QuestionI have a 10 month old pit who is mounting and trying to mate with my 3 month old pit. Im not sure what to do and why hes doing it. Can you please give me some kind of advice if possible.. I dont want him to hurt her..Thanks
AnswerWhile most female dogs don't go into heat for the first time until they are around six months old, the age for when they should have their first heat actually ranges anywhere from 4 months to 14 months (or so). This is something you should be mindful of, especially if your female has not yet been spayed. In the event that she is one of the ones that goes into her first heat at an early age, you should do what you can to prevent her from having a litter of pups.
What your male is doing is a normal dog behavior, and one that is not necessarily sexually motivated. Some dogs do it as a display of dominance over another dog, and others do it as a form of play when they are puppies. And it isn't something that is limited to male dogs, either...I have seen females do the same thing.
It is my opinion, though, that it is always better to err on the side of safety...especially since you don't know if he is actually trying to mate with her or if he is just playing. My suggestion is to separate your dogs when you are not around, and just pay close attention to them when you are around. In my opinion, isolating them when you are not home to keep an eye on them is one of the safest things you can do anyway. It helps avoid all kinds of accidents and destructive behavior. Also, if your dogs are still "intact", you should look into getting them spayed and neutered. Typically, the earlier in their life that you have it done, the better of the dogs will be. Not only does spaying/neutering prevent you from having an unwanted litter of pups, it also helps avoid some pretty severe medical problems later on in the dogs' lives.
