Dog Breeding - Is my Bitch Coming Into Season?

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One of the commonest questions asked by dog owners who have a bitch that has not been desexed, is - Is my bitch coming into season?

To help you know - it's VERY IMPORTANT to know your dogs age, as accurately as possible! A bitch can come into season from the age of 6 months - to as late as 12 months. You will need to be switched on though and start checking - at around 6 months of age.

PLEASE NOTE - professional breeders are obliged by their breed associations to breed ONLY from 12 months onward. This is because dogs that are only around 6 months of age are still very much puppies, and are immature both physically and mentally. Your dog will be a stronger and better mother and her pups will do much better if you wait until she's at least 12 months of age.

If you're tempted to breed early ONLY because you think you'll make money by selling pups - be warned, Vet bills can be high - it really is best to wait for the dog to be mature!

Early Signs of Heat

One of the really early signs can be a stage of "scenting" to let male dogs know of their condition. This will appear to the more observant owner as an increase in urination and generally occurs around 2 weeks prior to coming into season. There may also be an increase in the dog licking its vulva in an effort to keep itself clean.

More Obvious Signs (Pro-oestrus - about 9 days length)

This next stage is much more obvious and is really the first full stage of heat. The bitches vulva begins to swell and can go to as large as TRIPLE its original size, this stage will last about 9 days.

IMPORTANT you need to have been observing - in order to detect the swelling. For an indication of the extent of the changes - SEE PICTURES on my site under dog breeding.

You should not miss this stage though, it is VERY obvious, because usually there is a blood stained discharge, which will vary in intensity from bitch to bitch. The discharge may start off a brown colour and progress to red. The dogs appetite can also decrease, but this is not always the case. Also usually the bitch may be more dominant with other females and begin to "flag" male dogs - ie, putting her tail up and presenting her rear to the nose of the male dog.

It should be noted however that the bitch will NOT allow a male to attempt mating at this point!

Needless to say, being observant early on means that you should be able to pick the next stage - which is the BEST time for mating - OR if you do not want to breed, the RISKIEST time - the time of maximum fertility!

The next stage is called Oestrus or Standing Heat and is where breeders will want to introduce the stud dog, to allow for mating and a "tie" to occur, for more information on this next crucial stage of the dogs heat cycle, please visit my site, at the link below.

Steve Gaskin is an author of Dog Breeding, Feeding and Training articles - he and his wife own and breed Staffordshire Bull Terriers. For more information - for Ebook reviews and a FREE Home-made Dog Food Recipe visit: http://dogloverstoolbox.com

Stop Your Dog From Stealing Your Cat's Food

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You have noticed it many times that your cat has to beleaguer your for its food because your dog steals away the cat food. You must stop your dog from pilfering with the cat food, as it is not a healthy practice for your dog. As soon as you catch your dog eating the cat food, you should immediately yell at it and make it understand that this is a negative action on its part.

You can also keep handy a little spay bottle. A good spray is enough to stop your dog from fiddling with the cat's meals. You must be prompt while using the aforementioned techniques. If you take actions after your dog has finished the food, it will just confuse your dog. It will not understand the proper matter on which you want to avert it. It should be borne in mind that the dog does not remember past activities. Even, it is unable to differentiate between crime and good deeds.

You can place the cat food to a distant place which is difficult for your dog to reach, although your cat can easily get there. You can even gate the eating area of your cat. You should restrict your dog to go near the eating place of your cat. You can also place the cat food on an elevated shelf, if your cat has the ability to jump till adequate heights. Cats have a tendency to reach even at those places, where your dog can not even think of.

You can provide meals to both your pets at the same moment on regular basis. You can keep away all the bowls after both your pets have finished their meals. By doing the above mentioned stuff, you can easily get rid of various aggravations included in these situations. You can even mount a wireless fence indoors. It would warn your dog when it approaches towards the food meant for your cat.

Being a responsible and careful pet owner, you must take necessary steps to do away with these hectic issues. A bif cardboard box should be arranged, where the cat can easily have its meals. You should then cut an entrance way for the cat to go inside. This opening should be such that your dog can not go inside the box. You should always feed both your pets on scheduled time everyday. Adequate amount of food as well as water should be provided to all the pets with the aim to avoid their interference in each other's foods.

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