pregnancy in min-pin

Question
QUESTION: My Min-pin is 1y.o. and has just begun to come in heat. I have a male min-pin. Do you think it is too soon to breed her? If so ,what do I do to stop it and when is the best time to breed her. I just noticed the swelling about 2 days ago with a little bleeding.

ANSWER: Yes, she is still a bit too young. When bred early, they tend to not be as good mothers as they are when they are a bit older. The earliest they should be bred is 1-1/2 to two years old, preferably after all the health checks for the bitch and the male have been done.

Miniature pinschers should be checked for patellar luxation, cervical (dry) disc, legg-calve perthes, epilepsy, thyroid, heart defects and eye problems as those are the most serious hereditary problems in that breed.

I'm not sure what you mean by, "If so, what do I do to stop it". Stop the season? Not really possible since she is now in. Keep the two dogs separated by tall baby gates, or keep them crated, alternating when each is out.

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QUESTION: How long do they remain in heat and how often does it occur in each year? I have them separated in different pens,but How will I be able to tell if I am too late or not?

Answer
Most are in heat for three weeks, but some can go a bit longer. Here I keep my bitches confined for four weeks in order to insure that no one is accidentally bred. Most bitches come in heat twice a year. Mine usually come in every 5-1/2 months, but some breeds only come in once a year. Keep track of your bitch's cycles on a calendar.

Ovulation can occur at any time during the heat cycle, but most are receptive about halfway through, with ovulation occuring a few days later. The best way to determine ovulation time is to have progesterone testing done on the bitch.