# Possible pregnancy



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

My two year old female who is a Shar Pai/husky/Shepherd mix and my one year old male Shepherd have been tied approximately four times in the last week. I'm trying my best to keep them apart until the heat cycle is over, now that they have already done there business. Is it possible for the female to be pregnant? How long before any signs of pregnancy? If by chance she isn't pregnant, what are some things I can keep in mind for the next heat cycle?


----------



## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Have her spayed, regardless if pregnant or not. If she is pregnant, the spaying will be more involved, it can be done, talk with your vet. Next would be to have your boy neutered, after your girl has healed and you KEEP THEM APART to avoid injury.

There are ways to avoid a bitch in heat getting pregnant, some pretty simple; it wasn't being done here. Only option is spay and neuter.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

Twyla said:


> Have her spayed, regardless if pregnant or not. If she is pregnant, the spaying will be more involved, it can be done, talk with your vet. Next would be to have your boy neutered, after your girl has healed and you KEEP THEM APART to avoid injury.
> 
> There are ways to avoid a bitch in heat getting pregnant, some pretty simple; it wasn't being done here. Only option is spay and neuter.


I should have put somewhere in this post about not wanting to spay or neuter my dogs. I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups. Thank you for your input though.


----------



## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I should have put somewhere in this post about not wanting to spay or neuter my dogs. I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups. Thank you for your input though.


Aren't enough mixed breeds dying in shelters now? Just something to think about. I am out.


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

> I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups. Thank you for your input though.


Tied FOUR times? Well, it's a little late now, isn't it? 

The female will not allow the male to mount and tie with her until she is in the fertile part of her cycle. Yes, you had better prepare yourself for a litter of mixed breed puppies, unless you decide to have her spayed immediately. The chances of her not getting pregnant from this are very slim.

As for keeping them separated, when a female is in season, the male will go to ridiculous lengths to get to her. Many males will even stop eating. I heard of a male pitty who chewed his way out of his crate and through two doors to get to a female. A friend's shepherd destroyed the doorknob to the garage, when she put her in-season female in there to keep her away from the male. Thank God he didn't have opposable thumbs! Males will climb fences or dig under them, and more than one litter has been conceived through a chain-link fence! Most people who have been into breeding purebred dogs for years can tell you about at least one 'oops' litter that happened when they let their guard down for a few minutes when a female was in season. It IS possible to keep them apart, but you are going to have to be very, very vigilant and careful.

From the sound of it, you are not willing to have the female spayed, so need to start educating yourself about what this pregnancy is going to involve, such as the feeding requirements for a pregnant bitch, and her needs during whelping, and how to get the puppies through those first few weeks of life when they are very vulnerable and helpless. Suggest you start doing some research on the internet.

Lots more I could say, but I am trying my best to be polite... :|


----------



## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Being blunt here, but if you are not responsible enough to keep your dogs separate when the female is in heat, you have to have those dogs spayed and neutered. It is simply not that hard to keep dogs separate for only a few weeks. You said that you don't want puppies, so why were you unable to take precautions to prevent the ties from happening?

To keep the dogs apart, have them both in crates. Keep the female in a separate room with the door closed so that the male cannot get to her. Crate and rotate, and spend time with both dogs separately. I'm sure it's too late now, but just in case of a miracle, you could try my previous suggestions to prevent any more ties.

As Sunsilver said, some males go crazy trying to get to the female, but that is not always the case. Your male might decide that he doesn't need to eat down the door or break crates, but who knows. If you are very serious about wanting to keep anything more from happening, maybe you should board your male for a while until the female is out of heat.


----------



## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups.


Sounds like you were planning to breed the dogs, in any event, but the timing was off. Is that correct?

Aly


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> *I'm trying my best* to keep them apart until the heat cycle is over....


Clearly not, since you've already allowed them to mate 4 times in a week. 

I don't really understand what you're asking - to keep them apart, you simply.......keep them apart. As Pytheis said below: 



> To keep the dogs apart, have them both in crates. Keep the female in a separate room with the door closed so that the male cannot get to her. Crate and rotate, and spend time with both dogs separately.


