BREEDING

Before you even think about breeding, Please go to the Chihuahua Club of America Website to learn the Chihuahua standard.  Click Here

 

DO I WANT TO BREED MY CHIHUAHUA?
WHAT ABOUT PREGNANCY? OR WHELPING?
AND THE LITTER? 

You may be wondering whether or not you should breed your little darling.  Here is some information to help you do what is right for you and your dog.  To get it right and get healthy and happy puppies, you need to know that it is expensive and a lot of work.  Basically you need time and money to achieve the best, and that is what breeding is all about!!!  You will need to do A LOT of research on your breed, as well as general dog information, (You can find a lot of good info on the internet; you can’t get enough), and have a good Vet.  One who is familiar with whelping dogs, not all are.  Become familiar with an experienced breeder, one preferred locally.  One who is friendly and willing to help a newcomer to the field.  Become acquainted with breed clubs.  They can be a great help.

 

PREGNANCY, WHELPING, AND THE LITTER

 

Once the bitch has been bred and is back home, remember to keep an ever-watchful eye that no other males get to her until as least the twenty-second day of her season has passed.  Until then, it will still be possible for an unwanted breeding to take place, which is a big NO NO ! !

In other ways, she should be treated normally.  Controlled exercise is good and necessary for the bitch throughout her pregnancy, tapering off to just several short walks daily, preferably on lead, as she reaches her seventh week.  Gestation is 63 days from first breeding, or 9 weeks.  As her time grows close, be careful about her jumping or playing too roughly.

The theory that a bitch should be overstuffed with food when pregnant is a poor one.  A fat bitch is never an easy whelper, so the overfeeding you consider good for her may well turn out to be a hindrance later on.  During the first few weeks of pregnancy, your bitch should be fed her normal diet.  At four to five weeks add calcium to her food.  This can be in the form of cottage cheese, or in a supplement, which usually comes in a large tablet that goes down better after crushed and added to food.  I do not recommend cows milk, but an infant formula of soy can be mixed and added to her food, and my favorite is goats milk.  At seven weeks she may not be satisfied with the usual and crave more.  Adding another meal to her daily intake would be better than increasing a meal.  Feed her at least 3 times a day.  Also foods like 93% fat free hamburger, yogurt; plain or vanilla, boiled chicken and chicken broth, are good to add to her diet, rice in small amounts and scrambled eggs will be good too.  There are products on the market for lactating females.  Most are found at the local feed store.  Again, I like to use powered goats milk, but another very good product is ‘Just Born’.  Good for to be Moms and when it comes time to wean the babies.  Two things are needed, Calcium and Protein.  The babies take a lot of these out of the mother.

A week before pups are due, your bitch should be introduced to her whelping box.  Because I have Chihuahuas, and they usually whelp at night, I have something with a plastic back and a sheet or blanket on my bed.  Much easier for me.  They want to be close to you during this time also.  After babies are born, I have a fresh clean bed in a crate for mother and babies that I transfer them to.  If a whelping box is used, she should be encouraged to sleep there, but allowed to come and go freely.  The box should be roomy enough for her to lie down and stretch out in.  Some make sure there is a ‘pig rail’ to be sure the babies won’t get crushed against the sides.  I have never had this problem with the Chi’s, however it is recommended for larger breeds.  The room in which the box is placed should be kept at 70 degrees.  In winter it may be necessary to have a heating lamp over the box.  Taking care not to have it too close to mother and babies to be.  A thermometer is a good idea to judge the temp in the box.  After babies are born, the temp should be 90 to 95 degrees, a comfortable distance from heating lamp.  A heating pad can also be used.  Place pad under several layers of towels or bedding having a temp around 90 degrees, usually on the lowest setting.

Newspaper can be used, but it can become very messy, only the ‘Wall Street Journal’ won’t shed so much ink.  Collection of paper well in advance to make sure you have enough.  I have collected baby blankets at yard sales to use at whelping time.  Put some in her box before she whelps so she will have something to dig in.  Other necessities are clean towels, scissors, and a bottle of alcohol or iodine; this is for the umbilical cords.  I like to use towels and dish rags or washcloths for rubbing the puppies down.  They are slippery and you want to get a good grip if needed.

