Dog Mating

Dog mating requires a lot of knowledge on the owner’s part. From knowing when the optimal time to breed your bitch is, to finding the right stud to mate her to.

Before you begin dog mating, have a physical exam performed by your veterinarian to make sure your dog is healthy and capable of breeding. Most dogs reach puberty at 6 to 12 months of age. While they are capable of becoming pregnant at that age, it is advisable to wait until they are at least 1 to 2 years old. Dogs come into heat twice a year (every 6 months).

When looking for a stud dog to mate your dog with, look for proven purebred breeders with papers to prove it. Most stud dog owners will have documents and pictures of offspring to show you how successful their dog is.

When your dog’s heat cycle is coming close the bitch should be brought to where the male lives, not the other way around. The female will only be receptive to the male when she is in the estrus phase or standing heat. This is when the female allows the male to mount her. Once this happens you should breed her on days 1, 3, and 5 of standing heat to optimize breeding. This same breeding pattern is also used for artificial insemination of dogs, using the same 1, 3, and 5 day pattern.



When there is a successful mating the males and female will ‘tie”. This is a period of time the male and female are joined together. It can last up to 45 minutes; so don’t be alarmed, it is a natural thing.A dog’s gestation length is 63 days on average. Your veterinarian can perform an x-ray on day 42 to count how many puppies your dog will have. Common complications of pregnancy are dystocia, especially in smaller breeds like pugs. The heads of the puppies are often too large for the birth canal, resulting in dystoica. Dystocia means difficulty giving birth.

If you are going to get into dog mating, educate yourself about the whole process. Just because you like your dog, doesn’t mean it should be breed. Most dogs are better off being spayed. Spaying your dog before its first heat cycle can dramatically reduce the chance of mammary caner.