It has been common knowledge that if you want to start breeding for the first time, German Shepherds are a good place to start. In our previous post, we learned that though that idea isn’t bad, it may leave new and inexperienced breeders in a pickle when they see many strange things happen to their German Shepherd. From our more than five years of experience consulting for new breeders and breeding some German Shepherds, we have seen that breeders in our local area face problems. The first problem is getting their German Shepherd’s males or females ready for the mating process, and two, their females carry their pregnancies to delivery. Many new breeders come to us with the question, why does my German Shepherd always miscarry?
Well, your German Shepherds will miscarry for two reasons. First and most importantly, your German Shepherd may miscarry because of unhealthy breeding procedures and mismanagement of a pregnant German Shepherd. And secondly, your German Shepherd could miscarry due to medical complications, Infection or a sudden change in your dog’s immune system.
Well, for the first cause of miscarriage, you play a major role and may be the primary reason why your German Shepherd miscarries, and for the second, your German Shepherd miscarries for reasons beyond your control.
So, you may wonder what actions you could have taken that could have caused your dog’s miscarriage, or what are some common illnesses or infections that could cause your dog’s miscarriage? You may also wonder what steps could be taken to ensure your German Shepherd’s chances of miscarrying are reduced. We will answer all these and more in this post. So please don’t go anywhere.
FOUR COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER MATING THAT COULD CAUSE MISCARRIAGE.
You could make many mistakes before, during, and after mating that could cause your German Shepherd to miscarry, but we will look at four.
1. MAKING A SPONTANEOUS DECISION TO MATE YOUR DOG.
Most new dog breeders often take the mating of their dogs as a last-minute decision. German Shepherd breeders are no different. Most believe that the decision to mate or not to mate is due to how fast the hit comes about, so they start deciding to mate at the exact time they notice the first heat.
Studies have shown that dog breeders who follow this approach will end up 50% of the time with an unsuccessful mating season. We will discuss in our next post what it takes to be a successful breeder and how to prepare before it is time to mate your dog. But for now, we can assure you that choosing whether or not to mate your dogs starts months before the mating season.
2. FORCFULLY MATING BOTH MALE AND FEMALE GERMAN SHEPHERDS.
Unfortunately, 85% of new dog breeders are guilty of this issue. And again, this all stems from a need for proper planning before rushing off to mating. This problem is often the case when male and female dogs refuse to mate for some reason. Thankfully, this problem could be solved using simple strategies, which we will discuss in the next post.
3. EXPOSING YOUR POTENTIALLY PREGNANT DOG TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS.
Another major reason most new dog breeders end up with a dog that miscarries is the failure to give the special care the female dog needs and deserves. Yes, it is true that at the first week of pregnancy, it is okay to act as though everything is normal and maintain the same routine with your dog.
But this does not mean you completely forget that your dog is pregnant. It is because of new owners missing this very crucial detail that often lead them to put their dogs in stressful situations, thus causing miscarriage.
4. FAILURE TO INVOLVE THE VET THROUGH THE MATING AND PREGNANCY.
The final reason your dog might have been having a miscarriage may be that you failed to get your vet involved with the whole process. Involving your vet is very important, especially if you’re a beginner and want a smooth and successful pregnancy and delivery process. If you need to include your vet in the previous breeding process, please do so in the subsequent breeding process.
Now that we have looked at a few reasons why your German Shepherd has had a miscarriage that you might have had a hand in let’s look at some other reasons beyond your control that could have led to your dog’s miscarriage.
HEALTH FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE MISCARRIAGE IN GERMAN SHEPHERDS.
What if you did not do any of the things mentioned above, or you did some and omitted some and feel that that should not be enough reason for my German Shepherd to miscarry? You may be right, but now is a good time to get your dog to the vet. Why? Because your dog could have been suffering from an illness which is stopping her from conceiving. One of the most widespread infections your dog can most likely contract is called Brucellosis.
This Infection is deadly to puppies but seemingly harmless to adult Dogs. This means that your dog could have contracted this disease and will leave you completely clueless. Most experienced dog breeders don’t suspect this illness until about two or three subsequent miscarriages. It could take even longer for new and inexperienced breeders, which could be true of you too.
But thankfully, though, it can be controlled but not completely eradicated in your dog. If your dog contracts this disease of some unfortunate incidence, it is best to suspend her crossing until you can control the situation. But not that with this Infection, it will be highly unlikely for her to get pregnant and give birth successfully. It is also important to note that Brucellosis could be transmitted from one dog to another and even given to humans.
So please be sure to keep the infected dog under quarantine. Also, thoroughly wash and clean yourself after caring for or touching your infected dog before engaging in other activities. On an unrelated note, have you ever wondered if your German Shepherd was able to sense human pregnancy? If that’s something that interests you, click here now.