You will know when her time is near, she will become very restless unable to find the right spot.  She may refuse food, and her temperature will start to drop.  A rectal temp will go down to as low as 98 degrees.  This is a sign that babies will be born within 12 hours.  She will dig at her bedding, shiver, and really be uncomfortable.  This is not the time for spectators; even family members that she is friendly with may now upset her.  You should remain near by looking in on her quietly watching her, speak softly and assuredly to her often.  Eventually she will settle down and begin contractions.  Soon after a puppy will emerge.  Give the mother a chance to bite the sac and sever the cord, and begin cleaning the puppy.  If this isn’t happening, you must intervene.  Break the sac, sever the cord with your fingernails or cut with scissors pinching the side that goes to the puppy for a time to seal it.  You can also push what is in the cord back into the puppy so it doesn’t lose needed nourishment.  Use the towels to rub the puppy dry, holding it head down, give the puppy a few good shakes in a downward motion.  This will bring any fluid into its mouth, which you will need an ear syringe to suction out of the mouth and the nose.  If the puppy doesn’t show active signs of life continue to rub it vigorously until it begins breathing and squirming on its own.  This could take some time, be sure the mouth is free of liquid.  Mouth to mouth breathing may be necessary.  This is done by opening the puppy’s mouth and pressing down the tongue, which may be stuck to the roof of the mouth.  Place your mouth against the puppy’s and blow hard down the throat.  Rub puppy’s chest again and try artificial respiration, pressing the sides of the chest together slowly and rhythmically; in and out.  Keep trying these methods for at least 20 minutes before giving up.  The rewards are a live puppy that may not have been.  Keep this baby extra warm until mother is all done having babies.   Then give it back to the mother at her head, or try to put it on a teat, encouraging the baby to suckle.  It is always good when the pup comes out looking for a nipple to nurse on.  It should be able to latch on itself successfully.  After the first baby is born, the mother may take over and do her duties, however, if she doesn’t, you will again need to help her.

If a puppy is born breech, feet first, you must watch carefully for it to be completely delivered as quickly as possible and the sac removed quickly so that the puppy does not drown.  Even a normal position birth may seem so slow in coming.  Take a dry towel and grasp the pup and pull it gently and with care when the mother is having a contraction.  Do the same slow pull on a breech puppy.  A breech head can become lodged on the pelvis.  If it does, gently try turning the body downward to rotate the pup.  If it still won’t come out you must put your index finger into the mother’s vagina to dislodge the head.  You have to work quickly and carefully to save the pup.  It can be done; I have had more breech babies than normal ones.  If you are unable to dislodge the puppy, you must get mother to a vet as soon as possible.  Also, if bitch labors hard and longer than 2 hours without produce, it could mean there is trouble and you will need to have a vet on standby.  A vet can give her an injection of Pituitrin to help with contractions and delivery.  Any puppies already born must be kept warm in a box with a heating pad.   Make these arrangements before whelping.  Another good idea is to have the bitch x-rayed the 8th week of her pregnancy to decide if she will need a c-section.  This is very important.  I have heard of breeders sections their bitches whether they need it or not just to save a litter.  I do not believe in this, it is costly and I do not breed unless I feel sure that a bitch is able to free whelp.  A vet visit before breeding and possible an x-ray can help make the breeding decision.  If a Caesarean section is needed, get mother and babies home to warm bedding as soon as possible.  Give the mother time to recover before giving her the newborns.  She may accidentally hurt them, but get them to her as soon as possible for them to start nursing.

It is normal for mother to go 1 + hours between puppies.  You can offer her water or chicken broth to keep up her strength.  Keep the already newborns separate from her when she begins to strain and have contractions again; returning them after latest is cared for.

