TOATOA

The process for breeding your female to one of our studs is usually simple and fairly easy.  Female dogs are only fertile when they come "in heat".  Females usually come in heat every 5 - 7 months - every 6 months on the average.  If you would like to breed your female, start by keeping an eye on her well in advance of when she is expected to come in heat.  Contact the owner of a suitable stud dog (ideally a pedigreed dog who is has been proven - i.e. sired a litter before) to find out if they will breed their stud to your female and the terms of their dog's stud service.  After that, check your dog's vulva every 3 days or so for signs of her heat period starting:  bleeding and swelling.  That way, you can ensure that you will catch the start of your female's heat period and increase her chances of getting pregnant.  

Once you see signs of her heat period starting,  a female is usually ready to breed (she has ovulated and her eggs are ripe) in about 10-12 days.  However, this time period can vary a lot between individual dogs and can be anywhere from 6 - 15 days. You can ask the stud owner at that time if they can help you determine when your female is ready to breed.  You can also ask your veterinarian to perform a "progesterone blood test" about 5-6 days after the start of her heat, which will pinpoint scientifically the optimum time for her to be bred.  When it is the right time for breeding, you will take her to the stud's home.  Normally your female should be left there for 3 - 5 days to ensure that she has been bred at least 2 - 3 times.  Multiple matings will increase your chances of a larger litter, because females will ovulate on more than one day and may release eggs on 3 separate days or more.  When you leave you female at the the stud's home, the stud owner should have you sign a Stud Service Agreement, so that you know exactly what the terms of your agreement are.  It is standard practice that the Stud Fee only covers a guarantee of a mating, not pregnancy.  

After breeding, the Stud owner should let you know an approximate due date for your litter, based on the date(s) your female was mated.  A normal gestation period for dogs is 9 weeks, but times can vary up to 5 days either way. Dogs will normally start to "show" if they are pregnant about 5 weeks after they have been bred.  In the meantime, use the next few weeks to educate yourself on the birth process in dogs (whelping), so that you are prepared when the puppies arrive.  If you're not sure if your female is pregnant, your vet can assist in determining if she is and how many puppies she might have - either by sonogram or x-rays.  Contact your vet for more information on these procedures.

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If you have more questions about the above information, please contact us by phone or email to find out more.