First time Estrus

[Chaps&Chloe']

Hello,
My name is Mindi and I'm new here. I have 2 little chi's ~ Chaps and Chole'. Chaps is 2 and Chloe's is 7 months.
My question is about Chloe'. She is going thru her first estrus. "Heat"
She is my first female and I was wondering if some one could educate or "guide" me along with the the stages and timelines. I've looked at many books and sites. If someone could also recommend a really good book, maybe I would settle with that one.
I really appreciate any help. She's such a sweetie and Chaps is very excited.. we do "diaper" her and she is crated at night and when we are work.
Thanks so very much,
Min

[Romans Mom]

Hi Mindi, Chaps, and Chloe. Welcome to Club Chihuahua. :) Are you looking for guidance, timelines, books and help on breeding? Sounds like with Chaps being excited, he is not neutered? I'd keep them apart all the time. I'm not a breeder, but there's some members here who are who would know of books.

Hope to hear all about Chaps and Chloe'. We love pictures too. ;-) Barb

[Chaps&Chloe']

:-P
Hello.. Chaps isn't fixed, we keep him away. I tried to upload pictures last night but was unsuccessful. I will try again tonight. thanks for the hello and I hope to hear from others!!
Have a great day!

[2Chiwawa]

Hi Mindi, Chaps and Chloe,

Welcome to club chi. I live with two female chihuahuas Gracie who is almost 5 years old and Sammi Girl who is 4.5 years old. They are both spayed and never went into heat. so? But I know other members will help you out.

[Hercules Momma]

HI Mindi,
Welcome to CC! Can't wait to see pics of your babies! Sorry can't help you with your question, but I'm sure once some of the other members see it, they can be off help.
I've got two boys, Hercules 2 yrs. old and Hummer 1 yr. old.

[Amaze]

Hello and welcome Chaps & Chloe!!!

My name is Alyssa and I have two chihuahuas-Heuser is a 3 yr. old, smooth coat, fawn, 4 lbs. dog (male) and Tally is a 5 yr. old, long coat, black spotted on white, 5.5 lbs. bitch (female).

In terms of your question, most toy breeds come into season or their "heat" estrus every 6 months starting between the ages of 5-7 months. They are in season for around three weeks and usually the most fertile time is somewhere between the 7th and 14th day. They should be kept COMPLETELY SEPERATED INCLUDING WIRE FENCING for the ENTIRE time-I diaper Tally and still don't let them touch even through a puppy pen. Not only is is safer in terms of unwanted pregnancy, but as the bitch gets closer to her ovulation, the dog (male) can and will make themselves thin, weak, and sick with their obsession to get to the bitch.

Generally, the first week is spotting and the discharge is bloody, then it changes to to a straw-colored, lighter pink when she gets closer to ovulation. She is the most fertile 2 days after ovulation so keep a close eye on her and her signs. After the cells cornify, the bitch goes through approximately one more week of bleeding before for going into diestrus or her infertile period.

May I ask why you have not altered (fixed or spayed/neutered) either of your dogs? I know I can sound very strong in my opinions so I will try not to (until you get to know me better, hehehe!!!) but as a dog show conformation exhibitor and just starting my responsible breeding program after years of researching bloodlines and how they cross to safely produce the healthiest of dogs, the genetics behind luxating patellas, heart murmors, and retina disease (all hereditary and severe conditions), and established three well-respected mentors to help me with all my questions regarding breeding, whelping, and the proper raising of puppies, I tend to be a little protective of the breed and the little angels.

That being said (sorry, I tried to tone it down and it still was opinionated), Breeding Dogs for Dummies is a GREAT book by a wonderful, long-time AKC judge Richard Beauchamp (I have showed under him several times and he really respects each breed and what responsible breeders are trying to do with their dogs). But don't settle on just one book-the first thing to learn in dogs is that there is no such thing as an expert or an answer that is 100% guaranteed. Read as many as you can and take what you can from each-some have great advice, others not so much, and sometimes, it is all in the same book! You will begin to recognize what is true for you and your dogs and then you can progress from there!

Do you have a relationship with Chloe's breeder? I have to admit, there are no books out there that I have found that can answer my questions as well as my mentors! Otherwise, don't hesitate to ask-as you can see, I'm not afraid to answer!!!

