How many puppies can a dachshund give birth to for the first time?

Dachshund is one of the most popular and widespread breeds.

She is loved by both hunters and ordinary dog ​​breeders.

These are loyal, active, cheerful pets with a light character and a loud bark.

Sometimes dachshunds bark so loudly that they drown out even the largest dogs.

They easily learn commands, understand their owner and interact well with other animals and children.

How to choose a pair?

Before you start choosing a “groom” for your girl, you should critically and carefully evaluate her advantages and disadvantages . After all, owners of male dogs are usually very picky about the choice of a bitch.

Also, an important role in the selection of a partner is played by the dog’s exterior and character matching.

But, you should remember that the chosen male should not be inferior to your bitch in any respect, since puppies from an ordinary manufacturer are not popular and will be difficult to place.

What qualities of a male dog should you pay attention to?:

• Health.
• Mental stability.
• Compliance with the breed.
• Age.

Knitting features

As the happy owner of a female dachshund, before the planned mating, evaluate your strength and readiness to care for the puppies for some time.

The optimal time for mating a female is her third heat. Some owners do this for the second time, but this is not recommended.

In addition, you should not subject your dachshund to a large number of matings. The optimal amount would be 3-4 times throughout her life and no more than once a year. After the age of six, breeding a dog is dangerous both for its health and for the health of the puppies.

When starting to breed dachshunds and not having sufficient experience with the dog's appearance requirements, you should read the breed guide. A male for mating must be of excellent conformation and a balanced character. In addition, it is advisable to breed dachshunds that are similar in color.

Experienced breeders breed with animals that have achieved achievements at exhibitions and various diplomas. It is recommended to mate with males that have a confirmed pedigree.

Pay attention to how the boy's owner feels about choosing your dog's partner; he should be no less interested in a successful mating and in obtaining healthy offspring than you. A dachshund boy must reach one year of age to maintain his psychological health.

Basic rules step by step

• About a month and a half before the heat, give your pet a comprehensive test for infections (staphylococcus, streptococcus, herpes virus, etc.).
• A month before the start of heat, treat your dog with medications against ticks, fleas, lice and other parasites. And after another week, give her an anthelmintic.
• 12-15 days after the start of estrus, the bitch is ready for mating and can be taken to the “groom”.
• Plan the mating for the morning, do not feed the dog beforehand and let him take a short walk.
• The place for mating is prepared in advance, and the “bride” is always taken to the “groom” so that the male feels confident.
• When introducing pets, owners should be careful. If the male is inexperienced, he may mount incorrectly, be overly excited or aggressive. The same goes for the bitch. If the pets do not find a common language, you will have to resort to the help of a specialist, and on this day the mating may have to be postponed.
• When the “bride” is ready, she takes a stance and moves her tail back. The owner should sit down in front of her and hold her firmly by the collar. In this case, the owner of the dog sits down on the side, holds his pet by the stomach and carefully directs the bitch’s loop to the male’s genitals. At this time, the male makes preliminary mountings (jumps on his partner, clasps her with his front paws, looks for the entrance to the vagina). The purpose of such cages is to find a comfortable position.
• As soon as the optimal position is found, the male inserts the genital organ into the bitch’s vagina and begins to make thrusts, gradually increasing their strength. As soon as the tremors become weaker and their number increases, you know that ejaculation occurs. After ejaculation is complete, the male falls exhausted onto his partner’s back.
• During sexual intercourse in dogs, a so-called lashing occurs. In this case, the loop tightly covers the penis and the male cannot leave the bitch before the muscles of her vagina weaken. Dog owners simply need to know this and under no circumstances “take away” their animals by force! The duration of cutting is from 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

“As an experienced breeder, I would recommend doing another control 2-3 times after mating. This is especially true for owners of show dogs who are planning appropriate offspring. Do not use force during mating under any circumstances. And if you are not experienced, use the services of an instructor.”

How can you tell if your dog is pregnant?

In the first month of pregnancy, this can only be done based on indirect signs; some dogs’ character changes, they become more affectionate, and their food preferences may also change.

Sometimes during pregnancy a dachshund experiences toxicosis; she may refuse her favorite food and generally lose her appetite..

Starting from the fourth week, the dog’s nipples become larger and the tummy becomes rounder.

How is pregnancy going?

False pregnancy: external signs

Sometimes the animal exhibits similar signs, but the dachshund does not actually bear fruit. This condition is called false pregnancy, it appears mainly due to hormonal imbalance: during estrus, hormones are produced that help prepare the body for childbirth.

In females and young dogs that have given birth, false pregnancy usually occurs 6 weeks after estrus, and the symptoms can recur regularly at certain intervals:

• a significant increase in appetite or a strong decrease in it, even to the point of refusing to eat;
• constant mood swings from playfulness to complete apathy;
• aggressive behavior, refusal to obey;
• the dog is often lethargic and prefers to be left alone;
• The nipples become swollen, as if the dachshund is preparing to give birth, and milk may even be released.

