The documentary part is completed, the mating has taken place, you must return the completed and signed referral to the club (kennel) within 3 days after the control mating. Based on the referral for mating, the club will register a litter, you must inform the club (kennel) about the birth of puppies within 2 days, indicating the number of puppies, gender and colors. Without a referral for mating, the club (nursery) will not register the litter, i.е. your puppies will not receive papers. Also, on the basis of the terms of payment for mating, fixed in the direction, the club (nursery) controls the timeliness and correctness of the calculation between the owners of the male and female. If one of the owners has violated the terms of calculation, the club has the right not to issue documents for puppies.
On the third day after the birth of the puppies, the club (nursery) employees must inspect the puppies. Inspection of newborn puppies is carried out at the place of residence of the bitch.
The final actuation of the litter is carried out by the club employees at the age of approximately 35-45 days (for example, in our kennel, puppies that have not reached the weight of 3 kg are not actuated). The club issues a general litter card to the owner of the bitch, in which all the shortcomings identified in the puppies are recorded, the puppies without any shortcomings are marked, which in the future can be given a pedigree. In the same period, the branding of puppies is usually carried out. After the sale of the last puppy, the owner of the breeding female is obliged to return the completed general litter card to the club (nursery) within 3 days, if the general mark is not completed and not submitted on time, the puppies of this litter do not receive documents. In addition to the general mark, the club issues a document for the sale of each puppy or a puppy card, this document is a guarantee for the buyer of the puppy that the animal is healthy, meets the breed standard and, upon reaching 6 months, can receive a pedigree (subject to proper rearing and maintenance).

male
American Staffordshire Terrier males are eligible for breeding work at the age of 18 months. To participate in breeding work, a male must have an exhibition rating of at least “excellent”. Males that do not have an exhibition rating for breeding are not allowed. Exhibition evaluation is confirmed annually. In addition to the exhibition evaluation, the Shar-Pei male must have a veterinarian's conclusion that the animal does not have hip dysplasia, confirmed by an x-ray. A dog that does not have a picture and a conclusion from a veterinarian is not allowed to breed.
Before mating, the owner of the dog must agree on the terms of payment for mating.
Immediately before mating, the dog must be well walked, and then washed.
It is not recommended to knit an amstaff male more than once a month. If mating occurs during a hot period, it is advisable to set the time either in the morning or in the evening. The dog is stopped feeding two hours before mating. For a male, especially a young one, not untied, the presence of a mating instructor is very important. A young male approaching a bitch for the first time usually does not know what he is supposed to do. A competent instructor will teach, help, plant, and the owner of the dog must morally support his pet. In no case should you laugh at the mistakes of the dog, or scold the male during mating. Your task is to cheer up the dog, try on the male with the presence of an instructor.
Advice to owners of male puppies. If you want your male to actively mate as an adult (he did cages himself, did not bounce off the female when you approached, etc.), never scold or punish the baby when he “sticks to girls” in the game, it’s better with the help of distract the dog if the owner of the bitch is unhappy, or by mutual agreement, do not pay attention to the games of your pet. It is also necessary to distract the puppy from the female, if she is aggressive, she can snap or bite the baby, so that later, when mating, the male does not bounce off the slightest turn of her partner's head.

Males are ready for mating all year round. In bitches, sexual activity is cyclical and is confined to estrus. Intervals between estrus in bitches may vary: some bitches flow twice a year, others - once every 10 months, and some - once a year. The frequency of estrus can change with age, even in the same bitch. This is a completely normal phenomenon, which should not cause concern to the owner.

During estrus, the bitch should not be exposed to hypothermia and drafts in order to avoid colds and inflammation of the uterus.

For the first mating, the bitch is usually brought on the 11-13th day of estrus, but different bitches may have different days: some successfully knit on the 15-17th day, while others are ready for the 5-8th day. By this time, the discharge becomes almost colorless, and with a slight pressure on the croup, the bitch takes the tail to the side and pulls the loop up.

The atmosphere when meeting dogs depends most often on the temperament and character traits of the dog.

A gallant male can take care of a bitch for some time, lick her ears, trying on, and make several cages. Aggressive, on the contrary, quickly show their intentions, growl and immediately make a cage. Sometimes there are too playful males who are in no hurry to do the main thing, but invite their partner to play first.

A young male is untied on an experienced, balanced and active bitch. His breeding career sometimes depends on this first time.

Beginning breeders and owners of young inexperienced males are advised to invite a reliable instructor who will tell you how to properly prepare the animals and the place for mating, and if necessary, help the dogs.

Mating dogs has its own characteristics. Since the male genital organ has a rather specific structure, during the mating of dogs, the so-called mating occurs.

There may be several reasons why mating does not occur: the old age of the male, his recent illness, etc.

At the moment of mating, the penis of the male protrudes from the prepuce, increasing in size, and becomes very hard. At its base there is a bulb - a thickening, which at the time of ejaculation increases in size and changes its shape to a spherical one. Thus, as a result of compression of the circular muscles of the walls of the vagina of the bitch, a bonding, or lock, is obtained.

If mating goes well, the lock lasts 5-10 minutes, and then the dogs separate on their own. But sometimes the bonding can last up to 1 hour. If the lock does not work, you need to keep the dog on the bitch until he leaves.

When the dogs are in the castle, the male tries to take the most comfortable position. He gradually unfolds, moving first the front and then the hind paw over the back of the bitch. As a result, the partners are standing back to each other. Sometimes the dog needs help to turn around, for example, if the bitch is very tall.

After finishing the mating, you need to blot the bitch's loop with a dry cloth or cotton swab and let her rest in a secluded place. In a male, it is necessary to check that the penis is completely retracted into the prepuce, and the edges of the latter are not wrapped inward. After mating, you need to water the dogs. If on the same day there is another mating, then the dog must be given a rest, and also taken for a walk.

Occasionally it happens that the male penis does not enter the prepuce and remains swollen when the excitement has already subsided.

In this case, you need to make a cold lotion to the dog or lower his penis into a glass of cold water.

A mated female must be protected from accidental matings with other males, since in this case puppies from different fathers may appear.

Mating The owner of the bitch should be well aware of the estrous cycle of his dog and the intervals between them. He must agree in advance with the owner of the dog about the day of mating, discuss the conditions for its implementation and payment for it, which must be documented at the meeting,

Mating and Pregnancy 368 For mating, you need to bring a male to a female during her estrus. Estrus occurs every 5-6 months, mostly in spring and autumn, and lasts 2.5-3, sometimes up to 4 weeks. During the main period of estrus, from the 10th to the 16th day from its beginning (when the excretion begins

Mating The owner of the dog should prepare the room for mating, as usually the bitch is brought to a partner, because he feels more confident in familiar territory. The host is advised to prepare a muzzle, a cup of drinking water and medical vaseline. To the bitch on this day

Mating Males are ready for mating all year round. In bitches, sexual activity is cyclical and is confined to estrus. Intervals between estrus in bitches may vary: some bitches flow twice a year, others - once every 10 months, and some - once a year. The frequency of leaks can

Mating Mating takes place on the territory of the dog. You should prepare well for mating - get a referral to the club, drive out worms before the start of estrus, vaccinate the bitch. Knit only healthy dogs. Usually a bitch is knitted for 12-14 days, but, of course, this is a living creature and that's it.

Mating Mating is recommended to be done on the territory of the cat, as outside of his marked territory the cat will not be able to feel confident enough to cope with the cat, especially if it is aggressive. The mating time is determined by the condition of the cat, since

KNITTING Before starting mating, the cat carefully walks around the cat in a circle. He sniffs her and meows. The cat, in turn, calls the cat with purring sounds and becomes in a special position, falling on its front paws. The cat is marking time or gradually

Knitting Payment for knitting should be agreed in advance. Very often the owner of the bitch simply gives one of the puppies of the resulting litter to the owner of the dog. It is much less common to transfer any amount of money. If the first mating was unsuccessful, but

Knitting So, the day has come when it's time for you to take your dog on a date to the "groom" intended for her. This is exactly the case when the dog should not be washed away, otherwise you can wash off the specific smell with detergents, which the male is guided by, and kill him

Knitting Payment for knitting should be agreed in advance. Very often the owner of the bitch simply gives one of the puppies of the resulting litter to the owner of the dog. It is much less common to transfer any amount. If the first mating was unsuccessful, but has already been

Mating As a rule, mating of two absolutely healthy animals occurs without any help from a person. Therefore, we note only a few non-standard moments. Firstly, some cats, when moving to a new apartment, “forget” why they came. It's getting

Mating For mating, cats are delivered to cats, and not vice versa. The female should calmly get acquainted with the new smells and the smell of the future partner, and then get to know him. From this moment begins the period of courtship, the duration of which depends not only on

Some will probably be very skeptical about the need to devote pages to the issue of breeding dogs. Most have a strong belief that nothing more than leaving two dogs alone is required and everything will be fine. However, many of my acquaintances, unfortunately not without damage to themselves, were convinced that this was not so.
Under normal circumstances, most males and females can mate as nature intended without assistance. Nevertheless, matings must be observed, at least from a distance: firstly, to make sure that the mating has taken place and, secondly, so that the dogs do not somehow hurt each other. Dogs living in the same kennel usually mate without any difficulty.
Breeding males of the American Staffordshire Terrier can be divided into two types:
The first type is an active and experienced male who does not require any preliminary ceremonies and does his job in a businesslike and without fuss. Dogs of this type need to be restrained a little, especially with a nervous bitch or with a bitch that is bred for the first time. It is pleasant and easy to manage such active and business males.
The second type are dogs of moderate temperament who approach work in a sensitive manner. Such a male needs to get to know the bitch and be groomed a little, but when he is ready, he will mount, do his job. will tie any bitch brought to him, regardless of her character or size.

