in due course she may have: Swollen mammary glands. Be off her food. Sleep more than usual or seem lethargic.
During pregnancy, your hormones shift and are released in different patterns and quantities, and these changes are sure to be noticed by your dog. Your dog probably even noticed the changes in you before you did—come on, First Response, get with the doggie program.
How many times should she mate to become pregnant? Answer: Once may be enough. However, to ensure that all of the eggs released by your Lab are fertilized, I always let my dogs mate every two days while the female will stand to be bred. Usually, it is 3 or 4 times.
You may also observe that her vulva is large, red, or swollen with some bleeding or blood-tinted discharge. Your dog will only bleed for around half of the total cycle, usually 7 to 10 days. Generally, bigger dogs bleed more than smaller dogs, but it varies between dogs. Some dogs bleed very little.
Heat usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. Early in the cycle, a female dog may not be receptive to male dogs, although some are receptive through the entire cycle. It can be shorter or longer and you'll know the cycle is over when all her vulva returns to its normal size and there's no more bleeding or discharge.