Breeding Trouble

Question
QUESTION: Today is the 12th day of bleeding for my female Chihuahua, Chica.  Her bleeding has lessened and is a pink/brown/clear color.  She is less swollen than she was this weekend. My male Chihuahua, Chachi, is acting like a crazy dog.  He is crying and sitting outside her crate.  I tried letting them breeding this morning and I held her steady and put a towel covered firm pillow right behind her for him to stand on.  (His legs are shorter than hers.)  Neither have ever bred. He knew exactly what to do.  But, he was all over the place.  He couldn't "hit the mark."  When he finally was successful she yelped and jerked away.  I let them try a few more times but they never had a successful tie.  I gave them a break and we just tried again.  Same result, when he finally hits the spot, she screams bloody murder and jerks away.  So......I'm at a loss.  If it hurts her, I don't want to make her.  Do you think it's just fear?  Is this normal?  The "Happy Couple" may less than happy right now. I'm worried the window of opportunity is closing.  What advice do you have for me?

ANSWER: Hi Cherri.  It sounds to me like your female is in the Estrus stage of her heat and should be ready to mate.  The following schedule (below) explains the heat cycle and the Estrus stage.

The heat cycle in most dogs runs for approximately 21 days as follows:

Days 1 - 7:  The vaginal area swells noticeably and within a couple of days bleeding begins.  During this stage the female usually will not allow the male to mate with her, and she will actually growl, move out of the way,  and possibly try to bite him if he tries.  During this phase of the heat cycle, ovulation has not taken place yet, so even if your male is able to mount her, she will not become pregnant.

Days 7 - 14:  It is during this stage, the female is in what is called Estrus, and ovulation is taking place.  The female will now allow the male to mate with her.  She will normally stand still and move her tail out of the way.  The external genitalia is very swollen and in most cases points upward, making it easier for male penetration.  In most cases the bleeding has stopped and is replaced with a pinkish discharge.
Days 14 - 21:  If successful mating occurred during days 7 - 14, this is the stage where the embryos are forming.  No external signs are present.


Based upon the above information, most breeders try to mate their dogs within the 7 day time period.  Because not all female dogs come in to Estrus on day 7 (some a little sooner, some a little later) this is not an exact science.  

Some breeders try to mate their dogs on days 14, 16, and 18 from the moment they discover the enlarged vaginal area (or) days 7, 9, and 11 during the Estrus stage.  Hope this is not too confusing.

In your case, if your female continues to reject your males attempt to mate, then I suggest that you try artificial insemination.  There are AI kits available online that come with a complete set of instructions.  However, if this is something that you do not feel comfortable doing yourself, most vet's offer this service for a fee.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Your previous answer was very informative.  I guess I should have mentioned that I have read several books and I have been researching on the computer for a month and feel fairly comfortable about the basics of Estrus and the timing.  (Plus I corresponded with you twice last Thursday.) It's the physical act of breeding them that we're struggling with.  Do you have any words of wisdom like,.."sometimes it helps if you..." A few specific questions I still have: 1) Why does she yelp so horribly if he penetrates?  Is this fear or does this actually hurt her?  2)How can I help him "hit the right spot?  He has the whole forward thrust thing happening and he's in the vaginal area, but he's not hitting the target.  3)She is less swollen today than she was yesterday and she has never been tilted upward.  Do those two facts tell you anything?

Answer
Hi Cherri.  I'm so sorry for the delay in getting back with you.  I am having some work done at my home and my internet keeps going of and on.  Yes, I agree with you that your female is probably scared and this is why she is screeming when the male tries to penatrate.  

You might try to talk softely to her and assure her that all is well.