poodle on heat

Question
My minature poodle is bleeding, wondering when she is fully on heat, and when is the best time to mate her.

Answer
Hello Kay,
Female dogs are usually in "Standing Heat" 9-11 days after you first see blood.  They will stay in "Standing Heat" for about 7-10 days or when the male decides that she isn't in heat any longer.  Its best to breed her a day then skip a day until she is out of heat.  This way, the male can build up his sperm count for the next breeding.  

Its also best to wait until the female is at least 2 yrs old and the male at least 1 1/2 before the first breeding.  This is to insure that the male and female are mature enough for breeding and that the female is able to carry puppies to term.

I hope this helps you some and if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim