This is the third time iv mated my bitch.....first two times her progesterone levels shot up around day 18 and a mad rush to stud resulted in no pups :(
This time tested her day 10 on friday evening 6pm and drove to Idexx Sat morning. Result 3pm were levels 62.6 (fri) and mate straight away but probably too late!!! We managed to rush to the stud and she was mated 6pm and did seem quite happy and the dog very excited. Im so disappointed as I was going to test her every 2 days to be sure not to miss her. Please someone reassure me I still have some hope.

I'm sorry to fly in the face of the progesterone testers but with 'tricky' bitches Id have the bitch stay with the dog for a period of time. I
I had a bitch tested and mated 3 times all to no avail. Stayed with the dog for HIS say so and she had 2 pups.

I've never progesterone tested, and if the latest bitch has taken (she is showing signs) then I  have never had a mating that did not result in pregnancy. I just trust the dog -more so than the bitch. The only two times I have had experience of testing (not my own bitches, but my own dog once and a friend in the other case) then the bitch wasn't ready at all when the tests said she would be, and the matings ended up being later, when dog and bitch indicated they were ready.

It is awkward when you have a long journey to the stud dog but I find that using my own dogs to check the bitch out, I always know when the time is right. For my toydogs I have always had dog and bitch stay together for the entire season -as in at the same house, not left unsupervised together, of course.

That's reassuring to me Tooolz after our failed attempt with testing last spring. Last chance will be this next season or she'll be too old, so I am planning to have her stay with the dog.

I have progesterone tested twice. Both times when attempting AI. The first time The tests showed the day she was ready but the semen was still with customs having been held up with a backlog due to easter bank holidays. It was  released the following day  but I didnt attempt the AI then as only had a couple of straws so couldnt afford to waste any.

I tested my bitch the next time she came in season. almost 10 months after the last one. She usually went 7 or  8 months but kept me hanging on for as long as possible. When she finally came in it meant she would be ready during the Christmas/New year breaks. We did one test as close to xmas as we could which showed she wasnt ready and wouldnt be for a few days, did one between Christmas and new year  which showed she was almost there but to be on the safe side I took one further sample on new years eve and drove that to the lab as couldnt post it. that showed ovulation as imminent so we arranged the AI for 2nd Jan on the vets advise. She whelped a litter of 8 pups 62 days later. :). Testing can work

If I was embarking on AI of course I'd test but this was about a natural breeding where the dog could decide the optimal timings.

>If I was embarking on AI of course I'd test but this was about a natural breeding where the dog could decide the optimal timings.

Of course but there were several people who seemed to think that the tests weren't accurate. I was just pointing out that it is perfectly possible to get a litter based solely on the progesterone tests.

Interestingly watching my boys behaviour they seemed to be much more interested in my girl after the most fertile period. That is when they started doing much more howling and pacing etc. I did mate a bitch unsuccessfully towards the end of her season when my boys were desperate to mate with her. I now realise the mating probably failed because it was too long past ovulation.

We had a bitch come from abroad for one of my dogs--the progesterone test suggested she was due to ovulate imminently, but neither she nor the dog were at all interested in each other. It was a full week before the first mating took place, and my vet was sceptical about the chances of success based on a mating on days 19 and 21--but she had a littler of 7, and DNA swabs are done on the sire, dam and puppies to register them so we know they are definitely Bean's babies :-)

My bitch lives with my three dogs, and they are much more reliable than progesterone testing. When she finally came into season on the Monday (2 months late, for the first time every) the dogs were very calm. I had her bloods done that Friday (day 5), and the test showed the optimum days for mating were between Tuesday (day 9) and Thursday (day 11) the following week. We had a 1500 mile drive to reach the stud dog and on a whim decided to set off on the Sunday instead of Monday. Sure enough, by Sunday morning the dogs were going mad for her. Rather than wait for Tuesday I drove hell for leather and she was mated within minutes of arriving on the Monday night, which would have been her 8th day. Our vet and the sheep scanner both thought that from the size and development of the puppies it was likely the first rather that the subsequent matings on Tuesday and Thursday that was successful--and that would have been day 8.

>test suggested she was due to ovulate imminently,

That's the point to be reliable you need to have a test of them actually ovulating.

