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Dog Fertility Cycle

 Submitted by Michael Adams on April 19, 2010


It is common for many dog owners to keep dogs only for breeding purposes. However, dog breeding is not as easy as some people think it is. The breeding procedure can be quite a complicated one and it is required that the breeder should have adequate information about breeding, in order to simplify the procedure and get the desired results.



Dogs get pregnant quite easily. However, when you are breeding them, you have to be selective about stock so that you get the desired characteristics in the puppy. This makes getting your dog pregnant more complicated than you would have imagined.


There are many breeders who try constantly but fail to get a desired litter from their champion dogs. Since the process is completely biological, often things will just not go according to your plan.

The foremost thing to understand in dog breeding is the timing. There are many biological issues which have to be given due consideration. For instance, the heat cycle, which is the fertile period of a dog, has to be kept in mind at all times. If you are mindful of the dog breeding cycle, things may get simpler from then on.

The fertile time of the bitch, or estrus, typically begins when the bitch is about nine months old. Some bitches may start getting their heat cycles when they are as young as 6 months old. There are however some breeds which may mature slower than this and may have their first estrus after 1 to 1.5 years of age. Once in heat, the dog will remain fertile for about 3 weeks. You may see the dog licking her private parts more than usual. Male dogs also start giving her more attention than usual because of the pheromones that are produced by the dog.

The bitch also produces a bloody discharge and the amount may be so little that many a times it goes unnoticed. Around the twelfth day of the estrus, the bitch is ready to mate and the eggs are released. If the bitch is not allowed to mate during this period, there will be bloody discharge once again.

A healthy bitch usually comes in heat once every six months. Rarely, some bitches may come in heat only once a year and therefore the planning for breeding has to be done accordingly. You can breed your dogs only when the bitch is ready to be bred. Among the best dog breeding tips, the foremost is to understand the willingness of the bitch and the cycle of breeding.

 
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