Mating dogs: basic rules, timing and recommendations

At what age is pet mating allowed?

In theory, dogs can be mated during the bitch's first heat, but such experiments lead to the birth of small, weak and sick puppies. To prevent such situations, it is recommended to follow the advice of dog handlers and not rush into the first litter. The optimal time for mating games is selected in accordance with the physiological and age indicators of the animal.

The sexual development of a male dog goes through several stages, after the completion of which he is considered a mature dog, ready for insemination. As a rule, the testes should move into the scrotum within 10-40 days after the male is born. It is very difficult to notice this process, since they have a soft structure and are poorly perceptible upon palpation. If the prolapse does not occur before the age of one, then such an individual is not allowed for breeding, since the defect will spread to the offspring.

Upon reaching 40 weeks of age, male dogs experience a significant increase in the size of the testes, and he can already ejaculate. The required amount of hormones is produced by six months of age, when behavioral symptoms of puberty begin to appear. But mating of dogs at this age is undesirable, since not all sperm produced have sufficient mobility. The result may be a low number of puppies. For males, the optimal age for love games is considered to be from 18 months, when his reproductive system becomes fully mature and the instincts of behavior with the opposite sex are fully developed.

The female is ready to bear offspring already in the first heat, which begins at 8-10 months. However, experienced dog handlers do not recommend such early mating games, as they will negatively affect the fragile body and mental state. The optimal age for the first matings is 2 years, which approximately coincides with the third heat.

In order for mating in dogs to go as smoothly as possible, one should take into account not only the age of the animals, but also their physical and mental condition. It is equally important to properly prepare the couple and the place where the love encounters will take place.

What does mating dogs mean?

Dog mating is a mating process that allows breeders to obtain the desired offspring, improve breed traits, and preserve the necessary qualities in the offspring. You can get healthy and strong puppies by following certain rules. This takes into account the age of the animal, preparation for mating, and the time of mating.

When can you breed a dog for the first time?

You can breed a dog for the first time when it has gone through at least two heats, despite the fact that the ability to reproduce appears already by 8-12 months. Mating, bearing offspring, childbirth, feeding puppies in a fragile animal leads to a deterioration in the health of the young mother, the birth of weak, and sometimes non-viable offspring.

As a rule, the first mating in dogs occurs at the age of 2 years. By this time, the animal’s body and psyche are fully formed and ready to produce healthy puppies. Ideally, dogs should be first mated during their third heat cycle. As for males, their owners should also not rush into mating. The best age to breed a male dog for the first time is after 1.5-2 years.

How long does mating last in dogs?

Mating in dogs lasts on average from 10 minutes to 1 hour or more. This duration is associated with the characteristics of sexual intercourse. After inserting the penis into the female's genital tract, the male ejaculates within a few minutes. However, the dog's vaginal muscles compress the male's genitals, resulting in mating lasting more than an hour.

We recommend reading about the causes of uterine prolapse in dogs. From the article you will learn about why uterine prolapse occurs in dogs after childbirth, during estrus and in nulliparous dogs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of the pathology.

And here is more information about the causes of prolonged estrus in dogs.

When to adopt a dog, at what age

To produce healthy offspring, a dog should be bred at the age of 2 years. By this time, the animal should have gone through two heats. Delaying the first birth of puppies until the dog is 5 years old is also not recommended in order to avoid risks to the health of the mother and offspring.

The reproductive period of males can be 10 years. It is not recommended to breed older animals.

When is the dog ready for breeding?

The dog is ready for mating when it is in the estrus phase, with maximum maturation of the eggs. This period can be determined by the following symptoms:

The female begins to be actively interested in representatives of the opposite sex.
Temper changes. An animal can be overly affectionate and intrusive. Some individuals show causeless aggression.
The genital loop increases in size and swells. The dog often licks the perineal area.
Pinkish mucous discharge from the vagina is observed.
The mammary glands swell.
When pressing and stroking the lumbar region, the female takes a characteristic mating position - she moves her rear and tail to the side. In veterinary practice, there are special tests to determine the exact time of egg ovulation.

On what day does mating occur in dogs?

The day on which mating occurs in dogs depends not only on the individual characteristics, but also on the breed: in small animals, the most successful period for mating is considered to be the 7-8th day of estrus, and large breeds should be mated on the 10-12th day.

How to determine the first signs of readiness for mating?

For the first time, dogs must be mated under the supervision of their owners, since inexperienced dogs can accidentally harm each other. To obtain the maximum number of puppies, it is recommended to crossbreed during ovulation, which lasts from three to five days. This important time can be determined by the following signs:

The vulva noticeably increases in size, swells, and becomes soft.
The discharge takes on a characteristic yellow-pink hue. You can check this by using a clean cotton pad, which is passed over the vulva. It is advisable to do this immediately after sleep, since females carefully lick themselves while awake.
The behavior of the female changes, she tries to attract the attention of the opposite sex.
In company with male dogs, girls take a characteristic pose with their tail pulled to the side.
After running your hand along the back, especially the hindquarters, the bitch assumes a ready position and draws back her tail.

In order to carry out the first mating of dogs on time, the owner of the bitch must keep a special diary in which he records all the individual signs of ovulation. Thus, some individuals begin to eat significantly more, while others, on the contrary, consume less food, but are more active during games and walks. Such specific signs will allow you to determine the best time for intimate dates as accurately as possible in the future.

Are there rules for mating?

Mating pets is a responsible process for which you should prepare in advance, think through all the nuances and little things. The care of the owners will allow their four-legged friends to have a productive meeting, without problems, deviations, or excesses. The rules used when breeding dogs are quite simple:

Scrupulous selection of a partner is necessary, especially if the breed is quite rare or the female corresponds to show class. Owners must remember that only the boy’s high standards will ensure good offspring. If both representatives have any deviations from the norm, then they should not be identical. Before choosing, you can consult with local dog handlers, veterinarians and other breeders, but the final decision must be made independently. It’s also not worth focusing solely on diplomas, certificates and various awards, since recently a lot of scammers have appeared who have fake documents.
It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination of the girl 1-2 months before the heat, pass basic tests, and conduct a course of deworming. Owners of a bitch and a dog must conduct a bacteriological analysis for various anaerobic infections, and then provide each other with the results of the study. If any pathology is detected, there is still time to eliminate it.
Select and prepare a place for a future date, on which the effectiveness of the meeting often depends. As a rule, girls visit guys, since the latter in an unfamiliar environment may behave awkwardly and generally not show loving enthusiasm. It is better to conduct the first acquaintance on neutral territory, which will allow the animals to get to know each other faster, and then transfer them to the male. If the dogs are large, then it is better to allocate a fenced area near the house for the meeting, but the meeting of small dogs can be held indoors. All valuables should be removed from the room in advance, and the floor and sofa or chairs should be covered with unnecessary fabric or rags. Such simple manipulations will help protect property from damage during marriage games.

If two experienced animals meet, then they should be left alone during an intimate meeting, excluding any extraneous distracting sounds. It is recommended to supervise the first date, as inexperienced animals can scare each other away with their behavior.

Mating occurs according to certain rules that are unchanged regardless of age and breed. An intimate date includes several key steps:

An acquaintance that occurs immediately after the meeting of two partners and takes from several minutes to several hours. A young animal may be very nervous and not know which side is best to approach the girl, but usually after a few minutes contact is established anyway. Experienced gentlemen can be either persistent and a little rude, or very gentle individuals, gently licking the vulva, tail or ears of the female. For the first time, the bitch may get scared, press her tail, fall on her paws and even bite her partner. Experienced ladies accept the male's courtship, and then stand up, demonstrating their readiness.
The first sittings, during which the boy tries to find the best position, and the girl adapts to his actions. If the animals differ in size or unsuccessful cages continue for too long, then the owners are obliged to help their pets. To do this, you can carefully hold the female by the collar, lubricate the vulva with Vaseline, and place a pillow under the guy’s paws.
Bonding that occurs after the penis penetrates the vagina and lasts from 10 to 60 minutes. During this period, the penis increases significantly in size, and the vaginal sphincter contracts, which leads to a kind of “lock”. It is prohibited to separate animals or touch their genitals in any way during this period of time, as such actions will cause pain and physical damage. Owners are allowed to help the guy throw his paw over the girl so that their backs are facing each other.
The end of mating, during which the pets' genitals return to normal size and they can separate. During the first few hours, the bitch is not allowed to sit, which increases the chances of a successful pregnancy.

The fact of pregnancy is confirmed by the cessation of discharge, which can occur immediately after fertilization or a few days later. An ultrasound examination is recommended 3-4 weeks after mating.

How to breed a bitch.

It is necessary to breed a bitch 1 or 2 times during the period of heat, and it is very important to correctly determine when to breed a bitch. You should not be 100% sure that you can breed any bitch to any male. There are many factors at work in this matter, including hierarchy. Some males who have a submissive tendency will not breed to a dominant female, even if they are champions, etc.

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Sometimes a bitch can allow him to approach her, but at the last moment she will push him away. For reasons understandable only to them, dogs may not like each other. It very rarely happens that a bitch does not like it - the heat smells faint or occurs without maturation of the eggs, then the male is not interested (does not lick, does not groom).

Mating dogs becomes torture and real rape. Only experienced dog breeders from kennels who have carried out hundreds of matings can do this. Even in the case of such a mating, there is no guarantee of pregnancy. It happens that a male actively looks after a female, but does not mat. This means that the bitch is not mature, although she herself does not mind mating.

In such cases, the bitch comes to the male within 24 hours. It is necessary to avoid mating two inexperienced dogs. For the first mating of a female, an experienced and dominant male must be used. You need to untie a dog on an experienced bitch, who “stands rooted to the spot”... How to mate a bitch. Mating of dogs is preceded by a phase of courtship and play, the duration of which depends on the partners and their mood.

If the bitch is ready and eager to mate, and the male is experienced, the dogs agree in less than a minute. The male mounts the female and inserts the penis using a series of quick thrusts. This causes a reflex spasm in the bitch’s vagina, which holds the male’s penis until the act is completed – this is usually called a “lock”.

The ejaculate of a male dog consists of three different fractions - the initial secretion of the prostate gland, then a fraction rich in sperm, and then again a large volume of prostate secretion, which helps propel the sperm into the uterus. Owners who control the breeding of dogs must ensure that the dogs remain in the “ lock” (from 5 minutes to an hour).

The “lock” phase is very important, as it causes contractions of the bitch’s genitals, which promote the movement of sperm towards the uterus. When the dogs are in the lock and the male has turned around, the sperm release phase has ended, and when the lock is opened or not, the chances of pregnancy are reduced, but not equal to zero.

If the dogs are separated without a lock, the bitch should be held in a position with her hindquarters raised for about 10 minutes, and then not allowed to urinate or sit down for as long as possible. Often, especially during the first mating, the bitch may whine painfully or even howl - this is normal. Before mating, the dog should be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate in the area of the tail and genitals.

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The bitch should be wormed several days before her heat. A bitch is usually mated to a male dog (she does not allow him into her territory). To breed dogs you need to have: a good muzzle, a leather collar, a leash. The female Caucasian Shepherd often does not allow the male dog to approach her; in such cases, the dog must be tied or held.

In our kennel there are experienced breeding, dominant males for mating, champions of Russia, winners of many exhibitions, with certified working qualities - KS-1. We practice traveling with a male for mating dogs to the territory of the bitch. Zagorskie Dali Yuzhak is the most experienced male for mating, ready knit always and everywhere...

Useful tips and tricks

Mating is a natural physiological process that in most cases does not require outside intervention. But sometimes the advice of experienced dog handlers on how to help your pets in this important and exciting matter can be useful.

