Breeding your Bulldog, When, How, Why?
WHEN TO BREED: The best advice seems to be not breeding your dogs before 18 months of age. Both the bitch and the sire should have been examined by a veterinarian to be certain they are free and clear of hip dysplasia, cataracts, cherry eye, palate problems, heart conditions and other congenital diseases.
You should have also studied the pedigree, and spent a lot of time assuring that you have a good breeding pair that will compliment each other and produce a better quality puppy. Under no condition should you do any harm to the breed through faulty breeding and lack of experience on your part. If you are not sure, then you should not be breeding bulldog’s. The Bulldog is, at best, difficult to breed. Bitches can come into there first heat cycle from 5 to 11 months of age, on average it is more in the 6-9 month range. They should not be breed before there 3rd heat or 18 months. Heat cycles usually last about 3 weeks start to finish. You may noitce lite red/brown spots at first and then some bitches will bleed a great deal after the first week. Best breeding time is usally 8-12 days, but again can be from 5 to 18 days into the cycle so it’s important to do Progesterone Testing to be safe and sure.
ARTIFICAL INSEMINATION: Breeding by means of A.I. is usually successful, (and almost always required). The technique for artifical insemination requires the depositing of semen (taken directly from the dog) into the bitch’s vagina, past the cervix and into the uterus by syringe. The correct temperature of the semen is vital, and there is no guarantee. Methods include fresh semen, cooled extended and frozen semen.
So the time has come for your bulldog to be bred. Your bitch is sound, her temperment is excellent and she is worthy of the breed. Your thoughts should also have been given to the correct selection of a proper stud. A mating should take place after careful consideration of bloodlines, health, age and how many previous litters. Count 60-63 days before the puppies are likely to be born making sure everything necessary for their arrival will be in order by that time. Note; semen can hold in the bitch for up to 3 days, so be careful not to expect them too early. Example: If she has passed 63 days and you have no puppies she may have not “taken” the day you thought she did. It could be a few more days.
LABOR: A normal gestation is about 63 days. A week before the puppies are due, alert your veterinarian and start observing the bitch for signs of labor. She will generally stop eating 24 hours before whelping. As much as a week before, she will begin “nesting”. The bitch should be given a whelping box with layers of newspaper (black and white only) to make her nest. She will dig more and more as birth approaches. Tempatures can also be taken often but are not always reliable. Don’t be lead into a false security with that alone. Even with a c-section planned it is a good thing to let her nest!
ARRIVAL OF THE PUPPIES: A sudden gush of green fluid from the bitch indicates the water surrounding the pups has “broken”. When the water breaks, birth of the first puppy is imminent. The first puppies are usually born within minutes to half an hour of each other, but a couple of hours is not uncommon. If you notice the bitch straining constantly without producing a puppy, it is cause for concern.
CAESAREAN SECTION: You should have a planned C-Section set up with your vet well in advance of delivery. It may be best to allow the bitch to start or get real close to starting labor before doing this to avoid a C-Section too early which can have dangerous complications. This will also depend on your vet and how close his office is to you as well as if he is able to do a 3 am C-Section. If you do a C-Section just because the Bulldog has reached her 62-63 day, the puppies could still be a few days early as semen can live in the bitch for up to 3 days before it takes sometimes. If the bitch should go on into labor on her own even if she is planned for a C-Section, get her to the vet right away. Her cervix may fail to dilate or there may be torsion of the uterus. A dead puppy, water puppy or a sideways puppy could be blocking the cervix. No matter what the cause, get the bitch to the vet immediately.
Tests can also be done to get a date for c section in advance and during a safe and normal hour so chances of problems will be reduced.
After the surgery, when the bitch is home in her whelping box, she may nurse the pups under your supervision. Bulldogs are commonly C-sectioned (about 95%) due to their size (head and shoulders), exhaustion, failure to progress in labor, over heating and other reasons. Plan on visiting with your vet about when you will likely do a C-section well in advance of delivery! PUPPIES should be allowed to nurse on mom the first couple of days at all cost, this is very important in there development unless the bitch is running a fever. Milk will usually come down within 2 days of birth, real true milk.
REMEMBER THIS: Free whelping Bulldogs is starting to be more common than it used to be, however free whelping is a very tricky situation even for those with a great deal of experience in doing it. Never should you attempt a free whelp without a great deal of experience, a good vet, the ability to understand when a problem may be starting, and a backup plan to aid you if needed. Be safe, not sorry! Danger…Danger…Danger!