Should the mother have a lack of milk, the puppies must be fed by hand.  Babies need to be kept very warm, try placing one at a time onto mothers’ teat several times a day.  This will stimulate and encourage the secretion of milk.  If mothers’ milk does not come down, you will need to use an alternative method of feeding.  The best way to feed a newborn is to do so with a tube.  You will need an infant feeding tube, a vet can assist you with this process also.  Place the end attached to a syringe at the mouth laying the tube down the side of the puppy past the rib cage.  Make a mark on the tube at the syringe end that will not come off with cleaning.  You will then fill the syringe with food and insert it down the puppies’ throat to the mark that you have made.  If you have the tube in the throat, it will slide easily to the stomach.  It will be difficult to get the tube down the trachea, but care is needed, slowly and carefully works well.  Begin injecting the food feeling the puppy’s stomach until it is well rounded.  This will need to be done every 2 to 3 hours for the first week. Food should be raw goats milk as it is the closes to mothers milk, but if they did not nurse to get mothers first milk with colostrums, ‘Just Born’ has it in it and works well.

 

Bottle feeding can be more difficult because you have to be sure that there isn’t any air that will allow the food to pass into the lungs.  If bubbles come out of puppies nose when nursing on a bottle, it is getting too much too fast.  Most nursing kits come with a nipple that needs to be pierced.  I usually cut an X in the nipple so as the puppy needs more as it is growing and it’s suction is stronger, it will open up more.  Be sure to burp the puppy after each feeding. Feed the baby laying it over your knee or a rolled towel to get the puppy in the same position as it would be on mother with head up.  You can do this, and again feed every 2 to 3 hours around the clock the first week, and keep the babies warm if not with the mother.  If mother is not tending to the puppies bowls or urine, it must be done after each feeding and before feedings.  Use a cotton ball soaked in warm water, squeezed, and wipe the genital area until they urinate and have a bowl movement.  This is very important to keep the puppies system cleaned out.  Also, it is very rewarding to know you are doing the right things.  Sometimes a mother will tend to them even if she doesn’t have milk.

Assuming there has been no problems and that the bitch whelped normally and has plenty of milk, you will need to encourage her to go potty and eat.  Keep the bedding in her bed clean.  The best time is when she is going potty or eating.

Unless a problem arises, there is little you will need to do for the first 3 to 5 weeks, except watch puppies grow.  You can weigh puppies once a week for assurance that they are growing well.

Mother will require extra food after whelping.  She won’t gain weight, so don’t be afraid of over feeding her.  You will need to trim babies toenails as they are sharp and can do damage to mother to the point she may not nurse them.  I do the nails once a week for the first weeks until they are weaned.  Good idea is to continue with the trimming weekly until puppies are 2 to 3 months old, then at least every month thereafter.

Between 3 to 4 weeks of age the puppies should begin weaning.  I start them out on baby Rice cereal mixed with a powered formula or powered goats milk for the first few attempts.  I gradually add a little canned food and soaked puppy dry food.  I also give them dry puppy food, which also helps their teeth to come through the gums, and bottled water at all times.  Mother will want to eat their food also, so a good idea is to remove her until they leave their feeding dish.  If a puppy is reluctant to eat at first, put some food on your finger and up to its mouth.  It will start licking if you touch it to its mouth.  A puppy’s head can be lowered with your hand to the food, being careful not to get the food in its nose.  Another good treat is baby food meats, chicken or lamb is best.  You can adjust their foods as they grow older, but at first offer them 3 to 4 feedings a day.  By 4 to 5 weeks mother will only need to be with babies at night.  The puppies will only need 2 daily feedings after 6 months of age, but it is a good idea to leave dry food available at all times with bottled water.  The Chihuahuas will need a possible 3 feedings a day to prevent hypoglycemia, (info on this same page).

The ideal age for puppies to go to their new homes is between 8 to 12 weeks.  Be sure that you send each puppy off with feeding instructions, vaccine records and the vaccines they will need in the future.  Also included are any registration papers, and pedigree if applicable.

 

If you have any questions or fears, contact your Vet as soon as possible.

Good Luck

 

 

The Following was found on Marli's Chihuahuas

 

To Breed or Not to Breed?

The decision of whether or not to breed is a very serious one.   It is an especially serious decision with toy breeds because the whelp is so much more difficult and potentially dangerous than with larger breeds.  What I am about to write may sound like a lecture but please read all the way through and think about it very carefully.  As a breeder of Chihuahuas I am obviously not going to say that it shouldn't be done, but it is important to know the risks, educate yourself, and be very sure that your girl really is breeding quality and likely to whelp easily before you begin.

