Puppies?

I have a female dog who is in heat, and a 5 month old male toy poodle, is there any chance he could get her pregnant? Or any way for me to tell if he is mature enough to?

There is a chance. Some animals mature faster than others, and it can happen very quickly. Five months tends to be on the cusp of puberty - a lot of people generalize around 6-8 months for the onset. I would recommend keeping them separate and getting them, and any of your other intact pets spayed and neutered regardless - they are both old enough to be fixed. Also practice diligence on walks or letting her outside. Even if your dog isn't sexually mature, there are probably some roaming or being walked outside that are mature and intact.

The female is my sisters dog, and the poodle is mine, I need to keep him intact because I raise dogs (I'm new at it and don't have any mature females yet) but I don't know how to tell if he is mature enough to get a female pregnant, I'm not worried about any other male dogs because I have a 6 foot privacy fence, I will try to keep them seprate but it's going to be hard, especially when it's so nice and they want to go outside. I would make my sister take her right now to get her fixed, but if Im correct they can't spay them while their in heat. Do you know if there's any way to tell if he is sexually mature? pinkdagger

Are you registered with any Kennel Clubs? Has your poodle been verified as meeting the breed standard, and are his parents registered dogs? Not sure where you are, but many countries have a Kennel Club to promote healthy and responsible breeding of dogs. Not only are they a great way to get your name and bloodline out there, and it's an entrance for him to compete in shows and get his certification and pedigree, and to meet other breeders from whom you can get TONS of great information and develop relationships where they may see your dog and request that he sire their next litter and such.

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeders/responsible-breeding/articles/breeder/

http://www.akc.org/registration/conditional/

If you got your dog from a reputable breeder, you should stay in contact with them as a means of support and knowledge, and they will have the most information about your dog to help promote his health. If the background of your dog is in any way questionable, or the person you got him from doesn't encourage a lifelong line of contact, perhaps it's better that he not be bred.

Additionally, part of being a good breeder is having a strong and trusting working relationship with your vet - your vet can not only find any underlying problems that may make your dog an unsuitable candidate for breeding, but they can help with noticing the appropriate signs of sexual maturity and give tips on keeping animals apart when you don't want them to breed.

No responsible breeder just lets litters "happen", so that information is a huge asset to have - coming from a professional, not so much the internet, much less a cat forum. I'm not a breeder, nor have I ever bought from a breeder, but most people know what to look for in a good breeder.

I got him from a reputable breeder, and I am going to get licensed myself, I know everything that I need to do already. As for my sisters dog, I've been encouraging her to get her fixed as soon as possible so there's no accidents. I am not looking for advice on raising dogs, and I know all I need to know about females being sexually mature, I'm just looking for someone who has any advice on how to tell if he is or not. Thanks. pinkdagger

Have you asked your puppies breeder when they generally mature sexually? That would be the first thing I would do. Good luck in your endeavor - it can be rewarding but also heartbreaking being a breeder. I have bred dogs, cats, gerbils, and guinea pigs ( the latter in my teen years). I find it immensely rewarding when things go right, but terribly heart breaking on the rare occasions when things go wrong.