This has been a very interesting thread.  In the case of the OP and indeed many others, this was her first experience of mating.  I know when I took my first bitch, she too wasn't allowed to see the dog on the day - although I did take her to meet him well before she came into season so the house wasn't too strange to her.  The studs owner was very 'old school' - he was led in, did his job and taken straight away.  Needless to say over the 2 seasons we tried we had no pups - I decided to have a final attempt and found a lady who was happy just to let it happen - we were obviously on hand - it was love at first sight!  Lovely matings and consequently puppies.  A much happier experience for us all.

The stud dog in K9OURS case was carefully chosen and the owner has lots of experience.  I'm sure if we all think back to the first time our girl was taken to stud, there are very few who can honestly say it was what you expected.

When you arrive at the stud, you tend to go with what practice they use and its only with experience/confidence you feel you can say something if you are not happy about the situation.  Most of us have waited many months or more for the mating - are you really going to walk away at the critical time because the studs owner asks for bitch to be muzzled - I doubt many of us would.  Hopefully, the 'old school' way of mating is becoming a thing of the past and newer breeders take a more relaxed view of the situation and you actually enjoy taking a bitch to be mated instead of dread it.

The word rape has been mentioned too - I would suggest that rape and reluctance to mate are totally different.  I have been really fortunate with my girls in that they have been extremely well behaved.  I have had bitches to my stud who were awful!  We allow plenty of 'getting to know each other' time - but if the bitch is really not happy to be mated, I suggest to the bitches owner that we try again the following day and if she's still the same, we call it a day.  I would never 'force' my boy to mate a reluctant bitch - I do wonder how many people it would take to hold them if she really didn't want it to happen - the mind boggles really!

It has been enlightening to read other peoples experiences - but please do not be too judgemental in your posts, as I said earlier it is often a first experience and know no different.

My breed mentor has 60 plus years experience in my breed.
He always allows his stud's to play with visiting female's in his garden.

When the dog and bitch look like they are about to start the deed you
gently move over to them and the female's owner will be asked to hold
her by her collar (flat collar) to stop any sudden movements and reduce
any possible risk of damage to the male or female if one suddenly tries
to pull away when the tie is underway.
Then my mentor may help with the male's front legs to help the stud 'turn'
so that both the male and bitch are comfortable.

In all the matings that I have witnessed in my 20 years of being in my breed
I've never seen anyone flip a female on it's back and hold it there.
Nor advise to prevent the female from going to the toilet for as long as possible.
If they are that concerned then all they should do is advise you to make sure the
female goes to the toilet before she 'visits'.
To be honest if the males sperm are very viable then there should be no worries
about the female becoming pregnant if they've mated at her right time.
Neither have I seen either dog muzzled for the mating.

If the female isn't willing to be mated after the male has tried a few times
then my mentor calls it quits and will offer the female's owners to come back and
try again on a different day or advise that they go to vet if they are desperate for mating to take
place (i.e. they want to use that particular dog) and get testing done it might
mean that they miss that season and try again on the next.

>We allow plenty of 'getting to know each other' time - but if the bitch is really not happy to be mated, I suggest to the bitches owner that we try again the following day and if she's still the same, we call it a day.  I would never 'force' my boy to mate a reluctant bitch - I do wonder how many people it would take to hold them if she really didn't want it to happen - the mind boggles really!

Believe me, it happens. Some bitches in the past were even sedated and supported on a bench for the mating to occur.

Boxacrazy's description is much more standard procedure, thankfully.

Some bitches in the past were even sedated and supported on a bench for the mating to occur

Oh my word - I don't want to believe that but if you're desperate......

> In all the matings that I have witnessed in my 20 years of being in my breed
> I've never seen anyone flip a female on it's back and hold it there.
> Nor advise to prevent the female from going to the toilet for as long as possible.
> If they are that concerned then all they should do is advise you to make sure the
> female goes to the toilet before she 'visits'.
> To be honest if the males sperm are very viable then there should be no worries
> about the female becoming pregnant if they've mated at her right time.
> Neither have I seen either dog muzzled for the mating.
>

Thank goodness for that, some people know what they are doing then.

This has always been the case in our breed, but maybe it is because most of the leading people in our breed have been ladies, who have been considerate about the bitches and dogs feelings.

Also of course relaxed and Happy matings are more likely to be fruitful as they tend to point to the hormones and timing being in proper alignment.

the first planned mating I ever witnessed was my foundation bitch.  As I didn't drive the SDO and the dog came to stay with me for a few days.

So of course the dog was allowed to investigate the garden and his intended followed him about with interest.

Once he had claimed the garden, and made himself comfortable he said hello to my girl.

She was a bit missish so he left her be for a short while then invited her for a game.  this increased the level of excitement and eh proceeded to try and mate her,a dn she tried to co-operate but stood rather awkwardly.

So we called them to us brought them into the living room where I asked my girl to stand (the command for showing in the ring), and I steadied her with a hand against her chest.  bingo the deed was dona and the pair curled up together and went to sleep while we chatted dogs and dreamt of the hoped for pups.  The dog stayed with the bitch through out the time we were there, and he went up to bed with his owner

After toileting and a drink in the morning they were happy to 'try again' and we had a second mating, and as it was Mid morning Sunday the SDO suggested she get off home for the five hour drive to Yorkshire.

Second litter I got a lift to the SDO on about day 8.  This lady liked to have bitches come to stay in plenty of time before they were ready.

The dog came to meet her, sniffed, decided she was no where near ready and came to make a fuss of me instead.

I left her there, and the procedure was daily introductions to test the water n*they did have kennelling).  By day 13 the bitch was mounting the dog,a dn eh was telling her to cut it out as eh still deemed her nto ready.   On day 15 I had the call that he had mated her.  They were then allowed to stay together in the house under supervision and mated at their leisure twice more on each of the succeeding two days.

My most recent litter the bitch stayed a month (she had a split season) with the stud dog owners breeder (she missed the previous season), and their daughter who owns the stud came each day with him to see if the bitch was ready.  Play was allowed in the garden, discreet watching until the business was being done, and support during the tie.

Then a few years later I  had a dog that I bred stay with me for his stud duties as his owner owned another male and did not have facilities to separate.

My dogs are house dogs so he stayed as part of the gang.  His lady Friend was delivered and introduced to him and the rest of my girls (they knew each other from shows anyway).

They were both maidens, but he was 6 years old and she two.  he sniffed and made tentative mating attempts, but ti was obvious she wasn't yet really keen.  so we all went about our business I monitored discreetly and put him one side of the living room baby gate if I wasn't present.

Then one morning as I was washing up I notice the pair had sneaked into the garden alone (back door was open), and eh was trying to mate her.  By the time I made my way outside eh was ready to turn, and I steadied them in the tie.

I have since managed several more matings at my house the same way, and each has resulted in a litter, for others, though not my Myka last time.

Interestingly neither the dog or the bitches visiting or my own girls (not in season) are worried or put off by the other dogs presence.  The ones not involved just keep out of the way.

What I am saying is that different people will have differing arrangements, often based on the way their dogs live and the facilities available.