breeding/bad habits

Question
Hello Kim,

I have a apricot toy poodle that is 10 months old. I'm trying to breed her with a poodle  Maltese mix male. He is 8 months old and has been trying to mate with her...at first she didn't seem interested, but today I noticed a tinge of blood near her private and I'm noticed she has glands growing on her tummy. Do you think she is pregnant already? Or do you think she is just starting to go in heat? She has a bad biting problem and she is very hyper, but I have a four year old who keeps her on the go...but is that normal for toy poodles to be so aggressive and hyper?

Answer
Hello Margaret,
In most cases, while I will give people advice I don't usually tell them what to do or what not to do, but in your case I beg you to NOT breed your female at such a young age.  It is recommended that you wait until your dog is at least 1 1/2 yrs old, and most breeders will say to wait until your dog is 2 before breeding her.  
At 10 months old, her body isn't mature enough for being pregnant, or carrying puppies.  It can stress her body out and cause her to not be able to have puppies in the future.  It can also hurt the puppies if her body isn't yet prepaired for babies.  
IF SHE IS YOUR BABY AND YOU CARE ANYTHING ABOUT HER, YOU WILL WAIT UNTIL SHE IS OLDER TO BREED HER.  

When she is ready to be bred, you should also get her a Pre-Breeding health check by your Vet to insure that she is healthy enough to carry puppies to term and to check that she doesn't have anything that she could pass on to the puppies.  The male should also be checked if you own him.  

Once she is ready to be bred, you should mark on your calendar the first time you see blood around her vagina.  9 days from the first time you see blood, she should be in "Standing Heat" and should be ready to be bred.  I don't think that she is pregnant yet from what you have described.  

As for her biting problem, you need to nip this in the bud now before she gets worse.  When she snaps or growls at you (like if you are trying to take something away from her and she tries to nip at you) you need to tell her NO! in a firm voice and hold her down in the submissive position (laying down on the floor on her side with her head on the floor) and hold her there until she will relax or submit to you.  You have to hold her in this position even if she tries to bite you.  You have to let her know that YOU are the boss not her.  If she bites you and you pull back or let go of her, she will realize that this action scares you and she will continue to bite you.  If you need to use gloves on yourself or a muzzle on her to keep from getting bitten then do so.  She has to learn that biting won't get her what she wants.  
Once she will submit to you, do the same thing when she gets snappy with your daughter.  

As to the hyperness, Yes, they do tend to be a bit hyper.  You need to find things for her to do that will help her burn some of that energy off, such as going and getting a thrown ball or taking a couple of nice walks or runs around the block morning and night.  Getting you, your dog and your daughter into Obedience classes might also be an idea for all of you, it would help get rid of some of that energy and it would be something that you all would enjoy.  Check your local Pet Stores or Vets offices to see if they have or know of classes in your area.   

Please remember what I said about not breeding your dog and Please wait until she is a bit older, for both her sake and her future puppies.  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have questions in the future about breeding, gestation, or deliverly of puppies, or just have other dog questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim