Every dog owner, whether an amateur or a professional breeder, is faced with the fact that a four-legged friend from a puppy grows into an adult dog and enters puberty. It is necessary to make a choice - to knit a pet or not to knit, whether offspring need or better to abandon puppy breeding. And if the decision is made in favor of mating, you need to know when and how the dogs mate.
A little physiology
Dog puberty occurs in approximately 8-12 months. In males and females, this manifests itself in different ways: there are changes in the behavior and habits of the dog, characteristic of its gender. Growing up a dog vaguely resembles the puberty in adolescents.
By the way, bitches “mature” a little earlier than males, and small dog breeds are ready to breed at an earlier age than large ones.
However, the first signs of puberty in males and females are not a reason for immediate mating. It is important to remember that dog mating is a serious step that must be approached with all responsibility and most importantly - on time!
Male Puberty
The onset of puberty in a male is indicated by the following symptoms:
- The young male shows increased attention to his genitals: licking them and tugging his paw. Watching him at this moment, you can draw parallels with youthful masturbation.
- Most males begin to show remarkable sexual interest in everything, including the owner or other pets. The hormones of a dog teenager are off the charts, he sticks to a cat living in the house, to his toy, to the mistress’s fur coat, to the sofa, to the owner’s foot - in a word, he demonstrates his sexual desire with all his might. By the way, this needs to be stopped, since such behavior can develop into a bad habit over time, which will drive the owner into the paint every time his four-legged friend "gets attached" to a stranger in a park or at a bus stop.
- Absolutely all males during puberty begin to mark the territory.
- Along with behavior, the dog’s psyche also changes: stubbornness, independence, disobedience and some aggression in relation to other dogs appear. Such "bullying" of males is nothing more than the desire to determine their place in the social structure. As a rule, this takes place after the process of puberty comes to an end (by about 14-17 months).
You should be aware that puberty and fertility are not the same thing. At the initial stage of the canine puberty, the concentration of sperm in the sperm of the dog is extremely low. Full sperm maturation occurs at 12-14 months in small breeds, and at 20-24 months in large dogs.
Maturing bitches
The onset of puberty in females is manifested as follows:
- The bitch begins to estrus. This usually occurs at 6–8 months in small dogs, and at 18–22 months in large breed dogs. The first estrus is always short and shorter than all subsequent ones. Many novice breeders are interested in the issue of estrus bitch time, and the most important is how much. In dogs of all breeds, estrus occurs about 2 times a year and lasts about 18-20 days.
- The vulva of a female (so-called "loop") swells and gradually grows in size. According to her condition, ovulation can be judged: in the first days of estrus, the loop is stiff, and the discharge is dark and scarce. By the time of ovulation, the vulva becomes soft and maximally enlarged, the discharge lightens and becomes pinkish-yellow.
- As a rule, during puberty, bitches, unlike males, do not become more aggressive: the main change in behavior is the so-called “hunting period”, coupled with the desire of the bitch to mate.
- As a rule, with the onset of estrus, the dog’s well-being does not deteriorate, unless in some bitches appetite may disappear for a while .
Despite the obvious desire of the bitch to mate, knitting her immediately after the first estrus does not make sense, since the dog’s body only enters into “adult functioning” and it will take some time to fully adapt. As a rule, the body of a bitch is completely ready for procreation after the third estrus.
Knit or ...?
The case of dogs is an important stage not only for the animal, but also for the owner. Responsibility for the sex life of a thoroughbred dog lies entirely with the breeder. It is advisable to decide on this issue before acquiring a puppy. And it’s not that dog mating is a troublesome thing, but what later to do with droppings. With puppies that meet breed standards, there are usually no problems: many people dream of a thoroughbred four-legged friend and do not spare money for it. And what to do with the so-called "culling"? Drown or abandon? Definitely not an option! It is better to weigh everything in advance and clearly understand that the act of breeding dogs is a very serious step, followed by the birth of puppies, the responsibility for the fate of which lies entirely with the person.
Puppies are not only cute fluffy lumps! First of all, these are spoiled children, pissing on the carpet, scratching doors, peeling wallpapers and chewing shoes. In addition, during the period of active growth, they eat quite a lot - and a balanced diet substantially "hits" afford.
Therefore, before the mating of dogs occurs, it is worth taking care of the equipment of a special place for keeping dog cubs. In addition, not all bitches experience indescribable joy from motherhood.
It is important to understand that in order for a thoroughbred dog of any gender to be valued as a pedigree producer, factors such as:
- perfect exterior;
- the presence of "blue blood" in the pedigree;
- participation in exhibitions, receiving awards and medals;
- strong psyche and stable nervous system of the dog.
Better than anything!
Remember that thoroughbred dogs, photos of which appear in all print and online publications, are the result of proper mating.
Despite the desire of the dog to mate, you do not need to knit your pet just like that. Professional dog handlers unanimously argue that if the dog does not receive the required number of cakes every year, it is not worth starting. The first breeding of dogs will forever change the psyche of the animal, and if this does not happen regularly, the dog (especially the male) will look for a partner for love pleasures among other animals.
Therefore, if you do not plan to breed puppies, it is better to leave the dog in ignorance regarding dog sex. Over time, untied dogs completely atrophy sexual instinct, and they live a full life, absolutely not suffering from a lack of crying.
Couple selection
If you decide to breed offspring, then the first thing you are likely to take care of is finding the right partner for your dog. Choosing a pair for breeding in order to get a thoroughbred litter is perhaps one of the most important steps of breeders. This is especially true for owners of bitches. How to find a worthy contender "for the paw and heart" of your "girl"?
