Havanese Breeding Calendar

Abigail and Wasabi were bred at the same time frame, give or take a couple of days. They both go for an ultrasound on February 8th.

This is a calendar to understand what they go through when they are pregnant. Hope you enjoy.

Champions: Abigail/Katsura
Champions: Wasabi/Joker
Pregnancy Calendar
Breeder: Talemaker Havanese
Mon 28 Dec 2009 - First day of mating. 48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilization taking place. The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix.

Tue 29 Dec 2009 - Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.

Tue 29 Dec 2009 - Wed 30 Dec 2009 Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts.

Wed 30 Dec 2009 - Thu 31 Dec 2009 Fertilisation occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus.

Thu 31 Dec 2009 - Sat 2 Jan 2010 Fertilized eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns. The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos. During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes.

Fri 8 Jan 2010 - Sun 10 Jan 2010 - The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus.

Fri 8 Jan 2010 - Fri 22 Jan 2010 - The blastocystes will grow into an embryos. During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.

Mon 11 Jan 2010 - Mon 18 Jan 2010 - Dams nipples begin to pink enlarge. The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner.

Sun 17 Jan 2010 - Sun 24 Jan 2010 - Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time. Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help.

Fri 22 Jan 2010 - Tue 26 Jan 2010 - An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant most of the time. It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.

Mon 25 Jan 2010 - Start to increase the dams food ration. Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided. Pregnancy can be more difficult with too much weight. The fetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs.

Sun 31 Jan 2010 - The Dams abdomen starts to get larger.

Sun 7 Feb 2010 - Stomach needs to be shaved quite widely to allow an ultrasound to be done. It is best if the breeder does it herself as vets as a whole do not do a neat job. The breeder usually cares if it looks its best.

Mon 8 Feb 2010 - An ultrasound will be done on both Wasabi and Abigail to see if there is a pregnancy and to get an idea how many. An x-ray must be done the week before birth to get an accurate count.

Wed 10 Feb 2010 - It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.

Sat 13 Feb 2010 - Sun 21 Feb 2010 - Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming.
Her breasts become even more swollen. She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.

Mon 15 Feb 2010 - The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day. You can easily detect abdominal movement now.

Mon 15 Feb 2010 - Tue 2 Mar 2010 - Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.

Thu 25 Feb 2010 - Sun 28 Feb 2010 - Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.

Fri 26 Feb 2010 - You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.

Mon 1 Mar 2010 - Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.

Tue 2 Mar 2010 - Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.