My bitch has previously had one litter, mated on days 11 and 13. I got the premates done by my own vet at the time and they were useless (£50 a go too!) so after speaking to the very experienced owner of the stud dog, we decided on days 11 and 13 even though the premates were not clear. (not number given, just 'not ready'). We did muzzle and hold the bitch, which upset me at the time, but the stud dog owner did say that it was not uncommon for maiden bitches to get nervous and she was still held but fine on the second mating and during the tie with the first. She had nine puppies. That was three years ago.

She is now on day 14 of her season. The premate kit from Idexx didn't arrive in time (ordered twice, post where I am in a problem) so blood wasn't taken/sent for progesterone testing until yesterday. However, she has been visiting the stud dog since day 11 as I didn't want her to miss and so far we have had no tie. The stud dog isn't very experienced, this will be his third litter, but the stud dog owner felt that my bitch just wasn't ready and didn't want to hold her unless it was a last resort. Last night my bitch did stand when I reassurred her gently, but the stud dog, although did 'hump' her a bit, didn't tie with her. They had been together for a while by then though and I wonder if the bitch put him off initially as she wasn't receptive and although not nasty with him, her body language was certainly sayng 'no'.

The progesterone results are back today and her levels are 39.5. Larry at Idexx said I would need to mate her tonight, or possibly tomorrow or I'd miss her. The stud dog owner mentioned that his last bitch to be mateds levels were at around 70 before he was told to mate her, so does it vary that much from bitch to bitch?

Are some bitches just awkward like this? The stud dog owner is pretty experienced, (4 stud dogs) but I got the impression this was maybe a situation they hadn't come across before.

Thanks.

Mating today or tomorrow would be what I would do. Those results suggest she ovulated yesterday, meaning that tomorrow the eggs will be ripe and ready for fertilising, in which case you have about 2 days before the eggs start to die off.

I would mate tonight and again on thursday, to cover all eventualities.

I'm no expert but have just been through the testing myself (well my girl has :))...

If her results were 39.5 from blood taken yesterday I think mating today/tomorrow is right or you are risking missing her.
Somebody posted the different levels here and I copied them for myself(sorry don't know who and what post it was)...

Here are the numbers:
0-2  nmol/L           Baseline concentrations too early to estimate ovulation
3 - 6 nmol /L        Minimum 2 days before ovulation expected however result of 3 - 4 nmol/L may persist for a week or longer before increasing. Earliiest estimating breeding 4 - 6 days but could be longer (re test needed)
7 - 12 nmol/L   Minimum 1 day before ovulation. Estimated window for breeding 3 - 5 days but could be longer  ( re test recommended)
13 - 18 nmol/L   Ovulation impending or just occurred. Estimated breeding window 2 - 4 days 
19 - 31 nmol/L   Ovulation recently occurred. Estimated breeding window 1 - 3 days
32 - 64 nmol/L   Ova have matured, optimal potential for fertility.  Estimated breeding window  0 - 2 days
65 - 90 nmol/L   Ova have matured but aging, decreased potential for fertility.  Breed  at once
Above 90 nmol/L    Too late 

We only had one mating and took bloods 2h before the mating, now nervously waiting for the results to see if we indeed already missed her!
She was on day 10 so we were not expecting that to be it but she made it pretty clear did not want to know the next day...
For the one tie, they tied within minute of getting together so they seemed to "feel" it was right :)!

I think that it depends what measures are used as it can be nmols or something else, someone posted a comparison chart?

I think idexx and Larry reads in nmol...
Well our have been from them and nmol.

Hi

the chart posted by Noora is the one I use to interpret blood results for mating .

IF the test result was in nmol/l a reading of 39.5 would be consistant with mate 0 - 2 days from date of blood draw.
however
IF the test result was in ng/l this would convert to 125.61nmol/l so this would be far too late for any mating to be sucessful. 

The method of converting bloods from nmol/l to ng and vice versa is ::
To convert to Progesterones in ng/l to nmol/l MULTIPLY BY  3.18
To convert nmmol/l to ng/l DIVIDE BY 3.18

Some bitches are certainly reluctant to stand even when physiologically ready, a friends bitch was never sucessfully mated despite knowing excactly the right date to try. Three different experienced studs were tried but this girl was histerical when the males came to penitrate her. I am prepared to muzzle and hold a bitch to overcome maiden bitch anxiety but this girl was frantic and serious force would heve been needed to achieve a mating which is not ethical.
K 

Opps .. just noticed a typo --  above should read ng/ml NOT ng/l

so ::

To convert to Progesterones in ng/ml to nmol/l MULTIPLY BY  3.18
To convert nmol/l to ng/ml DIVIDE BY 3.18

K

Thanks all. Despite the bitch standing when encouraged by me, the stud dog didn't seem able to mate her at all. Lots of 'humping', but he didn't mate her.

