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What time can you breed German Shepherds for the first time?

Only a sexually mature and psychologically mature female can produce healthy puppies. Experienced breeders carefully approach the issue of age and optimal mating period. Thus, it is customary to breed male dogs no earlier than 1.5 years or 18 months. A female dog is capable of bearing and safely giving birth to puppies from the age of 20 months. Approximately planned mating should occur on the 3rd heat.

Planning a mating for a shepherd is a crucial moment in dog breeding

For your information! If the shepherd is not bred before the age of 4, it is not recommended to breed it. This is associated with a high risk of miscarriages and the birth of underdeveloped fetuses. When mating an older female dog, there is also a risk of impaired lactation and the development of postpartum endometritis.

On what day of heat should a German Shepherd be bred?

Mating of German Shepherds should be carefully planned, focusing on the optimal days of estrus. If you know its exact beginning, you can easily calculate these days. Before the first mating, you can keep a diary where all the changes that occur with the animal before estrus will be stored.

Aviary for a shepherd (German) in the courtyard of a private house

So, on the first day, a dog that was previously gentle and calm may suddenly change its behavior. She becomes lethargic and inactive or, conversely, embittered and disobedient.

Note! The first signs of impending estrus are swelling of the mammary glands and genitals.

At the beginning, the bitch begins to actively flirt with the males, but at the same time does not allow them to approach her. When she begins to be ready to mate, her attitude changes radically - aggression disappears, and she takes an unambiguous pose in front of the male dogs.

The start of heat in a shepherd dog

The most favorable time for mating animals (shepherd dogs) is considered to be the period 11-13 days of estrus. The bitch must mate before ovulation, since after it the genitals lose their elasticity and discharge stops.

Knitting features

Perhaps you have seen somewhere in a park how dogs turn their backs to each other during the mating process. This is called a “castle”. Some dog breeders believe that when it forms, the dogs should be left alone and not helped. But in fact, help is simply necessary, because the shepherd can damage its genitals if something goes wrong. Remember that most locks last about 5-10 minutes, after which the dogs separate. But there are times when this process lasts for an entire hour. There is nothing bad or dangerous to your pet's health.

Similar article: Duration and frequency of estrus in a German Shepherd

What you need to do to prepare for mating

Before inviting a male dog for mating, you need to make sure that both dogs are vaccinated and completely healthy. Since the result of mating largely depends on the male dog, special attention must be paid to his health.

The necessary conditions

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Mating should not be carried out spontaneously and without appropriate preparation. The breeder needs to make a number of efforts to achieve high-quality and healthy offspring. First of all, the cable must be selected correctly. All arrangements should be discussed with its owner in advance.

Before the upcoming mating, the breeder must also prepare his bitch, namely, bring her into the required shape. The best option is when the bitch's weight corresponds to her age. It has been scientifically proven that if a dog is overweight or malnourished, pregnancy will be difficult. Infertility and the birth of underdeveloped or malnourished puppies are possible.

Before planning to breed a German Shepherd for the first time, the owner must confirm the absence of the following defects:

joint dysplasia;
presence of staphylococcus;
congenital defects;
brucellosis and other sexually transmitted diseases.

A month before the upcoming mating, the bitch is treated for worms to prevent intrauterine infection of the fetuses.

Important! If a dog is over 4 years old and is promising for breeding, but has never given birth, mating should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian and an instructor.

Mistakes before mating

If the optimal mating day is incorrectly calculated, mating may not give the expected results. In the most favorable outcome, these are weak puppies. Very often, after such mating, the fruits are born unformed or dead. The result is wasted money, effort and time. In addition, such an illiterate approach can easily harm the health of your dog.

Beginner breeders often make mistakes

Inexperienced breeders may make the following mistakes when mating dogs:

try to stir up the dog by pushing or screaming. Instead, it should be for 15-20 minutes. take him to another room and let him rest, and then try to establish contact again;
careless touching of the penis. If assistance is provided during mounting, the dog’s genitals must not be touched. This may cause the cage to stop;
lack of lubrication in the bitch. This problem leads to pain in both dogs. Vaseline will help correct the situation.