With an imminent result they are guessing as to when she may ovulate based on the progression of the average bitch.  Many bitches stick at the imminent stage. 

I had three in house (slightly less accurate) readings of imminent taken on alternate days until I finally had a clear ovulated one.

I'd only bother with Progesterone testing with an awkward bitch re standing behaviour, an AI situation(hasn't occurred) or where I had limited access to the male, but I prefer to have several matings with a dog where the pair have stayed under the same roof for around a week, so they make the timing decisions.

I have to say I would probably use a premate type test if it didn't require blood to be drawn, which my bitch found very unpleasant and put her off the vets having to have a series done.

>That's the point to be reliable you need to have a test of them actually ovulating.

And dont forget the eggs have to mature for a couple of days after ovulation. My bitch ovulated on the sunday and was inseminated on the wednesday.

I have never routinely progesterone tested.  Only on one bitch that seemed to keep missing.  When I told my vet that she was swollen for a very, very short time he said to test from the very first day I noticed any swelling.  No wonder we kept missing.  She ovulated on day 4.

However, that is the one and only bitch that I've had tested.  Like others have mentioned I do let my own dog tell me.  He is an experienced stud and has never told me wrong.  I know exactly when to leave the house and drive fast to reach my chosen stud. 

Yet my own stud boy is the only one to get it spot on.  My other entire males not used at stud will get growled at because they just don't get it right.

I admit that I am a big believer in using a dog with experience.  But I realise that not everyone has that amenity.  Visiting bitches stay for a holiday and stay until ready. 

I have spoke with breeder/vet who has told me it is impossible to know when my bitch ovulated as progesterone can rise so quickly after ovulation. They said she may have been at the correct time but because I only did the one test it cannot be relied upon when the best day for mate was.

I had a bitch missed 3 times (progesterone tested but only a couple of tests each time).  Fourth attempt, I did 6 blood tests to pinpoint the day of ovulation.  I had a wonderful repro vet taking me through it stage by stage.  She told me to mate her 48 hours after the day of ovulation and then 48 hours again.  She said that each bitch's levels will vary after ovulation but it doesn't matter how quickly or slowly they elevate once ovulation has been confirmed.  What is important is that you can pinpoint the day and the mate 48 hours later to give the eggs time to mature.  She was brilliant and it worked for us, 9 puppies later.  This was a natural mating, not AI but my bitch was reluctant to stand for outside dogs however would stand for almost her whole season for her uncle at home!

Hi everyone, I am coming up to this dilemma re progesterone testing any time now and I am at such a loss as to when to test.  My bitch had a litter last year which was with my own sire, so no need to test.  He mated with her on day 6, 7 and 8 and she had four puppies.  This might well be an indicator that my bitch was ready at that time except for the fact that my boy just jumped her - at every opportunity - so she didn't have a chance to "flag" !  So keen was he that I had to ship him out after three days as he wouldn't leave her alone!! 
The reason I was going to test this time is that I planned to take her to Europe for mating but this has now fallen through so I am using a stud here instead.  My dilemma is, given how much testing is - quite reasonable to be fair - my vet wants to charge me £21 for his nurse to draw the blood for me so each test will cost me £58!!  I am thinking that she should be tested on day 6 in case she's early to ovulate, but I believe its hard to tell when she might ovulate from the levels on day 6 ( if she hasn't already!)
Its a comfort to know that I'm not alone with this dilemma!   Good luck all of us :)

If you think your bitch ovulates very early - day 6 - then I would run first test day 4 and take it from there. You need to plot a sequential rise in order to predict ovulation. My girls are never ready early but I start testing about day 8 and they typically ovulate day 16 plus

>The reason I was going to test this time is that I planned to take her to Europe for mating but this has now fallen through so I am using a stud here instead.  My dilemma is, given how much testing is - quite reasonable to be fair - my vet wants to charge me £21 for his nurse to draw the blood for me so each test will cost me £58!!

Even at £58 each the cost is relatively small if the outcome is getting the litter you want. Taking her to Europe would not have been cheap so you are saving that cost. There is no point starting  progesterone testing and not doing sufficient tests to ensure that ovulation has taken place. Either spend the money to do enough tests or dont test at all. Given your bitches history personally I would test early say day5 and then whenever the lab suggested.

Totally agree Rubysmum.  Either go for it testing wise or don't.