When should i stop breeding my dog

You should also start to keep records of her heat cycles, which will help you to predict the due date of her litter when she gets pregnant. If you decide that your female dog is unsuitable for breeding, it is advisable to have her spayed to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to protect her from health issues in future. Breeding puppies successfully is time-consuming, potentially costly and requires quite a bit of knowledge.

Before you begin, you should be clear that you have the resources to breed properly. You will need to keep an eye out for signs of infection in the mother, keep the whelping box clean and fresh, ensure the family has the vet checks they need and generally ensure a calm, quiet atmosphere while the pups are tiny. If something goes wrong, for example the dam does not produce enough milk for the pups, the process can be even more time-consuming, as you will need to find a foster mother or use milk replacer products.

You will need to be able to cover veterinary costs such as pre-breeding tests, vaccinations and attendance during the birth if whelping is not straightforward. In a worst-case scenario, you may need to deliver the pups by caesarean section, or have the dam treated for issues such as haemorrhage or infection. The best way to protect yourself and your pets against costly vet bills is to take out multi pet insurance. By combining all your pets on a single policy, you can save money and ensure you have the cover you need.

You will need to know how to support your dog through pregnancy and whelping, including understanding the signs that veterinary assistance is required. You should be familiar with all you need to do to keep the bitch and her litter healthy in the early days, and how to socialise the pups when they find their feet. The stud you choose should have a pedigree that is compatible with your bitch, as well as a clean bill of health. Before breeding, the stud should be checked for inherited diseases which apply to that breed.

Of course, you can always choose to create a crossbreed litter. Some mixed breed dogs are immensely popular, mixing the best characteristics of two pedigrees.

The size and temperament of crossbreed dogs is hard to predict, and deliveries can also be higher risk, perhaps even requiring a caesarean section. A bitch is suitable for mating when she is over one year old and has had at least one normal season. Most bitches will come on heat twice a year once they are in season.

The age at which bitches come into season for the first time can be as old as two — larger breeds tend to be later. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Factor in the age of the dog. There are a variety of opinions and standards as to when dogs should be retired from breeding.

However, you should follow standards you are most comfortable with to protect the health of your dog. Many kennel clubs require a dog to be 8 years or younger to register litters. Many vets suggest that dogs of normal health should be retired from breeding around 8 years old. The strictest standard to retire a dog from breeding is 5 years of age.

Consult your vet when considering breeding a dog older than 5 years old. The age of your dog needs to be evaluated with other factors including size and breed. Consider the breed of the dog. Certain breeds of dogs should be retired from breeding earlier than others. This is because some breeds have physiological issues and other related problems that could cause complications with pregnancy.

Chihuahuas and other toy dogs should be retired from breeding around 5 years old. Large breed dogs like standard poodles should be retired from breeding around 5 or 6 years old. Medium sized dogs may be bred longer than small or large breed dogs, depending on specific medical conditions and the opinion of your veterinarian.

Think about the number of litters the dog has produced. Many responsible breeders, vets, and kennel clubs suggest that people stop breeding dogs after a certain number of pregnancies. Consider: Some kennel clubs will stop registering litters after a dog has whelped 4 or 6 litters.

Many veterinarians advise to retire a dog from breeding after 4 litters. The higher number of pregnancies, the lower the genetic diversity within a certain breed. Many irresponsible breeders, known as puppy mills, produce large numbers of dogs regardless of the health and well-being of the dogs themselves. Part 2. Determine if the dog has demonstrated any inheritable conditions.

You should stop breeding a female dog if she or her offspring has developed some sort of medical condition that is inheritable. You should also be briefed on how to recognize and respond to an emergency. A bitch in good condition should continue into pregnancy with the same caloric intake that she had during adult maintenance. Her food intake should be increased only as her body weight increases, beginning about the last five weeks before whelping. Daily food intake should be increased gradually, so that at the time of whelping she may be eating 35 to 50 percent more than usual.

As her weight and food intake increase, begin offering small, frequent meals to spare her the discomfort that larger meals can cause, especially in a small dog. If you have been feeding your bitch a well-balanced, high-quality diet, you should not need to add anything to her food during her pregnancy. However, some breeders advocate supplementation with a protein source such as evaporated milk, eggs, meat, or liver.

