how to get our dogs pregnant!!

Question
hello could you give me some advice on how to get our dog and bitch miniature schnauzers  pregnant i would be very grateful for your advice i did read 11thday from day of period then 13th day our bitch is 18months old do you think that she is to young?
regards
jackie

Answer
No, at 18 months, your bitch is now old enough to breed, although some do prefer waiting until they are closer to two.

First, make sure that the dogs in question have no health issues. Have eyes checked by a veterinary opthalmologist, have thyroids and hearts examined. I would have blood checked to make sure there is no problem with hyperlipidemia.

Your best bet would be to go to a reproduction specialist and have progesterone checks done to determine when the bitch is ovulating. Bitches do NOT always ovulate between 11-13 days of their heat cycle. I start breeding mine as soon as they will stand for the male, and then I breed them every other day until one of them says, "STOP, I'm done!" This is usually something like the 8th-15th day. I have heard of some who ovulated on day one, and I had a bitch come in for breeding that I bred for a week according to my normal schedule, but my best ovulation detector (Peter the Schnauzer) said she wasn't ready until her 18th-21st days. She conceived from Peter's dates.

Get a copy of the book, "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With", by Rutherford and Neil. You will find it very helpful when raising puppies.