Split Heats
False heats, sometimes referred to as “split heats,” are phenomena that often confuse dog breeders as well as veterinarians. Females display outward signs of normal proestrus, then, before breeding times are reached, heat signs disappear. They show no signs of heat for several weeks, then begin normal proestrus followed by standing heat.
I have also heard the term “wolf heat,” used in reference to split heats. The explanation referring to wild canines suggests that female wolves exhibit a few days of proestrus bleeding to signal males that breeding time is approaching. The brief prostrus signs also tend to induce heat in other females, thus setting the stage for breeding male selection and general gathering of the pack for annual reproductive rites.
This Basset and his pal are taking time out for a little belly rubbing and relaxation.
Maturity
A bitch’s sexual maturity relates to puberty, ovulation, acceptance of a male, and conception. If a capable male is present, she will stand and can be bred for several consecutive days during the estrus stage of any normal heat.
Our discussion of the best time to breed your bitch should include more than her willingness or ability to be bred. Unfortunately, bitches that are not confined behind a dogproof fence are sometimes mismated on their first heat. No matter how well trained she is, when left to her own devices, the influence of hormones and inherent desire to perpetuate the species take precedence over all else.
At what age should a bitch be bred? All generalities are dangerous. One often hears that no dog should be bred until her second heat, or until she is one year old. That implies that all dogs mature at the same rate and by the same age. Alas, that is not the case at all. Sometimes individuals of all breeds are very immature at one year of age, and should not be bred until they are much older. Others may not reach puberty until long past one year of age. Large and giant breeds may be physically mature by the time they experience their first heat when they are 18 or 20 months old. Toys may cycle twice by one year of age. Experts state that full sexual maturity relates to the attainment of maximum capacity for reproductive performance, and that is no sooner than the second or third estrus period.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi dam with three precious puppies.
I suggest there is yet another important factor in the equation—the owner’s readiness to accept the responsibility of bringing a litter of puppies into the world.
Male Puberty
Males, like females, reach puberty at varying ages, depending on the breed. Most males of all breeds are sexually mature and capable of producing puppies by a year of age. The smaller breeds usually mature earlier than the large and giant breeds. Many litters of unscheduled, undesired puppies are the products of sexually precocious males that are physically immature.
I can recall many phone calls from distraught clients, saying, “Doctor, I need help. Who would have guessed that our neighbor’s little six-monthold Cockapoo-Rat Terrier cross was old enough to be romantically interested in my purebred Pekingese? I can’t understand how he managed to get over our three-foot (91 cm) high fence. Now, can you believe it? I think the ugly little rascal is somehow fastened to sweet little Ling Choy. Surely he hasn’t gotten her in a family way, has he?”
Never underestimate the virility or the persistence of a clumsy young neighborhood puppy. There is an old adage bantered among purebred dog breeders: “The uglier the mutt, the better the fence jumper.”
TIP
Carefully planned inbreeding should be left to experts with extensive genetic knowledge of their dogs.
If your beautiful, purebred show bitch is in heat and a wandering, nondescript pooch can find his way through, under, or over your fence, you may find it necessary to contact your veterinarian for a discussion of abortion techniques (see Pregnancy Termination, page 74).
Stud Dog Age
When breeding a young bitch for the first time, it is often best to use a proven stud dog. His experience will certainly help in the actual breeding process, and a secondary benefit is your ability to see and handle his offspring from previous matings. Such studs will usually be more than a year old, perhaps much older.
Males that are proven in shows or other competitions are usually also well over a year of age. The number of champions under a year of age is relatively small. In purebred dog breeding, a stud’s age is secondary to his quality and the quality of puppies he has produced with other females.
Some novice purebred dog breeders are guilty of a serious mistake—they obtain male and female puppies of their chosen breed at the same time. Sometimes the pups are closely related, often littermates. Before they have the opportunity to establish their quality in the show ring, the female comes into heat. They aren’t old enough for conformation shows, obedience, or field trials, but they are old enough to breed. The bitch shows signs of proestrus bleeding, and the owner leaves them together, either unwittingly or intentionally, to let nature take its course. Which it does.
The result can be a nightmare. The progeny of inbreeding between littermates or other closely related parents may exhibit exaggerated features found in their parents. Inbreeding may intensify physical faults that are easily recognized, or they may amplify unapparent personality traits. People shopping for pets are well advised to be suspicious of inbred puppies, which makes it difficult to place them in good homes.
Even if the pups are not related, first-season breeding is not good management technique. If it happened to you, read on; we’ll help you make the best of it.
Chapter 3
Choosing and Conditioning Brood Stock
Books written about specific breeds guide the prospective buyer through breed standards and explain how to select the best possible representative of each breed. They dwell on conformation, preferred coat type, colors, size, and personality of the subject breed. This is a generic book not limited to individual breeds, but one that supplements those written about individual breeds.
One fact is found in every good dog-breeding book. Cheap breeding stock is very expensive. It costs just as much to propagate average quality as it does to produce the top of the line.
In your breed selection process, you no doubt attended many dog shows and other competitions. You talked with other breeders and committed breed standards to memory. You plan to show your bitch a number of times, receiving appropriate awards, points, and ribbons. You are convinced that she possesses the potential to produce puppies that will be excellent representatives of your chosen breed.
You have studied your breed’s history and are not aware of any genetic faults and hereditary health problems that may be present in your chosen breed. You are aware of the AKC’s Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) registry and are taking advantage of the knowledge being accumulated.
You are financially and physically able to care for a bitch in whelp and willing to accept the responsibilities associated with delivery and raising a litter of puppies. You have formulated a plan for placing the puppies in homes where they will be loved and cared for.
Now