This condition can last for several months (8-12 weeks) and usually does not require active intervention - you just need to leave the pet alone and protect access to the usual bed so that the dachshund can feel completely protected. In addition, longer walks, games at home and in the fresh air help - this lifts the dachshund’s mood.

Attention. If symptoms continue after 2 months, you need to undergo additional examination at a veterinary clinic. In case of multiple repetitions of false pregnancy, you can sterilize the dog if breeding of puppies is not intended.

Dog care

In the first half of pregnancy, walk your pet as usual, let her run and play.

This is not contraindicated in the first month. Quite the contrary, the dog must be in good shape in order for the birth to proceed more easily.

Try to arrange a nest for the future family as early as possible . It should be comfortable and warm. There must be access to it in order to provide assistance if necessary.

Also, get the dog accustomed to the nest as early as possible so that it does not look for another place to give birth.

IMPORTANT!

Examine your pet's skin daily; if she has any discharge from the genitals, contact a veterinarian.

Be sure to add vitamins and necessary nutritional supplements to your dog's diet. This will help her bear healthy offspring and give birth to full-fledged puppies.

How to calculate your dog's due date

The body of dogs of different breeds is slightly different, therefore pregnancy occurs with some differences. For example, to calculate the pregnancy of a Spitz in detail by day, you should use a special calendar. It will help you roughly calculate your due date.

Pregnancy of a toy terrier by day: table

To calculate the pregnancy of a toy terrier by day, a calendar will also help. In general, pregnancy in small breeds such as Yorkies, Chihuahuas and miniature pinschers is the same. Fetal development in large dogs, such as the German Shepherd, takes longer by a couple of days, since the puppies themselves are larger.

Thus, in this matter you should not leave everything to chance. Every day needs to be kept under control so that in the end your pet’s pregnancy ends successfully.

A dog’s pregnancy is a crucial period, since the competent actions of the owner at this time largely determine how healthy the future offspring will be born. Information about a dog’s pregnancy by day allows you to get an approximate idea of ​​what is happening in the animal’s body from the moment of mating until the birth of the offspring.

How to understand that labor will begin soon (photo of a pet)

Your pet’s behavior, as well as a number of other signs, will speak volumes about this.

Signs of approaching labor:

• Discharge from the loop.
• Anxious, the dog is actively looking for a place to give birth.
• Discharge of colostrum from the nipples.
• Body temperature decreases.
• Frequent urination, uncharacteristic movements, whining.

How is childbirth?

If the dog stops worrying, lies down on the prepared place, its temperature drops, and its abdominal muscles begin to contract, you know that labor has begun. As soon as you notice such signs, do not leave the bitch unattended.

No more than 24 hours should pass between the onset of labor and pushing . If labor has begun but there are no contractions, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Stages of labor:

1. Contractions . At this time, the dog’s vaginal muscles relax, the cervix opens, and the uterus begins to gradually contract. During contractions, the abdominal muscles are not used. The duration of contractions is from 6 to 12 hours. At this point, the dog becomes restless, breathes heavily, and looks around. In some cases, vomiting begins.
2. Childbirth. The birth process begins after your water breaks, with contractions intensifying and using the abdominal muscles. Then the puppies are born. The frequency of their appearance is from half an hour to three hours.
3. Expulsion of the placenta . Usually the placenta will begin to leave the field of birth of each puppy; as a rule, the dog eats it and this is normal. Try to control this process and count how many puppies were born and how many afterbirths came out. If even one remains, it can lead to purulent inflammation of the uterus and serious problems with the dog’s health.

Birth of puppies: stages and features

Childbirth in a dachshund has its own characteristics, but in general the stages of the process are practically no different from other breeds.

Preparatory

Immediately before the puppies appear, the following signs are observed:

• swelling of the labia and secretion of mucus from them;
• the abdomen is drawn - it sags, and the back from above looks rather thin, as if the animal had been starving for a long time;
• swelling of the nipples and at the same time a decrease in body temperature;
• the most important sign is the unusual behavior of the bitch: she is clearly worried, digging the floor, arranging her bed, lying down and breathing heavily, asking to go outside, seeking attention from the owner.

At this moment, it is important to pet the animal and try to accurately measure the temperature. For a dachshund, the normal temperature is 38.5°C, and if there is a drop within 2-3 degrees, this is a sure sign that labor will begin in the next 24 hours.

Childbirth itself

Childbirth lasts for several hours - a minimum of an hour, a maximum of 5-6, sometimes with delays. It is important not to leave the animal alone at home, because even if the dachshund does not need help, the presence of the owner significantly calms it down. Typically, one puppy appears within 15 minutes.

The duration of labor for a dachshund can be several hours.