The first thing to do is go to the club your dog is a member of. A competent zootechnician, based on the pedigree and exterior data of the bitch, will surely pick up a worthy dog that will fully correspond to her. Best of all, if the dog comes from another city and another club, the offspring from the so-called “new line” is always successful.
Of course, a "husband" for your dog can be found on your own, but for this you need to be well versed in this breed, read literature, attend exhibitions and be aware of the whole "dog's" life. When choosing a male, focus not only on the appearance of the dog. Be sure to ask about the origin and thoroughly study its pedigree. The pedigree must be genuine and issued by a reputable club - this is a guarantee that puppies obtained as a result of mating will be not only highly pedigree, but also in demand.
Marriage contract
As soon as a suitable dog is found, and all conditions are negotiated, it is advisable to draw up a dog breeding agreement. This document includes items such as:
- passport details of owners of a random pair of dogs, including registration, address of actual residence, e-mail and phone numbers;
- the breed of dogs, their nicknames and dates of birth, color, as well as a list of exhibitions, ratings and titles;
- owners of the bitch indicate the number of previous breeds, births and puppies born in each of the litters;
- The exact date of the first and control binding is entered;
- the method of payment for mating to the owner of the dog is fixed;
- the rights and obligations of the parties are specified;
- copies of the pedigree and color photographs of both dogs are attached.
An agreement is a reliable guarantee that no party will be deceived. The owner of the dog will receive the agreed payment, and the owner of the bitch will receive upscale puppies.
Dog calendar
The first breeding of dogs (however, like all subsequent ones) is a very natural process for dogs. Breeders will have to work hard so that everything goes smoothly and efficiently. This is especially true for owners of bitches. In order to find out the most favorable day for such an event as a dog mating (on which day of the current cycle), it is necessary to keep a diary during the first three leaks, in which data such as:
- changes in dog behavior;
- monitoring the health of the bitch;
- start and end dates, as well as the number of estrus days.
Keeping a diary will greatly facilitate the task of breeders. Thanks to the notes, you can easily plan your dog breeding days. In addition, focusing on the diary data, it is possible to carry out all the necessary procedures before the mating in time, for example, to helminthize and vaccinate dogs, as well as conduct an analysis to detect hidden infections. The most favorable for mating are 10-14 days of estrus with a cycle of 21-23 days and 14-18 days with a cycle of 26-28 days.
First time
How do dogs mate? To begin with, the bitch is taken to the dog, and in no case not vice versa. This is a strict rule, deviation from which will reduce all attempts to knit to zero. The fact is that in its legal territory the male feels himself the master of the situation. He behaves confidently and actively caring for his "lady of the heart." That, in turn, is somewhat frightened by the change of scenery and does not resist too much.
You should not expect that, having barely seen each other, the couple will actively make love. First, they need to get to know each other, run around, play with each other. In a word - to fall in love. Before the mating of the dogs, you need to feed and walk well so that the couple is not distracted by urgent needs.
Mating process
During the breeding of dogs, it is worth pre-tuning that you have to wait a long time. After flirting and grooming the dogs begin to mate. The initiator is always a male. First of all, he begins to show affection for the bitch - licking her ears, nose, sides and loop. This is a kind of prelude, which prepare the bitch for sexual intercourse.
The readiness of the bitch is manifested in the fact that she readily crouches and takes her tail to the side. However, when the dog attempts to make a dog, the female snarls, twists, growls, and can even bite her partner slightly. The entire courtship period begins anew and continues until the male introduces the penis into the loop of the female.
The fact that the male succeeded, will be marked by the screeching of a bitch. The male at the same time speeds up the movement, and then freezes, injecting sperm into the genital tract of the bitch. At the same time, bitches irritated by the genitals swell and compress the male’s penis in a tight ring. This process is called by the dog breeders “gumming” or “lock”. A male captured by a female dog turns back to her, in this position the dogs remain from a couple of minutes to several hours, until the swelling of the female's genitals has subsided.
After 48 hours, a control mating is performed in case fertilization has not occurred for the first time.
Did you call the instructors?
Many dogs do the mating task themselves, but some breeds need help that the dogs cannot do without. The pedigree dogs most in need of help, photos of which lead to the tenderness of many of us, are chihuahua, toy terriers, yorks. Also, plump pugs and bulldogs and larger dogs may need help.
If you are a beginner in breeding dogs and you feel insecure, a dog breeding instructor will come to the rescue. He will help to properly hold the bitch or raise the dog during mating, will assist in locking the dogs into the “castle”, and will carry out the necessary hygiene measures after mating. Dog breeding instructor - pleasure is not free. Payment for services is made in different ways:
- if the dog is untied, but the bitch is not, then the owner of the bitch pays for the help of the instructor;
- if the bitch is untied, but the dog is not, the owner of the dog pays;
- By agreement of the dog owners, the instructor's services can be paid in half.
It is better to carry out the breeding of the aforementioned dog breeds with the instructor also because the correctly untied males and bitches are more “experienced” during subsequent mating and do not require any intervention.
Happened?
Pregnancy of a bitch cannot be recognized “by eye”, but it can be “seen” after 22-24 days by ultrasound or using special pregnancy tests. These tests are based on the determination of the hormone relaxin, the amount of which increases several times during pregnancy.
One of the signs of pregnancy may be drowsiness and toxicosis. The roundness of the abdomen in many bitches is observed only towards the end of pregnancy, then the mammary glands swell.
After the set time, the long-awaited puppies are born, and the main task of the breeder is to provide them with proper nutrition, and subsequently to find good hands.