It is a good idea to build a whelping box well in advance so the bitch has time to become accustomed to it. Unless you have already accustomed her to a whelping box, she may choose your closet or another inappropriate place for a delivery room.

An ideal whelping environment is warm, dry, quiet, draft-free, and away from all other dogs when possible. Confinement and whelping location of your bitch is relative to her breed and size. A good whelping box is roomy and has low sides so you can easily reach in. It should also have a small shelf or roll bars running halfway up along the sides so the pups have something to crawl under to avoid getting rolled on by the bitch. Many breeders prefer to line the box with newspapers until after delivery because paper can be changed quickly when it becomes soiled.

After whelping, newspapers are typically replaced with non-skid bath mats, outdoor carpeting, or something else that provides better footing for the puppies. Approximately 24 hours after her temperature drops, she can be expected to enter the first stage of labor when the cervix dilates and opens the birth canal for the passage of puppies.

At this time, she will pant, strain, and appear restless. This stage of labor is followed by actual abdominal straining and production of the puppies and placentas. Most bitches give birth easily without the need of human help.

Each puppy emerges in its own placental membrane, or sac, which must be removed before the puppy can breathe.

The mother usually takes care of this by tearing off and sometimes eating the membrane and then severs the umbilical cord. After delivery, she will lick each puppy to stimulate its breathing.

You should keep track of how many placentas are delivered and ensure that the number matches the number of puppies because a retained placenta may cause problems. You must take over if the bitch neglects to remove a sac or sever an umbilical cord. A puppy can remain inside the sac for only a few minutes before the oxygen supply is depleted. The cut end should be painted with iodine to prevent infection. At the time of birth, the bitch will be busy cleaning her puppies, warming them, and allowing them to suckle.

It is very important for the puppies to suckle soon after emerging from the womb. Suckling lets them ingest colostrum, a milk-like substance containing maternal antibodies which is produced in the mammary glands just after birth. Colostrum helps the newborn puppies fight infection in their early days while their own immune systems mature. To track nourishment of the puppies, it is advisable to identify and weigh puppies during the first 2 weeks. Signs of potential trouble include:.

A newborn puppy cannot control its body temperature and must be kept in a warm environment. Chilling will stress the puppy and predispose it to infectious disease; overheating can kill it. The environmental temperature can be controlled with a well-insulated electric heating pad or a heat lamp. But make sure the puppies have a cooler place to crawl to if they become too warm. The immediate environmental temperature should be kept between 85 and 90 degrees for the first five days of life.

From the seventh to the tenth day, the temperature can be gradually reduced to 80 degrees; by the end of the fourth week it can be brought down to 75 degrees.

The first milk produced by the bitch after whelping is called colostrum. Every puppy needs to ingest colostrum as early as possible after birth and certainly during the first 24 hours of life. Colostrum contains a number of substances that are beneficial to the puppy, including immunoglobulins that protect newborns from the infectious diseases to which the mother is immune.

For your nursing bitches, one thing to keep a look out for is canine mastitis. It is not that common, but you should be aware of it. Canine mastitis is a breast infection in bitches, usually occurring a few weeks after whelping. Normally, the breasts of a lactating bitch are warm and enlarged. If the breasts seem to be red, dark, hot, or painful when touched, then you should contact your vet immediately. Advanced canine mastitis presents itself as a hard, hot and almost black breast segment, which is extremely painful for the bitch when touched.

A bitch with canine mastitis may be running a fever, be listless, and may not eat. Some bitches eat very little for the first day or two after whelping. Then their appetite and need for all nutrients rises sharply and peaks in about three weeks.

During this entire period, adequate calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D must be fed to avoid the onset of eclampsia. Optimal amounts of these nutrients are already present in a high-quality diet so further supplementation is unnecessary.

Eclampsia causes nervousness, whimpering, unsteady gait, and spasms. Although very serious, it is readily cured by prompt veterinary treatment.

