Alice White
The first estrus in a female Rottweiler occurs at 6 – 12 months and is further observed 2 times a year. The interval between estrus for a Rottweiler is 6 – 7 months. If you are not in heat by 12 months, you should consult your veterinarian.
Female Rottweilers are allowed to mate at the age of 20 months, males – from 18 months.
If a Female Rottweiler over 4 years old is used for mating, a veterinarian consultation is necessary.
Remember that “mating for health” is nothing more than a myth. Only perfectly healthy dogs (both physically and mentally) should be allowed to breed.
About 1.5 months before mating, it is necessary to give the dogs an anthelmintic. A stud dog should receive a diet with a sufficient amount of vitamins A and E, group B, trace elements, and proteins.
If the mating went well, the Rottweiler female becomes pregnant. As a rule, its duration is about 9 weeks, however, it is possible to shift the terms by 1 week in one direction or the other.
As a rule, the first 4 weeks of pregnancy is invisible, and the Rottweiler female does not need special care. At the end of the 4th week, the dog should be shown to the veterinarian. At this time, you can already determine the number of puppies. At this time, the number of feedings increases (up to 3 times a day, and from the 8th week – up to 4 times), the rate of giving meat, cottage cheese, cereals increases. The amount of mineral dressings increases almost 2 times. But at the same time, overfeeding is unacceptable – if the bodyweight of the Rottweiler female increases too much, childbirth can be difficult.
In the second half of pregnancy, do not offer the dog active games, but the duration of the walks remains the same.
Give your dog a secluded spot in a warm, clean, dry area a week before the due date.
1 day before giving birth, the body temperature of the Rottweiler female decreases (up to 36.5 – 37 degrees), she loses her appetite, begins to get nervous, breathes often.
Prepare supplies for puppy birth. You will need:
- Clean towels.
- Large box for puppies.
- Umbilical cord-cutting scissors with rounded ends.
- Alcohol for hand disinfection.
- Scales for weighing puppies.
- Coarse, thick thread (for tying the umbilical cord).
- Oilcloth or tarpaulin (large piece).
- A bowl of clean water for the dog.
- The vet’s phone number in case something goes wrong.
As a rule, the owner is only required to be around and make sure that everything goes well. If complications arise, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
