[sweet_jessica_03]

Does daschund nips swell after 1st heat? How long do they usually stay in heat? Can they have false pregnancy? How do you know if your dog is pregnant?(giving she had no contact with any other dogs). Thank you for the help.

[labman]

I strongly feel the best answer to your questions is to quick get her spayed before she comes in heat. The responsible breeding of dogs is a lot of hard work. One of the hardest things is making money without taking unacceptable shortcuts. One expense you should never skip is some books. I know Successful Dog Breeding, by Chris Walkowicz, DMV is a good one. There is some good info on breeding at American Kennel Club - akc.org I always suggest checking Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten. for information on why we don't need more people keeping intact dogs.

Once the vulva starts to swell, most vets will say come back in a couple of months. Then you are stuck with the mess, the behavior, the risks of accidental breeding, false pregnancies, smell (No baths until the swelling goes down.), etc. And you will not believe the efforts she will make to get loose and find a male. And count on plenty of them doing their best. I can't say what I think of people that let intact males run loose, here or anywhere in polite company. Of course, even some neutered males will mate with her, perhaps causing an infection.

A single heat cycle and false pregnancy shouldn't leave the nipples permanently enlarged very much. Repeated ones will. My nephew has a Lab that looks like a refuge from a puppy mill after repeated cycles, but was never bred.

If you manage to keep her away from males, she will not get pregnant. There is no telling for sure until about a month later, maybe longer for smaller dogs. Any accidental breeding calls for immediate vet care to check for injuries.

Please take the responsible road and have her spayed as soon as you can.