help...a visiting dog has been overly friendly with my bitch is there a risk she could be pregnant? She doesn't seem to be in season but is licking herself a lot and readily accepting his advances and I was under the impression that a bitch wouldn't let a dog mount her unless she was ready to mate. This may seem a daft question to all you knowledgable people...sorry.

Hope he used protection !! LOL Sorry, no help at all I know :-)

Do you know when she was in season last? Most bitches come into season every 6- 9 months, and ususally follow a pattern.
A bitch may allow a dog to mount her, but would not follow through with an actual mating unless the bitch were ready. Some bitches are very coy about being in season and clean thenselves so well that there may be little or no blood to be seen. When a bitch is ready for mating her vulva will be much enlarged, the whole area being soft and pliable and moist a slight with straw-clear coloured discharge - it is very slight though. When ready to mate, if she is scratched on the root of the tail she will "flag", swing her tail sharply to the side. It may be that she is coming in season, which is why the dog is getting over friendly - he can tell before we can!! Keep an eye on her, test every morning by wiping her with a white tissue and you will know when she comes in season, write the date on the calender and once she gets to 10 days dont let her off the lead or out of your sight for 10 days, or until her vulva has completely returned to normal size. If you know that she has been mated, she can have an injection ( but it should be within 24 hours and pref as soon as poss afterwards to prevent the pregnancy), however this will bring her into season again and you will have another 2-3 weeks of keeping dogs away from her. It can sometimes (the injection) be followed by a womb infection called pyometra, if she ever has to have this injection, ask you vet about pyometra so you he can tell you what to watch out for. Hope this helps.

PS :
just a thought, if she is licking excessivly and is NOT in season/due in season it is a remote possibility that she may have a womb infection, if she looks at all poorly and is drinking much more water than usual, take her to the vet at once, dont wait til to-morrow to see if she gets better.