I have had two of my girls mated for two seasons and both missed.

They were both progesterone tested with Idexx prior to matings to give correct timings, and had good matings.

Seems odd to me and wondered what others thoughts are - neither girl is related and neither have had prior litters.

Just wondering if there’s any probability of an underlying issue - one girl even had antibiotics just in case an infection was a problem but the outcome was the same.

Different boys and both well proven.

I had this happen to me one year.  Just couldn't get my bitches into pup.  And then it all worked out the following year.  One had been chemically suppressed though (but had had a previous litter), the other was an older maiden bitch who on the next cycle the scan showed that she had caught but they had reabsorbed.  She obviously couldn't sustain the pregnancy, and she went on to have a pyometra.  The third no explanation whatsoever, and she had had two previous litters.  She and the first bitch went on to have successful pregnancies the following year.

So, sorry, not an explanation.  But it does seem to 'happen'...

I have to ask at what point was the one bitch given ABs - after she was mated?    Some years back, many breeders (stud dog owners) were asking owners who wanted to use their dogs to be given a course of ABs before coming to be mated.   I asked my vet and she asked, quite rightly, ABs for WHAT!!  

If both missed under the circumstances you say, I'd have to suspect there is some infection going on.   I knew, years ago, of a leading breeder in my breed who hit a period when ALL her bitches missed.   She had some bug in her kennel (I forget what now).   It some time to sort out but eventually she did and started having litters again.

?   http://www.2ndchance.info/herpesvirusdog.htm

Herpes?

Charlie, do you have full details of their cycles?  Dates they came into season, dates of progesterone tests and results, dates of matings, length of ties etc. 

Progesterone is very useful but like everything, it is a fact there to be interpreted and sometimes the advice of the lab about when to mate or retest isn't the best/ideal for every single dog, always.  So if you have the details, it might be possible for people to read what could have gone wrong.

Had the studs previously had successful litters within the last 6 months?  Studs can go infertile.  And if they are very 'busy' their semen may not be good quality if they have females coming to them every day or too frequently.

Herpes, as goldmali says - did you do the CHV vaccines?  Herpes can cause absorption in early pregnancy.

Otherwise, given it happened to both girls, I might be thinking about environmental issues - pesticides, stressful events, etc etc - which both could have been exposed to.

It sounds like there’s a possibility of it being Herpes.

The last litter we had over 18 months ago was only 2 puppies - from a different girl who lives with the two that missed.

If it is herpes I guess the next option is the vaccination?

Do I recall that you had two girls miss last year as well?

I would certainly look into the herpes jab.

Gundogs They are the same girls...

Charlie for herpes, yes the vaccination - one when they come into heat (can be after mating but personally I prefer to do it before to reduce stress after mating) and one a week or so before they are due to whelp - I can't remember the exact details but if you google Eurican Herpes CHV you'll get the info up.

Vets don't routinely stock it so tell them in advance and ask them to get 2 doses in for you.

Thank you - all advice is very much appreciated.