Wanting to breed is understandable - we love our little babies, naturally we want more just like them.  Unfortunately, it is important to remember that there is no way to know for certain that any of the puppies will be anything like the parents.  Because of the diversity in the Chihuahua gene pool, the odds are that they will be very different from him/her and each other, unless both parents are long-time line-bred from the same line and/or of very similar type with similar type parents.   This is why a knowledge of lines and pedigrees is critical to a serious breeder.   It is also important to remember that the welfare of any puppies you breed is your responsibility FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.   If you pick out a dog (whether purchased or adopted) you can see what you're getting, but if you breed then there are NO guarantees.

Here is some input from other sources on the decision on whether to breed:

From the Dog Owners Guide on spaying:

"...Females are better pets if they do not experience estrus twice each year.  Heat cycles bring hormonal changes that can lead to personality changes.  Repeated heat cycles subject the reproductive system to UTERINE AND MAMMARY CANCERS and UTERINE INFECTIONS.  Some bitches experience false pregnancies that can be a bother to deal with...  "

From the Official Newsletter of the Canine Health Foundation (AKC) Fall 1999, Issue 1:

"Dogs develop more mammary tumors than any species other than mice.  The incidence in bitches, 199/100,000 female dogs, is nearly three times that seen in women...  "

"The most widely recognized risk factor for developing mammary carcinoma in the dog is the number of estrous cycles (heats) experienced prior to ovariohysterectomy (spaying). Bitches spayed before the first heat have a relative risk of 0.05% for mammary cancer, while those with one heat cycle had 8% and those with 2 or more cycles had 26% relative risk. The sparing effect of ovariohysterectomy is lost after two years or four cycles...  "

Translation: Spayed bitches live longer healthier lives.  In the over twenty years that I have been breeding Chihuahuas, I have personally observed this to be true.  Mammary and uterine cancers will usually spread to the lungs and other internal organs long before you know the bitch is ill.  It is an ugly painful death and difficult to prevent - except by early spaying.

From the Chihuahua Club of America breed fact pamphlet on breeding:

"SO YOU WANT TO BREED...

Breeding is not the mating together of two AKC registered dogs to produce puppies.  That has been the downfall of many breeds.  It's a creative art that requires the study of genetics, conformation, and bloodlines and veterinary procedures.  The responsibilities for the future generations lies with a breeder.  The mating together of outstanding champions will produce many pets, so if dogs that are not outstanding are bred, can you imagine what can happen? Personality, disposition and health are lost, along with the good looks of the breed.  Chihuahuas are often delivered by Cesarean section and that's expensive! Puppies are small, usually 3 to 4 oz., and require a lot of extra care.  SO CONSIDER CAREFULLY!"

Part of the decision process when picking two dogs to breed together is to look at the parents, grandparents and siblings of the dogs in question.  Looking at dogs that are closely related to the dogs you plan to breed will tell you a lot about what you can expect to see in the puppies.  Serious responsible breeders want to make sure that the lines in question are free of patellar luxation, bite distortion, heart disease and other hereditary diseases or defects.  Even if your bitch is the perfect size for breeding (4-6 pounds), has a perfect scissor bite, excellent disposition, perfect “apple” dome, round eyes well set in the skull, perfectly shaped muzzle, perfectly level topline, perfect angulation, perfect proportion, perfect coat, good tuck-up, perfect tail set and carriage, etc.  there may STILL be problems in her line she could pass on to her puppies.  She may have had ugly, nasty parents and her good nature and good looks are a fluke that would not be passed on to her puppies.  This is why a knowledge of genetics and the lines of both dogs in a mating pair is important.

