There are no tricks to making a bitch copulate. Animals act according to their experience, their learning and their ethology. If an animal does not want to do something, it should never be forced, each one needs different times to do certain things. We must be attentive to our pet's behavior in order to help it and give it the best possible quality of life.
In this article on our site we will try to explain why a bitch is in heat and won't let herself be ridden.
Heat in bitches
Dogs are sexually mature after the first heat, which occurs between 6 and 12 monthsold. Being sexually mature does not imply being physiologically prepared to breed, you must wait until the animal is over a year and a half old to try it.
The reproductive cycle is regulated by pituitary hormones, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estrogen and progesterone, and consists of de 4 phases:
- Proestro: lasts between 6 and 11 days approximately. At the hormonal level, there is a peak in estrogen concentration in the blood towards the end of the phase. Behaviorally, we can observe that the bitch shows aggressiveness towards the male and does not accept copulation, although he does feel attracted to her. In addition, vulvar swelling, a type of estrogen-mediated swelling of the vulva, will develop. Likewise, the appearance of blood due to overvascularization of the area is normal.
- Estrus: lasts around 5 or 9 days. Hormonally, there is a surge of luteinizing hormone which causes the ovocitation or release of the immature egg which, thanks to the follicle-stimulating hormone, will mature. During this phase of fertility, the female will continue to attract the male, will accept copulation and maintain vulvar swelling
- Diestro: at the end of estrus, whether or not the ovules have been fertilized, a phase occurs in which the levels of progesterone are very high. If copulation has been successful, this hormone will serve to prepare the uterus and prevent abortion. The diestro keeps for 56 or 60 days. In this period, if there has been no fertilization, symptoms of pseudo-pregnancy or psychological pregnancy may appear.
- Anestro: between one cycle and another, there is a period that lasts about 3 months in which no hormonal changes should occur at the level of the reproductive system if there has been no pregnancy.
If you want to delve into this topic, we invite you to read the article on our site “Heat in bitches - Phases, duration and behavior”.
Aspects to consider before intercourse
If you want your dog to have puppies and enjoy this wonderful period with her, you must first assess certain aspects so that everything turns out as well as possible.
First of all, you must study in depth what will you do with the puppies when weaning arrives Will you be able to responsibly adopt all of them? Would you assume that one never gets a home and must stay in yours? Is it the most suitable time for your dog, your family and for you? These are some questions you should ask yourself so that no being suffers the consequences of a bad decision.
Next, you should check if you could assume all the expenses derived from the pregnancy and other problems that may arise. The basic expenses are special and good quality feed and ultrasound scans to monitor the pregnancy. If problems arise during delivery or pregnancy, the costs could add up considerably.
On the other hand, the female must be of the appropriate age, more than 2 years old and less than 8 years old (depending on the breed), and be in good he alth, so a visit to the vet is necessary first to certify that the animal is he althy enough to reproduce.
Finally, the bitch must be in heatSpecifically in the oestrus phase, so that she does not show aggression towards the male. And, of course, she must be receptive. As we said at the beginning, we do not recommend forcing any animal to experience situations that it does not want to experience.
Causes why a bitch won't let herself be ridden
There are several reasons why a bitch does not accept a male for copulation, we must be attentive, observe the behavior of the partner and make sure we have enough knowledge on the subject. Previously, it is desirable to go to a professional for proper advice.
First of all, we have to make sure that the bitch is in heat and, above all, in the right phase of this. We can anticipate the right moment if we confuse or are unaware of the symptoms that female dogs in heat show. Additionally, we can visit the vet to perform a cytologyon the dog to confirm her condition
It is necessary to know the ethology of the species and to know that not all males will be desirable for our bitchPheromones, mood or personality are factors to take into account. For example, female dogs with a strong character may not be attracted to males with a more submissive personality. Likewise, it is important that the animals know each other beforehand, that they have been able to play and interact with each other for a certain time. Also, we must choose a male according to the size and weight of the female, so that she is not damaged by supporting part of the dog's weight, nor that future puppies are too large for her.
On the other hand, if the dog has suffered some traumatic experience with other dogs that may have developed fears and insecurities in her, she may do not let yourself be mounted and even react aggressively. In general, in these cases the dog usually shows behaviors related to fear in other situations, so it is necessary to go to a canine educator or ethologist to find and treat the problem.
There are many diseases that can cause rejection by the female. Tumors, infections and other pathologies can either make us believe that the dog is in heat when it is not, or cause pain and discomfort to the animal, for which, under no circumstances will you want to procreate. In any case, we always have to contact a specialist.
In any situation, Never, under any circumstances, hold and force the female to leave, as she could show aggressiveness and attack to get free, in addition to the psychological consequences that this could produce in her.
Artificial insemination in dogs
If your dog won't let you ride, what can you do? There is an option for those people who want their dog to have puppies and cannot do so, even though she is totally he althy. This option is artificial insemination, which can only be performed by a veterinarian. This will collect the semen of the chosen male and introduce it into the female when it is in the right phase.
In any case, and taking into account the large number of dogs occupied by shelters around the world, beyond the situation of the bitch and her interest in procreating, we must ask ourselves if it is really the appropriate and consider sterilization as a method of preventing certain serious he alth problems, such as infections in the uterus and womb.
