The stud dog I want to use wants me to use IDEXX testing.  I wonder if you could advise:

My girl came into season on Wednesday 13th Jan.

Today - 19th she’s day 7. 

I’ve got an appointment at the vets on Friday - day 10 for her first IDEXX - I should get the results on Saturday by phone (day 11). 

But then it’s the weekend!  I could test her on Saturday (day 11) with the results coming on Monday. 
I could test her on Monday (day 13) with the results on Tuesday (day 14). 
 
Previously we’ve mated her successfully (ties on both days) on days 12 & 14 which would be Sunday and Tuesday but with no testing so I don’t know when she ovulated.

Please can you tell me what you’d do?  Why do these things always fall at a weekend?!

I’m also doing the home ovulation pads for the first time just to make a comparison. 

Any light you can shed on this would be very welcome.

Personally I would do the Friday for a baseline figure, better too early than too late. Whereabouts do you live as if close to one of the Idexx sites you can drop the blood sample in yourself and get the results back the same day, that's what I do.  Good luck

I've not used IDEXX but I did use the pads on 2 of my girls. One took and the other didn't.

The one that was successful was 'juicier' down there and quite easy to obtain and read. The 2nd was very dry in comparison,  didn't appreciate the poking and kept giving mixed/false readings. I sent a picture of the pads daily to ask the provider's opinion (she recommends this) and went 48 hrs after the change as advised.  My girl refused to stand, was reluctant when she did and the tie only lasted 7 minutes. Thankfully I have free return.

I'm just telling you this so as you don't only rely on the pads. Good luck x

Oh thank you I didn't know I could drop off a sample.  Do you know where the sites are?  I live near Winchester.

No that won't work - just spoken to them - they're only in the North.

Could you not do Thursdays so u get the result Friday then you have the hole weekend to travel up if the result says mate now. Well that is if it's easyer for you to get there over a weekend.

Thanks everyone.  I've decided I'm going to still do the Friday and get the results on the Saturday and go from there.

Idexx themselves say:

"When should I do a progesterone test?

We recommend to carry out your first progesterone test 8 to 10 days after the first signs of season.

If you have concerns that this may be too late, or a bitch with a poor breeding history, ring to discuss with a pathologist."

So waiting till day 10 is cutting it a bit fine anyway, especially if you have the weekend too. 

http://www.idexx.eu/united-kingdom/idexx-support/faq/products1/progesterone/when-should-i-do-a-progesterone-test/

I'd go for sooner rather than later, not that I hang everything on testing, or ever have.   It might help with an unproven male, but if the dog has been used at stud before, for me it's far better to go by his, and her reaction.   And even if it's early for her, as sperm hangs around for a while, if she will accept him, at least you'll have something in there rather than leaving it over the weekend and find that by the other side of the weekend, she's gone over.  FWIW

I fell for this
My vet took sample Friday saying results Saturday
Only to be told they shut at 12!
I traveled anyway  as it 21/12/14 and I had one crack as it was 4-5 hour trip. Mating once on the Sunday
It worked despite test results Thursday Idexx saying not ready

Just because she stood for mating, doesn't mean it "worked" and she conceived!  If I were you (which I might be in a few months!), I'd continue testing to see where you are and go back to the stud again when Idexx results say you're ready.

PS Sorry - I thought you were the OP!!  Ignore!

but of course if she wasn't ready Thursday, by Sunday when she was mated she may have ovulated, or of course become pregnant from a mating at or around ovulation even though pregnancy occurred a few days later due to longevity of the sperm, especially if the dog was young/in his prime.

This is why bitches generally conceive of mated, and the reason many of us don't bother with the progesterone testing as for most of us with access to the stud dog (especially if bitch can stay), testing is likely to be more expensive that a tank of fuel.

Pet mate services. Has her own in house machine will tell you over the weekend is imagine and test first thing Friday and get posted recorded special

Thanks everyone - it's a help for me to hear everyone's thoughts.
I've taken her to the vet's this morning - day 10.  The vet did a swab and also took blood for IDEXX.  She said she'd check the swab to see - and only then send off to IDEXX on the back of that.  She's just phoned me and the swab says she hasn't ovulated yet - the colour is changing but the cells haven't folded in on themselves yet.  She's going to send the IDEXX off anyway and we'll extrapolate from that what to do.  She wasn't going to charge me for the IDEXX (blood test etc) unless she sent it off which I appreciated.
I've looked back on her previous litters and she's whelped both times at 63 days after the 1st mating on day 12.  We previously just mated her at day 12 & 14 no knowing when she ovulated (different stud dog owner this time!).
So I've got the IDEXX results coming tomorrow - I think she previously ovulated on day 12 which would be Sunday.
I've also been using the ebay ovulation pads for the 1st time along side just to compare and see if they added anything.  Today I got some colour on 2 edges (start of LH surge?).
Again thanks for all your thoughts.

> I fell for this My vet took sample Friday saying results Saturday Only to be told they shut at 12!

When I did it on a Friday I was told by idexx to send it next day delivery not normal post to make sure they could do it sat morning. Had my call at 12 Saturday with the results.
The post office said they couldn't guarantee next day as it would be a weekend and they often don't deliver to business adresses then so they could only guarantee Monday. Was very annoyed but the lab got it Saturday.

I actually work for IDEXX. I would test around 8 days. My bitch was ready to stand at day 9 so its best to test early if you are going to use that method.

What would you recommend to owners of bitches that ovulate very early in their season. My girl, the mother of Jo Stockbridge's girl Fay, got pregnant all 3 times on day 5-7, something we think is happening to Fay. Luckily for me I used my own stud dog so was able to catch her at the correct time without testing. Jo has a lengthy journey to the stud dog she wants to use.

Then you'd need to start really early, say day 2 or 3.

I was all set to start on the recommended Day 8 - in fact, other breeders in my breed told me to start at Day 10 - but the last season, she was humping every blanket in sight on Day 8 and by Day 13/14, everything was over - even her swelling had gone.  So we will now start on Day 5....

I persoanlly also use the cotton tip test. I only found my bitch was in season by accident, because i was going away for a few days.....i knew she was due, there was no swelling but i decided to do the cotton tip test because i wasnt going to be able to check for 4 days after,  and found blood. I do this daily, and when the colour turned 'straw coloured' she was ready (day 9 after the first cotton tip test). If i had waited for external signs and IDEXX tested, i probably wouldnt have known for at least 3 more days, and would not have started testing until it was too late. Also, if id waited for external signs, that would have made me think she was ready on day 5, but this was not the case.
The IDEXX test is great, but there are always exceptions to the norm.

Interestingly I've never seen this "straw colour" in any of my bitches, they have just gone a lighter pink colour. I use the "tissue test" to determine what's happening.

> Interestingly I've never seen this "straw colour" in any of my bitches, they have just gone a lighter pink colour. I use the "tissue test" to determine what's happening.

Ditto.

Wouldn't want to us a cotton bud in case I prodded and hurt, easy peasy to dab with a tissue.