Place of mating
The general rule is that the male is mated in his usual surroundings, and the female is brought to him. It is better if the breeding male is always knitted in the same pen or room. The dog then quickly learns that this particular place is intended for such a case. The chosen place should be as free as possible. If the staffs are large and are knitted on the floor, it is important that there is enough light from the window, electric lighting may be needed on dark days, especially if knitting is difficult. It is also important that both the door and the window are locked, and that the room is warm enough.
The floor in the room should be one that is easy to clean and not slippery. Many people use rubber mats to keep dogs from slipping.
Many matings fail because the owners of the dogs are in too much of a hurry and do not think about the feelings and characters of the dogs themselves.
Before introducing a dog and a bitch to each other, you need to examine the bitch, check how ready she is. The best way to introduce two unfamiliar dogs to each other is to walk them on leashes.
As soon as the owners see that the dogs are interested in each other, they should be taken to the mating room on leather leashes where they should be introduced to each other again. If the bitch needs to be muzzled, which is rare, the muzzle should be put on immediately before the second introduction to the male.
Some timid bitches try to hide when introduced, they growl and show their teeth, but usually if the bitch is ready, and the owner and instructor are not in a hurry to finish everything faster and give her more time to get acquainted, she will normally accept the dog. If, despite all the efforts, she continues to resist, then either the bitch is not ready, or the mating time has already passed.
knitting
So, when the bitch is ready, she will let the dog mount and he will probably make several attempts, looking for the hole of the loop with his penis. When the male is sufficiently stimulated, he continues the rhythmic movements until he suddenly penetrates the vagina. Then the male makes a series of strong pushing movements. The skin of the prepuce is pushed back behind the bulb and, if all goes well, the mating proceeds normally and the male is “attached” to the bitch with the vaginal constrictor muscle.
At this stage, the bitch may become very agitated and want to move. At this time, the owner should calm her down by talking to her, holding her in place. The bitch's owner or instructor's assistant must be prepared to prevent the bitch from crouching. The instructor and his assistants must also ensure that the dog and bitch do not try to pull in different directions. The male produces frantic dancing movements with his hind legs, alternately stepping with them. It is at this stage that sperm ejaculation occurs. After that, the male will rest breathing heavily on the back of the "poor" bitch. grabbing her with her front paws. He will put his head on her neck, he can also lick her ears and eyes, thus expressing his love and gratitude.
Breeding males show their individual characteristics during mating. Some, for example, young ones, often burp when excited, others try to push off with their hind legs from the bitch and run away, others lie down on the floor and take a nap, well, in general, like many “two-legged men”. Everything is very individual. Helpers should talk to the dogs, the one who helps the dog should prevent the dog from trying to get off the bitch too early, you should first make sure that the “lock” is really there.
At this time, the male usually becomes restless and wants to get off the bitch. Dogs may prefer to stand side by side, but usually male and female turn in different directions. To make it comfortable for the dogs to stand in the “castle”, you need to move only one front paw of the dog over the back of the bitch. Then he will stand on all four legs.
It is important that in any position neither dog nor bitch attempt to pull to separate, especially with a pull, as this can injure the dogs, especially the dog.
Normally, the “lock” can last from 5 to 40 minutes, but it happens that such a state lasts only a few seconds or about an hour. It is not so important that there must be a “lock”, fertilization can occur without it, but if there is no lock, you should try to keep the dog in the bitch, if possible, for at least 5 minutes. As soon as the “lock” has turned out, the assistants can get comfortable sit on the chairs, but everyone must continue to hold "their" dog. The excitation of the dogs by this time already passes and both soon become calm and passive.
During the castle, the bitch should not be allowed to sit down and, of course, lie down, as she can damage the male's penis. During the lock, some bitches can be observed twitching of the skin and undulating contraction of the abdominal muscles. some bitches may salivate at this time, sometimes become very aroused and scream a little with pleasure, or may close their eyes, licking their lips with an extremely satisfied look. The male usually alerts the ears, the bitch lays them back. When a male mounts, if he is very sensitive, he often licks the bitch, sniffs in her ear! and if she turns her head in approval, licks her eyes and tells her how much he loves her.

After mating
As soon as the bitch releases the dog, make sure that his penis is back to normal and everything is covered by the skin of the prepuce. After mating, the males should be allowed to rest, but at the same time separated from other dogs. If you let him run with other dogs, then the males will immediately find out that he knitted a bitch, they will become jealous and a serious fight may arise.
The dog must be washed after mating, either with chamomile or potassium permanganate and other means recommended by the doctor.
Immediately after mating, the bitch should be wiped dry and placed in a secluded place where she can rest. She does not need to be disturbed for at least two hours. It is better to walk the bitch one or two hours after mating. If the bitch came from afar, then it is advisable to postpone her departure home until the next day.

Complications in mating
Sometimes a too excited male rushes and misses, not getting into the bitch's loop; or it happens that immediately after the penetration of the penis, the bitch will make a sharp movement and it will come out. The penis will be exposed, the bulb will be enlarged, and the sperm will be erupted outward. In this case, the dog can be allowed to mount again, he will continue to swing, while the penis will quickly return to its normal size and fall into place. But more often males do not want to mount in this position, then you need to help the male because the exposed mucous membrane of the penis dries out very quickly and can crack until the penis decreases and hides in the skin of the prepuce. In these cases, you can moisten a piece of cloth with cold boiled water and apply it very carefully. This prevents drying, helps reduce the swollen organ and the penis returns to the prepuce faster.
There is a faster method, which is more effective and does not cause discomfort to the dog. When mating dogs, you should always have a small jar 20 cm high filled with cooled boiled water at the ready. If the penis is exposed before or after mating and does not immediately return to the prepuce, then the entire exposed part must be immersed in a jar of cold water for 1-2 seconds. The penis immediately contracts and quickly returns to its place..
If the mating is not complete but the penis is back in place, the male will usually actively try to mount again and will mate quickly and without difficulty. In some cases, though, you have to give an hour or two to the male to rest.
Sometimes, after mating, the head of the penis does not return to the preputial sac, and if it is left without noticing, it can be very strong; swell from edema, which will cause severe pain to the dog. The male should always be examined after mating to make sure that everything is back to normal.
Some females become very excited during mating, sink to their elbows, squirm or lie down, may whine and even squeal. In these cases, the bitch must be held firmly, as she can damage the male. A bitch and a male should never be left unattended in the castle, as the bitch may move forward, drag the male along with her and thus cause him serious injury.
It is very important not to change the position of the dog on the bitch until the prepuce is completely retracted behind the bulb, otherwise any movement will cause excruciating pain to the dog.

Breeding

Breeding of American Staffordshire Terriers is mainly based on inbreeding and is carried out along the line.

Inbreeding is the process of crossing close relatives - a daughter with a father, a son with a mother, a brother with a sister, or a brother and sister from one of the parents. This method is used to create strong lines and families in the breed with the consolidation of the desired qualities. When inbreeding, a very strict selection of producers is important.

This method is very difficult to apply, so it is only used by professionals who know the gene pool of their sires and can use it creatively.

In kennels, inbreeding of American Staffordshire Terriers is mainly used.

A line is a crossing of dogs that are distantly related through an existing common ancestor. It is necessary that the common ancestor of the producers was at least in the third generation. It must have excellent genotype and phenotype and high prepotency.

Prepotency is the ability of a male to sustainably transmit important hereditary qualities to offspring. This crossing is also called linebreeding.

Linebreeding is a natural ally of inbreeding in breeding work with a breed. With linear crossing of high-bred producers, the offspring in most cases increases viability.

The combination of inbreeding and linebreeding is optimal for breeding work with dogs.

From time to time, when breeding, there is a need for a rush of fresh blood into the line. Then an auxiliary crossing method is used - outcrossing. It involves the selection of pairs in such a way that they do not have common ancestors in 4-5 generations. However, sires must be obtained by line crossing, and their selection is made taking into account the shortcomings inherent in each line.

Puberty in American Staffordshire Terriers occurs at the age of 8-9 months, but they can only be allowed to mate when the dog's body is completely mature.

It is absolutely not necessary to knit a bitch until this moment, since by the time the first estrus begins, she has not yet formed and pregnancy will be an unbearable burden for a young dog. As a result, you will have to do a caesarean section or remove the uterus, and you will have to put an end to the career of a producer.

In males, the formation of spermatozoa also begins with the onset of puberty. This period is individual both for individuals and for different breeds. Normally, a small amount of sperm is excreted in the urine before puberty. But real ejaculation first occurs at 8-10 months. During this period, the seminal fluid is still poor in spermatozoa and, moreover, it contains many immature germ cells incapable of fertilization. Therefore, it is most correct and effective to start untying a male no earlier than 12 months, which is stipulated by the rules of the RKF. Regular use of the dog begins much later.

