When Is a Yorkie Ready to Breed?

Finding out when your Yorkshire terrier, or Yorkie, is ready to breed is vital if you are considering breeding it. Yorkshire terriers are small dogs, normally measuring around 7 inches tall, and they were originally bred to catch small vermin in mine shafts. It comes into heat in sixth-month cycles, with the first one occurring when the dog is between 6 and 18 months old. Generally, the first heat will be sooner in small dogs, such as the Yorkshire terrier.

  1. Sexual Maturity

    • A Yorkshire terrier reaches sexual maturity between 6 and 18 months old. This is the first time the female dog goes on heat, and males usually start producing sperm at around 6 months old. Dogs of this age, however, are not socially mature, and may not be able to find a mate naturally until around two years of age. The female heat cycle can be split into three main parts, proestrus, estrus and diestrus. The final section of the cycle, anestrus, is simply the time distance between the end of diestrus and the start of proestrus. Females go into heat roughly every six months.

    Proetrus

    • The first stage of the Yorkshire terrier's heat cycle is called proestrus. Spot this phase by looking for a swelling of the vulva and a bloody discharge coming from the vagina. During this phase the female will reject any male that wishes to mate with her. This lasts for around nine days, although it can vary by up to three days in either direction.

    Estrus

    • Estrus is the key phase in the female heat cycle. Note that the discharge coming from the female's vagina will get lighter in color, turning almost pink and decrease in amount. The vulva gets even larger and softer than in the proetrus stage. This is the phrase in which the female is receptive to the males that approach her throughout the heat cycle, having no such set time to procreate set by their bodily cycles. This stage will last anything between three and 11 days. Ask a veterinarian to perform a vaginal smear as the dog comes up to estrus to ensure that you attempt to breed the dogs at the best time.

    Diestrus

    • The final stage, diestrus, commences as soon as estrus is finished, often around the 14th day of the cycle. Look out for a reduction in size of the vulva and the discharge produced by the vagina becomes even redder in color. If the Yorkshire terrier isn't pregnant, the final stage lasts between 60 to 90 days, and if she is pregnant, it continues until the puppies are born. Anestrus then continues until the next proetrus period.