Typically, outside assistance is required, which consists of the following:

1. First of all, you don’t need to pull out the fruit yourself - the dachshund can handle this on its own.
2. The puppy appears both head first and feet first, which is normal.
3. As soon as it has completely left the birth canal, it is necessary to free it from the bladder by tearing the membrane next to the nose, and cut the umbilical cord at a distance of several cm.
4. The puppy is wiped with a clean, dry cloth and placed under the nipple.

Attention. If the umbilical cord bleeds after circumcision, you need to clamp it and hold it for just a minute. At the same time, it is better not to trust the bitch to bite off the umbilical cord on her own - if you do it too close, a hernia will form, which can even lead to the death of the puppy.

Postpartum period

After each puppy is born, part of the placenta comes out, which dog owners call the placenta. The bitch tries to instinctively eat her, but it is better not to let her do this. There will be no harm to health, but minor intestinal disorders are possible. If the afterbirth does not come out for more than a day, you must definitely call a veterinarian, and it is worth keeping in mind that this is of great importance - otherwise the tissue may begin to rot inside the bitch’s body. Therefore, it is necessary to count the number of afterbirths - there are exactly as many of them as puppies were born .

After the birth is over, the dachshund and puppies are moved to a secluded and warm place on a clean bedding.

After giving birth, the dachshund and the puppies should be left alone for a while, and then a light abdominal massage should be given from the center to the periphery. At the same time, you cannot keep the puppies away from the dachshund for a long time - the animal will begin to worry, which will cause additional stress. Puppies must be placed in a warm box or crate, lined with a soft, clean towel. A heating pad is wrapped in another towel to maintain a constant warm temperature.

Thus, it is not difficult to ensure normal pregnancy conditions for your dachshund. The main thing is to constantly monitor the animal and keep in mind that it is during this period that it needs special attention and affection.

In the video you can see the process of the birth of a dachshund puppy.

During the period of fetal formation in dogs, there is a strong load on the organs, in particular the heart and respiratory organs. The kidneys and liver begin to work more actively to remove all harmful substances from the body. That is why the owner must provide comfortable conditions for the pregnant dog.

What to feed after?

Sample menu for a feeding dachshund:

• Meat.
• Dairy products and milk.
• Offal.
• Fish.
• Vegetables.
• Cereals.

Don't worry if your dog doesn't eat well after giving birth . This usually goes away within 2-3 days.

Feed your dog at 6-8 hour intervals and be sure to let him drink as much as he wants. There must be fresh water near the food bowl.

Also, do not forget about vitamins and nutritional supplements for pregnant and lactating dogs.

False pregnancy - what is it and what to do?

A false pregnancy in a dachshund develops during the period of metaestrus, that is, at a time when the estrus has already ended, but the corpus luteum still continues to function.

It is this that sends signals to the brain, thereby forcing it to prepare for “bearing offspring” and “childbirth.” But there are no embryos in the worm.

The corpus luteum is an endocrine gland capable of producing the pregnancy hormone..

It is thanks to the hyperfunction of the corpus luteum that false pregnancy appears in dogs.

What to do:

1. Take your dog to the veterinarian and have her tested and have an ultrasound scan.
2. Do not scold the dog, but do not encourage its desire to build a nest, this can only make the situation worse.
3. Try to keep your pet busy with walks and active games in the fresh air.
4. If your dog is lactating and is licking her nipples, put a blanket on her.
5. Drops such as Galastop will help suppress lactation, but they should only be given with the permission of a veterinarian.
6. Remove items that imitate puppies (stuffed toys, pillows, etc.) from sight.
7. A homeopathic medicine such as Ovariovit has proven itself very well.

How to determine if a Dachshund is pregnant

As a rule, fertilization occurs after 2 or even 3 matings. In this case, the usual pregnancy period lasts for 62 days. However, even if the puppies were born between 58 and 68 days, they are likely to be healthy and begin to actively develop.

Dachshunds bear offspring the same way as all other breeds - 58-68 days.

Determining the pregnancy of a dachshund is possible by some external signs, and they differ depending on the stage:

1. In fact, the period lasts two months, and during the first half (30 days) it is very difficult to determine pregnancy - there are no external changes, but sometimes changes in the dog’s behavior and taste preferences are observed.
2. Around 28-35 days, you can try to feel the fruits with your fingers, but it is not recommended to do this yourself. It is better to take your dachshund to the veterinarian, because otherwise you could harm future puppies.
3. After 4 weeks, the bitch’s abdomen becomes rounded and her nipples gradually enlarge, and the skin around them becomes a little lighter.
4. Around the same time, closer to 5 weeks, the dog may begin to be capricious when choosing food, and the first signs of toxicosis also appear (stool and vomiting are possible). Often, discharge appears from the vagina. If they are very abundant and have a distinct unpleasant odor, then you need to see a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Attention. If the dog is pregnant for the first time, or the number of puppies is only 1-2, external signs (enlarged abdomen) will be mild, so for a reliable determination it is better to contact a veterinary clinic.