It is allowed to knit a bitch up to 8 years. In Germany, a bitch can only be bred once a year. In Austria, each club decides these issues on its own.

The provision on breeding in Russia and in other countries may differ. So, in Russia, bitches can be bred for the first time no earlier than 15 months, in Switzerland - at 14, and in 2 years from a bitch you can get no more than 3 litters.

Vaccinated, clinically healthy animals that have reached age, sexual and physical maturity, with normal fatness are allowed for mating (the last 2 pairs of ribs should be felt in dogs).

Breeding animals must have documents of origin (pedigree) and show grades allowing them to participate in breeding. In his club, the owner of the bitch receives a mating act, which contains all the necessary data about both producers.

Dog owners agree in advance on the time and conditions of mating, which are also recorded in the act. The deed must be signed by both parties.

In the RKF system, after paying for the mating, the owner of the sire issues a special stamp with his signature to the owner of the sire. This brand is pasted on the mating act. Without a stamp, the mating act is invalid.

The use of a dog, especially a male, in breeding is preceded by serious preparation. A male should be exhibited a lot and successfully in order for breeders to pay attention to him when choosing a stud.

And one more piece of advice: the issue of knitting should be approached consciously, carefully weighing all the pros and cons. Mating animals, childbirth, nursing and raising puppies, education, deworming and vaccinations, photography and advertising - this and much more requires a lot of money - material, physical and moral.

The owner of the dog should prepare the room for mating, as usually the bitch is brought to a partner, because he feels more confident in familiar territory. But on this day, the bitch also needs to be treated with delicacy so that she does not worry and is not nervous. The excitement of the owner can be transmitted to the dog, since during this period it is especially sensitive.

Before mating, the bitch needs to wash the genitals with a solution of rivanol.

In order for the dog's paws not to slip, the floor in the mating room must be covered with a mat or rug. The host is advised to prepare a muzzle, a cup of drinking water and medical vaseline. Both partners must be walked before mating, and their last feeding should be carried out no later than 3-4 hours before it.

Dogs can be knitted in 2 ways: free and manual.

Before mating, care must be taken to protect the dogs from any stressful situations, otherwise they will behave restlessly, which will negatively affect the crossing process.

Freestyle knitting is held when the male is already experienced enough, and the bitch shows her interest. Nevertheless, mating by this method should be carried out in the presence and under the supervision of the owners. Quite often, dogs need help - critical moments during mating are not uncommon. For example, a bitch can rush when she and a male are in the castle, and injure him with her careless movement.

Hand knitting carried out in the presence of the owners of dogs. They have been helping their pets from the very beginning. The presence of a specialist or a veterinarian is also necessary if this is the first mating for one of the partners.

If the bitch is aggressive, muzzle her and use a short leash to keep her temperament in check. The owner must hold such a bitch by the collar at the time of mounting the dog.

If the dog is timid or fussing too much and he does not succeed, it is not recommended to force or try to cheer him up by shouting and pushing. It is necessary to take the bitch out of the room for a while so that the dog rests and calms down.

In the case when the bitch is much lighter than the male, for his successful mounting, the owner can support her with his knee under the stomach, but as far as possible from the genitals.

Sometimes a male refuses to mate

If none of the several attempts of the male is successful, then the dogs need to be bred. It is possible that they are in pain, as the bitch does not have enough lubrication. In this case, the bitch's loop must be lubricated with petroleum jelly. But it may turn out that she has an abnormal vaginal structure, which can only be detected during an examination by a veterinarian.

A male dog may also refuse to mate if, when trying to help, the owner touches his penis with his hands.

With a significant difference in height between partners, you need to help the male get into the loop by placing the bitch in a position convenient for him. For example, a short dog can be raised a little.

Males are ready for mating all year round. In bitches, sexual activity is cyclical and is confined to estrus. Intervals between estrus in bitches may vary: some bitches flow twice a year, others - once every 10 months, and some - once a year. The frequency of estrus can change with age, even in the same bitch. This is a completely normal phenomenon, which should not cause concern to the owner.

During estrus, the bitch should not be exposed to hypothermia and drafts in order to avoid colds and inflammation of the uterus.

For the first mating, the bitch is usually brought on the 11-13th day of estrus, but different bitches may have different days: some successfully knit on the 15-17th day, while others are ready for the 5-8th day. By this time, the discharge becomes almost colorless, and with a slight pressure on the croup, the bitch takes the tail to the side and pulls the loop up.

The atmosphere when meeting dogs depends most often on the temperament and character traits of the dog.

A gallant male can take care of a bitch for some time, lick her ears, trying on, and make several cages. Aggressive, on the contrary, quickly show their intentions, growl and immediately make a cage. Sometimes there are too playful males who are in no hurry to do the main thing, but invite their partner to play first.

A young male is untied on an experienced, balanced and active bitch. His breeding career sometimes depends on this first time.

Beginning breeders and owners of young inexperienced males are advised to invite a reliable instructor who will tell you how to properly prepare the animals and the place for mating, and if necessary, help the dogs.

Mating dogs has its own characteristics. Since the male genital organ has a rather specific structure, during the mating of dogs, the so-called mating occurs.

There may be several reasons why mating does not occur: the old age of the male, his recent illness, etc.

At the moment of mating, the penis of the male protrudes from the prepuce, increasing in size, and becomes very hard. At its base there is a bulb - a thickening, which at the time of ejaculation increases in size and changes its shape to a spherical one. Thus, as a result of compression of the circular muscles of the walls of the vagina of the bitch, a bonding, or lock, is obtained.

If mating goes well, the lock lasts 5-10 minutes, and then the dogs separate on their own. But sometimes the bonding can last up to 1 hour. If the lock does not work, you need to keep the dog on the bitch until he leaves.

When the dogs are in the castle, the male tries to take the most comfortable position. He gradually unfolds, moving first the front and then the hind paw over the back of the bitch. As a result, the partners are standing back to each other. Sometimes the dog needs help to turn around, for example, if the bitch is very tall.

After finishing the mating, you need to blot the bitch's loop with a dry cloth or cotton swab and let her rest in a secluded place. In a male, it is necessary to check that the penis is completely retracted into the prepuce, and the edges of the latter are not wrapped inward. After mating, you need to water the dogs. If on the same day there is another mating, then the dog must be given a rest, and also taken for a walk.

Occasionally it happens that the male penis does not enter the prepuce and remains swollen when the excitement has already subsided.

In this case, you need to make a cold lotion to the dog or lower his penis into a glass of cold water.

A mated female must be protected from accidental matings with other males, since in this case puppies from different fathers may appear.

In the first 3 weeks of pregnancy, the increase in body weight of the fetus is insignificant, therefore, during this period, you can not change the conditions of the pet.

Usually they keep the mode of walking and eating that the dog had before pregnancy. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the sensitivity of the fruit to various chemicals and infectious diseases.

In order for the pregnancy to proceed without complications, it is necessary to exclude the dog from staying with sick animals, and also not to treat your pet with toxic agents. In the event that the dog was initially overweight, it is necessary to reduce the amount of cereals and bread products in its diet. The number of calories is usually replenished by greens and vegetables rich in proteins.

In the 1st month of pregnancy, the appearance and behavior of the dog remain unchanged, however, some individuals are very thirsty and excessively sleepy a few days after mating.

The dog's diet includes 2 feedings a day (morning and evening). Among the main products that should be included in the dog's diet during this period, raw meat, boiled liver, cottage cheese, cereals cooked in milk, pureed vegetables and herbs, finely chopped and mixed with a small amount of vegetable oil, should be distinguished. As an addition, we can recommend boiled boneless sea fish.

A pregnant dog needs good maintenance so that future puppies are healthy and active.

Meat products with a high mineral content, such as cartilage, tendons, chicken breasts, wings and heads, are also necessary in the dog's diet, as are the foods listed above.

It is known that at the beginning of pregnancy, a dog needs at least 35 g of calcium and up to 25 g of phosphorus per day per 1 kg of body weight. In order to make up for the lack of these substances in the body of a dog, it is necessary to use calcium gluconate or calcium glycerophosphate in tablets or powders. If only calcium gluconate is used, then it must be given to the dog in combination with phytin (1 tablet of phytin for 2 tablets of calcium gluconate).

In addition to the above drugs, a pregnant dog should receive vitamins A, B 1 , B 3 , trivit or tetravit in doses prescribed by a veterinarian.

In the period from the 4th to the 6th week of pregnancy, it is necessary to show the dog to the doctor, since already at this time he will be able to determine the number of puppies born. By this time, the number of feedings increases to 3 times a day, and meat, fish and cottage cheese must be included in the daily portion.

The correct development of the fetus is facilitated by the constant inclusion of liquid milk porridges and soups with the addition of a dry raspberry leaf in the dog's diet. Mineral supplementation increases first by 1.5, and by the 6th week by 2 times.

After the 6th week, sudden movements should be avoided and active games should be excluded. Walks can be made for a long time, but if the dog gets tired quickly, their number must be reduced.

