Should I breed my male and female dogs? How to stop unwanted mating?

Yes, intercourse is possible between these two breeds, no matter age or size. The only way to prevent this is to keep them completely separate from each other, with no way to get to each other or to have at least one spayed or neutered.

Males can mate after 6 months of age. Females can be bred, ideally, after 2 years of age. Separating them during this upcoming heat cycle would be recommended if you are not prepared to breed dogs and have a litter of puppies. By her next cycle, both will be more than ready to breed and in the interim, you can gain knowledge regarding breeding and raising dogs.

Henry is still too young to mate. It’s recommended to wait until a male is at least 2 years years old to breed. Also, if there is a problem with pet over population, it is not recommended to add to the problem by breeding dogs who are not purebred and registered. If there are not enough homes for dogs, then adding more dogs is not the solution. Males will be fine not breeding ever. It will not affect their health but it is recommended to neuter dogs. Neutering dogs has many health benefits and decreases behavioral problems such as aggression and dominance issues. Henry is old enough to be neutered. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If you are unable to have one or both of the dogs spayed/neutered then you will have to be diligent about keeping them separated while the female is in heat. I would recommend keeping the female in the house and the male outside because if you leave the female outside there is a chance another male dog could mate her. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

The best long-term solution is spaying/neutering to prevent any puppies, especially since if a male senses a female in heat they will try to do everything possible to get to that female. Keeping them physically separated with barriers in different rooms, crates, etc can help, but there is still the chance they can get together to mate if one escapes. Spaying and neutering can also help with marking behavior inside the house as it can be hormonal related, You can also use an enzymatic cleaner to clean any accidents and deter them from going potty inside. Reverting back to a "puppy" style of potty training taking them out every few hours can also help remind them of where to go and reduce accidents.

If you have the two of them together while she is in heat, she may become pregnant. Even if they are from the same litter and are brother/sister, they will still breed if given the chance. Therefore, if you do not want them to breed, it would be best to either separate them completely while she's in heat, or have one or both of them "fixed." At 6 months old, your male dog can be neutered at any time. It would be best to wait until the female is out of heat, because the surgery is a bit more difficult to perform when the female is in heat as there is increased blood flow to the uterus. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

IF you are not going to breed them, then getting each fixed is the healthiest option for them. The female is old enough and she has already been through a heat cycle, so she can be scheduled at any time. This can prevent future cancers and the risk of infected uterus. By fixing just her, then she will no longer go into heat and he will not be bothered by her anymore. If you do not have plans to breed him, then he should be neutered also. this can prevent cancer and prostate problems in the future.