Hello everyone!

I have a 3 yr old miniture male dachshund that I feel is old enough to breed now. I have found a pretty little female (I actually found a female that was his same coloring! ) that is also 3 yrs (4 yrs in march) who has never been breed either. My question is this. How long into her "heat" season does she have to be before she will "take"? I've read up on it but it gives me info about ALL dogs and I'm interested only in dachshund's breeding info. Are there differences in breeds?
Thank you

Hi Jodiemo! I have two Basset Hound es myself who have previously enjoyed motherhood.

Every is different, but it's not really down to the breed of dog, it's just the individual dog. Some es will come into season every 4 months, some maybe every 6 - 7 months, some only once a year, typically though, they come into season on average every 6 - 7 months. The average season lasts approx 3 weeks, sometimes 4, but again very dependent on the itself. The season will start as you're probably already aware with the swelling of the vulva area, and a bloody discharge which becomes more pronounced in the initial first few days. At about the 10th day or so, the swelling should start to decrease. Typically out of the average 21 days, the is at her most fertile between about days 11 - 15 of the cycle, but it is VERY DEPENDENT on the . Watch your , when she is ready and willing to receive a male, she will become very flirtatious, will hold her tail high, and if a male attempts to mount her, her tail will angle at 45 degrees, and she will stand for the male for the mating. One of my es seems to want the attention of a male right at the end of her season! There is no hard and fast rule, but you will get to know the behaviour of your in her seasons. Good luck! And I hope everything goes well. Xx

Do your research, get both dogs tested for genetic defects that can be passed down to their offspring.

If you aren't a qualified breeder, you shouldn't breed. There are enough unwanted dogs in the owrld.

Jodiemo, what I would also say is apart from agreeing with the other member who has stated about testing for genetic defects, anybody who decides to breed dogs has to start somewhere - no one is an automatic "qualified breeder" and I would suspect this other member answering has never bred dogs, although I do understand the members concern over the number of dogs presently waiting to be re-homed.
If you are serious about breeding dogs (and not becoming a puppy farmer) be a responsible breeder. Get both the male and female tested as the other member said, ask to see any relevant kennel club papers to ensure you know what line of stock both the mother and the father come from. DO NOT SETTLE FOR JUST ANY MALE!
I am in Scotland, so things are maybe worked out a bit different here. You may have financial obligations to the owner of the stud, or you may both agree that they will have the pick of the litter when it arrives. ENSURE you interview ALL persons enquiring about purchasing one of your pups face to face, and ensure you visit their homes and are satisfied that they will offer the pup a loving home, with plenty room for exercise. Ensure you know the people's work commitments because it is cruel to leave a pup on it's own for excessive periods, but also be clear with the prospective buyers that if for any reason the pup does not work out, that the pup will be returned to YOU! And not just handed over to any tom, or harry!
I would also say Jodiemo that whelping is a HUGE commitment! You need to more or less sleep in the same room as the mother and her pups for the first 2 weeks, in case mum decides to accidentally flop down on one of her pups and suffocate them in the process. So someone would need to be with the pups pretty much round the clock until they are old enough to move out the way should mum decide to suddenly lie down, after which, you can stand down your guard a little bit, but never completely.
Also please consider that if your girl has any problems during her whelping, she may need emergency vet treatment, and it could be as severe as a section, so make sure you are financially in a position to ensure that you can ALWAYS meet the medical requirements for your dog! My two Basset's Mother died having them and had to be rushed for an emergency c section. Whelping the majority of the time is a happy wonderful event, but things can go wrong! If you are going to breed though, please be a responsible breeder!

(sp) mistake in the "agree" above. *there, not *they.

The key word here is "responsible breeder!!" I will be totally honest and say I really just don't understand why people want to breed more dogs into this world, unless it is to preserve a superior bloodline, as not to have puppies born with predisposed health problems.

People who think that their dog is just so "cute and adorable" that they just want to breed them, and make a buck, I have a problem with. Probably 40 dogs were euthanized just in Canada, (that is not counting the many other countries) in the time it is taking me to write this short response! More than half of the dogs that are bought from breeders, end up at a shelter, and most will die there. Why? Because they were born to irresponsible breeders.

For every dog that has to die this way, there is someone, somewhere, that is responsible for that. You may not be directly responsible, but do you even want to be indirectly responsible for those sad eyes of a dog, looking and pleading with the vet with the needle? If he could talk, I'm sure he would say, but why? I'm only here to love you! I promise I'll be good! Why do I have to die so that your dog can have more little ones? Will I meet up with them in doggie heaven too, when they are laying on the same cold table I lay on while I die? Unfortunately they don't have a voice. We have to speak for them, but you can translate what they want you to say when you look in their eyes.

If you insist on breeding your dog, make up a contract that all of the people have to sign. Make a stipulation that all puppies must be spayed or neutered, pending any health problems, by the age of six months. Require them to send a confirmation of this. If it isn't done, they must be returned to you, and then it is your responsibility to have them altered. Also in this agreement it must mention that the dogs are taken for their regular shots, and yearly check-ups. Also, you have to foot the bill for their initial shots and check ups, and each pup should go to their new home with a "care package", and tips on the breed.

If you aren't willing to do the above, you are not ready to be breeding dogs.