Hope this help!
Let me know if you have more questions!
Alyssa

[Chaps&Chloe']

I appreciate your knowledge and your opinions. We have not "fixed" Chaps due to the views of the man of the house. I would like to "fix" Chloe' for more than one reason. She is a petite little girl @ 7months - still just over 3lbs. Black, White and brindled feet.Chaps is just under 4lbs. @ 2½ yrs. - Brown and white, very handsome!! The man of the house would like to breed them, for us. I am very unsure of this and it is a debate. Thus said.. I will not say anymore at this time. I've read a lot of info online and will be checking more than 1 book on Chi's. Your honest advice and knowledge is SO helpful. Thanks. :smile:
I was never a "dog" person until we got Chaps.. I wanted a lap dog and boy is he ever! So smart and full of personality!! Chloe' is a sweetie with a sad little face. The breeder I got her from does not stay in touch. I gave her all my numbers, but have yet to hear from her and I have had NO luck on my end.Chloe's sister was fawn and MUCH bigger than her. She had a very beautiful face, but was too big.
I love my little guys!!

[Amaze]

I appreciate your knowledge and your opinions. We have not "fixed" Chaps due to the views of the man of the house. I would like to "fix" Chloe' for more than one reason. She is a petite little girl @ 7months - still just over 3lbs. Black, White and brindled feet.Chaps is just under 4lbs. @ 2½ yrs. - Brown and white, very handsome!! The man of the house would like to breed them, for us. I am very unsure of this and it is a debate. Thus said.. I will not say anymore at this time. I've read a lot of info online and will be checking more than 1 book on Chi's. Your honest advice and knowledge is SO helpful. Thanks. :smile:
I was never a "dog" person until we got Chaps...

It’s amazing what a little "chihuahua" in your life can change! We are all here because we were smitten with our little ones and sounds like you really love your sweet babies!

On the whole breeding front, it sounds like you are willing to do your homework and that is a relief to hear. I'm not sure if you have heard this before, but most vets and reputable breeders don't believe that breeding a bitch smaller than 4 pounds is safe. I know it can be tempting to breed them since they are so darn cute and lots of fun, but there is (and should be) more behind it then you have two dogs with "working parts" that you love. There are several health checks they should pass including a patella grade (luxating patellas are very common in the breed and thanks to responsible breeders, it is starting to become much less common in the show dog world-unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the pet world in general), echocardiograms for heart murmurs/disease and an Annual CERF test of their eyes once they are 3 years old and have a chance to mature. Aside from conformation (or how a dog is formed/put together), bites are also a VERY important determining factor in deciding if dogs are breeding quality or not. Chihuahuas have to have scissor or level bites and all the teeth need to be present and straight. It sound cosmetic, but toy breeds are notorious for having dental issues including tooth decay and gum disease-both are very painful and cause the dogs to go through a great deal of daily suffering. Dogs should represent your ideal chihuahua type-be it applehead or deerhead, with soundness and movement in mind (we don't want any crippled chihuahuas out there). Both the dam and the sire should be friendly, confident, terrier-like, and represent what chihuahuas are supposed to be.

My other two thoughts to think about are this: expense and mortality. Most people have the misconception that they will make money from having puppies or save money by "making" one themselves. It sounds good, 1 puppy for you and lets say you decided to charge $500 (which is pushing it for a pet-quality puppy) for the other two pups that showed up on the ultrasound. Here's where it can bite you in the you-know-what:

First, you do the breeding yourself and assuming there are no problems and you understand the concepts of a "tie," "cornification," and "artificial insemination", Chloe becomes pregnant. Of course, you took her and Chaps to the vet for a pre-breeding exam and the office visit and wormer cost $50. Including the $300 per dog you already spent on their necessary health checks to ensure that their offspring are healthy, that is another $600.

Then, since she is so tiny and it will have to be a c-section or chance loosing her in whelp, the vet recommends an ultrasound or x-ray to count the number of puppies-ultrasounds are not common equipment in most vet's offices, so a visit to the specialty clinic is in order and you are charged $200 for the service. On the other hand, x-rays are much cheaper but not as easy to determine, so if you go that route, you will only spend around $100.