Have you tried any of that yet? In any case, that ship has sailed. Pretty sure your dog will be having puppies. Good luck, I hope you have a plan to find good homes for them.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

Pytheis said:


> Being blunt here, but if you are not responsible enough to keep your dogs separate when the female is in heat, you have to have those dogs spayed and neutered. It is simply not that hard to keep dogs separate for only a few weeks. You said that you don't want puppies, so why were you unable to take precautions to prevent the ties from happening?
> 
> To keep the dogs apart, have them both in crates. Keep the female in a separate room with the door closed so that the male cannot get to her. Crate and rotate, and spend time with both dogs separately. I'm sure it's too late now, but just in case of a miracle, you could try my previous suggestions to prevent any more ties.


I don't remember saying i didn't want puppies and obviously it's to late now. As most of you have said, yes spaying and neuter is the only true way to prevent pregnancy and I know that. I have been doing some research on what I need to do as far as diet for the female and the first few weeks after delivery.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

What is your reasoning behind producing mixed breed puppies?


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

Aly said:


> Myerspalmer6685 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups.
> ...


Yes my intention was to breed them but not just yet, which I realize is now to late. I had been out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and my brother in law was keeping an eye on them. Just got back yesterday afternoon and was informed by my brother in law that they had tied and that I should be expecting puppies.


----------



## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I'm more looking for in put on ideas to keep them separate until they are more mature to have pups.


Sorry, I just read this as, "I don't want puppies right now." It does sound like you want puppies at some point, but it seems clear that you don't want any this heat cycle. Is that not correct?


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Unless you were smarter than during her previous heats, this must be her first heat? And suddenly the brother in law appears...... Is this all for real?
If it is real you can expect pups and most of them will end up in a shelter eventually. Then we will be frowned up on if we decide the get a pup from a good breeder and not 'rescue' one of yours. You are responsible for any pup that is the result of your dogs and you need to be willing to take any pup back, no matter the age or problem. Then what?


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

Let me clarify myself for a minute here. My intention was to breed my dogs at a more mature age but not with each other as my female is a mixed breed. I was out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and came home yesterday afternoon to my brother in-law telling me they had tied and to expect puppies. I know it's to late to do anything besides spaying and neutering my dogs.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> Unless you were smarter than during her previous heats, this must be her first heat? And suddenly the brother in law appears...... Is this all for real?


This is her first heat cycle in my home.


----------



## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

How old are your dogs, by chance? I don't know much about dogs breeding, as I don't plan to breed dogs, but I do know that the dogs are supposed to be over two. Hopefully if your dogs are younger than that (which it sounds like they are), there won't be any lasting impacts for a young female to have a litter before she's ready. Is there anything that can be done to protect her in that event? Hopefully more knowledgable members can answer that question for me, as now I'm curious.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

Pytheis said:


> How old are your dogs, by chance? I don't know much about dogs breeding, as I don't plan to breed dogs, but I do know that the dogs are supposed to be over two. Hopefully if your dogs are younger than that (which it sounds like they are), there won't be any lasting impacts for a young female to have a litter before she's ready. Is there anything that can be done to protect her in that event? Hopefully more knowledgable members can answer that question for me.


My female is two and I've only had her since she was a little over a year old. My male is about 13-14 months old, I got him when he was 10 weeks or so. This is her first heat cycle in my home.


----------



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> My two year old female who is a Shar Pai/husky/Shepherd mix and my one year old male Shepherd have been tied approximately four times in the last week. I'm trying my best to keep them apart until the heat cycle is over, now that they have already done there business. Is it possible for the female to be pregnant? How long before any signs of pregnancy? If by chance she isn't pregnant, what are some things I can keep in mind for the next heat cycle?





Myerspalmer6685 said:


> Yes my intention was to breed them but not just yet, which I realize is now to late. I had been out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and my brother in law was keeping an eye on them. Just got back yesterday afternoon and was informed by my brother in law that they had tied and that I should be expecting puppies.


