Puppies on heat

Question
Hi there! I have a almost 4month old Staffie. Her playmates are a boston terrier and a jack russel, which are 4 and 2 months older that her. I see that they have been testing their humpimg skills on each other but mainly on her. I want to use her for breeding one day, but I am afraid she might take from the playmates. How do I make sure that she is safe when and if her heat starts. and also some preventative measures?
Please help, thx!!

Answer
Cisca,

The only way to make absoultely sure they don't impregnate her is to have them neutered. Spaying and neutering are both affordable, safe, commonplace outpatient procedures. They both have great benefits - like preventing common reproductive diseases. If you aren't planning to breed the boys, I would definately recommend having them neutered. As I said, it will be a great preventative health measure, and also helps tone down inter-male aggression. If they remain intact, they will drive themselves crazy while the female is in heat. However, the dog can become pregnant even when she is not in heat. There are birth control options for dogs, though, and I added a link below that discusses alternatives to spaying and neutering (though they do NOT carry the same health and behavioral benefits).

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/manage.htm

Another issue I'd like to address is your plans to breed the female. This is obviously your choice - but I just wanted to share some information with you first. There are over a million dogs already in shelters waiting for homes across America, and breeding only takes potential homes away from these pets. If a person would like a purebred dog, there are rescues dedicated to one breed that they can adopt from (these can be found at www.petfinder.com, among other sites). Also, breeding always poses health risks. Having your dog spayed (especially before she comes into her first heat) will completely eliminate her chances of suffering many diseases and problems of the reproductive system - including issues like ovarian cancer, pyometra, etc., - as well as greatly reducing the risk of cancer of the mammary glands (breast cancer). If you do want to breed her, though, I recommend only doing it once or twice and then having her spayed - just for her own benefit. However, a LOT goes into breeding, and for the sake of the puppies you may breed in the future, I added another link that will help you educate yourself on breeding.

http://www.wonderpuppy.net/breeding.htm

Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.

Ashley