After whelping, the bitch ideally should be about the same weight as when she was bred, but not more than 5 to 10 percent heavier. For three weeks after whelping, she will need two or three times more food than her normal maintenance diet to help her provide nourishing milk to her puppies. This food should be divided into three or four meals.

The composition of the food should be the same as it was during the last third of her pregnancy; only the amount per day should change.

Newborn puppies must be hand fed if their mother is either unable or unwilling to nurse them. Remember that puppies grow very rapidly so make sure you weigh them every day before you calculate how much to feed them. You may need to start with slightly less formula at each feeding and gradually increase the amount as the puppy responds favorably to hand feeding. Steady weight gain and well-formed feces are the best evidence of satisfactory progress.

Diarrhea in newborns can be very dangerous so consult a veterinarian for advice. Never prepare more formula than is required for any one day because milk is a medium for bacterial growth. Maintain sanitary conditions at all times. Before feeding, warm the formula to about degrees or near body temperature. Using a bottle and nipple, hold the bottle at an angle to prevent air bubbles. The hole in the nipple can be enlarged slightly with a hot needle to let the milk ooze out slowly when the bottle is inverted.

The puppy should suck vigorously, but should not nurse too rapidly. Consult a veterinarian if the puppies are not nursing well. You may need to resort to tube feeding, which is best taught by a health professional. Chlorophyll will only mask the smell of heat, so your male dog will still want to mate as he has that urge naturally. However, if you have a female dog nearby, he may not be attracted to her if she is taking chlorophyll to hide the fact that she is in heat.

There are also sprays you can purchase at local pet food stores to deter dogs from mating with one another. Some people put their dogs in dog diapers or britches to keep the two from coming together in mating positions. Though this may work temporarily, it is not a surefire method of keeping your dogs from mating. If you choose to place your dog in britches to keep your dogs separated, be sure they are supervised as it will not take much for a dog to pull off the diaper of another dog.

Female dogs who have been spayed have less risk of certain cancers and tumors, and they typically live longer than female dogs who have not been spayed. Keeping your dogs from mating with one another will not only give your dogs a longer and healthier life, but temperaments will be more even-keeled with hormones leveled. If you do not want puppies, you will need to keep your intact dogs away from other intact dogs to prevent mating.

It might take some effort to keep your dogs separate when your female dog is in heat, however, separating male and female dogs is the only surefire way other than spaying and neutering surgery to prevent them from bringing you a litter of puppies.

If yes, it is important for you to know the signs that you may observe in your dog when she is pregnant. Here you will find information on the factors that will help you in determining whether your dog is pregnant. Here you will find information on the factors that will help you in determining whether your dog is pregnant…. Most dog owners are at a loss when it comes to determining whether their dog is pregnant. If you have involved your pet in a breeding program, the news of her pregnancy is something that you must have been expecting.

In such conditions, the signs of pregnancy may go unnoticed. Normally, the heat cycle begins when the female is six months old. However, this is not the same for every dog breed, because in some cases, the heat cycle may begin earlier, while for others, it starts only after a full year. Most dogs experience the heat cycle, also known as estrous cycle, at least 2 times in a year.

Each lasts for about 21 days. This cycle can be divided into three parts. It begins with the proestrus stage, which is followed by the estrus, and concludes with the diestrus stage. During the first stage, the dog begins bleeding lightly, and you may also observe swelling of the vulva. Would you like to write for us? Though at this time the female attracts male dogs towards her, she does not actually invite any of them to mount her. The second stage starts 5 — 10 days after the beginning of the first stage.

It is during the second stage that ovulation occurs in dogs and hence, the chances of conception are the highest during this time. Moreover, during this period the female will allow any male dog to mount her.

The last stage is called diestrus, where the swelling of the vulva starts disappearing and the female stops bleeding.

She will no longer be interested in male dogs and if she has mated with a male dog during the heat cycle, she will, most likely, be pregnant.

Though only a check up by the vet can actually confirm whether your dog is pregnant, there are several signs that you can see when your pet dog is expecting. If you observe any of the above symptoms in your dog, taking her to the vet will help you in knowing whether she really is pregnant. During this time, the doctor will be able to feel the thickening of the uterus and even the bumps within. Apart from this, the ultrasound method can also be used to confirm canine pregnancy.

