How to Mate a Jack Russell

Take your dog to the vet. Tell your vet that you are planning to breed her, and ask for a full checkup. Pregnancy causes a large amount of stress to a female dog's body, so any existing conditions and problems need to be carefully monitored. Equally, the vet needs to be sure your dog does not suffer from any genetic conditions that will affect the puppies. In particular, Jack Russells need to be tested for heart and kidney problems, as these are common in the breed. If you are not sure, ask your vet to estimate your dog's age. Dogs under 1 year should not be bred.

Look for a stud dog. There are many owners who stud out their dogs, so you should have a wide variety of choices. Look for a stud dog owner who has experience, and has had a full, recent health check for his dog. You may also want to look at pictures of puppies the male has sired, or look at the dog himself, to identify his coat pattern.

Wait for your dog to come into season. Most dogs will have slightly swollen genitals and may spend a long time licking that area. There may be bloody discharge. A season generally lasts around a month, but when you are sure your dog is in season, you should mate her as soon as possible.

Introduce the female dog into the male dog's environment. Because Jack Russells are curious and nosy, you should try to ensure the environment is plain, with the minimum amount of distractions. The dogs may ignore each other at first or begin to sniff each other. Mating usually does not take long.

Take your dog home, and look after her for around a fortnight. Continue to walk her and allow her to play, but avoid any rough play. Be careful with her.

Book a vet's appointment for around two weeks after the mating. Your dog may begin to show symptoms, such as swollen or red nipples, about this time. Symptoms can come later, however, and their absence does not mean your dog is not pregnant. The vet will be able to feel the dog's stomach and conduct blood tests and scans to confirm the pregnancy.

Work out your dog's due date. Jack Russells are pregnant for around 60 days after mating, so you need to prepare for the puppies to be born around that time. Some dogs will go over the 60 days, or the puppies could be born a few days early, so be prepared.

Set up a place for your dog to give birth. The location should be warm and secure. Somewhere that you can clean and tidy conveniently is ideal.

Create a whelping box for your dog. This location could be a cardboard box, and should be approximately triple the size of your dog. You can also buy whelping boxes from some pet stores. If you are using a cardboard box, cut a door so that your Jack Russell can comfortably get in and out, but the babies can't escape. Fill the whelping box with towels -- do not use expensive towels, as they are likely to be ruined. You could use puppy pads to absorb the fluid instead. Provide food and water bowls for your dog, too. Write down the number for your vet, and the emergency vet for your area, and have some sterile scissors on hand.

Watch out for signs that your dog is going into labor. Usually, the main hint is that she goes off her food and begins to appear restless. She may be panting heavily. At this point, you should take your dog to the room you have prepared.

Talk to your dog and reassure her. Stroke her if she will let you. Dogs are usually stressed during the start of pregnancy, so talk to her continuously to reassure her. While you are comforting her, watch for her to pass a block of clear fluid that looks like a bubble. This indicator is the sign the first puppy is on its way.

Watch your dog, and when the first puppy passes through the birth canal, make sure the mother gives birth to the placenta. The placenta is a maroon-colored sac, which usually comes immediately after the first puppy. Mum should get up and start to clean her puppy -- if she does not, you will need to use the sterile scissors to break the sac around the puppy. If the sac is not broken within two minutes, the puppy will be starved of oxygen. The labor process should repeat itself until your dog has given birth to all her puppies. She may get up and walk around during the labor - this behavior does not mean she has finished the birthing process. Jack Russells usually have around four to eight puppies, although first litters are usually between four and five.

When your dog has finished whelping, put all the puppies into the whelping box, and encourage your dog to get inside. She should instinctively nurse the babies. She is likely to be hungry and thirsty, so make sure her bowls are nearby and she has seen them.

Take the puppies to the vet to be checked over within 24 to 48 hours. At the first checkup, the vet will look for general health, and also listen to the puppies' hearts, as Jack Russells can suffer from serious heart difficulties.