As a mineral supplement on the 31st-60th day of pregnancy, bone meal can be recommended in the amount of 2 tbsp. spoons a day. It is also necessary to give the dog 5-6 drops of vitamin A. It is unacceptable to feed the dog heavily, as this can lead to complications during childbirth.

It is necessary to ensure that the pregnant bitch does not swim in the reservoirs and does not fight. It is better to choose a quiet place for walking and focus primarily on the well-being of the dog.

After 7-8 weeks, the daily food intake is divided into 4 times. In order to prevent the development of constipation, bones and tendons should be excluded from the diet.

In the second half of pregnancy, the appearance of the dog changes significantly as a result of the lowering of the groin. Usually the animal loses its appetite, quickly gets tired during walks. The duration of walks should be increased only before the very birth.

Starting from the 45th day, it is necessary to introduce calcined cottage cheese into the dog's diet or give it 1 tbsp with milk. spoonful of calcium chloride.

The number of walks is determined by the condition of the dog. If she asks to go outside at night, it is necessary to take her out, because in recent weeks the pregnant uterus presses hard on the bladder.

A few days before giving birth, a pregnant bitch's nipples swell and colostrum appears.

Throughout pregnancy, the dog may experience nausea and refusal to eat. The latter is sometimes associated with intolerance to certain products. In the event that bloody or greenish discharge from the loop appears, it is urgent to consult a veterinarian.

It is necessary to allocate a room in the house where the dog will give birth, and also prepare a special place in it. The dog will occupy this room for about 3 weeks, since it needs to be transferred to the prepared room about 7-10 days before the birth and left for another 14 days after them.

For the convenience of the dog, you can make a special box for childbirth. It can be of any design, but it is desirable that one of the boards be removable for ease of cleaning and caring for puppies.

The box is made to the size of the bitch, as many of them rest their paws against the walls during childbirth to facilitate the process. The material for the maternity box should be selected that is easy to clean and does not absorb odor after disinfection.

A ledge must be made around the perimeter of the birthing box so that the dog does not accidentally press the crawling puppies against the wall.

Immediately before giving birth, you need to line the bottom of the box with oilcloth, and put a bedding of old fabric on top, which can then be thrown away.

It is undesirable to transfer the dog to the place of birth at the last moment: she may not accept it, get nervous and give birth where she likes, which is inconvenient for the owner. The bitch must get used to the new place, so she is arranged there no later than 1 week before the birth.

The place in the room where the delivery box is placed should be dry and clean, protected from drafts and direct sunlight. It is recommended to keep the temperature at 28-30 ° C so that newborn puppies do not catch a cold.

In the cold season, it is necessary to provide additional heating of the maternity box. For this purpose, an infrared lamp with a height regulator is best suited, which must be positioned so that the hand feels warm at the level of the birthing area.

During childbirth, there should be no strangers or animals in the room that can unnerve the bitch. In addition, sometimes dogs, having given birth to the first puppy, begin to protect him, showing aggressiveness.

About a month before giving birth, the dog's belly increases. When 3 weeks remain before delivery, vaginal edema begins and outflows appear. The female mammary glands swell 10-15 days before birth.

One of the indicators of the approaching birth is a change in the behavior of the dog. 1 week before delivery, she begins to get nervous, look for a place, and may refuse to eat. In this case, she needs to be fed in small portions and check the condition of the feces. If its color turns yellowish or dark green, and the smell is extremely unpleasant, the dog should be urgently taken to the veterinarian.

A decrease in body temperature is also a sign that childbirth is close, so starting from the 57th day of pregnancy, you need to measure the temperature of the dog in the morning and evening. For a female Staffordshire Terrier, the normal temperature is 38.5 ° C, but as soon as it drops to 36.5-37 ° C, it means that no more than 24 hours are left before the birth.

An increase in temperature to 39 ° C shows that not everything is fine with the dog, so you need to urgently call a doctor. Sometimes this condition of the bitch is a sign of the death of the fetus.

Milk appears in a dog when 2 to 3 days remain before delivery.

2-3 days before the birth, you need to exclude fish and meat products from the dog's diet and reduce the salt rate. If this is not done, it is possible to provoke eclampsia in the bitch, to which many of them are subject.

Eclampsia can be congenital, but it can also occur if the bitch's diet in the last week of pregnancy contained a difficult-to-digest protein. Symptoms of eclampsia are seizures, high blood pressure and swelling.

Childbirth in dogs can proceed in different ways. If the bitch is experienced, she will do everything herself, and the person will only need to follow the process.

But even with the normal course of childbirth, the dog often needs help, especially for the first time. If complications occur during childbirth, veterinary assistance may be required. It is advisable to show the dog to the doctor in advance if there is a suspicion of the possibility of problems during childbirth. No matter how the dog gives birth, you must be prepared for any situation and know how to act in this or that case.

Before the start of childbirth, you should prepare and place a table next to the delivery box, on which should be:

Disinfected gauze pads and towels;

Large oilcloth;

Thermometer for checking the temperature in the delivery box;

Disinfectant solution for hands;

Cuvette with disinfectant solution for instruments;

Sterile vaseline;

Oxytocin in ampoules;

Iodine or brilliant green;

Puppy box and heating pad;

Scales for weighing puppies;

Scissors with rounded ends for cutting the umbilical cord;

Sterile harsh threads for tying the umbilical cord;

Woolen threads of different colors or bottles of multi-colored varnish in order to mark puppies;

Pen and table for recording data on born puppies;

Phone number of the veterinarian;

Staffordshire terrier in maternity overalls

Goat milk;

Light meat broth or sweet tea with milk (to the taste of the dog);

Postpartum jumpsuit that protects the bitch's nipples from cold, dirt and dust if she needs to be taken outside.

A few days before the birth, it is recommended to have a special notebook and draw a table on its first page in which data on the born puppies must be entered. In the future, this notebook will become a diary of observations of the development of babies.

The table should be divided into several columns:

Puppy birth time floor;

Body mass;

Biotonus;

In the event that the owner intends to help the dog during childbirth, before the start of contractions, he should cut his fingernails, wash them with soap and wipe with a 0.1% solution of iodized alcohol.

The presence of an afterbirth;

The number and color of the thread with which the puppy is marked;

Dewclaws;

Notes on individual characteristics.

There should always be a bowl of water near the dog's delivery box. Before the onset of childbirth, the bitch must be prepared: wash the croup, perineum and external genitalia with warm water and soap, and then treat with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1: 1000) or furacilin (1: 5000).

¦ STATE OF THE DOG DURING LABOR

Just before the start of labor, the dog seeks solitude, scratching and digging the litter, trying to make a nest for itself. She breathes often and heavily, lies without getting up, refuses to eat, is nervous, her body muscles tremble finely and the stirring of the fetuses becomes visible.

The temperature of the bitch decreases in the last days before childbirth and rises during childbirth, which can last from 3 to 12 hours. The dog reaches its maximum temperature at the time of the birth of the last puppy.

Temperature measurements should be taken every 12 hours during the week: 4 days before delivery and 3 days after them.

The birth process is divided into 3 periods:

Preparatory;

removal of the fetus;

Postpartum.

The preparatory period, as a rule, lasts from 6 to 30 hours and is accompanied by contractions - contractions of the muscles of the uterus. Under their influence, the opening of the cervical canal occurs, into which the presenting fetal bladder is then introduced. The course of this process is invisible from the outside.

If the birth of the first puppy is delayed, do not try to speed it up. This process should take place naturally.

The beginning of the period of excretion of the fetus is considered to be the full disclosure of the cervix. Rhythmic contractions and later attempts (contractions of the muscles of the abdominal wall) force the presenting fetus to move into the birth canal to be brought out.

Puppies can be born head first or pelvis forward depending on the presentation. The fetal bladder ruptures during passage through the birth canal or after exiting. The bitch bites the puppy's umbilical cord, releases it from the membranes, licks it, massaging it and stimulating blood circulation and breathing.

The use of drugs that cause uterine contraction can lead to its rupture, as it is in good shape.

Immediately after the fetus is released, the placenta is released, which the bitch eats. Sometimes the afterbirth is delayed and comes out after the next puppy.

The afterbirth is rich in biologically active substances that are necessary for the bitch to continue childbirth and lactation, that is, to produce milk. Outwardly, the placenta resembles a piece of raw liver.

Sometimes dogs giving birth for the first time may feel the urge to eat the puppies while licking them. This behavior is a consequence of birth shock and does not last more than a few hours. The owner must be prepared for such a situation in order to protect newborns. To avoid possible troubles, it is necessary to stay near the puppies for 1 day after their birth.

It is not necessary to allow the dog to eat all the afterbirth, as this may cause black diarrhea with a sharp unpleasant odor. For the normal functioning of the body, it is enough for a bitch to eat 1-2 placenta.

The duration of a normal birth in a dog depends on various factors. Each subsequent puppy is born 1-10 minutes after the previous one. Sometimes the interval between the appearance of babies can reach 1 hour. All births last from 3 to 12 hours.

If more than 2 hours have passed since the release of the last puppy, we can assume that the birth is over.

It often happens that the last placenta comes out within 15-60 minutes after the appearance of the puppy. At this time, you can give the bitch an injection of oxytocin, calculating the dose depending on her body weight. Under the influence of the medicine, the uterus will contract, and the expulsion of the remaining placenta will be easier and faster.

Discharge from the uterus in the first days of the postpartum period has a greenish-brown and reddish color, then they become light and viscous, after 7-8 days they become transparent, and after 20 they stop completely. Sometimes the discharge lasts about 1 month.

If the dog has complications during childbirth, you must be ready to help her. If there is a delay in the fetus, which has already appeared from the genital gap, you need to help the bitch in a way that depends on the presentation of the fetus.

¦ HEAD PRESENTATION

In this case, you need to gently pull the puppy by the head and paws or by the folds of skin on both sides of the fetal neck in time with contractions and attempts. You should measure your efforts when removing the puppy, acting slowly and carefully, shaking the fetus to the right and left. You can not pull hard on the head, so as not to damage the puppy's spinal cord. The paws of the fetus bent at the shoulder joints can be easily straightened by picking up the bent index finger. It is good to capture the parts of the puppy that have appeared with a gauze napkin.

¦ PELCH PRESENTATION

This position is dangerous for the puppy, so you should hurry to help, otherwise he may die from asphyxia due to prolonged squeezing of the umbilical cord. You need to pull the fetus by the hind legs and tail or the skin of the knee folds, depending on how far it has come out of the genital gap of the bitch.

If dryness of the birth canal is observed, then the mucous membrane should be lubricated with sterile vaseline or vaseline oil should be poured in using a syringe or rubber catheter.

If the dog is very tired during childbirth, you can try to take it outside so that it frees the intestines and bladder. However, one must be prepared for the fact that the bitch can give birth to a puppy on the go. Therefore, you need to take a dry towel with you to pick up the puppy. In cold weather, the dog must be taken out in a postpartum overall, otherwise it may catch a cold.

When the dog’s efforts are weakened or stopped during childbirth due to fatigue (many puppies), you need to support her strength by letting her drink warm broth or sweet tea with milk. However, you should not give a lot of tea to a dog, as this can increase milk production, and newborn puppies will not be able to suck a large amount. Due to excess milk in a bitch, the mammary glands may become inflamed and mastitis may begin.

All other cases of obstetric care for a dog in labor require professional skills. Only a veterinarian can correctly assess the problem and make the right decision.

It sometimes happens that dogs, especially those giving birth for the first time, do not know what to do with puppies that they have just given birth to. In this case, you will have to help the kids.

Puppies in their first week of life

The same assistance should be given to puppies if the bitch is very tired due to prolonged contractions or the birth proceeds so quickly that she does not have time to handle all the newborns.

In such cases, you need to carefully and quickly open the fetal membrane in the puppy's head and remove mucus from the mouth and nasal openings of the newborn so that he does not die from suffocation. Mucus is removed with a gauze swab.

Then you need to lift the umbilical cord so that all the liquid that is in it is glassed to the puppy. This substance is rich in useful substances necessary for the baby.

Then you need to tie the umbilical cord with a sterile harsh thread no closer than 2 cm from the belly of the newborn and cut it over the dressing. A long umbilical cord should not be left, as a puppy can step on it and develop an umbilical hernia.

After bandaging the umbilical cord, the puppy should be wiped with a towel and given a massage that stimulates breathing and blood circulation. If the puppy is not breathing or his breathing is difficult, you should take the baby in your arms, fix his head with your fingers and shake the puppy with sharp downward movements to clear the airways of mucus. Almost immediately, the puppy will begin to snort and squeal.

An umbilical hernia can be treated

on one's own. To do this, stick a flat solid object of a suitable size to the hernia site with adhesive tape. After a while, the hernia may disappear. If this does not happen, then the puppy needs to be operated on.

There is another way to help the puppy in this situation: you need to open his mouth and remove the mucus with a piece of gauze rolled into a thin tube.

Occasionally, a newborn puppy may have a tongue that needs to be pulled out.

A lethargic puppy with weak breathing should be massaged with light pressure on the ribs in a frequent rhythm, about 2-3 times per second. If this does not help, then in extreme cases, you can moisten the back of the baby's head with cold water, repeat the massage and rub his body with a dry towel.

A newborn puppy must be attached to the mother's nipple, after massaging it so that colostrum appears, and wait until the baby begins to suck. When the puppy has eaten, you should wrap it in a dry cloth and put it in a box, which should be positioned so that the giving birth dog can see its cubs.

Sucking milk and the presence of puppies stimulate the process of childbirth. The squeak of babies that the dog sees does not unnerve her.

Immediately before childbirth or during their course, the bitch produces colostrum, which is necessary for newborn puppies. Babies need to be applied to the mother's nipples in turn, so that the first feeding occurs without competition.

It is important that each puppy receives the same amount of colostrum, which should be as large as possible. In the first 6 hours of life, the baby absorbs the greatest amount of antibodies from colostrum, and later on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines will not allow them to enter the puppy's body.

Sometimes it happens that the dog has not yet begun lactation by the time of birth. In this case, each puppy should be pipetted with goat's milk or a specially prepared solution of a double portion of powdered milk. A few drops are enough for a newborn. Although artificial nutrition will not replace mother's milk, it will help weak puppies bounce back.

There is an opinion that at the birth of each puppy, all the babies that appeared before him should be put back to the mother. This is quite tiring, but the bitch calmly gives birth to the next puppy, without being nervous or distracted.

If the birth proceeded normally, then after their completion it remains only to make sure that all the puppies are alive, processed and sucking milk.

When the birth is over, you should take the bitch out for a walk, then you need to wash her genitals with warm water so that the amniotic fluid does not irritate the mucous membrane, and wipe it dry with a towel. Then the dog must be sent to feed the puppies and make sure that they all eat.

While walking the dog, someone should clean up the maternity box and change the bedding.

Some bitches show symptoms of postpartum tetany after giving birth. The dog behaves very restlessly: it constantly gets up and lies down, leaves the puppies, changes its bed, sniffs, breathes rapidly, its movements are constrained. All this is accompanied by convulsions, small muscle tremors, severe fright, saliva flow from the mouth.

Staffordshire Terrier puppies

This state can last from several hours to days. When the attack weakens, the dog revives and makes attempts to get up. When the attack intensifies, she continues to lie with a fixed look, while refusing to eat and stops defecation.

In this case, the dog needs urgent medical attention. It is necessary to wrap it up warmly, apply a heating pad to the limbs, give about 30 drops of valocardin or Corvalol and immediately call the veterinarian, regardless of the time of day.

If a doctor cannot be called, the owner himself must administer the medicine to the bitch. It is necessary to inject 10% calcium gluconate solution (from 2 to 5 ml depending on the body weight of the dog) and 25% magnesium sulfate solution (4 ml) intramuscularly. Sulfocamphocaine and cordiamine (0.5-2 ml) are injected subcutaneously.

To prevent tetany, you should feed the pregnant bitch with food containing a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins, exclude raw meat from the diet in the last week before giving birth and start giving it again only a week after giving birth. As a preventive measure for this disease, sunbathing and an increase in the rate of calcium in mineral supplements are useful for a dog.

In the 1st week after giving birth, the dog should be taken outside on demand. After walking, the dog's paws should be thoroughly washed and the nipples should be wiped with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The nipples of a nursing bitch generally need constant care: they need to be carefully examined every day in order to detect cracks or symptoms of mastitis in time. Dressings with synthomycin emulsion should be used when cracks in the nipples are found.

Within 2-3 days after birth, the bitch may not have an appetite, but she should be fed after 6-8 hours. On these days, the dog should have constant access to water.

Feeding the dog in the following days of the 1st week should be done 4 times a day. The diet should include vitamin and mineral supplements. You need to feed the bitch mainly with liquid food: milk, cottage cheese, liquid cereals, with good tolerance, you can give fermented milk products. Meat soup with cereals and boiled meat should be included in the diet in small portions and gradually.

In the 2nd week, the bitch can begin to give raw meat in small pieces.

The daily nutrient requirement of a lactating bitch is:

90 g of proteins;

20 g fat;

A lactating dog needs a balanced diet

When feeding 8 puppies, a dog needs at least three times the amount of calories. A lactating bitch spends a large amount of all her nutrients on milk production, so her food should be high-calorie, liquid and plentiful.

150 g of easily digestible carbohydrates;

70 g fiber.

In the 3rd week, the dog's feeding should become more varied and plentiful so that both she and the puppies can get enough nutrients.

Since bitches differ in the quantity and quality of their milk production, their nutritional requirements may deviate from the average and must be calculated individually.

The calculation of the amount of food for a lactating bitch is made depending on the number of puppies she feeds.

If the dog is feeding 4 puppies, the amount of food should be increased by 2 times and its quality should be improved in comparison with the usual needs of the dog.

Puppies will lag behind in development if their mother does not receive proper nutrition. A lactating bitch should be fed 3-4 times a day depending on her condition and how many puppies she has.

In order to fully satisfy the need of a lactating bitch for minerals and vitamins, bone meal, 0.5 teaspoon of a mineral mixture 2-3 times a day, herbs, fresh vegetables and vitamin preparations should be included in her diet.

By the time the puppies are distributed, their mother should be allowed to the babies only so that they suck her milk and make sure that they are all right. Puppies must be given away gradually, otherwise the dog will be seriously stressed.

It is useful to give a lactating dog 1 tablet of ascorbic acid with glucose every day. To increase lactation, she can be given 1 walnut 3 times a day and 0.5-1 tablet of apilac, which is a biogenic stimulant.

Between the 4th and 6th weeks postpartum, as the puppies begin to receive complementary foods, you can begin to reduce the amount of food for the bitch, but do not reduce her calorie content.

You should gradually reduce the amount of liquid consumed by the dog in order to reduce lactation, and for its complete cessation, you need to not feed the bitch for 1 day and limit her to drink. At this time, the dog needs to lightly massage the nipples 2-3 times a day, lubricating them with camphor oil with vitamin A, and apply a warm towel. It is also useful for stopping the production of milk to increase the dog's physical activity.

The American Staffordshire Terrier is a very prolific dog. In one litter of a young bitch there can be up to 10-14 puppies. Breeders believe that a fully fed bitch can feed up to 6 puppies. Therefore, dog breeders rarely leave more babies, and even then only when there are serious reasons for this (elite line, even healthy litter) and there are funds and time.

Thus, the culling of puppies is carried out not only to remove unwanted, weakened individuals with unfavorable characteristics from reproduction, but also for economic reasons.

If the rejection is forced (too large a litter), then the gender of the puppy may become a criterion.

Culling should be done approximately on the 4th day after the birth of the puppies. Individuals with obvious defects are immediately rejected: the presence of an incomplete palatine septum (when sucking, milk enters the nose), white, too light tones (for elite reproduction), long hair on the ears. Puppies that cannot suckle are also culled.

Criteria for culling:

Biotonus (vitality). Puppies that are unable to suck milk from the first days of life and find its source are culled;

Body mass. The body weight of newborns is 350-400 g; with a body weight of less than 300 g, the puppy is not viable;

Head volume. Large heads distinguish viable puppies.

After culling, the remaining puppies are stopped by dewclaws. This operation can only be performed by an experienced breeder or a highly qualified veterinarian.

Puppies in the house, especially when there are a lot of them, are a constant source of trouble. In the first days after birth, they require a lot of attention. The owner needs to be patient so that newborn babies are not deprived of love and affection.

When the birth canal of a bitch is infected during childbirth, puppies can die from sepsis in the first days after birth. These are usually the puppies born first, while the last ones are usually born healthy. In this situation, it is necessary to immediately isolate the babies, transfer them to artificial feeding or put them on another lactating bitch. A veterinarian should be called for a sick dog.

Newborn puppies require special attention from the owner.

Despite the fact that newborn puppies are deaf and blind, their sense of smell is at the proper level: they immediately crawl to the smell of their mother and find her nipples on their own. From the first days of life between puppies, the struggle for the most milky nipples begins - the rear ones.

Babies begin to hear on the 3-4th day. The first diseases can also overtake puppies at this time: the infection enters their body at the time of birth if their mother is sick. Sick puppies whine and squeal, begin to lag behind in development, do not gain weight, as they are not able to suckle milk. Most often they die.

It is necessary to weigh puppies daily and record the results in a diary, it is also recommended to enter all observations of pets there.

If the dog brought more than 6 puppies, then you will have to work hard and put a lot of patience in order to create good conditions for all of them for full development. The babies will have to be fed in 2 shifts, so you need to prepare an additional box that will fit half of the puppies waiting for their turn. It may be necessary to look for a nursing bitch if it turns out that the dog does not produce enough milk for puppies.

No more than 6 babies should be left, and the rest should be handed over to the nurse, choosing the strongest and strongest puppies from the litter.

If the bitch's litter is uneven and there are small and weakened puppies in it, then you will have to be more attentive to them and make sure that they get their rear nipples when sucking. In this way, it is possible to ensure that lagging babies catch up in development with their stronger littermates.

Babies in the 1st week of life need to suck their mother at least 12 times a day, in the second - 8, and before weaning, 4-5 times are enough for them.

The natural functions of puppies in the first 4-5 days are stimulated by the mother, who licks the babies and eats their excrement. Almost all bitches stop these activities after the puppies start eating solid food. From this moment on, the owner himself will have to clean the maternity box in which his pets live.

After 5 days, the bedding in the box should be changed daily, making sure that it is firmly attached to the floor at the corners. If the bedding is knocked down, puppies can become entangled and suffocate.

By the end of the 1st week, babies need to trim the claws on their front paws so that they do not injure their mother during sucking. You can cut only the curved tip of the claw by no more than 1 mm. Scratches on the nipples of the bitch from the teeth and claws of her children should be lubricated with a healing ointment. In this capacity, 5% synthomycin liniment is well suited.

Cracks formed on the nipples of the bitch should be washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and lubricated after each feeding of the puppies. To do this, you can use Kalanchoe juice, sea buckthorn or rosehip oil. Do not allow the dog to lick off the medicine, and if home treatment does not work, you should contact your veterinarian.

It is necessary to start feeding puppies at the moment when the pets have a decrease in daily weight gain, they begin to crawl and whine a lot, sort out the nipples and generally behave restlessly.

The start of feeding puppies should be done on time: you can’t be late, but an early start will also not lead to anything good.

If you hurry too much, then the amount of milk produced by the bitch will decrease, and after all, feeding the babies with this most valuable product for them should last for the maximum possible period.

If the dog does not have enough milk or there are a lot of puppies, then feeding the babies can be started from the 12th day of their life. In normal cases, complementary foods begin no earlier than the 14th day. As the 1st complementary food for puppies, goat or sheep's milk and a mixture made from whole cow's milk (1 glass) with the addition of powder (2 tablespoons) and egg yolk (1 pc. per 1 liter of milk) are suitable.

When puppies begin to crawl a lot, they quickly lose weight without additional feeding.

To feed babies, you will need a bottle with a nipple, a hole in which you need to make on the side. Its size should be such that the milk only drips, and does not pour. Hold the puppy during feeding with the palm under the chest so that he can touch with his front paws, and lean on something with his hind legs.

If the bitch does not have enough milk, babies should be fed every 3 hours, if there is a lot of milk, then 3 times a day.

Around the 12th day, the puppies open their ear canals and eyes, and the babies begin to develop their individuality. Then the puppies get up on their paws and learn to walk and run. From that moment on, they already show interest in the world around them.

Two-week-old puppies can already move independently.

They try to crawl out of the box, walk uncertainly at first, and then run around the room. Therefore, the floor should be covered with a fleecy blanket or cloth so that when walking, the paws of the puppies do not slip and do not move in different directions. This will be a good prevention of the development of hip dysplasia.

At 3-4 weeks of age, puppies begin to feed on their own. Before taking babies away from their mother's nipples, they must be taught to lap milk from a saucer. To do this, move a saucer of milk to the puppy and carefully poke his muzzle there. If he fails, you need to dip your finger in milk and let the puppy lick it.

After the puppy learns to lap milk from a saucer on its own, nutritious foods such as egg yolk and fresh wheat bread crumb should be added to the milk. For puppies, liquid semolina porridge with milk is also very useful. One egg yolk is added to it. For milk cereals, in addition to semolina, other cereals can be used, but they must first be ground in a coffee grinder.

Each puppy needs to have a separate bowl so that you can see who ate and how much. Pets should eat portions to the end, especially meat and cottage cheese.

From the age of 3 weeks, puppies are already given cottage cheese, fed with low-fat scraped raw meat (daily rate - 0.3 tsp). Babies at the age of 4 weeks double the amount of raw meat and give it not scraped, but finely chopped. At the 5th week of life, puppies receive meat in complementary foods 3 or 4 times a day. The norm should be increased gradually: from 20 to 50 g for a 3-week-old puppy and from 100 to 200 g for a 4-week-old.

While feeding puppies, you can develop a conditioned reflex in them by patting the floor or giving another sound signal. Subsequently, one must not forget to notify future owners of what the kids were taught.

Every day, babies need vitamin supplements. 2 drops of vitamin A and 2 drops of vitamin D are added to the milk mixture prepared for all the puppies together. This rate must not be exceeded in order to avoid an overdose of vitamins.

Starting from the age of 3 weeks, puppies, in addition to milk, must be given fresh water to drink. For each baby, two bowls should be prepared: for food and for water. In the same period, mineral mixtures are introduced into the diet of puppies.

Until the puppies reach 5 weeks of age, they are fed at least 6 times a day, then at least 5 times a day, observing the same time intervals between feedings.

Grown up puppies, even when full, will still be happy to suck milk.

Until the moment when the puppies stop eating mother's milk, they should constantly receive the following products as top dressing: boiled goat or cow milk, cottage cheese, chopped raw beef meat, egg yolk, butter and vegetable oil, oatmeal and rice broths, oatmeal, rice , semolina and buckwheat porridge from cereals ground in a coffee grinder, potatoes, carrots, beets and other vegetables grated on a fine grater.

After the puppies are fed, they should be placed on the mother. Babies will still be happy to suck milk, no matter how much they eat extra food. In addition, at this time, the qualities of a leader are especially pronounced: puppies with such inclinations will strive to push their littermates away and capture the milkiest nipple.

Puppies should be taken away from their mother gradually. First, one feeding (preferably evening) is completely replaced with complementary foods, after a while another one, etc. By the time the puppies begin to be dismantled by buyers, the babies should suck the bitch only 1 time. Branding of puppies should be done on the 50th day.

