Hi all,
Can some one please give me some real advice rather than a load of old wives tales. I have a westie male who is 10mths and a westie bitch who is 6 mnths old. All was going fine until today when Skye started her first season. I have had female dogs before and have noticed the change in behaviour before the start of her season. Skye was no diff to the norm. We do intend to breed our pair of terrors but I feel cruel keeping them apart as we got them as companions. Can some one please help.

I don't understand what the question is?

If you don't separate your dogs while she is in season, then she will end up having puppies, which could be absolutely disastrous, not to mention dangerous, at that age.

I suggest you put the dog in kennels, if there is no-one else to have him, or keep them well and truly apart, but be aware there will be a lot of noise and howling and houdini attempts to escape :)

If you dont seperate your dogs at this time then she will get pregnant and at her age she will in all possibility die! I think that is plain enough and is not an old wives tail!

John

You really MUST keep your two dogs apart for at least 3 weeks and possibly 4 weeks. Your bitch is only a baby and mustn't be allowed to get pregnant at 6 months old. Of course it's difficult to keep a male and bitch in season together! That's why, when knowledgable breeders plan a litter, they use a stud dog who is usually kept in kennels.
As you are planning to mate these two in the future, how can you be sure that they are both going to mature into exceptional specimens of the breed? Are you planning to show them to compare them to the breed standard and other quality Westies?
Why oh why do folk think that they must buy a dog and a bitch to breed pups?????

It certainly seems to be the trend at the moment - I'm not sure if its some romanticised <sp> view of dog breeding, or whether people think its a way to recoup the initial costs of the dogs :(

friend of mine told me . her sisters 8 month staffordshire bull terrier is pregnant she is small the father is crossed with pitbull & staffordshire and his tall , she told her sister she took her to the pdsa to abort the pups they gave her what we have like the morning after pill . it did not work she took her back . to ask have the pups aborted but the vet there refused he said if she was in the wild she would have pups . ?

In that case I would report the vet! He should know better than expect a puppy of that age to give birth. We are not in the wild and that is the point!

John

Som people are so g** D**n stupid they shouldnt be allowed to have dogs !!!!! :(

If they were in the wild then it would only be the alpha female that would be receptive to breeding and all the other females in the pack would not be ?? Am I right in saying this or something like this ??

Lucy

Edited to say just seem Boosmum's post !!

Apart from anything else, in the wild the pack would have never allowed an 8 month old bitch to become alpha female and hence breed, left to their own devices they did a far better job of it than we have

Is that why bitches have phantom pregnancies so that they can help feed the alpha females puppies? (sorry, off topic I know... :o )

~ Sharon

Kazza are you for real? Surely nobody is that stupid? Keep your dog and your bitch completely apart (preferably in neighbouring counties) for at least three weeks. Do the same at the next season, and the one after that. In this time read as many books as you can about dogs and dog breeding. In a couple of years time you might have learned enough to be able to proceed and have a successful litter.

Edit: No offence intended.

Kaza, I have westies and my youngest bitch is in season at the moment she is 1 year old and I DONOT plan to mate her, if I ever do, until she is at least two years of age. My dog at the moment is not with me, in case of a unplanned mating which I do not want. my older bitch has not long had a litter a planned mating with my own dog, (both Crufts qualified), I don't show very often now, and I have had a super litter, and kept one for myself and one for my granddaughter who shows the dogs for me. Please, remember your dog is OLD ENOUGH to mate your bitch, but, your puppy bitch is far too young to even contemplate hav ing a litter from her. I would buy the Book of the Bitch and some westie books as well, are you a member of any of the breed clubs, if not I would join one, most of the breed clubs dont recommend breeding from your bitch until she has had 3/4 seasons. If you need any advice about westies please e mail me privately and I will help you all I can and will pass on phone nos of breed club secretaries. I would love to see copies of your dogs pedigrees and some photos and would be honest with you if they were/werenot good examples of the breed. Another point, do you know that there is a eye problem under investigation at the moment by the BVA, so I would recommend getting both eye tested, ive had mine done and they have eye tested clear. Hope this helps you. but I dont know what advice you are looking for, you really dont say in your post. Please keep both the dog and bitch seperated NOW!!!

'you feel cruel keeping them apart'

Apologies if i have misread your post but dont you think its much more cruel to risk having a litter from your bitch at such a young age??????????