breeding mini/toy poodles

Question
I have an 8 month old female mini poodle and a six month old male toy poodle.  I have just become aware that the female is in heat.  It also appears that her heat has induced puberty in the male.  Is this possible?  I never attempted to keep them apart because I thought it would be several months before my male was ready to breed.  Is it really dangerous for my girl to have puppies this early?  I'm new to the whole process.

Answer
Hello Penny,
Your female needs to mature before she has puppies.  2 is the general age to start breeding, because the female is old enough that her body is ready to carry babies.  Your male is able to produce viable sperm at around 6-7 months, so if he is in contact with your female, who is also able to be in heat, then he could impregnate her.  
The best thing to do is keep the female in her crate and walk her on a leash to potty, until 3 weeks after you see blood.  The female will be most receptive to the male 9-11 days (and up to 2 weeks) after you see blood.  She can be impregnated for up to 2 1/2 weeks after you see blood.  

If you think they have bred and that she took, contact your Vet and see what he thinks would be best for your dog.  She would be a year when the puppies come, and while that is a bit young, it isn't unheard of.  

Let me know what you find out and if you have questions about birthing puppies or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim