Why won't my male Yorkie breed with my 1-year-old female in heat?

The first year in a dog’s life is equal to about 11 human years. Following that generally each year is about 7 years. He should be able to breed at 16 in human years which would be about 18 months old. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Prince Tab.

She may have ovarian cysts or other hormonal problems that keep her from cycling properly. I suggest you take her to a veterinarian who can give her a proper breeding exam, take some blood to check her hormonal status and do some vaginal cytology to check her cycle status. He can also do an ultrasound exam of the ovaries. Once he has all those results he can make a plan on how to start her cycle, ie get her in heat to be bred.

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.

Mating might be difficult for her as she will have to stand on 3 legs and support the weight of a male on top of her. There will not likely be any changes or hardships during the birthing process, but the extra weight of a pregnancy can be harder on her front leg to support. While 6 is not old for small breed dog it is getting towards the end of healthy breeding though. I would not likely breed her due to these circumstances and have her spayed to prevent any future infections and risk

Ideally, she should not be bred until she is at least 2 years old. This will ensure she is fully develop and able to maintain and whelp a litter. It is likely you will not be able to complete any genetic testing or infectious disease testing on her and any potential stud before she is no longer receptive. A complete exam with your veterinarian if there are concerns about her current growth/condition.

A small breed dog will generally come into heat around 6 months old but can be as late is 12 months old. You don't want to breed females until they are two years of age. Make sure to think hard before you breed her. Small breed dogs are more likely to need C-sections. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

The most common reason why dogs refuse to mate is that it is the wrong time in the estrous cycle. If mating is attempted too early in the cycle, the bitch may not be receptive. A female raised as a house pet may be a shy breeder because of inadequate social contact with members of her own species. Mate preference, too, can be a determining factor. A bitch may refuse one male dog but may like another. I suggest you give her more time. Make sure you introduce her to the male at the right time in her cycle or, better yet, keep the two together throughout her entire cycle. If she hasn't been well socialized with other dogs then work on that. That may be why she doesn't know how to act around the male. If all else fails you can resort to artificial insemination. You can speak to your vet about how to get that done.