i have a femail brattany thats is 12 weeks old i want to have her bred some day. what is the bst age to get her brad and what do you do when she is in heat.she is going to be an inside dog. i know i dont really need to wory about any of this yet but i just figured i would ask

I would get her hips x-rayed at 2 years of age. Don't breed her on her first heat cycle. I have 2 females brittanys that I hunt and they both stay in the house. Our one dog prefers to be kept in her kennel during her heat cycle versus wearing pants in the house. Our other dog has been spayed.

A dogs heat cycle is messy so be prepared. They make panties for dogs just for this but some dogs just won't wear them.
My personal opinion on breeding a bird dog is this, wait three years. This way you will know what kind of bird dog you have got. Once the dog matures in the field you may decide you don't want her puppies for hunting.

This is probably going to sound like a really dumb question but how messy is a female heat cycle? I have always had male dogs except for the a female I got from my brother, but she is spayed. How long do the bleed for?? Is it possible to have the dog in the house during this time?? Again forgive my stupidity but I'd like to know if I ever decide to get a female down the road.

Put it this way, expect a smear whereever she may sit or lay down and a drop every 10 feet.

If you keep her inside, you will need a kennel or some diapers.


Evan

They bleed for 5-7 days. It's after this when the true heat begins and they are ready for the male. I just had my GSP bred and she started bleeding again the next day and she bled for four more days. But she stays outside in a pen.

Pup,

I DO AGREE with the Brittany gundog post! Get your dog's O.F.A. done @ 2 yrs old 1st to see how its hips actually are. You do NOT want to have the dog bred if it has bad hip displasia!! Most dogs are guaranteed. Albeit most owners do not wish to have the dog "put down" at this very sorrowful time if hip displasia is found.

Best of Luck!

The Lab-Man (Labrador owner/trainer since 1963)

The females heat cycle is about 12 days,I'm pretty sure. And the bleeding part is no fun.
You DO NOT want to wear any white clothing becasue if her rear touches you there will be a few red smears. One female I had bled so much that it looked like a murder-masacer in the house,it was on the walls even! That was just to much for me, I put her butt in her kennel and let her stay there until it was over.

And all of the males go crazy,they go into what I like to call the "Mad Humpind Disease". You can't sit down without a dog attached to your leg. I swear it's the worst time for me,I'm the one needing the midol not the dog..lol.

Anyway thats just a brief discription.