We (stud dog owner and I) made the decision to try the other stud dog I had originally had in mind, but went with the other boy on the stud owners advice. The bitch was much more interested in this dog, but first of all he didn't seem to be able to enter her, then they only managed a slip mating. [sad] This has never been a problem with this stud dog before. We are going to try again tomorrow (with the test results in mind) and will hopefully get a tie then.

This litter has been planned for a very long time, and was planned for last season but due to personal circumstances our plans had to be put on hold. Hopefully we won't have to wait until next season.

Hi. On my girls second mating her progesteron was 52,4 nml (16,4 ng) and it looks like she is pregnant even though I thought it was too late. So good luck with the mating today. And if the mating is already done, did go well today?

Been trying to breed from my bitch 3yrs now . Had her at stud last yr after premate but still negative .. she is now on day 13 and my vet called me today with blood results from idexx and is still very low at .8 so need another blood test tuesday .. the problem we have with her she doesnt ovulate until very late on  around 25 /27 day  .. we are having AI done this time using my own boy .. has amyone else had this problem thank you

If you have the male there why AI ? If you are in the UK the KC will not allow AI from a dog residing in the UK unless in extreme cases. I don't object  to AI if logistics of travelling to another country are involved but would much rather see a natural mating. If we continue to manufacture unnatural matings we are doing the canine world a disservice. If she has been mated 3 times before and still not got in pup maybe nature is telling you something.
My bitches bloods from Idexx were Day 7 <.6 nmol/L,  day 11, 4.00,  day 15, 28.9nmol/L  She was mated on days 14/15 resulting in a lovely litter. I travelled to the continent for that mating on day 13. She was spot on and we had 2 very easy happy matings.
Aileen

I presume you male is dead and you are using frozen semen otherwise you won't be able to register pups if stud is alanine and in UK?   My bitches tend to ovulate later than the textbooks suggest, when I mate my girls have never ovulated before day 18 and one girl day 22 ( always use serum progesterones)
Have tried AI three times and failed with imported semen :(

Most of mine have been mated after day 15 (usually days 15 - 19, but have had some that didn't ovulate until later and were days 18 - 22). 

I have rarely used progesterone testing as have been lucky in being able to leave the bitches with the stud dog and mattings occurred when the pair determined it was the right timing.  Only had the one late one tested as the dog had only sired one litter some years earlier and he was proved quite correct in showing no interest in the bitch as at day 17 she was only pre ovulation.

If you have the male there why AI ? If you are in the UK the KC will not allow AI from a dog residing in the UK unless in extreme cases.

This is true, but does the KC have to KNOW???   I suspect this happens in the UK more than is known.......

I am old fasioned, but for me, far more to the point is what's going on 'the other end' than what testing might show!!   If she conceived successfully from a day 11 and 13 mating before, personally I'd go for this time-frame again.   And perhaps choose a male who is not quite as reluctant.... can you find similar bloodlines in another male?  Coming from a breed we HAD to 'hold' (no way was it usually possible for a bitch to support a heavy male without her being propped up across the owner's knees) once it was clear she was tailing and not seeing the male off big time, we held.   Using a breeding rack/any other force, is quite another matter - and extremely cruel in my book.  And also pointless because if she's not receptive, generally speaking she'll not conceive in any case.

Sometimes testing just confuses the situation !!  Just my opinion.

My male is still alive and has produced excellent litters .. the reason why we were considering AI was purely clinical my bitch is of grand breed but will not except any male she will stand for them but there is a problem with penetration. She has been to experienced breeders who are producing champdogs and none have been successful only a couple of slip ties so on the advice of my vet we were thinking about AI  and also abiding by uk kennel club rules..

"The General Committee will not normally accept an application to register an AI litter if the donor male is alive and domiciled in the United Kingdom, with one exception namely, that Irish Wolfhounds of 8.5 years or older and domiciled in the UK may be used as donors in AI.

From the KC webpage.

If you have a problem with natural mating should you be using this bitch at all. She may well carry it on to her pups and then perpetuate a hereditary problem.
Aileen

You will need prior permission for AI in this case, you will need to apply in writing to general committee. The process can take a number of months depending on when the general committee sits. TBH I  can't see that they will grant permission but thee is no harm in trying.