Owners of small short-haired breeds should not neglect warm clothes in the cool season. Hypothermia for both girls and boys negatively affects reproductive function.
It is better to record signs of estrus daily in a notebook specially designated for this purpose. Changes in behavior, the condition of the vulva, and the nature of the discharge should be noted. This simple manipulation will allow you to more accurately determine the onset of estrus in the future.
It is not recommended to breed a female on the first day of ovulation, as this will result in a minimal number of puppies.
It is better to meet partners in the morning or evening after a short walk. Before the date, you can give the girl some food, but it is not advisable to feed the male dog.
If the bitch is much shorter than her partner, then during mounting she should be carefully placed with her stomach on a bent knee. It is prohibited to bend the paws in any way, as this will provoke panic or aggression.
Mating should be no more than once a year, since only such regularity allows the production of healthy and strong offspring. In rare cases, fertilization is allowed twice a year, but additional pregnancy will not have the best effect on the health of the pet.
During active thrusts, it is allowed to lightly press the boy, which will prevent the penis from slipping out.

Sometimes after ejaculation there is no “lock” and in this case it is recommended to hold another meeting of partners after 1-2 days. It should be noted that a “lock” is not necessary for fertilization, but if it is absent, the number of puppies will be smaller. If this factor is not critical, then a repeat meeting may not be arranged.

Possible complications

Unfortunately, a love encounter does not always go smoothly, especially if the pets are inexperienced or aggressive. In practice, the most common complications encountered are:

The bitch does not allow the dog to approach her, growls, and falls on her paws. It is necessary to calm the animal and hold it in the required position; it is allowed to put on a muzzle.
The boy does not react in any way to the presence of a lady, which most often happens on first dates. To solve the problem, it is enough to gently poke an inexperienced male dog into the vulva of his partner.
The four-legged guy makes no attempts to make cages. It is recommended to sit the pet up or place it on a stand, and then place the front paws on the girl’s sides.
After several attempts, the male stopped mounting - this is a sign of overexcitation or fatigue. It is recommended to take the boy to another room for 20-25 minutes, let him rest and drink.

There are also physiological features of the structure of the genital organs, due to which sexual intercourse in animals is impossible. The problem can be resolved by selecting another partner or by carrying out the process in “manual mode”. In rare cases, poor sperm quality occurs, which is why pregnancy does not occur even after a successful intercourse. To prevent such situations, you should always require laboratory confirmation of the normal state of the seed material.

Terms and agreements

In order to avoid various disagreements and claims, before mating, a special agreement should be drawn up - RFK, the form of which is taken from the kennel club. It contains information such as:

The method of payment to the owner of a male dog is cash immediately after confirmation of pregnancy or after the birth of offspring, the issuance of child support for one or two puppies.
Who has the right to be the first to select the puppies?
Actions in case of unsuccessful sexual intercourse.

If the owners are not members of any kennel club, then a written agreement should be drawn up, in which all the important nuances of the transaction should be noted, and then certified by a notary. The document will protect against fraud and illegal manipulation.

You can read a huge amount of information about how dogs should ideally be mated, but in practice something will always go wrong. Therefore, owners always need to be ready to intervene in the process to help their four-legged friends successfully complete sexual intercourse.

Requirements for a male dog for mating

Any breeder dreams of a sire who would not only be good-looking, but also pass on his beautiful exterior to his offspring, i.e. was prepotent. If a male dog even has high titles, but his children do not receive a rating higher than “very good” at exhibitions, then the use of such a sire hardly seems advisable. Owners of male dogs should encourage in every possible way the desire of “children” to participate in exhibitions. Every victory of your male puppy is also your victory, confirming that your male is interesting as a sire and produces good puppies. The owner of a male dog bears no less responsibility for the fate of his puppies than the breeder, and ideally should help the owners of their puppies raise healthy and well-groomed dogs, share advice with them, and provide their own handler and trainer.

