Things To Keep In Mind About Mating
Just like humans, dogs reproduce sexually. A male dog is mated with a female dog which results in the female dog getting pregnant and giving birth to a pup or pups in the following months.
Although it may seem like dogs can turn up pregnant in the blink of an eye, it’s actually a fairly complicated process. Just ask any breeder who has repeatedly tried and failed to produce a litter from her champion bitch; sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. Successful dog breeding is all about the timing.
The dog monthly cycle is called estrus cycle.
Simply put, estrus is a bitch’s fertile time, generally referred to as a heat cycle or “season”. The first heat cycle typically takes place between six and nine months old, but breeds that mature more slowly may not experience the first heat until twelve to eighteen months of age.
A normal heat cycle lasts approximately three weeks. In the beginning, stages, known as proestrus, a bitch’s vulva begins to swell, and you may notice her licking herself more than usual. Male dogs will also begin sniffing her more as her hormones begin to produce a scent that signals she is becoming ready to breed.
It is the breeding period of the bitch on which everything depends.
Look for these signals that your bitch is ready to be bred:
- General flirty/affectionate behaviour
- Tail held high and flagging
- Pushing up the rear when petted on the back
- Willingness to stand and present vulva
- Colour change in discharge from red to pinkish-tan
Breeding usually takes place naturally without any human intervention beyond introducing the dam to the stud. However, a little direction may be required if one or both of the dogs involved have never been bred before. Typically, the male dog will become very excited when introduced to a receptive bitch, sniffing and licking at her vulva. Very quickly he will mount her from behind and begin to thrust. When all goes as nature has designed, he will penetrate the bitch’s vulva; this causes two glands directly behind the penis to swell considerably.
In response, the bitch’s vulva will clamp around this swelling; this is referred to as a tie, and it’s the moment when the dog and bitch become “stuck” together. This period typically lasts from fifteen to thirty minutes, and it is at this point that sperms are being delivered to waiting eggs.
If the breeding has been successful and the bitch conceives, she will deliver her pups between 58 and 63 days later, bringing some new lives out of her!