Our bitch has just turned 4 a week ago and we decided to breed her and keep a pup back for ourselves.
We tried last year and had a premate test done on the 11th/12th day but came back that she had already ovulated and we had missed her.
So we tested early this year as recommended by the Vet. First on day 4, then on day 6 and again today on day 7. We were told she will be ready to mate tomorrow (day 8). So we have arranged to go to the Stud dog tomorrow. He's proven also.

Some people have said it's best to hold her for her first time? How exactly is the best way to do this?
She is a French Bulldog.

She will stand just now but as soon as she feels the male entering she bites.

Any outside stud I have used his owner has taken over proceeding with bitch and stud with me present in the room, some times the bitch will stand with just her head end being held,they all seem to protest initially you just have to make sure she doesn't injure the stud during the act or turn and bite him and scaring him off.

It is easier with a proven stud as they know what they are there for and won't be put off by the bitch.

You do realise that ovulation and being ready are not the same, it takes approx 48 hrs from ovulation for the eggs to be ripe for fertilization, so on day 6 they should have said ready on day 8 or day 7 ready on day 9

Have you arranged for 2 matings 48 hrs apart?

Hope all goes well

Yes I thought that too.
Yes we arranged 2 matings 2 days apart.

When my boy had his first lady, experienced bitch it was a 3 person job. They are very strong and when she wants away.she will try to get away and push off everything. Hope your using a good boy that has at least hc clear and not a blue! Let them play abit and I find its fear once its happened she knows what to.expect.

> We were told she will be ready to mate tomorrow (day 8).

What was meant by she will be ready, do they mean that she is about to ovulate, has just ovulated and will reach the fertilise-able stage (two days after ovulation).

Some bitches will accept a male at or just before ovulation, and be happy to be mated over 5 days or more, and others will not until they are two to three days past at the optimum time, and maybe another day or two. 

Also males may not mate a bitch until she is right on the dot, or others will happily mate anything that stands still.

I would never hold a bitch for mating in any restraining sense unless she was obviously receptive, biting the male is not receptive, though a bit of coy mock Resistance is something else, and an experienced male will know the difference as should his handler.

Once the dog has mounted then stopping the bitch sitting or moving forward at the crucial moment (once the ladder climbing has started, before they try to turn), and to support and keep still a bitch during the tie which many find irksome.  some may even try to roll or pull violently, this is the stage where holding on tight is needed ;).

She has just ovulated and the vet recommends mating 24 hours after, which would be tomorrow and again in 2 days.

Stud is HC clear same as my bitch, she is brindle and he is fawn. No blue anywhere in the lines of both. Wouldn't touch blues or chocolates.

Like

But don't fall for the popular sire syndrome, in 2 years time people will be stuck for fresh blood

No I went for one who has sired 3 litters over the past year. He isn't advertised either which I liked as I know he won't be used very much either.
I've seen a lot of sires being used over and over for many bitches, so I've steered clear of that.

I went for one who has sired 3 litters over the past year.

Gosh, 3 in a life time is more usual in our breed but I suppose it the gene pool is large that is not too much of a problem but 4 litters in a year - say 24 pups well that would be nearing half our years puppies but it you have several hundred registered then that would I suppose be acceptable.

LOL just looked it up nearly 3000 so I think the stud had indeed only had a modest number of progeny.

What is your breed?

the largest litter he sired was 6 and the other 2 were 5 so that's 16 so far. Well he's sired 3 litters in his lifetime and he's almost 4 now.

> She has just ovulated

Then don't be surprised if she is not actually ready tomorrow (especially a maiden bitch), she or the stud may not want to mate until a day or two later. 

If they were doing AI they would do it three days after ovulation as that would be the time when most ripe eggs would e around and of course with AI the sperm have a short shelf life.