Experienced breeders, when choosing a mate for their bitch, first of all look not at the male dog himself, but at his offspring.

It should be noted that if dogs with hereditary defects are regularly born among the descendants of even a very purebred retriever, then such a sire should be excluded from breeding. Here I mean primarily dysplasia. Dysplasia is a serious problem for many heavy breeds of dogs (retrievers, Rottweilers, Molossians). Dysplasia can “come out” up to the 16th generation, so even two completely healthy dogs can give birth to a dysplasia puppy. In Finland, more than 20% of the Labrador population suffers from a severe form of dysplasia (therefore, you must be extremely careful when buying Finnish dogs). In Russia, fortunately, cases of dysplasia are quite rare, but we must very strictly remove from breeding producers who have produced puppies suffering from this disease in at least two different combinations, despite all the titles. I think that owners of sires in such cases should also think not about their own ambitions, but about what it is like for the owner of the puppy and for the puppy himself, who screams in pain with every step. Unfortunately, some owners of sires who have had cases of dysplasia, despite everything, strive to continue breeding their dogs, and for this purpose they move to other cynological organizations (sometimes not included in the RKF system).

Now let’s say that your male dog performed well in the show rings and received his first mating. Very often the first mating becomes the last. How should you behave to prevent this from happening? First, you need to clearly discuss all the details of the “marriage contract” with the owner of the bitch, record them in writing and then strictly follow the contract. Only very well-known and high-quality manufacturers are matched on an advance payment basis. Young males of domestic breeding, as a rule, are bred on the terms of a maintenance puppy, which the owner of the male must pick up from the nest no later than 48 days. The following tactics are very widespread among owners of male dogs: first, they agree to breed “for a maintenance puppy,” and at the time of registration they declare that they have no buyers, they cannot take the puppy to themselves, because they have undergone European-quality renovations (everyone is at work, grandma is against it, etc.), and therefore they want to receive the price of the puppy from the owner of the bitch, preferably in convertible currency and immediately. Naturally, such behavior makes an extremely negative impression and calls into question the dog’s further breeding activities (especially if this dog is also not particularly valuable by origin). If you start arranging a “showdown” with the breeder, in the end you will only make things worse for yourself. The cynological world is structured in such a way that in a week dozens of dog lovers throughout Moscow will be discussing your quarrelsome character, your reputation as a brawler will be established, and many of your potential “brides” will move on to other dogs, especially since there are many to choose from. And, on the contrary, if you provide real assistance to the breeder in selling puppies, advertise yourself, strictly follow the terms of the contract, your “couple” will definitely tell all the female owners he knows how lucky he is with his partner. Why do breeders ask for re-breedings to Lorz Harvey, Mevi Hard Delphi, Brencara Johnnie Walker or Dok? Yes, these producers in most cases produce excellent offspring, but in addition, the fact that the owners of these male dogs are really interested in the affairs of the breeder, provide advertising, and help in the sale of puppies is an important argument for breeders in favor of double matings.

In a word, owners of stud dogs have many responsibilities, and their activity is not only about receiving dividends from the born litters, as some newcomers imagine.

Sometimes owners of male dogs, realizing that their male dog is not interesting for breeding from the point of view of specialists, simply begin to terrorize the owners of neighboring bitches (“Oh, our boy loves your girl so much! Just Romeo and Juliet! Let’s cross them!”) or give crazy advertisements in newspapers like “From Hand to Hand” (“An intelligent Labrador with a medal is waiting for a bride of any breed”). Naturally, not a single breeder of sound mind and sound memory selects a male dog solely on the basis of territory, or even more so based on a newspaper. It should be noted that if your male dog is not destined to become a father, nothing bad will happen from this, and no damage will be caused to his health. Let us remember the laws of natural selection: in nature, offspring are born only from the strongest males.

I hope that this material will help owners of male dogs to soberly assess the capabilities and prospects of their dogs in terms of breeding activities. We can only wish that all owners love and care for their four-legged friends, regardless of their exterior assessment and breeding value.