Hi my names jamie
My girlfriend has a bitch that has just come in season and is going to mate her with a top quality stud dog.
Yes both dogs are k.c registered and have many champions.
The question im asking is for all you experts to fill me in on everything and anything i need to know about breeding
so that i can help out as much as possible and help keep my girlfriend less stressed as i have been reading the topics here
and i understand that this process will be very stressfull and tiring but very rewarding once you have raised such beautiful
pups.

Please do not be nasty to me as i am only asking for advice and not asking to be shouted at lol as i have read a few topics where the topic starters
get a right telling off lol. so please bear in mind im am new to this and i have asked you all nicely for help before it happens so
i am trying to go about it the right way.
Also what are the best days for mating s it 11 and 13 or 12 and 14. i know every dog is different but i have phoned vets nearby and they do not do blood tests unfortunetly so will have to go with the most common days.

Thank you all in advance for reading this and hopefully giving me some priceless advice.

hi jamie ,id get the book of the bitch now and read it and read it again lol this will help ....now i dont want to get at you ,as your girl been health tested? has she done well in the show ring ? is she a good breed standed? if yes to that do you have any ppl on your waiting list yet? i could go on more :( ...the best way is to get a breeder thats in your breed to help you ,thats how i started my mentor has 30 plus in the breed i started with ...good luck x

If you are using a top quality stud dog then the stud dog handler would be the first place to turn to for advice as they would have done this before.

As its a vested interest to them they would be able to tell you any possible probems that the breed might have when mating or whelping.

Okay. :) First off, make sure that both the bitch and the dog have passed their relevant health testing with good results. You can find a list of what is needed for each breed here:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/1100/abshealthreqs.pdf
and by typing in the stud dog's registered name you can find out if he has been tested, what for, with what results and when, here: http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/health/search/

You'd also be well adviced to ensure both the bitch and dog have been shown or worked or assessed by a few people in the breed, ensuring they are good examples of their breed -even the poorest quality dog can have Champions in their pedigree so that in itself does not mean all that much, unless one of them is a Champion themselves.

Secondly, buy "The book of the bitch" it can be found in many petshops and also on http://www.amazon.co.uk It's invaluable for advice.

Thirdly, make sure you have buyers already WAITING. It's not a good time to breed at the moment as people aren't buying pets during the credit crunch, even many top breeders are left with pups, and so you need to have a waiting list of several people before you mate the bitch to ensure you don't get left with an entire litter -assuming it isn't one of the tiniest toybreeds which only have one or two pups.

Then of course you both need to make sure you have all the equipment needed, have a chunk of money saved in case of big vet bills (I try to always have £1000 available at least) and one of you is able to stay at home with the pups for several weeks. And start saving newspapers straight away as you will need loads.

As far as the actual mating goes, you need to observe the bitch. Some are ready on day 3, some on day 23 -with everything in between. It's no good just visiting the stud dog on any given day, the bitch must give out the right signals showing she is ready to be mated. This normally means she will "flag" her tail (moving it to one side) and stand still waiting for the dog. Presumably she's had a few seasons already so your girlfriend should be able to recognise the behaviour.

really good post marianne :)

we find blood testing from day 8 is a good indication of ovulation, you may need a few though depending on your female. we have only had 1 failure with this method,

Hi Jamie,
Get her hip scored, I have mine done under sedation, Not G.A . The vet will tell you if you need any other tests done for your breed. As the stud dog owner may ask the results before letting you use her dog. Not all best dogs are in the show ring. I have two bitches that hate it, so I would never make them. Showing is Fun and should always be.
As you have been advised A must is the "Book of the Bitch" by J.M.Evans & Kay White. It is a must for all bitch owners if they wish to breed or not. There is a lot of preping to do, also a lot of expensive. Scans, equipment, you can buy a Welphing kit of ebay. Good for first timers. has a lot of things in it. Welphing box. Vet bed, lots of towels. Also remember she may have to have a c/section. More dogs than you may realise do, these can cost from £500,00 to £1000.00 depending on your vet.
She may not catch the first time, a lot of bitches do not. She may follow her mother, so ask the day they mated her. from the 9-15day of a season. all dogs are diffrent. If you miss the right 48hrs you will have to wait untill next season. How old is your bitch?
The stud dog owner will usally send people for puppies to you. How large are the litters in your breed usally? 2-14 in some breeds.
It is well to prepare the season before you want to mate. All puppies have to be kept at 90deg at first, what heating are you planning?
Is someone going to be able to stay with the bitch 24hrs? you must not leave her. We sleep downstairs for 2 weeks untill the puppies eyes open. Also to make sure she does not lay on the puppies, this is very common.
You will need a check list lol.

Denese

>The vet will tell you if you need any other tests done for your breed.

To be fair, most vets know diddly-squat about what health tests are required for reputable breeding.

Far better to ask the breed club, as the KC recommends.

To test for the cocking of the tail: Give her a scratch at the base of her tail of slightly off to one side. If she kinks her tail around and almost tucks it in by her back leg she is ready. With my girl I use the tail as the sign of when she is ready. Also, my girls mum and litter sister were both mated on day nine so I used this as a guide.

>The vet will tell you if you need any other tests done for your breed.

>To be fair, most vets know diddly-squat about what health tests are required for reputable breeding.

>Far better to ask the breed club, as the KC recommends.

I agree, check with the Kennel Club, also they issue all of the required health checks for all breeds to accreditted breeders.