We create the necessary conditions

Mating of adult German Shepherds cannot be carried out spontaneously and without proper preparation. The dog owner will have to work hard to achieve the desired result. First of all, you should start looking for a male dog. But don't wait until your shepherd's heat is over. Choosing a partner for your pet needs to be approached with the utmost seriousness. Start looking for it before your dog goes into heat (to determine this period, check your notes or diary, where you probably entered the necessary information). Be sure to talk with the dog’s owner, notify him of your intentions, discuss the time and additional points. It is also advisable to check the health status of your pet before breeding her.

Similar article: Popular and rarest German Shepherd colors

Male side

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The dog must fully receive all the beneficial substances from its food. To do this, the bulk of the diet should be given to meat, offal, eggs and cottage cheese. Mineral supplements with a high calcium content will be used as a preventative supplement for paresis. Regular physical activity and long walks in the fresh air will help maintain potency and physical fitness.

Note! The owner of a male dog must monitor the genitals of his shepherd. If there is discharge, it is recommended to douche with a solution of potassium permanganate.

3-4 days before the planned mating, the dog should have its nails trimmed to minimize possible injury to the bitch during the mating process. Before and after mating, you must give the dog 1 teaspoon of any vegetable oil with the addition of 5 drops of vitamin A.

Mating process

Mating of shepherd dogs, like other breeds, can be of two types:

free;
manual.

Free mating

This type of mating can be used if the dog has experience. During the mating process, the owners of both dogs should be in close proximity in case assistance is needed. But usually this is a formality, since the male is experienced and has an approach to the female.

For your information! In most cases, even inexperienced males are capable of enclosure mating.

Manual pairing

Hand-breeding requires the help of shepherd owners, especially if this is the bitch’s first experience. If the male is timid and indecisive, the bitch is taken away for a while to give him the opportunity to rest before the next attempt.

Manual pairing process

In the case of an aggressive female, the owner must put her on a short leash and put on a muzzle, and while mounting her, hold her tightly by the collar. In the case where the male is smaller, he will need help in sitting up.

Help during mating

After mounting is done, the German Shepherd male inserts the penis into the female's loop. As a response, the vaginal muscles contract, squeezing the penis. This stage of mating is called locking, or mating. During the normal course of the process, its duration is about 10 minutes. Once completed, the dogs disperse on their own.

If the locking procedure does not work, it is recommended to hold the dog yourself for the required period of time. The lack of mating may be due to the dog’s advanced age or a recent illness.

Important! The lock may be missing if the animal has a full bladder or stomach.

The owner of the bitch must not allow the dog to lie down during this process. Such a change in position can harm both individuals. At the end of mating, the shepherd dogs are separated into different rooms. Re-mating is possible after 24 hours.

Features of pregnancy

If mating was successful, the owners should be ready for a new stage. Pregnant shepherd dogs often refuse to eat and may vomit.

Important! Any discharge from the loop is a reason to urgently seek veterinary help.

The pregnancy period has its own characteristics, which every German Shepherd breeder should know about.

1-4 weeks. At this time, it is not recommended to change the type of food. There are no external signs of pregnancy, but thirst and slight lethargy may occur. All changes take place inside the body. Starting from the first week, it is recommended to exclude cereals and bread from the diet if the shepherd is overweight. When compiling a diet, it is better to focus on meat, boiled liver, milk porridge and cottage cheese.
4-6 weeks. At this time, you can visit the veterinarian to confirm pregnancy and determine the number of fetuses. The dog should be switched from 2 meals a day to 3 meals a day. At this stage, liquid and dairy foods, raw meat and mineral supplements are especially necessary.
6-7 weeks. Starting from the 6th week of pregnancy, it is recommended to reduce the number of walks, as the dog begins to get tired from long walking. Active loads stop completely. Bone meal should be added to the diet of a pregnant shepherd - 2 tbsp. spoons a day.

