Hi there ☺️

I’m just after some advice (sorry for long post!!!)

I have two [medium breed], my male is 6 years old, bred previously at approx 2 1/2 years old but not since then. Everything went perfectly then, he mounted her, they tied for 25 minutes and we returned two days later and again, everything was perfect with a litter of 7 puppies.
My female is now 23 months old, (2 yrs old on 1st April) and in her third season obviously not bred before!
They are both in excellent health, vet checked and all is good.
My female is now on Day 19 of her season. Since Day 9 she had allowed my male to mount her, she was tail flagging, her vulva was soft and she was standing for him perfectly.
My male got very excited, sniffing, licking, mounting etc but was not able to hit the mark. He spent 20/30 seconds humping her and then came off only to do it all over again. They were together an hour with no avail.
I thought she’s wasn’t ready so tried again Day 10. Exactly the same thing happened again. He is in the right area because I had a look but he just slips past her vulva. She is soaked in that area so he is obviously producing ejaculate.
Again I thought she’s probably not ready and they are both over excited! So I tried again on Day 11. Same thing again only a slip mate for maybe 10 seconds. Her loss had virtually stopped, what loss there was was pale pink, light yellow. He was in the right area, just slipping around all over the place! I thought maybe she was not able to take him or she’s still not ready.
I tried again on Day 12. Again he slipped around but every time he’s close to her vulva he slipped past it. He ejaculated to left side but then tried to mount her all over again and the same thing happened. We had another 5/10 second slip mate. He just slipped around while she is standing golden.
However on Day 15 we had a successful 25 minute tie about 17:55. The day after that on Day 16 my boy showed no interest in her whatsoever and she stopped tail flagging and inviting him in. She had quite a bit of dark brown loss on Day 16 but since then just tiny little spots and yesterday pretty much nothing.
Is this normal? Is there a possibility she could be pregnant?
Any advice would be great ☺️

If you've got a mating and a tie, no matter when it is, then there is definitely a 'possibility' she is pregnant.  However, that mating was very very close to the onset of diestrus from the sounds of it, and it will depend on whether the semen got through the cervix to where it needed to be to fertilise the eggs in time. 

By the way, if the bitch is standing and the stud is attempting to mount and has an erection but just isn't getting his penis inside, I'd never conclude it is 'too early' - it is likely the perfect timing but the dogs are struggling to get it physically together.  This is when having someone experienced with breeding dogs around can really help.  You should reach under the bitch's belly and hold the flaps of her vulva and gently move it (and her rear with your arm) left or right to line up with the penis.  Don't just watch the penis hitting about everywhere outside, that is not going to help.

> Same thing again only a slip mate for maybe 10 seconds

You didn't get a slip mating from what you have said.  In a slip mating the penis enters the vagina and there is some thrusting but at some point the penis comes out again.  If it comes out during the 2nd fraction - the semen rich fraction - or the 3rd fraction (prostatic fluid) then it can still result in pregnancy because some semen ends up in there.  From what you described, the penis wasn't in the vagina at all until you had the successful mating - so you didn't get a slip mating...

>They were together an hour with no avail.

I wouldn't leave them together for longer than 30mins.  Otherwise they just both get exhausted and habituated to each other.  I'd separate them, and think about what to adjust when you next introduce them. 

Bitches can bleed after breeding or not bleed, it doesn't mean anything and has no indication as to fertility or when they ovulated.

Thank you for your reply. I did try and assist her but when he entered her they failed to tie, (although when he slipped out his bulbis glandi were swollen) hence I thought it to be a slip mate. Thank you for correcting me. I highly doubted she could be pregnant which is why is sought other opinions. 
I appreciate your response, I did seek veterinary help also and he concluded she was not ready as my male entered her about 2 inches, started to swell and came back out. That was Day 11. He advised to try daily until she appeared done with accepting him. They were both absolutely still ready on Day 15 and tied within 4/5 minutes of being together. I just thought is was strange that the day after there wasn’t much interest and after some initial dark loss, she has virtually stopped bleeding when before tying, her loss was still very pale pink

> He advised to try daily until she appeared done with accepting him.

Yet another vet giving bad advise!!

Every bitch is different as is every season. Some can be ready very early & some very late.

