Problem:
Seasons and breeding
Hi
Shannon
I
have 2 small Dachshunds... Bella is a bitch aged 7 months
and JoJo (my boy) is 2 years old. Both are very well
trained and I have kept a very strict routine with both
of them. I walk them every day and sometimes twice if
I feel they have to much energy.
Bella
has just come into season and I was wondering if you
could answer a few questions:
a)
Will she suffer menstrual systoms like humans. In other
words will she feel out of sorts and grumpy (that would
explain her bad moods)?
b) Would it be too early for Bella to have a litter
of pups and if so, what can I do to stop it for now?.
c) Why has JoJo become so territorial about his space?
He picks fights with her whenever she wants to get in
his bed or play.
Regards
HOT
DOG
--------------------------------------------------
Hi
Hot Dog,
Thanks
for your submission. Let
me address your queries one by one:
a)
Behavioural changes in bitches in season:
The
short answer to your question is "yes". Prior
to and during a heat cycle (which lasts an average of
21 days) there are hormones surging through the dog's
body to prepare the body and mind for the possibility
of conception and pregnancy. These hormones have a profound
effect. Some dogs become very playful, while others
can become quite withdrawn. This can change from day
to day and behaviours such as house training could also
regress. Your
bitch would have no control over these emotions. It
is impossible for me to say exactly how she would feel,
but I would assume that she would probably feel "different"
and thus perhaps unsettled and out of sorts. Some bitches
also experience phantom pregnancies about two months
after their season, which can be very disruptive from
a behavioural view as well as presenting added health
risks.
b)
Having a litter of pups:
Seven
months is far too young for a bitch to conceive and
whelp, although she is certainly capable of this. She
is not yet fully mature either physically or emotionally.
Man has selectively bred dogs for early reproductive
maturity whereas wild canines will only show reproductive
maturity at about two years of age. This coincides with
emotional maturity and would be the youngest age for
a bitch to be able to bear the physical and behavioural
demands of pregnancy and raising a litter of pups.
It
goes without saying that should you wish to breed your
bitch it should be done in an ethical and responsible
manner. Many breeds suffer from genetic disorders that
may not be obvious to the novice. Unless you are certain
you would be improving the breed, don't do it.
In
terms of stopping the bitch from having puppies the
most obvious solution is to keep her away from all males
during her heat. She may protest at this, so be prepared!
There is no totally safe or effective method of canine
family planning apart from abstinence or sterilisation.
c)
Aggression from the older dog:
The
bitch has got to the point where her "puppy licence"
has expired. Older dogs will often tolerate enormous
breaches of canine etiquette from young pups, but once
the pups reach 5 - 7 months this licence expires. The
male is now setting boundaries with the bitch. We often
see this with humans. We would tolerate a 6-month-old
baby pulling our hair, but would hardly show the same
restraint if a 3-year-old toddler did the same. Perhaps
it is an ingrained mammalian instinct to give immature
young the opportunity to experiment with social interactions
thereby better equipping them with social skills as
they mature?
From
what you say, the male appears to be the alpha dog and
he is perfectly within his rights to be possessive over
resources such as beds, food, attention etc. It is also
his prerogative to ignore invitations to play and to
put a stop to "nagging". Do not interfere
with this stage and they will more than likely soon
find a happy medium.
Shannon