However, this is only possible after 28 days of conception. However, not all vets use this method, since there is a risk of damage due to radiation. The average gestation period in dogs is 62 days. However, it can be anywhere between 54 — 72 days. Knowing about the signs that your pet dog will show when she is nearing the time of delivery will help you in making the necessary arrangements.

As the dog nears her due date, her body will increase in size and you will observe a pronounced enlargement in the abdominal area. The temperature of the dog normally reduces as she nears her due date. Hence, taking her rectal temperature time to time will help you in narrowing down the time of her delivery.

It will drop down 24 hours before the delivery. Apart from this, one can also determine that the dog is ready to give birth to the puppies with the help of some behavioral changes. She may become restless and you may observe her pacing and panting during this time. It is also normal to observe a greenish vaginal discharge hours before your dog goes into labor. I hope by now you are able to resolve your question. If you observe any of the above signs in your dog, take her to your vet immediately.

If she is pregnant, the vet will give you some important instructions about prenatal care which you should follow to ensure that she has a smooth and healthy pregnancy.

Knowing the stud dog and observation of the bitch can be nearly as accurate and a lot cheaper and less stressful for the bitch. Before breeding, make sure the dogs are clean and in good condition. Watch for sheath infections and possible female infections because even though she ovulates, infection can contribute to failure to conceive. Some stud owners want proof of a culture and clearances. It works both ways.

If your bitch misses, watch her carefully for Pyometra or Metritis. The bitch will appear depressed and have a discharge with a foul odor. Prevention is always better than a cure.

Reading my bitch, I often follow up with Veterinary visits. By taking slides or an Ovulation Smear we can read if there are cornified epithelial cells under a microscope. Easily seen, one can determine the best day to take the bitch to the stud. Also, what may be normal for one dog may not be for another. Some bitches cycle on schedule, others ovulate and mate from days.

Using a rubber glove and lubricant, the breeder can digitally examine the vulva. One might muzzle a maiden bitch for breeding, depending on the breed. That will encourage a male to eat during mating season and eliminate weight loss; the male really CAN do two things at one time if he is rewarded after breeding.

Keep the bred bitch away from all other males until her cycle runs out. DAY 1: Licking and attention to rear. Discharge is dark or bright red color, swelling of vulva.

Start counting heat cycle from when the blood hits the ground. DAY Color begins to lighten to pinkish, swelling is at peak and the vulva has a spongy look and feel.

A male cannot have a successful tie when the vulva is swollen. Bitch may lay her tail over and tease, then snap, so wait a little longer as she can easily turn a young male off. DAY Color changes from light pink to clear or straw colored. The swelling is down and the vulva appears dry or harder on edges. The knot at the top of the vulva is very soft like butter. The bitch will stand solid and elevate her rear. The male is aggressive, restless and noisy.

Breed the bitch now. Monitor the tie as an aggressive bitch can damage a male. The tie may last minutes.

DAY Color clears, discharge and swelling almost gone, bitch may act receptive, but is still snappy. Count days for puppies! Some bitches will mate and conceive as late as 22 days. Another way to check if the bitch is receptive is to use Testape reactions. Put discharge from the bitch on the Testape. It will go from yellow, to yellow with a green edge, on to yellow green and light blue green. When the bitch is ready to breed, it will show dark blue green somewhere between the 9th and 12th day.

That is ovulation. Once bred, the tape will reverse colors back to light yellow. If you breed too early, the male penetrates, works, and slips out. On another note: If you want to break a tie, one might turn the male back around into the normal mounting position and push his rear in carefully. If after breeding the penis will not return into the prepuce, call the vet for advice. A natural breeding is desirable. A veterinarian can help you with an artificial insemination.

Suggestion: when taking the dogs to the vet for an A-I suggest the vet use a baggie and NOT a glass beaker to collect the male in. Also, have the bitch available to tease him. Dogs have been doing it for centuries. There are many misconceptions about getting the bitch pregnant. If you are considering mating your dogs, there are a few things to remember about breeding a male dog.

