Dog Breeding

Question
Hello! We think our dachshund is on her 2nd heat. We called the vet several months ago b/c we were concerned that we have never seen any signs and she is 14 months old. We were told some dogs show know signs of bleeding. We were told she should go again this month or Dec. The male dachshund has been trying to get with her for several days. He does struggle to hold her down. How can we help? If she does get pregnant what are some signs? Thanks! Confused Daschund Owner

Answer
Sorry, but if she is not ready - she will not allow him to hold her down and there is nothing you can do - you cannot help her or the male.  It is sad to see that someone would want to breed such a young dog and that she was not spayed for her health and happiness.  Also, some dogs do not like being bred.  I am not trying to be negative, but if you are not a certified breeder who understands dachshunds and their traits and done DNA testing to truly know what you are doing, no one should encourage you to breed her.  In the long run she will be prone to health issues that are entirely preventable by spaying.  The only way to know if she is pregnant is to wait or have a blood test done by the vet and then X-rays - it can get expensive and most people find out that the costs are more than they can make selling the puppies.  I encourage everyone to look at the thousands of dogs put to sleep every day in this country because of people wanting to breed and this includes hundreds of homeless, abused, and unwanted dachshunds.  If she is a pet, love her and give her a special life.  A breeding dog is not a pet and they are usually unhappy and too often not loved and cared for properly.  I am not saying this is your case, believe me.  But please consider the many dogs out there where this is the case.  I am sure your heart is in the right place, but for the sake of hundreds and your own little girl, realize that breeding her does not promote the breed and adds to the pain of the dogs out there and if you want another dachshund - get a rescue - there are some very loving and beautiful doxies out there that need homes!