missed heat

Question
I have a female yorkie that turned one on November 30th.  We have been watching her closely to keep track of her heat cycle because we plan to breed her.  The only problem is we don't think she has gone into heat yet.  We would like to know if she may have something wrong or if we just missed it.  Also she is just over 4 lbs. and the male is just under 4 lbs. so will he be ok to breed her.  Also is there any information u can provide on proper breeding and birthing techniques

Answer
Aaron,

It is possible to miss the first heat because sometimes it is very light.  My guess would be that she has not gone into heat yet.  Most large dogs go into heat every six months like clockwork but the smaller the dog the more time between heats.  I would suspect that your female will be going into heat soon but it can take as long as 18 months for the first heat.  You are smart to want to know everything there is to breeding before she goes into heat and you have to make that decision.  I have a word document that details what you need to know about breeding and it will also answer your question regarding the size of your male.  If you want I can send it to you but you will have to send me your email address first.

Sincerely,

Melinda