When is a Yorkie ready to reproduce?
The age when a male Yorkshire Terrier is ready to breed is different from the age when a female Yorkie is ready to have puppies.
A male dog's body produces sperm by the age of 8 months. It shouldn’t happen this early for several reasons:
- sperm are not yet fully developed. Few puppies may be born and not all will be healthy;
- If a male has been mated at least once, he will sense any dog in heat from afar. This can lead to the fact that he may run away from you after a bitch and get lost;
- A young mated dog is more difficult to train and often becomes uncontrollable.
The most appropriate age when it is best to mate a male is after 1 year. This should be done no more than once a month so that the quality of sperm has time to recover.
The best age for a Yorkie female to give birth to puppies is around two years old. Although the first heat usually occurs at 10-12 months, mating at this age is not yet possible. Puppies may be born underdeveloped and there is a risk of miscarriage. Early pregnancy can be harmful to the health of a young body.
Read more about how Yorkies go into heat in this article.
If the dog is 4 years old and has never whelped before, you should consult a doctor. Often at this age, in nulliparous bitches, the hip joints harden and the muscles become less elastic. The dog may have difficulty giving birth and will require a caesarean section.
Although bitches have a long reproductive age, they should not be bred after 8 years. This negatively affects the health of both the dog and the puppies.
There are owners whose dogs give birth every six months. This is done only by those for whom mating and breeding Yorkshire terriers is a business, and they are not interested in the health of the dog. If you love your Yorkie girl, you should not knit her more than 6-7 times.
Which dogs are suitable for breeding?
If you are breeding puppies to sell or improve the breed, you need documents confirming the dog's pedigree and health status. From the club in which the dog is registered, obtain permission for mating, otherwise the puppies will be left without a pedigree, and the mothers will mark an unscheduled mating.
The sexual maturity of a female dog is determined by her first heat. The Yorkie's first estrus occurs at the age of 8-10 months with proper care, although it can begin earlier, but the dog is not yet ready to give birth.
Important! On average, a Yorkshire Terrier's estrus lasts 14-20 days and is divided into two phases. In the first, the discharge is dark, round droplets, in the second, it brightens and acquires radiance, similar to the sun. This means that ovulation will occur soon.
Regardless of whether the Yorkie is officially bred or not, in order for the puppies to turn out healthy, the parents must be ready for breeding.
Bitch:
- Weight. Weight 2-3 kg is ideal for childbirth, below 1.5 kg is insufficient because the dog cannot bear the pregnancy or will die, from 1.5 to 2 kg - a caesarean section is often required;
- Age. The best moment for the first mating is the third heat, during this period the body is ready to bear and feed puppies. On average, this occurs at the age of 1.5-2 years ;
- Health. The bitch must be vaccinated and prepared for childbirth. No more than 10 months and no less than 1 month should pass from the time of scheduled vaccinations to estrus.
Important! It is advisable to carry out the first birth of a Yorkie before 4 years of age, while the ligaments of the birth canal are elastic, and after 8 years of age, pregnancy of a Yorkshire terrier is life-threatening. According to breeding rules, a healthy Yorkshire Terrier female gives birth without harm to her health once a year, no more than six times in her life
Male:
- Size and weight . It is easier for a bitch to give birth to puppies if they are small, so it is better when the male weighs less than his bride. The difference in height should not exceed 5 cm;
- Age. Puberty of Yorkshire terrier males for mating occurs at 8-10 months , before sperm are not sufficiently developed and will not fertilize the bitch. Psychologically and physically, the best time for mating is after a year. After 4-5 months a second mating is carried out , and after the male reaches two years old, mating can be carried out regularly once a month. More frequent mating reduces sperm quality;
- Health. The male must be vaccinated and examined by a veterinarian. If the dog already has offspring, look at puppies from previous litters.
Preparation for mating
If you are planning to breed a Yorkshire Terrier female, you need to carry out preliminary preparations:
- all vaccinations must be done according to age;
- The dog should not be thin or overfed. Her diet must be balanced.
- 2-3 weeks in advance it is necessary to give an anthelmintic and treat against fleas and ticks;
- the hair in the area of the dog’s genitals should be cut short;
- You should not wash your dog with detergents just before mating. The smell of gel or shampoo can distract a dog from a bitch. Give her a bath 4 days before mating.
Owners of a male Yorkie should not breed him with another dog for a month before the planned mating.
Preparing to breed a Yorkshire Terrier
Mating a Yorkshire Terrier will take place without unnecessary hassle if you prepare for it properly, since there are some peculiarities when mating:
- In advance: choose a match for your pet, discuss the nuances of the contract. What is the payment, what to do if the mating does not work out, if one puppy is born, etc.;
- The owner of a bitch should consider finding alternative options. Estrus occurs only twice a year, and the selected male may not be ready at the right time;
- No later than a month before estrus: vaccinate the bitch ; antibodies to viruses will pass to the puppies through colostrum. This will protect them in the first days of life. Treat dogs for fleas and ticks;
- Pregnant bitches should not be treated. Take your dogs to the vet for a checkup. You need to take tests and conduct examinations that he will tell you;
- No later than 10 days before estrus : drive away worms from future parents
- 4 days before mating : wash the dogs, cut the hair near the genitals of both. If you wash later, your partner may not like the smell of the shampoo, and the event will be in jeopardy;
- 1-2 days before mating, breeders recommend giving a male dog a raw quail egg to increase potency, although the scientific benefits of this action have not been proven;
- 2-3 hours before mating: let the dogs go to the toilet . It is recommended not to feed them since the evening of the previous day to avoid regurgitation during the mating process.
Important! In small breed dogs, puppies infected with helminths die in the first days of life. Don't forget to deworm the expectant mother 20-10 days before the start of her heat!
How to determine that it is time to breed Yorkshire Terrier dogs
The dogs are prepared, the bitch is in heat, it’s time to set a breeding date. If possible, find out the features of the bride’s mother’s cycle, on what day she met a male dog, and how many puppies she gave birth to. This will give approximate guidelines, but each bitch’s body is individual.
On average, readiness for fertilization occurs on days 8-14 of estrus . The discharge becomes lighter, a sharp unpleasant odor appears, mucus appears, and the loop enlarges. Drops of blood falling on the floor become not round, but radiant, similar to the sun. The dog's behavior changes: it is active, on the street it is interested in the marks of male dogs, it whines, it moves its tail when pressed near the loop, it arches its back.
A veterinarian can accurately by testing the dog for progesterone on approximately 7-10 days of estrus . If this is not possible, you can conduct tests at home using glucose test strips and swabs from the dog's vagina and mouth. You will need a microscope with 100-300x magnification.
Yorkie mating
Mating is carried out on the territory of the male dog so that he feels confident and peaceful. Place a table in the middle of the room so that it is easy to approach from any side, remove unnecessary objects, eliminate loud sounds, close the window. The environment should be calm.
To prevent dogs' paws from moving apart during mating, cover the table with a rug that does not slip on the surface. If this is the first mating for you or one of the dogs , invite an instructor , he will help you overcome possible difficulties.
When everything is ready, let the couple into the room, let them get to know each other, sniff each other, and conduct a courtship ritual. If they like each other, free mating may occur , otherwise they will have to be mated by hand.
Lift the dogs onto the table. The owner of the bitch stands at her head, in front, so that she looks directly at him. If the bitch is aggressive, put on a muzzle.
The owner of the male dog stands to the side and gently pushes the dog until genital contact occurs. At this point, the bitch may want to sit down or leave. Calm the girl down, stroke her, talk calmly and affectionately to her, but do not let her break away or sit down.
At the moment when the male dog begins to “dance” with his hind legs, ejaculation occurs, and then coupling occurs. Coupling - holding the male penis in the female vagina with swollen muscles of the loop. The process lasts from a few seconds to an hour. It is better if it was more than five minutes, but if it was not at all, this does not mean that fertilization did not occur: ejaculation occurs earlier.
The dogs inherited this instinct from their ancestors, because there are many males in the pack and everyone wants to become a father. To increase the likelihood of fertilization by the very same male who has just participated in mating, nature designed a coupling .
The dog will begin to worry and want to get down. Bring one of the groom's front paws over the bride's back, so they stand next to each other until the blood drains from the genitals.
Important! Do not pull the dogs apart during the coupling, let them complete the process naturally! Forcible removal of the penis traumatizes the dog and the bitch.
Take the dogs to different rooms and let them rest, after 40 minutes to an hour feed them . To increase the likelihood of fertilization, mating is repeated after 24-48 hours. Protect the bitch from other males during this period, she may become pregnant for a few more days.
How to determine that a bitch is ready for breeding
Ovulation usually occurs 8-14 days after the start of estrus. It is different for each individual, maybe a little earlier or a little later. This must be controlled so as not to be missed. If the date of ovulation is determined incorrectly, then there will be few puppies or no puppies at all.
When ovulation occurs, the dog's behavior changes. She begins to flirt with any male dogs and can bark invitingly. If you stroke it on the back, the dog freezes, lifts its tail and moves it to the side.
At the moment of ovulation, the vulva (loop) becomes soft and elastic. The discharge is almost transparent. To make sure of this, you can run a white cloth along the loop - there will be almost no marks.
Place for mating
It is advisable that the Yorkies be mated where the male lives. In an unfamiliar place, he may become distracted from the bitch, start sniffing the place, may get scared and sit near the owner the whole time.
You should not do this outside, because extraneous noise will distract both Yorkies. A cramped room is also not suitable.
It’s good if the bitch is allowed to stay in a room without a dog for some time. If she sniffs everything in advance and gets used to it, she will become bolder.
It is advisable that the floor is not slippery. It should be covered with a small old carpet.
If a dog is often used for mating, then it is a good idea to have a special mat for this purpose. The dog will understand by the smell that mating is coming, and will prepare itself in advance.
