The Samoyed is a large-sized pooch, commonly found as household pets all over the world. When it comes to breeding, history states that Samoyeds were bred to aid in the assistance of sled pulling and herding reindeer.
If you’re a new breeder, looking to find out the best age to breed your new Samoyed, it’s expected to begin after they turn 18 months. Not only is this appropriate considering their maturity level, but it ensures they’re fit and healthy (and their future offspring will be too.)
Samoyeds are a wonderful dog-breed, that can serve as a lifelong companion. If you want to know more about the mating/breeding and pregnancy process of a Samoyed- continue reading!
The Best Age to Breed a New Samoyed (Male and Female)
Regardless of gender, the best age to breed a new Samoyed is once they’ve reached a year and a half (18 months.)
Attempting to breed your new Smaoyed any earlier, may assist in the unwanted presence of health issues.
As your Samoyed is continuing to grow, their health needs to be in good shape- not only for its offspring but for themselves also.
A female Samoyed can go into her heat earlier than 18 months. However, it’s recommended to wait.
If you female Samoyed does go into her heat before 18 months, this can give her enough time to go through this natural process alone before attempting to mate.
Why This Age is Best?
Breeding a Samoyed after the age of 18 months is ideal for a few reasons.
Firstly, breeding a Samoyed too young is not only irresponsible from a breeder’s perspective- but they haven’t developed long enough to assist their overall health properly.
Samoyeds are known for various health issues. Thus- if you breed too early, you risk the chance of a difficult pregnancy or genetic health issues for its offspring.
The second reason why it’s best to wait until after your Samoyed turns 18 months, is because you can give a female Samoyed enough time to go through her heat cycle a few times beforehand.
It’s important not to breed your female Samoyed on her first heat as it has proven effects on her psychological state as well as her physical state.
Understanding the Heat Cycle of Your Samoyed
It’s imperative as a new Samoyed breeder, to understand the heat cycle of your pooch. Not only will understanding this cycle save you time and effort, but it’ll allow you to get it right the first time around! Keep reading to learn more.
Signs of The Heat Cycle
If you are a new breeder, unaware when your Samoyed will go into heat- find below a list of symptoms that can help you identify when their cycle will begin.
- Brown or red (bloody) discharge
- Mounting behavior
- Frequent urination
- Change in mood (clingy, restless, or affectionate)
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Tucking in the tail
- Swollen vulva
- Becomes lazier or sleeps more
How Long is a Samoyed in Heat?
A female Samoyed will go into heat twice a year. You can expect their heat-cycle to last on average up to 21 days. (Depending on each pooch, some may last longer or shorter.)
There will be a number of changes in your dog leading up to and during their heat-cycle. Find above, a list of signs to look out for, indicating an upcoming heat cycle.
Choosing the Best Mating Day
It is suggested that the ninth or tenth day is the best time for mating to begin. The reason being is the first 1 – 7 days of your female Samoyed going into heat, she’ll be somewhat aggressive towards males.
Meaning she won’t allow a male to mount her during this time. It’s only after this stage, around day 8 – 10, is when a female Samoyed will allow mating to proceed.
By day eleven, you’ll notice a shift in mood with your female Samoyed. She’ll be flirting with other dogs, have her tail to one-side, and often push her rear up against your body if attempting to pet.
This can be a great indication as to choosing the perfect mating day. If you track her heat-cycle, and can carefully observe this shift in personality, it’ll assist you in selecting the best mating day for your pooch.
If you try to mate your dog too early on in her heat cycle, she’ll most likely refuse. In this instance, try again in a few days.
Things to Keep in Mind for Samoyed Breeding/Mating
Before attempting to breed/mate your Samoyed pooch, here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Don’t Attempt Mating on Her First or Second Heat Cycle
A good breeder won’t force their female Samoyed to mate on her first or second heat cycle. This is to ensure they’ve matured appropriately and have no outstanding health issues that can impede the process.
Your Dog Needs To be Healthy
You’ll need to ensure a veterinarian has approved and certified that your dog is capable of breeding, through various tests.
They’ll undergo a full health examination, blood tests, and x-rays for the process of being able to breed/mate.
Overall, your dog (regardless of gender) needs to be healthy and have no deformities or genetic discrepancies that they can pass onto their offspring.
Prepare For a Large Litter
It’s a great idea to be well prepared for the arrival of a large litter. This means, having a large area for your future pups to run around- possibly a garden, and a warm space for them to be cared for adequately.
Never Separate Your Dogs While Mating
Under NO circumstances should you separate two dogs while in the process of mating. Attempting to remove the two dogs while in the process, can cause a great deal of damage to their internal organs.
Expect The Unexpected
A good and responsible breeder will understand the risks involved with attempting to breed a male and female Samoyed. This means understanding that if the pair you tried to mate with one another does not work according to plan- you’ll have the means to care for them.
How Many Puppies Do Samoyeds Usually Have?
The average amount of puppies a Samoyed can have during one pregnancy (the litter size) can vary between 4 to 6 pups at one time.
How Long Are Samoyeds Pregnant For?
A typical pregnancy of a Samoyed can last up to 58 – 68 days.
How to Take Care of Your Pregnant Samoyed?
Once your female Samoyed becomes pregnant, ensure you are both mentally and physically prepared to care for her throughout her pregnancy.
Making sure you observe her food intake, encouraging daily exercise, investing in the tools required for a large litter, as well as giving her the proper vaccinations and worming is essential.
Other things that can help is creating a whelping box, which aids in the birthing process when the time comes.
A whelping box is a box filled with the essentials she’ll need once she gives birth. This whelping box should be located within a calm, safe, and secure area within your home (away from distractions and other animals/potential danger.)
You can place blankets inside (to keep both herself and her litter warm), as well as laying newspaper underneath (in preparation of vaginal discharge and bloodstains.)
Here is a list of other things you can do to take care of your pregnant Samoyed (which hasn’t been listed above):
- Cleaning and brushing her hair regularly (as she’ll most likely shed more frequently)
- Do not overfeed her, as her stomach is growing and her pups will be pressing on her organs
- Limit exercise to gentle activity (during the early stages and ending stages of pregnancy)
- Take her temperature during the later stages of pregnancy, ensuring she’s continuing to remain strong and healthy for the birthing process
You Might Also Like:
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- Samoyeds Intelligence: How Smart Are They? (Explained)
- Samoyed Temperament: What It’s Like to Own A Samoyed?
- Do Samoyeds Shed? (Explained and Helpful Guide)
Mike is the Founder of Familylifeshare. Mike is well-knowledged in marriage, parenting, dogs, blogging and committed to sharing his knowledge and expertise with his readers. Know more about Mike from here.