Introducing new foods to the puppies' diet should not be done immediately. Do not give babies more than one product per day that they have not yet tried. With this approach, it will be possible to track how pets absorb new food and how it affects their health.

If one of the babies begins to have diarrhea or vomiting, a new product should be excluded from his diet.

With diarrhea, the puppy should be given rice water as a medicine or pour 2-3 drops of a weak solution of potassium permanganate into his mouth with a pipette. If the baby is already 3 weeks old, then a pinch of oak bark powder can be added to the food intended for him.

Diarrhea that does not go away for several days can be a sign of a serious disease - colibacillosis, so you need to invite a veterinarian to the puppies, otherwise the entire litter may die. Colibacillosis often occurs in babies who grow up on artificial nutrition.

The room where the puppies are kept should always be dry and warm. The room can be additionally heated with infrared electric lamps, as well as using heating pads with warm water.

With constipation, dill water and an infusion of buckthorn bark help well. However, it is better not to treat any digestive disorders in pets on your own, but to call a veterinarian, or at least consult with him.

Sometimes it happens that the mother cannot feed the puppies. This situation can arise for many reasons: the bitch needs to be treated for sepsis, she had a difficult birth or caesarean section, there are diseases of the genital organs, lactation is disturbed under the influence of pain or other factors, etc. In this case, the puppies can be placed on the nurse bitch.

The nurse bitch must be taken out, and the babies put in her maternity box so that they are saturated with a familiar smell. After some time, they bring her and quickly enclose all the puppies: both her own and those brought. If the bitch has a vicious nature, then she should be in a muzzle, which must be removed after the babies begin to suck. In this case, the nurse should be held by the collar. If she licks all the puppies, then everything is in order and the collar can be removed.

If this technique does not work, then the bitch must be taken out again for 10-15 minutes and the puppies should be repeated. Usually the nurse still accepts other people's babies, although sometimes you have to make 2-3 attempts.

However, it also happens that the nurse does not want to put up with the appearance of new puppies in her litter and does not accept them. Then you can feed the babies with artificial nutrition. Recipe for artificial milk for feeding puppies:

Milk prepared for puppies can be stored in the refrigerator for a day, heating the required amount to body temperature before feeding.

800 ml cow's milk;

200 ml cream;

1 chicken egg;

20 ml of 40% glucose solution;

3 ml of a 5% solution of ascorbic acid;

2 drops of vitamin A oil solution;

2 drops of vitamin B 3 oil solution.

Cream must be thoroughly mixed with the egg and, with constant stirring, combined with milk. Add vitamins and pour glucose and ascorbic acid in a thin stream, gradually stirring the mixture.

The daily norm of the milk formula for one pet depends on its age and is calculated as a percentage of the puppy's body weight:

3-6 days-15-20%;

7-13 days-22-25%;

14-20 days - 30-32%;

21 days and older - 35-40%.

The first 5-6 days, babies need to be fed every 2 hours during the day. From the 2nd week, the number of feedings gradually decreases. If the bitch fed the puppies for several days, and then for some reason stopped doing this, then problems may arise.

In the early days of artificial feeding, babies will not want to take a pacifier, because it does not smell like mother's nipples. The sense of smell in puppies develops during the neonatal period, so they will continue to search for the mother by smell. Kids do not distinguish taste, so there will be no difficulties with this.

In order for the puppies not to freeze, you should use a heating pad. For hygienic purposes, puppies should be wiped with a cotton swab moistened with warm water, then wiped dry with a soft towel and lubricate the anus of babies with boron petroleum jelly. This procedure is required to be carried out 2-3 times a day.

The owner will have to regularly massage the bellies of their pets so that their intestines work. Massage is carried out with a cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil, in the direction from the navel to the tail of the baby, if necessary, several times a day.

On the 11th-12th day, the puppies undergo the first deworming, using a suspension of "Pirantel" or another drug of a similar effect. At the age of 3 weeks, a second expulsion of worms should be carried out, recalculating the dose of the drug again. If these measures are not taken, then adult worms will develop in the body of pets by 2 weeks, puppies will begin to lag behind in growth and may die.

If the mothers of the pets were vaccinated more than six months before the birth, then there may not be enough antibodies in her body, the puppies will not receive immunity from the bitch's milk and may get hepatitis, parvovirus enteritis, etc.

In order to prevent diseases, before entering the apartment, you should put a napkin soaked in formalin solution. No one should deal with kids, having come from the street and without washing their hands with soap and water. Also, for preventive purposes, puppies are given injections of gamma globulin.

Puppies must be vaccinated before being allowed to roam outside.

If someone is seriously interested in the breeding of the American Staffordshire Terrier, he needs to familiarize himself with the international rules. Below are some of them.

The owner of a dog is the person who legally acquired it, owns the animal legally and can prove it by presenting the pedigree and registration document.

The dog's agent can be either its owner or a person hired by the owner and authorized to use the American Staffordshire Terrier for breeding purposes.

The mutual rights and obligations of the owners of a dog and a bitch are governed by the rules of the national breed club, state law, national kennels and personal agreement.

Regarding the mating of dogs, a standard contract must be concluded, which indicates the rights and obligations of the owners, as well as the form of responsibility for violation of any of the clauses of the contract.

If the male specified in the contract is not capable of mating, then the choice of another sire must be made by the owner of the bitch.

It is not allowed to breed a bitch with more than one male during one estrus.

If the bitch is bred with a different dog, which is specified in the contract, then the owner of the dog, under whose care she was, reimburses her owner for all mating expenses and does not receive payment for mating.

The owner of the dog in the certificate of breeding service confirms in writing that the mating took place with the dog that was specified in the contract.

Puppy can be mating fee

The owner of the dog may not sign the certificate until he has received payment for mating.

If for some reason (inability of the male, unwillingness of the bitch) mating did not occur, the owner of the bitch pays only transport and household expenses. The owner of the dog cannot claim the mating fee.

As a payment for mating, the owner of a dog can receive a puppy only if a special agreement has been drawn up in writing on this matter. The agreement must contain the following items:

Date of selection of the puppy by the owner of the dog;

The date after which the choice of a puppy is not possible;

The date after which the puppy will pass to the new owner;

The date after which the owner of the dog will not be able to pick up the puppy;

Agreement on transport costs;

A separate agreement in the event of a single birth of a puppy, a stillborn puppy or the death of a puppy.

Knowledge of international rules will help the owner of the American Staffordshire Terrier competently draw up documents describing professional relationships with other breeders.

Crossing methods. In breeding work, such concepts as purebred and interbreeding are distinguished. As for the breeding of the American Staffordshire Terrier, now they resort only to purebred crossing.

There are a number of methods of purebred crossbreeding. These include inbreeding, outbreeding, outcrossing, line breeding (linear crossing). By the method of inbreeding, only representatives of the breed that are closely related are crossed. Breeding dogs in this way allows you to save the most valuable qualities of the breed in future generations.

Heredity refers to the transmission of certain physical qualities and psychological traits to offspring. Heredity determines the dog's genotype. The concept of "phenotype" includes the general appearance of the animal, the development of its sense organs, the structure of all body tissues, and behavioral signs.

There are 3 degrees of relationship in inbreeding: close, close and moderate. With close inbreeding, mating occurs between the closest blood relatives: father and daughter, mother and son, sister and brother, grandson and grandmother, grandfather and granddaughter, as well as between half-brothers and half-sisters (they have only one parent in common).

Outbreeding is the crossing of dogs that do not have common consanguineous ancestors. The quality of the breed when using this method of mating the American Staffordshire Terrier, as well as other purebred dogs, deteriorates, and therefore experienced breeders most often refuse this method.

Outcrossing is crossbreeding by selecting males and females that do not have common ancestors, starting from the fourth or fifth generation. As a rule, representatives of each pair intended for outcrossing were born as a result of linear crossing.

Therefore, in the course of selection work, which is carried out by a breeder who has chosen this method of breeding AST, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of some shortcomings and defects characteristic of representatives of either line.

Finally, linear crossing is the mating of dogs that, although they have a common ancestor, are quite far from each other in terms of the degree of relationship.

A male and female selected for linebreeding must have a common ancestor of at least the third generation. In addition, experienced breeders place rather high demands on the genotype and phenotype of this ancestor, as well as on its ability to inherit the most valuable qualities of the breed.

Testing to determine suitability for breeding work. There are 2 most important tests - ZTP and kerung, with the help of which a breeder can determine how ready a particular dog is for breeding. These tests have earned particular popularity in European countries.

ZTP takes into account the characteristics of the physical condition, health, behavior and temperament of the dog. American Staffordshire Terriers that do not pass this test cannot be admitted to both breeding work and the next test - kerung.

ZTP testing may be conducted on ACTs who have an FCI approved pedigree. Such dogs must be stamped with a pedigree number. The age of the test participants is at least 1 year 8 months.

ZTP testing is divided into 4 stages and is carried out with the participation of an expert. At the first stage, he determines the identity of the tattooed brand and the pedigree number indicated in the documents, and also gives a characteristic of the dog in the rack.