Because it takes only a few dogs to breed but many bitches, usually only top winning Champions are used by good breeders as stud dogs.  Many dogs that become Champions are still not considered perfect enough to use for breeding.  And responsible owners of top-quality studs will not breed to bitches without papers.  If your bitch is not registered, only the very worst quality studs owned by unscrupulous, disreputable, or ignorant people will be available to you.  Because Chihuahuas are so small, the bitches are sometimes unable to deliver puppies naturally and need cesarean sections.  To reduce the risk to the bitch, often only smaller stud dogs (under 4 pounds) from similarly sized parents are used, so that the bitch has the best chance possible of being able to deliver naturally.  Breeding Chihuahuas can be very expensive and when the average stud fee to use the #10 or better top winning Chihuahua in the nation is only $250-$500, it makes sense to use only the best.

From my personal experience I would say that there are a few things you should ask yourself before you decide to breed: 

  • Have you studied genetics and the backgrounds of the dogs in question? Do you feel confident that this will be a sound breeding (i.e.  that the puppies will be free of any serious genetic defect and will be good quality examples of the breed)?

  • Is you bitch of appropriate size, and sufficient health and quality that it is advisable to breed her? Does she have good pelvic breadth and a good tuck up so she can carry and deliver the puppies safely? 

  • Is she the right age to be bred? On her first breeding, she should be physically mature but still have some of the flexibility of youth to enable her to whelp and carry more easily. This usually means she should be bred the firs time on her second or third heat, but before the age of three. Breeding a bitch too young or too old can cause more damage to her health than if she were the correct age. No matter what age she is, having pups will almost certainly shorten her life span.

  • Why do you want to breed? What are you trying to produce? Do you have a breeding plan? If all you want is another puppy, buy one.  It is cheaper, safer and easier.

  • If this is your first toy-breed litter, have you read about whelping and do you have a toy-breed breeder near you who can help you and act as your mentor?

  • Can you afford a cesarean section, x-rays, puppy shots and other possible medical expenses? Where I live, an emergency C-section can cost from $1,150 to $3,500 dollars.  

  • Are you prepared to deal with the loss of the bitch if the unthinkable happens and the delivery kills her? Every Chihuahua breeder I know has had at least one breeding bitch die from infection contracted during the breeding, trauma during the delivery of the pups, or from complications afterwards.  

  •  Are you prepared to "put down" defective puppies rather than letting them suffer and watching them die slowly?

  • Are you prepared to never leave the bitch alone for more than and hour at a time for the entire week prior to when she is due to whelp until the time she actually delivers? Or if you cannot be with her, can you afford to hire a breeder to board her during this time and act as "midwife".

  • Are you prepared to help her deliver the pups or get her to a vet immediately if she needs assistance? Do you know how to turn or pull a stuck puppy without injuring the puppy or the bitch?

  • Do you know how to recognize eclampsia, mastitis, uterine inertia, and other potentially life- threatening complications?

  • Are you prepared to bottle and/or tube feed puppies every 3 hours if it is necessary?

  • Have you spent the time to pick out a good Champion stud dog with qualities that should compliment your bitches qualities and made arrangements with his owner? He should be of such outstanding quality and breeding potential that it will be worth it to you to risk your bitches life to produce his offspring.

  • Are you prepared to take responsibility for the puppies for the rest of their lives? To take them back and care for them if they are no longer wanted?

  • Are you prepared to refund money for any puppy you sell that does manifest a serious congenital disorder?

  • Do you know how to accomplish the breeding? To artificially inseminate, if necessary?

  • Have both dogs been checked for transmissible diseases?

  • Are you sure that both dogs are free of heritable defects or genetic disease such as patellar luxation, bite distortion, heart disease, etc.

  • Do you have a contract of sale that protects you and the purchaser of the puppy? Many states have "puppy lemon laws" that you should be familiar with before selling a puppy.  If you choose to give puppies away instead of selling them, then statistically they will not be as well cared for by their new owners.  Also, I guarantee that between stud fees, lost time at work and medical bills it will almost certainly end up being cheaper and will definitely be less stressful to buy a puppy.  