It is not always as easy as it sounds. You do not want to ever make him fearful of humping, as this will make him skiddish when it is time to breed him. Get the pup use to your touch all over his body, including his genitals. This can be done during his grooming times. You may need to actually help your stud dog find the right spot when he is first learning to stud, and therefore, having him use to your touch will not cause him to stop trying if you need to touch him.

At some point you may decide to do artificial insemination, so teaching him to allow your touch from an early age will be helpful. For an inexperienced male stud dog, it is best to breed him with an older, experienced female. She will teach him the ropes, and not allow him to give up! However, it will make a huge difference on the male and whether or not he will be able to perform. Most people believe that when breeding a dog, the male naturally understands what to do, but this is not always true.

Many times, a male dog needs LOTS of practice, before he figures out what he is doing. You will often even see him mounting away at the side of her body, her head, and every place imaginable, except where he is suppose to be!

A true, mature stud dog knows when the female is ready to breed, and will not unnecessarily hump a female whose timing is not quite right. Although, he will be attentive to her by staying close to her, licking her vulva and ears, and giving her all kinds of loving affection! Dogs can get hurt during mating, but especially the male dog.

Sometimes after tying, a female may decide to run off, thereby dragging the male with her. Never allow this. A tie can last from 5 to 30 minutes, with 15 minutes being about average.

There is also the possibility of a slip mating. A Golden Retriever stud dog that knows a female is in heat, but is not allowed to mate with her, basically becomes a nightmare for 3 very long weeks! He will stop eating, pace constantly, whine, cry and just act totally pathetic.

He will not be interested in playing or interacting with you. He will turn into the biggest cry baby you have ever encountered, and the whole world suddenly revolves around whether or not he is going to be able to mate with her. If you own a stud dog and have a female come into heat, but do not want her bred, sometimes it is best to board the male somewhere until she is safely out of heat.

Breeding Golden Retrievers can be very exciting, but it may take more time than you expect to raise a perfect stud! Many dog owners have breeding questions. Hi,My bitch shows very little swelling when in season. On a recent attempt to breed her, the dog managed a good tie of over 20 minutes. The stud was not interested on the second attempt at breeding, even though my bitch was standing.

Do you think he was put off after the first mating, or do you think my bitch might have gone beyond her fertile time? Do you think one tie is enough? Do you happen to own the stud dog too, or does he belong to someone else? If so, he simply could have been too tired to perform.

This does happen from time to time, although I believe it would be better to limit how many bitches the stud is bred to during a given week.

Yes, I do think one good tie carried out on a clearly receptive bitch is more than likely to result in a litter if the stud has a normal sperm count. She was still bleeding during the first breeding, but it was light in color. Her bleeding is now very slow and a watery pinkish color. However, my main concern is for my dog. My initial hunch is that she may have been a little further along in her season than you originally calculated.

This might explain why she was no longer standing for the stud on what you thought was her 11th day. Since her color is beginning to darken up again, her fertile time may be over. However, that good tie achieved with her full cooperation should hopefully do the trick. The sperm can live up to five days and would be ready to fertilize any eggs that came down during those few days after the breeding. I would skip another attempt at breeding unless you really feel the need to try.

I have a two-year-old Great Pyrenees bitch. We actually have a breeding pair and that was our original plan, but it has proven to be nothing but a pain to deal with it all. Our bitch had a heat cycle last year that was confirmed by our vet, but she actually ended up pregnant from a heat cycle she apparently had but showed no signs of only two months after the previous cycle.

This resulted in a litter of puppies. Now she is heat again and I am certain she bred with our male. Is it safe to have my bitch spayed when she comes out of heat, even if she might be pregnant? Every vet makes the choice whether spaying is safe based on a case by case basis. Although it is possible to spay during the heat cycle or even during pregnancy, the procedure does carry an extra risk for increased bleeding at this time due to the elevated blood flow through the uterus.

All things considered, I think you should schedule an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible so you can discuss the options in person.

Your vet will give your bitch a thorough examination and advise you on how best to proceed. Anything above this generally indicates a fever. All things considered, it would probably be a good idea to ask your vet to examine your bitch. This could be why she continues to have some bloody discharge. When a male dog is mating with a female, the penis will become congested with blood and swell.