A woman can get pregnant and have a baby as soon as she begins ovulating, or producing eggs. This typically occurs about a year after they first begin menstruating, which for North American women, usually happens between the ages of 11 and 12. The early onset of menstration is called "precocious puberty."
This is the "tie" that is considered a desirable feature of a successful mating. It is important to note that pregnancy can occur without a "tie". Once "tied" the male dog will often step over the female or be turned by handlers into a position so that the animals are back to back.
Dogs can become pregnant on their very first estrous cycle, increasing the chance that an accidental breeding may occur. A common myth is that female dogs will become more friendly and sociable if they are allowed to have a litter of puppies.
Good puppies start long before breeding ever takes place. The age at which dogs reach sexual maturity depends to a large extent on their breed. Small breeds tend to mature faster than large breeds. On average, however, males become fertile after six months of age and reach full sexual maturity by 12 to 15 months.
Being prepared will help to make your dog's pregnancy as simple and stress-free as possible for her – and you. Dogs are able to get pregnant when they come into season, which happens about once every eight months. This fertile period is also known as 'being in heat', and lasts for up to three weeks.
The vet may give your dog a blood test to check her hormone levels. Dogs have higher levels of a hormone called relaxin when they're pregnant. If you don't take your dog to the vet until her 4th week of pregnancy, the doctor can feel your dog's belly to confirm puppies are on the way.
The short answer is yes, your pup is still growing at 9 months old. Many small and tiny breeds are at about 90% of their adult size at the 9 month mark, while large and giant breeds are only at roughly 70% of their adult size. You may have noticed that your pup is tripping over himself a bit less lately as well.
Some dogs naturally have an extremely long period between their heats—up to 13 or 14 months can be normal. But when an older dog truly stops cycling, a health problem is probably to blame.
Some dogs can go into heat as young as four months, while larger breeds may be as old as two years before their first heat. Responsible breeders never breed a dog on her first or even her second heat. It is considered best practice to wait until her third heat, at about 18-24 months.
Pregnancy Is a Risk
Pregnancy in a middle-aged or senior dog is considered higher risk than in a younger dog, due to age-related conditions or diseases (known or subclinical) that may be present.Pregnancy is still a possibility, but with greater risk in an older dog. For dogs that aren't spayed (uterus and ovaries removed is an ovariohysterectomy, removing the ovaries only is an oophorectomy), reproductive health risks increase.
Nutrition for Pregnant Dogs
- Feeding an all life stage puppy food such as Purina® Puppy Chow® brand puppy food is best.
- The food should have 1600 kcal digestible energy per pound of food and at least 22 percent protein.
- Unless the pregnant or nursing dog has a tendency to put on too much weight, give her all the food she wants.
Human Pregnancy Tests
Note that you cannot use a human pregnancy test to see if your dog is pregnant. A human pregnancy test and a dog pregnancy test aim to detect different hormones. There are no urine tests available to check a dog's pregnancy.Here's a more detailed account of the different dog pregnancy signs we noticed when Raven was pregnant:
- Strange Behavior. Some dog's become clingy.
- Lower Activity Level.
- Nipples Change.
- Changes In Appetite.
- Bigger Belly & Gaining Weight.
- Puppy Movement.
- Fur Flaring At The Sides.
- Nesting Behaviors.
The estrus cycle usually lasts an average of three weeks, although this can vary from 2-4 weeks. It begins with swelling of the vulva and vaginal discharge and ends when all bleeding has stopped.
Signs seen during this phase include a swollen vulva, blood-tinged discharge, excessive licking of the genital area, clingy behavior, and aggression toward male dogs. Your dog may also hold her tail close to her body.
