As the title suggests.  I have a large breed male and small breed females.  all my dogs are house dogs and although I have a small dog kennel outside, they never use it and would rather sit at the door in the rain than in there where it's dry!lol.  I am now approaching an issue which I haven't particularly thought about?  My 2 girls are about to come into season and I would like to mate both(different breeds).  Reason being, I want a bitch for working out of one of them that I never got last time and this is her last 'go'. And I want a bitch from the other(who very rarely comes in so I need to take the opportunity when I get it).  I would never ordinarily mate 2 in the same year but I'm in a corner.  Anyway, with my male being entire(for the next 8 months!!) he will need to be separated for at least 6 weeks(while the have the season) and then for the time afterwards where they are pregnant and have pups, etc.  I have no idea what to do with him?  Obviously the girls will be in the house with the pups but I don't think they will let him near and also, with him being so big and heavy, it could be disaster so I wouldn't let him near but where will I keep him when he won't stay outside??  Any thoughts?  As I obviously haven't done any!!!

I had 2 entire bitches and an entire male. If their seasons were at separate times I would just manage, usually with the boy being upstairs when I'm out, girls downstairs together. (He didn't mind being alone) and closing doors. (Had to bungee the doors shut as girls are door openers). They were never let outside together an only allowed together if I was with them and watching them (Like when watching tv at night).

On their last season they both came in at the same time (4 days apart) and it was just too much for my entire male and neutered one so both boys went on holiday for a while (they go to stay with a home boarder) and that worked out much better for us. Obviously for 6 weeks plus pregnancy time that option would work out expensive.

Not really sure what to suggest (I know I've not really been very helpful, but thought id share how I manage). Is there not a family member or friend he could go and stay with?

Don't see why you would need to separate during pregnancy and rearing, any more than you do now for safety due to size differences.  The bitches should have their pups in a room away from the other dogs until they are two to three weeks old, by then they will not mind the other dogs around.

Pups will be safely in a pen, and no self respecting male will want anything to do with the little piranhas, and Mums will make it clear how much interaction they will allow.  Also once outside for fresh air it is best to puppy panel a part of the garden for pups to they are safer (pups can squeeze into the smallest spaces, under/through gates etc), and the adults can get away from them.

Most recently I was in a similar situation as you, except I had a male of 4 years come back 4 days before his sister whelped a litter.

He was restricted to the kitchen along with the others, while his sister had her pups in the living room, with just baby gate between.  She had to go out through the rest of the dogs to toilet, so they were all aware of what was going on, though of course they could hear, and probably just about see the whelping box.

My only worries had been whether she would accept the presence of her brother who was a stranger to her, so close to whelping.

As for the two litter scenario, circumstances over the years have conspired to me having two litters together twice.

The first time in 2006  they were born 4 days apart, reared in separate rooms, and their outdoor area was divided in two, not because I would eve mix them up, but to reassure potential puppy owners that no mistakes were made. 

Apart from the two litters amounting to 14 puppies rearing wasn't much harder than with just one litter, as they were all at the same stage and same needs at same time.

Last year we had two litters born 3 1/2 weeks apart and this was much harder as they were at different stages so the puppy rearing period was a month longer and with Easter, owners holidays, one going to stud dog owner abroad, etc a couple of pups stayed to 11 weeks or so from both litters.

The most worrying time was when the younger pups first went outdoors as we still had two of the older pups, who were no longer being penned but free to be with the adults though in fact it was the babies that would bully them a little and with supervising they played very gently with their baby cousins.

Barbara, I don't particularly separate at all at the minute.  The little 'uns are quite the 'bitches' when they want to be and soon teach him his manners and he is a great natured boy, taking a telling well but my issue is with playing.  He weighs a tonne and tends to use his weight when playing(flopping about) and this wouldn't mix well with a pregnant bitch.lol.  Plus jumping about outside, going in the car, running on walks would all need to stop too as he steps on them all the time! Normally, I don't mind as the bitches soon tell him to watch out but when pregnant, I would be terrified.  Am I worrying unnecessarily? Or is this quite valid?

I have always found the other dogs are a lot more careful around the pregnant girls, so I would not worry unduly other than be vigilant and step in if behaviour is too bouncy. 

Chances are they will quite quickly have him behaving as they wish.  They will be in no more danger of injury than they are now, when pregnant.

I choose not to own males (other than once in partnership) as I could not live with the stress of keeping them apart when in season, in the past would never trust children to not err, and now the OH.  Might have considered it is I lived alone, also prefer to keep just one breed so no size or differing drives to contend with.

Like Brainless I found that my adult dogs were very careful of the pups and Mum dictated how close they could get and how much interaction they had. There was a considerable size difference between my adult borzois and baby collies too but the boys really didn't want to get near the pups :-)  In this pic Tchi was standing on the path when a pup trundled past, he does everything he can to move his legs out the way, short of actually levitating :-)

> In this pic Tchi was standing on the path when a pup trundled past, he does everything he can to move his legs out the way, short of actually levitating :-)

Aahh, what a lovely photo!