A recent litter of mine is a good example of what can happen:

Tami weighs 5 1/4 pounds so a C-section was not likely to be needed but I have had a bitch as large as 6 pounds who needed a C-section and I know of a 7 1/2 pound bitch who always does.  Tami whelped 4 days before she was due and in the late afternoon while I was still at work.  If I had not been bringing her into the office with me that week she would have been alone when she delivered.  Bandit was born breech and had great difficulty breathing at first because he was premature.  I really had to work to get his lungs clear and get him started breathing.  If I had not known how to help him, he almost certainly would have died then.  Tango was fairly normal but large and Tami had a little trouble pushing him out - I had to help and pull him.  Without assistance, Tango probably would have been killed during the birthing process and Tami would likely have had pelvic injuries.  At first I thought Bandit would need to be tube fed (because of his labored breathing I thought he would be too weak to nurse) but fortunately this was not the case.  I have found it necessary to tube feed tiny puppies in the past, however - especially if there are more than three pups in the litter.  Tube feeding is always a nerve-wracking business - make a mistake and you kill the puppy.  For the first two weeks of his life until he stabilized, I checked on Bandit every three hours to make sure he was not in distress.  When the pups were four weeks old Tami's milk dried up and I had to take over feeding them until they were weaned at six weeks.

This was a first litter by a good-sized bitch who was bred to a Champion-quality and proven stud dog who weighed under 3 pounds.  If there had been only one puppy, it would probably have been bigger than Tango was and Tami almost certainly would have needed a C-section.  Single pup litters are not at all uncommon with Chihuahuas, especially in first litters, and the fewer the number of puppies then the larger the individual pups are.  The average litter size for Chihuahuas is only 1-3 pups.  

I know many breeders who have lost bitches or puppies due to complications related to breeding such as anaesthesia poisoining or uncontrolled bleeding during C-section surgery, eclampsia, pyometra, mastitis, uterine inertia, etc.  I have acted as mentor to several novice breeders and I can say that the ones who did a lot of study and research first fared better, although they all had their losses, too.  By the way, this is not true of just Chihuahuas - breeders of all breeds will occasionally lose bitches and puppies to breeding complications. I know a lab breeder who lost a bitch during a c-section surgery.

For one novice breeder I mentored it was a horror story.  I had advised her not to breed because her bitch was small and short-bodied.  I thought I had convinced her but she decided to do it anyway.  In the seventh week of carrying, the bitch's uterus burst open (it was too small for the pups she was carrying) and emergency surgery was needed to save her.  After $1,500 in emergency vet bills, losing both of the puppies and nearly losing the bitch who was the woman's only pet and love of her life, I cannot begin to describe to you how this woman felt about what she had put her beloved “Lucky” through, what she had lost, and what it had almost cost her.  In addition, her little 7 year old daughter was traumatized by what had happened to her little doggie.  

If your main reason for wanting to breed your is that you have a Chihuahua that you love and would like another like him/her, then what makes the most sense is to find another to buy or adopt.  It may take you time and work to find the right dog but it will be worth it.  Remember, even if you do somehow end up breeding your Chi, it may be that none of the puppies will be anything like him/her and there are NO guarantees - not even that the bitch will survive.

I won't tell you that you shouldn't breed, but it really is more than just putting two dogs together and "letting her get pregnant".  I studied a great deal and assisted on the whelps of other people's Chihuahuas before I ever bred a litter of my own.  I had an experienced mentor to help me.  I still regularly consult with other breeders and read books and articles to see what I can learn that will give every one of my furkids the best shot at health and happiness possible.

Be sure that you are also prepared to do what is needed and if you think that your little girl is too precious to risk, no matter how small the risk, don't do it.  Even if absolutely nothing goes wrong with the breeding and the whelp, you will still be shortening her expected life span.  I hate to sound pushy or like a doomsayer, but I have seen what happens when things go wrong with a breeding and the people involved were just not prepared to deal with it.  Even for those of us who really know the risks and have had our losses, it hurts every time.  

Breeding is not for everyone and don't kid yourself that only breeding one litter doesn't make you a breeder.  For the sake of your little baby, you had better think of yourself as a breeder and do what needs to be done.  It is a serious thing to do.  Once you are committed, you can cry afterwards if things went wrong, but you had better be there 100% until it's all over.  She will need you to be.  That's what we "real breeders" do because little lives depend upon it.  

-by Marli Medinnus

Copyright © 1999 by Marli Medinnus. Authorization to reprint, copy, and distribute this article is hereby granted provided such publication is done for no profit and the source is credited.