Dog breeders

[Reble]

I am just curious, I breed after 5-7 days in heat, and than I breed a day, miss a day than breed a day.

Some girls take early and some take later in their cycle.

I guess it depends on the bitch.

What do you find is best?

I also found this year, my dogs that usually birth right on 63 days have had their puppies later.

I also take their temp starting at day 60 and find it very helpful, being they drop to 98 degrees. and than they do birth within 12 -24 hours.

Any other tips to share on whelping puppies?

 

[uwharrie]

I breed when the bitch will stand and the male says she is ready (usually early in the second week of the cycle) I usually do two breedings skipping a day in between but have many times done only one breeding. With toy breeds they often don't follow a calendar

My ******* tend to whelp around day 61, I start taking temps at day 58 but I can usually tell by the way they are acting that they are ready to whelp. Only had one fool me in over 20 yrs and whelp early without any signs (day 58)

I did have an accidental breeding years ago that the bitch was bred on day 4 ( she was a hussy) and whelped on day 68. I have to say those had to be some strong swimmers to survive till she ovulated. Luckly it was a breeding I did plan to do, just wanted to wait till the next season.

It did produce some awesome puppies, including group places, specialty winners and future top producers.

 

[anoki]

I'm not super experienced in this....but I'll share what I've done with my experiences.

I think the breeding is as individual with what breed, as it is with each individual dog.

I keep track of ALL of my girls cycles, whether I'm breeding them or not. I mark down when I notice first swelling, first sign of discharge, when they are getting flirty with the boys (not that they are out with them at this time, but more of a teasing thing briefly), when they are no longer interested, and when they are completely finished . ALL of this gets marked down in a note book.

All of my girls have been bred when they are standing. With mine, they have never been standing before day 10. I also breed a day, miss a day, breed a day, and so on (I have been told that unless you have shipped semen to skip a day to allow the semen to 'rejuvenate'....if you breed every day, the quality of the semen drops significantly). BUT 2 of my girls that I've bred stood for a FULL WEEK! So, they were bred 4 times over a week....one resulted in 10 puppies, the other in 1! I start taking temperature at day 60 from the FIRST breeding as well, but because my first 2 were bred over a week, I don't know exactly when they took! Both girls needed c-sections, the first because her uterus ruptured after the first puppy was breech and stuck, the other because the singleton was too big for her to whelp naturally. (Both of these dogs were related too, not that it matters, but they were mother and daughter)

I just recently bred another dog, also a daughter and sister to the above 2 dogs. She has also never come to standing heat before day 10. Every cycle, she hits day 10, stands for 3 days, and is out by day 14. I drove a distance to breed her, got there on a Tues and said, she will be one day early on Wednesday, standing for sure on Friday, and out by Monday. Sure enough, Wednesday she was interested, but not standing....we AI'd her because we did not have the male on site and the owners had driven to meet us (and I knew it was a short window to breed her). Friday she was standing, and by Sunday she was already starting to not be interested......and at week 6 right now, she is looking like she took!

~kathryn

 

[Katiean]

When I bred Yorkshire Terriers (for 20 years) we would do the first breeding on day 7-9. We then bred every other day a total of 3 breedings. This worked very well for my dogs. The chins seem to be a bit different. We are still working things out with them. Also are looking for that just right male. Kind of like looking for that "Dream Heard Sire" for your horses.

 

[Reble]

Thanks everyone, any other tips.

I find if my litter is going to be big,

I give them a rolaid that has calcium after they have their litter.

any other tips when breeding dogs, do share.