Just looking for a bit of friendly advice. My 3 year dog has sired 5 large litters of beautiful healthy puppies. However, the last time he covered a bitch the mating was unsuccessful, which dented my confidence in him slightly, I'm unsure of whether it was completley Charlies fault as the bitch did present quite low. He just still seems to act quite in experienced. Is this normal for a stud who has only sired 5 litters? My father in laws springer has sired 4 and he seems to be a pro at it, they are in and out in 15 minutes where as Charlie can faff about for 30 minutes before he ties. I know every dog is different, I suppose I would just like reassuring on the matter. Also, if you have any tips for an inexperienced stud dog, how to make the whole experience easier I would be greatful.
Thanks, jasmine

each dog is different and it 'takes two' to make pups, having sired 5 litters I wouldn't be giving up on him just yet, as for seeming inexperienced, perhaps he just likes to woo them a bit, nothing wrong with that...

I'm just starting with my small herding breed and hoping for a litter - he very much wanted to woo and do it without onlookers... he has sired a litter before but not whilst I've had him... it's all a learning curve for us :-)

In my breed a dog that had sired 5 litters would be very experienced indeed and probably that would be as many litters as she would sire in his life.

Every dog has his own 'romancing style', some are wam bam thank you mam, some like a courtship and play and flirtation, some will only deign to get serious at the peak of a bitches receptivity.

The most usual reason for lack of a litter is poor timing of mating day.  The fertility rate in dogs is high, but they are not machines.

Thanks for the above comments. You both reassured me which is what I needed. Yes I do think he is a romancer, he isn't a dominant dog and does like to have a play and cuddle.
I think i didn't explain the unsuccessful mating properly, he never tied with her so she wouldn't of had puppies, he just kept trying and ended up "Spending his penny," before he could tie so to speak. We tend to mate him early - mid evening 5:30 - 7:30, when he had sired for the first time we tended to keep to that time.
I just felt very bad as the lady had come from Scotland with her cocker and I live in Yorkshire (she had also come to visit family so wasn't a complete wasted visit) and I always offer a second mating 24 or 48hrs depending on the bitches owners preference but she was leaving that evening so couldn't come back. It was probably just a really bad situation but I appriciate the reassurance :)

ah, well not a fertility issue then! lol.. I would imagine the bitch wasn't receptive... unfortunately when people rush things and expect it all to work on a brief timeframe they can often be disappointed.. I was hoping to go up to Scotland with a bitch but was planning on staying a night or even two to ensure time.  Unfortunately she's had an odd season and my usual indicator didn't know when she was ready so we missed :-(  Not sure why you feel you have to stick to the same time, I wouldn't think the dog would worry about that ;-)  My boy says 'whenever' :-)

Haha as all men usually do!
I'm not sure either, I think it's a mixture of that I'd read somewhere that dogs are more fertile at some point in the day, but it could be an old wives tale, and also we are usually free around that time.
I too think she rushed things, she was cutting it fine as it was, the bitch was receptive but it was her 13th day, and even though Charlie has covered a bitch before on her 13th day and she had pups, we usually tell them to come preferably 10th -12th day and they usually ask to come then too. 

I'd just forget that one then... concentrate on the five that worked :-)

>we usually tell them to come preferably 10th -12th day and they usually ask to come then too.

Why?

How do you get a bitch pregnant that ovulates on day 4 or day 24?

If you are believing that bitches are only receptive on days 10-12 then I think that you are being over optimistic!  :-)

Don't know if this helps but when i bred my dog i followed all advice and took her to the stud day 10, 12. She did not become pregnant. The next time we had the blood tests and it actually showed that she was ready on days 16 and 17 even though all the signs of her season said differently. She did get pregnant that time.

I too think she rushed things, she was cutting it fine as it was, the bitch was receptive but it was her 13th day, and even though Charlie has covered a bitch before on her 13th day and she had pups, we usually tell them to come preferably 10th -12th day and they usually ask to come then too.

Could have been way too late or way too early. I had one bitch who needed mating day 3, another day 18.

As others have suggested in previous threads ensure that the progesterone levels of the bitch are taken.Optimum time for successful matings vary.

Wow, thanks guys. The info you've given me is great I will definatley read up more about it, rather than taking the words of others!