The Disadvantages of Breeding Too Early
When can a dog get pregnant? Female dogs can get pregnant as soon as they have their first heat cycle. During your dogs first heat cycle, your female dog is physically capable of having a litter, but she is far from being ready to raise them. According to Breeding Business, female dogs are the cornerstones of every successful breeder’s bloodline. However, too many breeders just pick the wrong time to breed their females.
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.
Aside from labor and delivery, the constant nursing of her pups can cause too much stress to her body so she must be physically and mentally matured for that. Although her reproductive system tells you your dog is ready to have pups, her body isnt. So, it’s best to reconsider.
Also, many tests that your female dog should undergo to make sure she is healthy and fit for breeding cannot be done until your dog turns 2 years old. You could end up breeding an unhealthy dog which would lead to a huge possibility for the passing on of genetic defects in her litter.
Injections are an effective preventative measure to take, especially if given early. However, this is not a long-term solution, and it will not offer protection from pregnancy in the future. If you are looking for a long-term solution, we recommend spaying your dog.
Unfortunately, accidents do happen. In-heat dogs sneak out and link up with neighborhood dogs and often end up pregnant as a result. But there are some things you can do to prevent puppies after mating.
Few things pull on a humans heartstrings like a litter of snuggly pups. Though undoubtedly adorable, with puppies comes big responsibility. Vet care, cleaning up after them, and feeding them can really cut into the family budget (and your free time). Breeding a dog is a lot of work and something most pet parents would prefer to prepare for. After all, caring for a pregnant and nursing dog, then adding 6 to 8 puppies (or more) to the mix, is a lot to take on. Not to mention that every pregnancy carries complication risks, even if the dog has a history of healthy births in the past.
The first option to prevent puppies after mating is to spay the dog. Spaying is a minimally invasive surgery where a vet removes a dogs uterus and ovaries. Vets can still perform the spay even if the dog is in early pregnancy, removing the fetuses along with the reproductive organs. Spaying during pregnancy carries a greater risk of surgical complications, is more invasive, and often costs more than a regular spay procedure. However, sterilization has a 100% efficacy rate and will ensure your dog never gets pregnant again.
Spaying is an excellent option during early pregnancy and will prevent pregnancy for the rest of your dogs life. Pet parents who intend to breed their dog in the future may prefer to go the mis-mate injection route since this will end the pregnancy but not make the dog infertile. However, mismating injections are only effective during a narrow window of time, so this isnt a viable option if its been longer than 22 days since the mating session. Finally, a veterinary abortion should only be used as a last resort, as it will put serious stress on your beloved dog.Youtube Play
Chances of Dog Getting Pregnant on First Time
An astonishing 40% of female dogs get pregnant after only one mating session. A single session is enough for a female dog to get pregnant on her very first heat cycle (although not recommended).
Accidental breeding is frequently observed in the first heat cycle of young females even if they are not finished growing.
The chances of getting pregnant after just one try are good news for people that purposely want to breed their dogs, but it’s a complication for someone that cannot take care of an unwanted litter of puppies.
You have to be very vigilant about letting your female pup roam loosely whenever she is in heat.
Dogs are indiscriminate when it comes to mating brothers with sisters, fathers with daughters, and sons with mothers.
Keeping a close eye on them and preventing mounting or taking the dogs to the vet to get spayed and neutered is recommended if you don’t want new puppies roaming around the house.
Male dogs can start with mating very early between 6 and 12 months of age.
Maturity can vary between individual dogs and different breeds. Smaller breeds mature earlier.
On the opposite, some large breed males need 2 years of development to reach maturity.
As your male puppies get older you will notice that they start acting strangely and develop a sudden desire to hump objects around the house (mostly cushions).
Besides this behavior, coming into maturity is also characterized by scenting things with urine.
The first signs of maturity or puberty in female dogs are redness and swelling of the vulva as the most prominent physical sign.
This too happens for the first time between 6 and 12 months of age. Your dog will start licking herself more often and urinate more than usual.
Mating a female dog on her first heat cycle is out of the question.
Females bred on their first heat are not done growing, raising the chance that puppies will be too big for the birth canal and get stuck.
There are certain health risks for both the mother and the pups when bred too early.
Breeding dogs with health or behavioral issues means passing on the genes that can result in behavioral problems like uncontrollable aggression or anxiety.
Will my dog get pregnant the first time she mates?
If you breed your otherwise healthy dog female dog once, the odds of her becoming pregnant are about 50 percent. The American Kennel Club recommends breeding a dog every other day for a total of two to three matings. If youve only got one shot, there are ways to improve the likelihood of pregnancy.
Females are bred between the 10th and 14th day of their heat cycle, when their bloody discharge has lessened considerably. While bleeding is the most obvious sign of heats onset, it might have begun a day or so earlier. Constant licking of the vulva and its swelling are reliable signs that shes in heat, so pay attention to your dogs behavior. You cant breed a female dog before shes ready, as she wont accept the male.
After the male and female mate, they dont separate after the male ejaculates. Instead, they remain “tied” together for a period ranging from 10 to 30 minutes. Part of the males penis has swollen inside the vagina so he cant withdraw. Dont try to separate them — they will eventually part on their own.
Take your female dog to the males home or his territory for the breeding. If your female has been bred before, you can pair her with an inexperienced dog. If this is her first time, choose an experienced male for the breeding. Place the dogs in a quiet area, leave them alone — although you can watch from afar — and let nature take its course.
Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in “Horse News,” “Suburban Classic,” “Hoof Beats,” “Equine Journal” and other publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and an Associate of Arts from the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, New York City.