Now its time for the puppies to arrive and since there is little chance that a bitch less than 4 pounds can free whelp or deliver naturally, you have scheduled a c-section with your vet. Depending on the area that you live in and who you work with, sections can run from $350 (old-school vet in a very rural area and no complications or additional medication needed) to the now more common average of $2,000 (most vets no longer provide specialty/emergency care and those clinics charge $1,800+ for a basic c-section). Even if the section is scheduled, bitches should be allowed to progress naturally into labor otherwise their hormones don't kick in to give them their motherly instinct and milk, and the placentas need to separate from the uterine wall-chances are, it will be 2am and so much for using your normal vet that only charges $500 for a C-section.

And here's the scary part. The mortality/fatality rate in chihuahuas. An estimated 25% of all pregnant bitches die attempting to give birth. That is 1 out of every 4!!! I personally have known of 4 bitches that have died for various medical reasons in the past 2 years, but all causes of death were related to their pregnancies and labor complications. And the puppies are even less likely to survive. The statistics on them are 50%. One half of all chihuahua puppies born do not survive. Some get stuck in the birth canal; others have deformities like cleft palates or grossly open molaras. Other simple die a drawn-out, painful to watch death called "fading puppy syndrome" and the causes are unknown. So you were expecting three puppies and only 2 survived the surgery and first few weeks of life.

And then there are more vet bills. Free-whelped bitches should be taken back to the vet within 24 hours of labor to be sure that none of the placentas have been retained and all the puppies are out and thriving. Then, three days later, you need to take them back for their dew claw removal. Since Chloe will have been sectioned, her puppies only need to go back with her for the three day exam-$65 if your vet doesn't charge that much.

Counting the equipment needed like a whelping box, pads, towels, room alterations for pup-safety, pen to contain them in, food, heat lamp, shots, etc., your costs there will be about $400.

Whew, did I remember it all? Probably not, but you can be sure that whatever I forgot costs something!

So lets see where we are at: I calculated using a median of each extreme and I come up with around $2,000 for the litter (this is the amount that most breeders budget when deciding on when to breed) and this excludes travel/gas to and from the vet, days taken off of work (at least a week) when Chloe is due/new puppies are born, and treating any complications (which are a whole other post!)

Oh, and of course the people that promised that they wanted a puppy and were willing to pay $500 for one found one "cheaper" on the Internet and so instead of one new puppy to raise, you have two!

This may sound extreme but I promise you, its not. Feel free to share with your significant other this post if you'd like, it is really a very dangerous situation to knowingly place your beloved pet into. Read all the books you can and keep asking questions-there are a lot of things that they don't include. For example, after c-sections, most bitches are lacking the necessary hormones that turn on their "good mommy" thoughts and with all the medication necessary to do the surgery, often become aggressive/compulsive with chewing the puppies cords-even though they have already been cut and cleaned. For the first 24 hours, she has to be CLOSELY monitored at all times to be sure that she doesn't savage the puppies in her attempt to satisfy her instincts.

My friend who has been in chihuahuas for 14 years gave me this advice: If you love her, don't breed her. If you feel that you have to, don't breed her. Only if she is an amazing representative of the breed, has come from a bloodline of free-whelping/complication free dogs, and has something special to give to future generations, then consider breeding. Even then, your one and only hope should be for her to survive. Not puppies, not show dogs, not sales. Only that the bitch survives.

I am terrified to breed and only have done so because Tally is an amazingly correct (true to what chihuahuas "should" look like according to our standard), healthy (passed all her checks with flying colors and has a bite that looks like she had braces!), temperamentally sound (outgoing, friendly, tough when she needs to be), and has bloodlines of both extremely healthy and well-producing dogs behind her. I decided not to use my own stud whom I purchased as a foundation dog and have shown to his Championship title, with numerous stud fee offers that I have declined, because at first he wouldn't perform and then an opportunity to breed to an amazing dog who is proven to be a wonderful producer, won many prestigious awards in the world of showing chihuahuas, and above all is the picture of health came along. Counting the pre-breeding checks, exams, stud fee, room alteration (in preparation for the pups), and travel expenses, I have already spent between $800-$1,000-and that is WITHOUT even knowing if Tally is pregnant yet!!!

Just some food for thought on the subject and hopefully it will be helpful to you in making your decision on breeding Chaps and Chloe. Again, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have and am always willing to listen.

Alyssa

[Chaps&Chloe']

Wow and thank you for ALL the information. You would be a great teacher! I really do appreciate your honesty and I did share this with the man of the house. I guess some people do not think about all the factors and nature's course isn't always the right answer.
Thanks again.