Hi well as some of you know if you have read earlier i have been trying to mate a bitch, to a noice dog had the first signs of action on day 12 although they did not tie and seemed to be in the wrong place. I had to take the cat to the vet today for a booster and the vet told me day 14 was too late to try and mate her i am worried now i have missed her again bur no interest was shown before by the dog does any one have any suggestions ? Also at day 14 she is still showing signs of blood. Should i continue to try and put them together until we get or tie or have i just missed out ? Please help desperate and very confused

Me personally I would see if they are still interested in each other, and is her vulva still swollen? My bitch was bred on day 11,13, and,15. We still had pups. If u bred on day 12 then it would be 14 and 16. I have talked to other breeders and I was told to breed for 3 days with skipping a day inbetween (hope that made sense cause it did on my end lol ). I'm sure someone will be along shortly that can better help.

ttfn :)

If the bitch wants to mate she will stand for the dog, so if i was you stand and see what happens, if the bitch isnt ready then she will let the dog know, and if the bitch is ready then you will know that as well.

good luck

debbie

I have bred a bitch on day 24 and she produced a litter of 6. The same bitch has been bred on days 4 and 13 for her other litters.

Hi D/stuff, vet told me the same when I was mating my bitch. Put me in a right panic but he was wrong & she was mated day 15 only the once & went on to have 9 lovely pups! If she he is still trying & she is standing for him see what happens.
Christine, Spain.

I have had two bitches take to a single mating on day 15 (mother and daughter) one had 8 pups (7live) and the other 9 live pups.

From speaking to many breeders in many breeds it would appear that bitches are geting later as refgards the time they are ready for mating. The old books on breeding quoting days 10 and 12 would now appear to be way out, and my bitches would have sent the dog packing this early on!

It could of course be thast as we have mostly our bitches living with us in close quarters that we are better at knowing exactly when they come in season, and not miss the first day or two as may have been the case in days of old?

Hi,
For her first litter my bitch would stand from day 14 through to 18. For her second litter she stood from day 16 through to 20. It all depends on the bitch. If she will stand, she's ready. If she won't, then you've missed the boat.

Dogs don't seem to read the same books the vets do!!

Thanks all of you - i feel like crying to be honest it only today she feels soft and yes she is still swollen, although he has tried it has not hit the spot so to speak and she will stand with a little help from me being there, having missed her the last cuple of seasons thought i would know better the right day if i used my own dog instead of taking her out to one - could not be any harder really. I have a friend comming tonight to help as i felt the only reason he may not be in the right place is i need another pair of hands. Will put them together in about an hour and see if any interest if not will try again tonight.

Hi D/stuff, I have a sloping area & by positioning the dogs the right way found they managed it. Might help.
Christine, Spain.

Hi all well he is still showing interest and for about 15 mins had another go but to put it bluntly in the right place but not actually in, so i guess it is a case of perservering, you have all been such help. If it does not hapen then it was not meant to be it is just frustrating. He will not stand on anything any way try again later and tomorrow and keep praying i guess. Thanks again.

Incase it helps the breed are shihtzu

Unless the vet is an experienced breeder and/or has done a premate blood test then he doesn't know what he is talking about. Bitches are pretty variable in themselves, and by breed as to when they are ready to mate. In my breed I have never had a fertile matring earlier than 14 days, and in most cases the bitches weren't ready until day 15 and later.

Even with an average bitch day 14 is unlikely to be too late. If she is still showing colour then it is even less likely that she has gone over, as normally bitches are ready for mating as the colour starts to wane, though I have had a bitch bleed throughout her season and still be mated and have pups.

Sadly many vets like to make out they are animal experts, whereas their field of expertise is treating sick animals!!! They are usually not reproductive experts, or a good judge of a dogs breed qualities, other than it has 4 legs a tail head and body that function within normal parameters. :D

Oh well said B/less!!!!! :) :) :) My 3 litters where days 14 & 15
Christine, Spain.

Just a quick thought ahe is not doing any of the things that are sugested a female ready does ie sticking her bum in his face etc is this normal or is she simply not ready yet which is why he can't "get it in"

Hi D/stuff
don't know if its true or what but I was old by an experienced dog breeder that putting vaseline on the bitches vulva helps the dog 'find the right spot'.Might be worth a try????
Archer

I have found that quite often a maiden bitch won't be as blatant with the tail swishing and fanny lifing as her experienced counterparts!

When I failed to get my maiden bitch mated over Christmas, I decided to mate her Mum, and she was a little slapper, very obvious that she was ready and willing. When she was mated the first time 3 years ago she was playful and silly, but not showing standing behaviour as now.

I don't know if your breed is one of those that rarely ties, but it may pay to have someone strategically placed to give him a push when he is where he should be, and to hold him in place for about a minute. when he stops thrusting you can allow him to turn/dismount.

Just put them together everday and let nature takes it course. Maybe they don't like watchers :D What about if u just ignore them and carry on as everyday life but keeping a close eye on them as well. I have heard of some bitches that would only stand for one day and that was all. Mine would go for 2 weeks or longer if I let her.

ttfn :)

Unfortunately, Vets, generally know very little about mating and breeding dogs! I often don't even think of mating a bitch until the 14th day, so don't be despondent!
If you're not used to handing a stud dog, perhaps your novice dog could do with the help of an experienced stud dog handler, rather than just another pair of hands. Is there anyone in your breed that you can ask?

My 2 Spanish Water Dogs have been mated on their 18th day. They are mother and daughter. Lydia, has had 2 litters, from matings on the 18th day, she had 6 pups in her first litter and 5 in the second. Carina her daughter was mated again only once on her 18th day and had 4 pups. Another of Lydia's pups, who my friend has was mated on her 18th day and had 8 pups.

I know what it's like though when it getting later and later.

Good luck. Diane

Hi All, well had another go last night and although he got very excited still no joy, it is the dog who is a novice not the bitch, i feel so frustrated and had a good try last night but i suppose in the end what will be will be, i have had some advice from other breeders but to be hones i am at the point of giving up the whole idea now, if i leave them they just end up sleeping on the sofa together. Anyone who thinks this is easy is very wrong. I suppose there is still time but i am the one who feels most dispondent now !

Hi dogstuff it is certainly not easy the first time for all concerned.

I coould not stand outdoors and watch bud and cleo as when i did bud would walk away thinking he was in trouble.

so what i did was leave them too it but keep an eye on them out the window that way when they do do it, you will be on hand straight away.

good luck

debbie and the gang

I know exactly how you feel, This is how I was over Christmas, quite spoilt the holiday.

I have a Champion bitch, a dog who works obedience, and has won classes at Champ shows of compatible pedigree, but both maidens.

I now have to try in the summer again by which time the bitch will be over 3 1/2 years old, and the boy's owner would love a pup out of these two to work. I just hope we will get joy next time, otherwise I will have to try another dog at the end of the year, as I don't want to leave her to long, as by then she will be over four years old.

If I get no joy in the Summer I will have to bring forward what was to be her second litter to the dog I have imported with friends, and keep a puppy earlier than I had planned (making my numbers higher than I want).

I will also have one very disappointed potential Stud dog ownere, who particularly wanted one of her boys pups from my bitch. No it is vever easy when you have planned and planned, and it doesn't go your way.

If we let our eyes off the little darlings they would be mated and tied in the blink of an eye with the nearest unsuitable mongrel!!!

Hi all thanks for all the support over the last few weeks of course if anything happens now it will be a blessing but i am very much in doubt, you are certainly right though the dogs we don't want to mate seem to do it with no trouble at all, and like you my concern is the age and also the fact i would like to get this dog back in the ring sooner rather than later having clipped her hair off last time ! Does any one have any views that some dogs are just not meant to be mums like in the wild they have what they call aunties and mothers and although the aunties are like surrogate mums never have puppies of there own i have been thinking about this as she was very maternal with the puppies from my other 2 bitches she got in the bed washed them, made milk ect so maybe it is just nature, would be nice to hera any opinions on the subject though !

I suppose i am kicking myself as i did have a stud dog linned up but stupidly listened to others and used my novice dog as thought would be better able to determine the day, as he goes mad near any other dogs in season still you live & learn.

Ignore vet. We ahve had litters as late as day 23. Your vet has learned breeding from books, your bitch hasnt! Try it, you have nowt to lose. Most stud dog owners will offer a free service if no pups produced first time. In myu breed, we recommend breeding on days 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15.