> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://breederbuddy.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Litter Planner

> Plan breedings and upcoming litters on one heat cycle timeline for all your breeding females — see who is in heat or pregnant, forecast next heats, find out why a female is missing, and export the plan as a PDF.

# Litter Planner

> **Video walkthrough:** [Watch on Loom](#) *(link coming soon)*

***

The Litter Planner is a visual timeline that shows the heat cycle and reproductive status of every active breeding female in your program — all on one screen. It helps you plan breedings, anticipate upcoming heats, and see at a glance who's active, pregnant, or due next.

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## What You Can Do Here

* See every active breeding female's heat cycle history on a single timeline
* Spot who is currently in heat and who is pregnant
* Forecast upcoming heat cycles 3 or 4 cycles out
* Filter your view to all females, only those in heat, or only those who are pregnant
* Zoom in or out between a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month view
* Export the timeline as a PDF

***

## How It Works

1. Go to [**Litter Planner**](https://app.breederbuddy.com/litter-planner) in the left menu (under **Tools & Analytics**). You'll see a **Breeding Females** timeline with one row per girl.
2. Read the bars: blue bars are heat cycles (current or projected), and pink bars are pregnancies. Hover over any bar to see the dog's name and dates.
3. Use the filter buttons above the timeline to narrow the view: **All Females**, **In Heat**, or **Pregnant**. Each shows a count.
4. Under **Zoom Level**, pick **12 mo**, **6 mo**, or **3 mo** to change how much time fits on screen.
5. Under **Forecast**, pick **3 cycles** or **4 cycles** to show projected future heats, or **Off** to hide them. Projected heats appear slightly faded, so you can tell them apart from cycles you've recorded.
6. To save or print the plan, click **Export PDF** in the top right. The PDF follows the filter and forecast you have selected.

### Where the Timeline Gets Its Information

* **Heat cycles** come from each female's **Heat Cycles** tab on her profile. See [Heat Cycles & Breeding Records](https://breederbuddy.com/docs/features/core-animal-litter-management/heat-cycles.md).
* **Pregnancies** come from her litters. As soon as a litter with her as the dam has a **Date Bred**, a pregnancy bar appears, running to the litter's **Date of Birth** (or to the estimated due date if puppies aren't born yet).
* **Forecasts** are projected from her own past cycles, the same way your calendar projects estimated heat cycles, so the two always match.

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## Key Terms

| Term | What It Means |
| - | - |
| In Heat | A female currently in a heat cycle |
| Pregnant | A female with a litter that has a Date Bred and hasn't been born yet |
| Forecast | Projected future heat cycles based on past cycle history |

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## Tips & Common Questions

> **Why isn't a female showing up on the timeline?**
>
> Only dogs with **Sex** set to **Female** and **Type** set to **Active Breeding Dog** appear, and females with **Fertility** set to **Spayed / Neutered** are left out. To fix it, open her profile, click **Edit Details**, check those three fields, and save. She also needs at least one heat cycle (or a litter with a **Date Bred**) on record before there's anything to draw.

> **How does the forecast work?**
>
> BreederBuddy uses the dog's past cycle history to project when future heats are likely. The more heat cycles you've logged, the more accurate the forecast.

> **How do I show a female as pregnant on the planner?**
>
> Create a litter with her as the **Dam** and fill in the **Date Bred**. The pregnancy bar appears automatically, and it ends on the litter's **Date of Birth** once you enter it.

> **Can I use this for planning specific matings?**
>
> Yes — the timeline helps you see which females are likely to be in heat at the same time so you can plan around sire availability or co-own arrangements.

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## Still Have Questions?

We're here to help. If something isn't working the way you expect, or you'd like to have a discussion around a certain topic, please reach out to us anytime through the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen.

Thank you.


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