Our bitch, a medium breed, was mated for the first time this season at day 20.
Has anyone had a bitch mated this late in a season and successfully produced a litter?

I know of someone who said their bitch wasn't ready until day 28 and with one mating she took. Heard of some bitches being ready day 5. Every one is different. If progesterone says that's when she is ready you have to go with it. Good luck

Yes, one of mine mated day 23 . She was blood tested all through her season and did not ovulate until day 21. Good size litter as well.

Was she blood tested to show day 20? We own stud dogs and have so many different variations of days in the girls , we have mated at day 9 with a succesful  litter and one girl was day 23 and had a litter ... One of my girls is been idexx tested at the moment and she is on day 17 with low levels still . I am a true believer in it doesn't matter about the days ... It's the levels that count X

I had a bitch mated on day 28, just the one tie.  I asked my vet about Alizin and he said there was no point as she couldn't possibly be pregnant. 

Yeah right!

She had a large litter for the breed and I generally don't bother testing my girls.  Nature just likes to throw us a curve ball sometimes.  I only ever tested one girl as I was on her last chance for pups.  She ovulated on day 4.  Dogs are great aren't they? 

If she had the opportunity to mate before but didn't' then every chance she wasn't ready until then.

Normal for one of mine that was always mated between days 18 - 22.

In fact most of mine are not mated until day 15 at the earliest, and based on whelping probably only ovulate about then, and n fact take several days later.

I currently have a bitch who had already had a litter and this time stood for mating from the Friday (day 15) but the dogs interest was half hearted an even though she was staying only mated her alternate days until eh was really keen on the Tuesday (day19).

I will be interested to see what day she whelps, as she would be due on the 1st from first mating but I bet she won't go down until the 3rd, basing my guess at ovulation being on the Sunday.

Time will tell.

If that was the day she wanted to be mated then there's every likelihood that she will be pregnant, nature doesn't need test results or counting days to get it right, good luck with your babies

Thanks everyone for your advice and words of reassurance.

That's early
One of my girls had three litters, each time mated between days 26 - 31. They don't all read The Book of the Bitch!