Want to breed your animal? See the necessary precautions

1🇧🇷 What is the minimum age recommended for mating?
For males, from 18 months. Females should mate after the third heat.

2. And the maxim?
For males, the ideal is up to 8 years. Females, on the other hand, should breed only up to the age of 5, when they are still at the peak of fertility. After this phase, they may have complications during pregnancy or childbirth.

3. Could preventing the animal from mating cause any harm to its health?
Not. Dogs that have been bred several times during their lives and those that have never been bred have the same chances of developing diseases. This possibility is reduced only in neutered dogs.

4. Is there a more appropriate time during heat to bring the male and female together?
In general, the 10th day of heat is the most fertile. Therefore, it is the most suitable for the “honeymoon”. Promote a second date between the couple the next day, to increase the chances of pregnancy.

5. What to do if my female dog, even in heat, doesn’t want to mate and even tries to bite her partner?
It may be that she is not in her fertile period and does not want to breed. For this, she gives the dating strength and puts them together for a few days so that they get used to each other.

6. Can small females mate with large dogs? It’s the opposite?
The couple must be compatible. Small females don’t match big males. The fetus may overgrow, in which case she may have complications at the time of delivery. In the opposite situation, that is, when the bitch is bigger than the male, there are no risks.

7. What to do when discovering that the female has become pregnant?
The only necessary change is to offer the female, in the last two weeks of pregnancy, a special feed for puppies, which is richer in proteins and mineral salts. If you want, you can have an ultrasound examination after the first month of pregnancy to find out the number of puppies.

8. How to know the day she will give birth?
Two weeks before the expected date of birth, prepare a “nest” in a place in the house where the bitch is used to staying. The day before giving birth, she will refuse water and food. When you start pushing, it’s a sign that the contractions have started. If you notice any difficulty, call the vet.

Source: Marcelo Quinzani, veterinarian at the PetCare clinic in São Paulo.