When things like this happen, it gives anti-breeding people more ammunition. There are already so many who refuse to differentiate between careful, ethical breeders who work to better a breed and people who haphazardly produce dogs (purebreds and/or mixes) with no plan, just because. Breeding your two intact mixes just doesn't help the collective case of everyone who advocates for responsible breeding of purebred dogs. I agree with those who say take your female to the vet and look into spaying her anyway.


----------



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> Let me clarify myself for a minute here. My intention was to breed my dogs at a more mature age but not with each other as my female is a mixed breed. I was out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and came home yesterday afternoon to my brother in-law telling me they had tied and to expect puppies. I know it's to late to do anything besides spaying and neutering my dogs.


Sorry to nitpick, but can you clarify a little further? Your intention was to breed your dogs but not with each other. With what dogs were you intending to breed each of them? Your male - I see he's a purebred shepherd. I hope he'll be titled and health tested first. So the female, to what kind of dog were you going to breed her?


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I will not even pretend to be polite. There is no earthly reason to allow a mix breed to reproduce. I have had multiple dogs all my life and currently have an intact 7 year old female who spent the first 6 of those years living with an intact male. I have never had an oops litter and I don't really believe it happens "by accident". 
What you have done is create a situation where an entire litter of pups will end up in jeopardy and that is NOT alright. 
Your female may be a nice dog but that is a wretched cross in terms of health and temperament. Adding more GSD will not make it better, and could make it much worse. You are not responsible enough to own intact dogs and you need to proceed with all haste to the nearest vet and have them both altered. Failing that be prepared to own them all for the next 15 years because the pups will not fare well in shelters and that is where they will end up. 
And be prepared to lose your dog because an awful lot of females suffer complications during birth and end up dead without giant bank rolls and the will of the Gods to save them.
Have a nice day.


----------



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Sabis mom said:


> I will not even pretend to be polite. There is no earthly reason to allow a mix breed to reproduce. I have had multiple dogs all my life and currently have an intact 7 year old female who spent the first 6 of those years living with an intact male. I have never had an oops litter and I don't really believe it happens "by accident".
> What you have done is create a situation where an entire litter of pups will end up in jeopardy and that is NOT alright.
> Your female may be a nice dog but that is a wretched cross in terms of health and temperament. Adding more GSD will not make it better, and could make it much worse. You are not responsible enough to own intact dogs and you need to proceed with all haste to the nearest vet and have them both altered. Failing that be prepared to own them all for the next 15 years because the pups will not fare well in shelters and that is where they will end up.
> And be prepared to lose your dog because an awful lot of females suffer complications during birth and end up dead without giant bank rolls and the will of the Gods to save them.
> Have a nice day.


I apologize if this is off topic, but I'm completely fine with mixed breeds reproducing in the case of working farm/ranch dogs or some other real, utilitarian kind of situation.

This is not one of those situations, clearly, but I think that's a worthy exception.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

WateryTart said:


> Myerspalmer6685 said:
> 
> 
> > Let me clarify myself for a minute here. My intention was to breed my dogs at a more mature age but not with each other as my female is a mixed breed. I was out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and came home yesterday afternoon to my brother in-law telling me they had tied and to expect puppies. I know it's to late to do anything besides spaying and neutering my dogs.
> ...


I was thinking another Shar Pai since she has Shar Pai in her but with her being a mixed breed I'm sure that wouldn't be a wise idea. I was only looking for suggestions, not here to start a war or anything like that. I've already talked to the vet and she is now being scheduled to be spayed tomorrow morning. Sorry if I upset anyone, not my intention at all.


----------



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I was thinking another Shar Pai since she has Shar Pai in her but with her being a mixed breed I'm sure that wouldn't be a wise idea. I was only looking for suggestions, not here to start a war or anything like that. I've already talked to the vet and she is now being scheduled to be spayed tomorrow morning. Sorry if I upset anyone, not my intention at all.


I think that's a good plan. I'm sure she's adorable but I think you're making a smart choice.

Hopefully if the male is titled and health tested, he might be a better prospect in the future.