Pregnant German Shepherd

7-8 week. The movement of the fetus can be felt at the end of the 7th week. The dog's appearance changes significantly as the belly lowers. From this time, preparation of the birth place begins. It should be warm and draft-free. You can start preparing newspapers that will help absorb liquid and odors during childbirth. From this time on, meals are divided into 4 meals. Bones and tendons are completely excluded so as not to lead to constipation. Calcified cottage cheese is introduced in sufficient quantities.
8-9 week. Puppies are actively growing and moving in the womb, which leads to frequent urination of the bitch. The dog should be taken out upon request. As for the diet, replacing meat with boiled lean fish will reduce the risk of developing late toxicosis.

How does pregnancy go and how long does it last?

The average gestation period for German Shepherds is 60 days . At the same time, the minimum duration of gestation is 58 days, the maximum is 65.

Changes in the bitch’s body begin already in the 1st month after mating, although there are no external signs of this yet.

Immediately after mating, it is necessary to exclude all stressful situations for the dog and provide her with the most comfortable living conditions, otherwise a miscarriage may occur.

Clear and noticeable signs of pregnancy can be seen starting from 2 months:

there is an enlargement of the nipples and mammary glands;
the belly grows;
The dog's body weight is actively increasing.

Upon reaching 50-55 days, you can notice a drooping of the abdomen, the appearance of slight discharge from the loop, and when you press on the nipple, drops of colostrum appear from it.

At 6-7 weeks of pregnancy, an experienced veterinarian can feel the puppies in the womb.

How to help puppies and dogs during childbirth

Successful mating of shepherd dogs on the 62-63rd day ends in childbirth. If there are many puppies in the litter, the duration of pregnancy may be shorter. A day before the puppies are born, the female’s temperature begins to drop to 37 °C. The dog will make a nest, look for dark hiding places, dig the floor covering, and will not respond to commands.

Childbirth in a dog

Healthy dogs in good shape usually give birth on their own, without the help of their owners, but it is necessary to monitor the process. At the same time, it is important for every breeder to know the following nuances:

the bitch should not be allowed to chew the bladder before the puppy is born;
if the bubble bursts and the puppy is not born, you have 1.5-2 hours to save it;
At birth, the index finger and thumb are inserted head first into the vagina. Thus, it is necessary to grab the puppy by the withers and, with the next attempt, gently pull it down;
when the head appears, the shell is torn and the nose is wiped with a napkin;
to free the shoulders, the head is carefully pulled first to the left, then to the right;
if the forelimbs are pressed tightly, they are pryed with the index finger and brought out;
The upper body is carefully grasped with the fingers, swayed slightly and pulled up towards the dog’s stomach when pushing.

Important! If birth occurs for the first time, there is no experience in obstetrics and resuscitation of newborn puppies, it is better to invite a veterinarian.

How do you know when a dog is ready for breeding?

Mating too early (in estrus 1 or 2) can lead to difficult childbirth and a difficult postpartum period. There is also a high probability of infertility, sagging backs and the appearance of puppies with congenital pathologies and developmental anomalies.

Due to the loss of flexibility of the hip joints, which increases the risk of a cesarean section, mating of adult dogs over 4 years of age can also be dangerous..

The most suitable age for breeding a German Shepherd is 1.5-2 years. At this age, the dog has stable hormonal levels, joints and muscles are formed and have the necessary flexibility.

In order for mating to give a positive result, it is necessary to correctly determine the most suitable day.

How often can you knit a dog?

It is customary to breed German Shepherds by skipping one heat cycle. This period is necessary for the dog to recover. Until the age of 6 years, when there is a regular cycle, the bitch is capable of giving birth to healthy puppies, after which she is sterilized.

German Shepherd offspring

Males are able to breed every 4-5 days. If mated regularly, they can participate in the breeding program up to 8 years of age.

To get healthy offspring from a German Shepherd, it is necessary to properly prepare it from an early age. Good nutrition and regular exercise can keep your dog in optimal shape. And the knowledge gained will help in choosing a suitable partner and providing the necessary conditions for pregnancy.

Video “Mating German Shepherds”

From this video you will learn how to properly breed German Shepherds.