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Dog Breeding – What You Need to Know About Dogs in Heat
For people who want to know the facts about dogs in heat, there are certain questions that they need practical answers to. The heat period in canines is known as the estrous cycle. This is the period when the dog has a big chance to become pregnant when mated with a stud. The obvious sign is vaginal bleeding and swollen vulva. Particularly in small breeds, the bleeding is not profuse. You will also notice that the female dog will urinate more frequently. And when there are male dogs that suddenly hang around your yard, it is a sure sign that your pet is in heat.
On the average, the heat cycle in female dogs occurs when they are between six and twelve months old. However, it can happen sooner or later in some dogs. The smaller dog breeds usually experience their first cycle earlier while the larger dog breeds might come into heat later than the average. Normally, a female dog comes into heat two times in a year.
There are four parts in the estrous cycle of female canines:
- The first stage is called proestrous which could last for as short as 4 days or as long as twenty days. The female dog is not open to male dogs at this point. The dog is usually shy while she bleeds and has a swollen vulva.
- The second stage of being in heat is the estrous part. It could last between 5 to 13 days long. At this stage, the color of the secreted blood is lighter and the female dog becomes more receptive to males.
- The third stage is called diestrous in which there is lesser secretion and female dogs start to become disinterested in male dogs. If the dog is pregnant, the pregnancy will last between 60 and 64 days.
- The final stage is called anestrus in which the heat cycle is over. The dog stays in this stage for about 5-11 months.
For most breeders, testing the levels of progesterone is the best way to determine the most fertile days in order to have higher chances of getting the dog pregnant. For pet owners who don’t want puppies, spaying is the best option. But as traditional practice, it is best to allow a female dog to undergo a cycle first or have puppies at least once. Nowadays, pets can be spayed earlier. You can get information from your vet as to the most appropriate time for spaying your dog.
Dog Information – Should I Spay or Neuter my Dog?
Unique Dog Gifts by Dog Breeds
When it comes to dog health and the most reliable dog information available today the best answer to “should I spay or neuter my dog”, rests within your understanding of the canine and the world we both share.
There has been a lot of controversy over fixing pets in the past few years and with both sides having strong arguments it is likely to continue for years to come.
Many dog owners consider spay and neuter requirements to be an infringement of their rights. Some owners think that sterilization is cruel. Others complain that the cost of surgery is too high. Many believe that the health of the canine will be at risk.
All these are legitimate concerns and we as dog owners need to take them seriously. There are certainly health risks associated with spay and neutering. However with a little education you may find the benefits out way the risks in most cases.
At the other end of the spectrum there are very extreme views that oppose all pet breeding. Their view is that breeders are puppy mills and just add to the over population of homeless animals.
To the best of our knowledge somewhere around 2 to 3 million dogs are put to sleep in the United States each year and the far majority of these dogs are homeless. So yes there is an overpopulation of unwanted dogs and every dog owner needs to do their part, get involved to end this problem.
We do not advocate the extreme view that no dog should be bred, or that the government create laws making responsible dog breeding all but impossible. We believe this will open the door to even worse problems for the canine.
Our belief is that everyone should have their dogs spayed or neutered if they are not a responsible, dog breeder. A responsible dog breeder dedicates their life to the dog breed of choice, normally just one breed. They devote many years educating themselves and others about the breed. Professional breeders work hard to eradicate defects within the breed, they do not breed sick or problem dogs. A good breeder will always interview potential owners and only release pups to good homes. A responsible breeder will always take back any dog that, for whatever reason is no longer wanted. Most even adopt unwanted dogs because they care so deeply about dogs in general.
So should you spay or neuter your dog? For us the answer is clearly yes, unless you want to devote your life to the entire dog breed and take on the responsibilities required. If you are or are thinking of becoming a dog owner please take the time to educate yourself and get involved. We share more, a lot more dog information and dog health facts on our website. With a little love, education and interaction we can make this world a better place for our canine companions.
Dog Breeding – Should I Breed my Dog?
Dog Information – Responsible Breeding
To start with every dog owner needs to know that irresponsible breeding leads to over population, disease and is destructive to the canine family. Current dog information at the time of this writing states that more than three million animals are put down each year in the United States alone because they have no home. Millions more are dying from abuse, starvation and overall neglect. In a world that is already over populated it is more important than ever to make informed decisions in regard to breeding your pets.
If you are thinking about making money breeding your dog, think again. Breeding canines correctly cost a lot of money and there are no responsible short cuts. Responsible breeders know that most dogs have defects like structure, health or personality and that these defects can only be eliminated by not breeding dogs with these problems. All animals should be proven to be free from all these possible defects before you consider breeding.
This is the fundamental difference between a good dog breeder and a bad one. A good breeder sticks to one breed and belongs to that breeds social network and organizations. They are educated as to what defects affect the breed and work to eliminate those defects. Good breeders usually have high vet bills because they use vets frequently to maintain healthy dogs. Because responsible dog breeders care so much for the breed they almost always take back problem dogs or dogs that their buyers cannot handle for whatever reason. Many even adopt homeless dogs because they understand the overwhelming problems with over population of the canine.
So the answer to the question “should I breed my dog” boils down to this. Are you a responsible dog breeder? Are you well educated in your dog breed? Do you understand and practice the values we discussed in this article? Only you can answer these questions.
For the far majority of us dog lovers I would recommend adopting rather than producing more dogs. Take the time to learn about dog breeds and what canine is right for you. A little dog information will go a long way towards educating dog owners. I recommend leaving the dog breeding to those that dedicate their lives to it.