----------



## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Good job on scheduling the spay/abort. You'll have to be very careful with her after the surgery, as your male MUST NOT be allowed near her -- if he tries to mate with her fresh from surgery, it could cause internal bleeding and a life-threatening injury. You might consider boarding her at the vets for a bit until it's safe to bring her home, if your family can't be trusted to keep them apart when you aren't home.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

I have scheduled an appointment for both dogs to be fixed in the morning. I honestly should have done this in the first place when I got them but I didn't and that was my fault. Thank you to the ones who gave constructive feedback, I will keep that in mind if I ever decide to get involved in the breeding process in the future which I highly doubt that, I will leave that to the breeders who know what they are doing.


----------



## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> Yes my intention was to breed them but not just yet, which I realize is now to late. I had been out of town for over a week due to a tragic family death and my brother in law was keeping an eye on them. Just got back yesterday afternoon and was informed by my brother in law that they had tied and that I should be expecting puppies.


Thank you for answering my question. Were I in your position, I'd spend some time to find a *responsible, reputable *breeder in your area. Someone who's done more than just produce a litter or two or twelve. Someone who's been doing it for more than a few years and has titles or something to support (justify?) their breeding approach and program. Once you've found such a person, see if you can establish a mentoring relationship. You'll learn a lot, gain some much needed skills, and experience the joys (and heartbreak) of dogs. What's more, you'll be in a much better position to decide whether breeding is something you can or want to seriously pursue.

Aly


----------



## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Meyerspalmer, you will still need to be careful with the male. He will still want to mate with the female, even when he's neutered, until all traces of her being in season are gone. The hormones are still in his blood, and will take awhile to leave.

I had my male shepherd neutered at age 3 due to a prostate infection. Due to him being neutered as a mature male, until the end of his life, he would still want to mate with an in-season female, and was even capable of tying with one!  

So, yeah, you will need to keep them apart for awhile yet, until she is healed and the hormones have left their bodies!

Thank you for making this decision!


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I decided to have scheduled to be neutered so they both go in tomorrow.


You will be much happier in the end. Raising a litter is no joke. I once did for the shelter and it took 3 months out of my life because I wanted to do it right and they turned out great. But I was sleep deprived, overwhelmed at times and the house smelled like all kinds of fluids and solid waste. It was the first and last time for me. I admire the breeders who do a good job in producing sound dogs that better the breed.


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I was thinking another Shar Pai since she has Shar Pai in her but with her being a mixed breed I'm sure that wouldn't be a wise idea. I was only looking for suggestions, not here to start a war or anything like that. I've already talked to the vet and she is now being scheduled to be spayed tomorrow morning. Sorry if I upset anyone, not my intention at all.


I believe in credit were credit is due. If you have truly decided on spaying then best of luck to you and good on you for being mature and making the right decision for the right reasons.


----------



## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

WateryTart said:


> I apologize if this is off topic, but I'm completely fine with mixed breeds reproducing in the case of working farm/ranch dogs or some other real, utilitarian kind of situation.
> 
> This is not one of those situations, clearly, but I think that's a worthy exception.


Crossing working dogs is different and generally for a purpose. I do not consider that in the same category at all. Just so we are all clear.


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

I really do think it would be for the best. The more i think about it, it would be a lot of hassle per say. I already have three dogs on the farm and I really dont need anymore. Thank you


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Myerspalmer6685 said:


> I have scheduled an appointment for both dogs to be fixed in the morning. I honestly should have done this in the first place when I got them but I didn't and that was my fault. Thank you to the ones who gave constructive feedback, I will keep that in mind if I ever decide to get involved in the breeding process in the future which I highly doubt that, I will leave that to the breeders who know what they are doing.


Does your vet clinic spay/neuter dogs on short notice and on a Saturday? Never heard that ever in all places I have lived. or maybe you are not in the USA?


----------



## Myerspalmer6685 (Sep 21, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> Myerspalmer6685 said:
> 
> 
> > I have scheduled an appointment for both dogs to be fixed in the morning. I honestly should have done this in the first place when I got them but I didn't and that was my fault. Thank you to the ones who gave constructive feedback, I will keep that in mind if I ever decide to get involved in the breeding process in the future which I highly doubt that, I will leave that to the breeders who know what they are doing.
> ...


Yes I live in a small town in and my is open on Saturdays and Sundays by appointment only.


----------