When carrying out breeding work, elite service dog breeding clubs necessarily take into account the high requirements for the standard and the ability of the dog to inherit especially valuable qualities of the breed.

The proportionality of the dog's body structure, its physique, teeth condition, bite, etc. are evaluated. There are 5 degrees of assessment of the dog's exterior: "excellent", "very good", "good", "satisfactory" and "unsatisfactory". Amstaffs must be at least "very good" for males and "good" for bitches to be eligible for further testing.

At the next stages of the test, the dog's ability to adapt to the social environment is tested. At the same time, the expert draws attention to the behavior of the dog, which is among a group of strangers, to the attitude of the dog to the sound of the shot.

If the dog reacts calmly to these external stimuli, this indicates a balanced character. Conversely, if she is fearful, appears frightened, anxious, alert, or aggressive, then the test scores will be quite low.

During ZTP testing, the main task of the test dog is not to show fear and nervousness, to maintain self-control and restraint. Amstaffs who have successfully passed the ZTP test and demonstrated a strong grip are allowed to test under the name "kerung". Those dogs that refuse to perform the bite, show shyness and nervousness, are not allowed to continue testing.

To obtain admission to participate in the kerung, the owner of the dog must submit its pedigree, the authenticity of which is recognized by the International Federation of Cynologists. The age of the males participating in the testing is at least 3 years, and the age of the bitches is at least 2.5 years.

In addition to the ZTP diploma, to participate in kerung you need documents on successful performance at 3 exhibitions with "very good" and "excellent" marks. The owner of the dog is obliged to submit documents on membership in the club of the International Cynologists Federation.

The testing program in kerung is practically the same as in ZTP testing. When passing tests, Amstaff must show a powerful, strong grip, show courage, courage, perseverance.

Dogs that do not pass the exam at the first kerung may be allowed to re-test after 1 year.

Basic conditions for carrying out breeding work. For breeding work, dogs are selected whose exterior meets all the requirements of the standard. It should be remembered that imperfections in the exterior are inherited, therefore, crossing individuals with the same or opposite deviations from the breed standards is not allowed. Violation of this rule leads to the strengthening and consolidation of shortcomings in subsequent generations of animals.

The selection of stud dogs may be homogeneous or heterogeneous. The first type of selection is used to consolidate and improve pedigree qualities and conduct selection work in a certain direction. In this case, the sire pair must have a similar phenotype and a high breeding class.

The second type of selection is used to eliminate the shortcomings of the breed, to obtain offspring that are superior in quality to their parents, to increase the fertility and viability of animals.

With a heterogeneous selection, a female with any conformation defects is bred with a male that has high scores for the same traits. As a result of further selection and selection of puppies, it is possible to obtain breeding dogs in several generations.

When selecting pairs for mating, the breeder must be guided by certain rules:

1. A male and a female intended for breeding should correspond to each other in age, not have conformation defects, diseases, obesity and other deviations from the physical and mental norms of the development of the body.

2. Pedigrees of dogs must comply with the principles of a particular method of crossing.

3. The stud dog must have qualities capable of improving the breed.

4. During estrus, a bitch may only be mated with one male.

5. The age of the dogs intended for mating, according to the established norms, must be at least 1.5 years for males and 1 year 8 months for females.

The exterior of the ACT is assessed visually (proportionality of build, set of limbs, bite shape, eye color, coat color and length), as well as using measurements (head length, muzzle length, head width, height of the animal at the withers and at the sacrum, oblique body length, depth and width of the chest, chest girth, length of the forelimb, girth of the metacarpus). Based on the values ​​of the measurements, the indexes of boneiness, format and high legs are calculated.

Reproduction of the American Staffordshire Terrier. The maintenance and diet of dogs intended for mating should be given increased attention. Approximately 1-1.5 months. before the day of the planned mating, you should give the American Staffordshire Terrier antihelminthics, which the veterinarian will help you choose correctly.

Food for breeding males should contain a sufficient amount of vitamins A, E, group B, proteins, microelements. The ideal diet includes raw meat, milk and dairy products, fish, eggs, vegetable oil.

Shortly before and after mating, males need to be fed 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil daily, adding it to cereals or soups. The recommended intake of vitamin A is 5-6 drops per day.

The first mating of the bitch is carried out at the end of her third estrus. If the onset of the next estrus slows down significantly, then this most likely indicates a lack of animal protein in the dog's body.

If the first estrus has not come when the bitch reaches the age of one, the owner of the dog should seek the advice of a veterinarian. His advice will also be required in the case when they are going to use a bitch for mating, whose age is more than 4 years.

Physically mature Central Asian Shepherd Dogs become when they reach 2-2.5 years, however, puberty begins much earlier, so the first mating can be done at a younger age.

Already at the very beginning of estrus, the female has bloody discharge from the genitals. The external genital organ - the loop - increases significantly in size. The breeder needs to fix the first day of estrus in order to avoid mistakes in determining the beginning of ovulation (the release of an egg ready for fertilization from the ovaries).

In American Staffordshire Terriers, ovulation occurs at the end of the second week of laying (on the 11-14th day). However, there are cases of shifting the timing of ovulation in one direction or another. With the greatest accuracy, the day of ovulation can be determined by a veterinarian by analyzing a smear.

For mating, the last day before the onset of ovulation is most favorable. On the eve of the release of the egg from the ovaries, the bitches stop bleeding, sometimes the discharge remains, but at the same time they are colorless or light pink.

1-2 days before the most suitable day for knitting, the loop loses its elasticity and remains dense only in the upper part. The readiness of the bitch for mating is also determined by the position that the dog takes if you run your hand over her croup and lower back: she crouches without touching the ground with her back, and raises her tail, taking it to the side.

Knitting methods. When crossing dogs, 2 methods of knitting are used: freestyle and manual. Freestyle knitting is recommended if the male has already been used for mating, and the bitch has an increased interest in him. However, even in such cases, complications may arise during the mating process.

For example, at the moment when the couple is in the castle, the bitch can make a sharp jerk to the side, which often leads to injury to the male. Therefore, the owners during the mating period should be close to their pets. To assist the dogs, it is best to invite an experienced breeder, especially if the first mating of a male or female is being carried out.

Mating should be carried out twice, the optimal interval between matings is 1 day. In this case, the egg retains the ability to fertilize for 4-5 days.

If dog owners assist their pets during the entire mating process, then such mating is considered manual.

In their territory, males tend to feel more independent, calm and confident, so experienced breeders advise bringing a bitch to a male, and not vice versa.

Before mating, care must be taken to protect the dogs from any stressful situations, otherwise they will behave restlessly, which will negatively affect the mating process.

It is also necessary to observe hygiene standards: before starting mating, the genitals of the bitch must be washed with an aqueous solution of rivanol. Feeding dogs (both male and female) should be carried out after a walk, no later than 3 hours before the start of mating.

During the dating period, males and females behave differently: usually it all depends on the nature of the dogs. Sometimes the males mount immediately, other times they start licking the bitch first and do a few test mounts before mating.

In order to help the male mount (usually assistance is required when the male is much larger and heavier than the bitch), its owner is advised to put one knee under the bitch's stomach to raise her body, and lightly hold the male by the lower back with his hand. The owner of the bitch can at this time hold his dog by the neck.

In case of unsuccessful cages, owners should not be undue anxiety, as this condition can be transmitted to their pets, and they will become nervous and tense when mating continues.

To avoid overwork and nervous overexcitation of animals, they should be allowed to rest for several minutes. At this time, the bitch must be taken to another room. To facilitate mating, the bitch's loop can be lubricated with petroleum jelly.

When assisting dogs in mating, that is, holding a male on a bitch, you must not touch the male's genitals, otherwise he may refuse to mate.

If during mating the male's penis is tightly compressed by the walls of the bitch's vagina, we can assume that the mating is going well. Dogs are in the castle for 5-20 minutes, occasionally - for 1 hour, and separation occurs randomly. If the lock still did not work out, then the knitting should be repeated after 1 day.

American Staffordshire Terriers retain the ability to reproduce and reproduce offspring until old age, however, the probability of giving birth to healthy and strong puppies from old individuals is low.

In some males, at the end of the mating, the tension of the penis does not decrease, it remains enlarged and does not enter the prepuce. In this case, it is recommended to make cold lotions or wash the genitals with cold water. When bending the edges of the prepuce inward, carefully straighten them with your fingers.

After mating, dogs need a short walk and proper rest.

When placing dogs indoors, strict adherence to the sanitary and hygienic rules that apply to pet owners is required. First of all, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for animals.

It is recommended to place the bed at some distance from heaters, refrigerators, doors, beds, upholstered furniture. When constructing a resting place for an animal, it is necessary to take into account the size of the AST: the dog must be freely placed on the bed in any position.

Walking the American Staffordshire Terrier. An American Staffordshire Terrier kept in an apartment must be walked at least 2 times a day (morning and evening). Young dogs are walked more often, about 3-4 times a day. Each walk usually takes at least 1.5 hours. When walking the American Staffordshire Terrier, there must be a muzzle and a long leash.

An animal can be let off the leash only if there are areas designated for this purpose, surrounded by a fence or wire mesh.

In the absence of such sites, walking dogs is allowed in places designated for this purpose by the mayor's office. In this case, the American Staffordshire Terrier must be on a short leash.