I highly recommend you by The Book Of The Bitch, it will be the best money you have ever spent & will give you invaluable information for all aspects of bitches & breeding/whelping.

> I just thought is was strange that the day after there wasn’t much interest and after some initial dark loss, she has virtually stopped bleeding when before tying, her loss was still very pale pink

The change is very sudden, from a bitch being receptive to absolutely not being - that is typical and classic.

The colour of bleeding and heaviness of it makes absolutely zero difference to anything.  You could as well be telling me that the sun was shining the day after they mated.  Not being pedantic - made that point above and you're still talking about it, so just wanted to make that absolutely clear....

Some bitches will bleed heavily for a week after a successful breeding.  Others will already have stopped before a successful breeding.  Others will stop the next day.  Some will be red, some straw coloured - I could go on - it means nothing.

>he concluded she was not ready as my male entered her about 2 inches, started to swell and came back out.

No, that just means he didn't go deep enough to get the bulbis glandis in there.  We don't really know why that doesn't happen sometimes but it tends to be with maiden bitches more often than anything else, so could just be they are a bit tight up there and the stud needs to be experienced or sure of himself to get a tie.

When you write your dogs are "Vet checked" is that by your GP vet ? As I have yet to meet a GP vet who is an eye specialist, BVA hip & elbow panelist & does in house DNA tests, yours must be the exception.

It's bulbus glandis BTW

My dogs have both had their hips and elbows xrayed and scored correctly by the panels. Their eyes have also been checked and certified by the correct panels. Their DNA tests were done through an external agency. I apologise for not clarifying, I apologise for my incorrect use of the word ‘vet’ and I apologise my my incorrect spelling of bulbus glandis.
Seeing all I’m doing is apologising to everyone when I was just after some advice, I thank you all and I won’t be back!

> <br />You didn't get a slip mating from what you have said.  In a slip mating the penis enters the vagina and there is some thrusting but at some point the penis comes out again.  If it comes out during the 2nd fraction - the semen rich fraction - or the 3rd fraction (prostatic fluid) then it can still result in pregnancy because some semen ends up in there.  From what you described, the penis wasn't in the vagina at all until you had the successful mating - so you didn't get a slip mating...

Exactly!   One of my boys never achieved a tie BUT he always penetrated.   After he came out, my VERY EXPERIENCED Basset-breeder friend, who I always used to assist mating my breed, would upend the bitch to help what was needed get where it was needed - she said LOL.    Ejaculating outside = no pregnancy.    If you saw a Basset mating, for most it would be quite an eye-opener because normally we'd have the bitch across our knees (us sitting on the floor) so the weight of the male was supported and one hand, if the male allowed (some will get off again), was used to guide the male to the right place.    And if there was a tie, quite often the male didn't move to one side but went to sleep atop of the bitch, who was atop of the handler...... ouch.  

Good job you did eventually get a tie - assuming the poor dog wasn't knackered, and 'empty'!!!

Agreed re an actual blood-coloured discharge after a mating, or not!   Also the season will continue to the end of a normal season, so a mated bitch must be kept safe right through to the normal end of her season.

It appears that you don't realuse that simply stating vet checked doesn't mean anything. Your dogs eyes were checked via a panel ? My dogs eyes are checked annually by a single panellist at the National sheepdog trials. Their test is a simple clinical test for PRA & results notified immediately, not submitted to a panel for certification, so the process must be different for your dogs for some reason, although dogs of all breeds are tested at the sessions I go to including your dog's breed. So I am confused.

Well done to you for having hips & elbows scored, not many of your dog's breed have either done.( 226 for HD in 2018 & 151 in total for ED since the scheme started)depite the high number of the breed being bred, nearly 24,000 in 2018

Clear for both FM & AMS is good also especially as around 12% of your dog's breed carry AMS & 10% carry FN.

Hi Kat. Hope your dogs have been successful, must have been very trying and frustrating for all concerned. Can you find a scanner who will probably advise scanning your girl from around 30-35 days?

>Seeing all I’m doing is apologising to everyone when I was just after some advice, I thank you all and I won’t be back!

KatM, you do not need to apologise and please do not leave. You have as much right to be here as everyone else. Please use the 'ignore' button if need be but please continue to ask any questions you may have. I am sure the majority of members will continue to help you as they already have.