Hello peeps would like to pick your brains on this one.
I had a bitch come to use my dog (his first time) over the weekend but my male couldn't be less interested if he tried. The bitch had been tested to see when she was ready and according to the test it was Sat/Sun. They tried to mate her last year but no dog was interested in her then either so they had put it down to her possibly having an infection. I asked them to have her checked out before bringing her to me so I knew that my male would not be at risk of any infection, the test came back clear of infection. She was showing all the signs of being ready ie lifting up, flagging her tail etc but my male was just not interested apart from a bit of licking that was it. I know that it is his first time but he normally goes mad when a bitch that is in season or just finished is around him. He even decided to go and lie down for a nap at one point. This said bitch does do alot of travelling to other countries and has not long come back from Europe so I'm wondering if she could have picked up something that maybe the swab hasn't picked up, though I would have thought that it would have!!
Does anyone have any ideas on this?

Infection generally makes males even more interested.

I think she may not yet be ready.  She may not be average.  the premate shows when the blood level reaches the level the average bitch is about to ovulate.

As this has happened with this bitch before I think their best bet would be to allow the bitch to stay with the dog until the end of her season to see if they mate later.

Of course it could be that she doesn't actually ovulate, as the blood test test detects the surge of hormones leading up to ovulation.

Thanks Barbara,
She has actually had a litter before so we know that she has in the past ovulated but perhaps no longer does. With me not speaking much in the way of German and him not speaking any English and my neighbour who normally translates for me it was a bit tricky to talk things through really. Oh well Kwame has another visitor next month so we will see what happens.

As this has happened with this bitch before I think their best bet would be to allow the bitch to stay with the dog until the end of her season to see if they mate later.


This is the best advice that could be given in this inst, I know most breeders do take their bitches to studs to mate and have to rely on medical interference to advise when a bitch is ready, but there is nothing like just having two dogs left under supervision for a few days if you can to decide between themselves when the time is right, I think a dog and bitch are the best judges and nature knows best.

By the way there are quite a few websites where you can type in a foreign sentence and have it translated back in English or vice versa so you can communicate perfectly with your German client. I use it all the time, just have your computer on and each of you can type talk and understand each other perfectly. ;-)

They kept her with the male last year for 2 weeks as he was showing no signs of being interested on the day she was mated before, but apparantly it was like she wasn't even in season then too!

I have used the translation sites before and most of the time it just comes out all goobledeegook. It isn't a problem at the shows thank goodness as a lot of the friends I have made in the breed over here speak very good English. I have actually just enrolled in a German class which starts next month so I will hopefully improve, though I don't know if it will be much use talking the doggy language!!

Thank you

Have you tried FreeTranslation.com?

Good luck on the German classes though, that's dedication for you. :-) I always found German much easier than French. I'm self teaching myself Spanish at the moment love it!

When it comes to doggy talk we all find a way to communicate whatever language even if it is all back to front. :-D

Very strange with regards to the bitch perhaps as already suggested she just does not ovulate regularly was the previous stud experienced or a newby too?

I'm not sure whether I dreamed this or whether it is a fact but if the test shows the bitch is ready and if she is happily standing etc was there something hormonal that you could spray on the bitch to make a stud more interested? If so that may be worth the client looking into. Though personally if studs are not interested in her for certain seasons I would take the studs word for it. :-)

The other male was very experienced which is why we think it could be perhaps an ovulation thing. I think that I have heard something about a spray for the bitch but not sure,there is that many things on the market now you loose track.

I'll give that translation site a go, haven't tried that one I don't think.
I'm looking forward to doing the German course. I found French fairly easy to learn when at school,even managed to get a higher in it. It's typical that I chose French instead of German thinking that I would never go to Germany as France is closer!!

Thank you

There is a bitch pheromone that vets use when getting semen for AI when there is no teaser bitch available.  I still think it inadvisable, if the bitch isn't giving off the right scents then something isn't right with the ovulation cycle and it would be a pointless exercise in getting a mating under such circumstances.

Interestingly enough I know of a bitch who was presented to the dog on two seasons but the very eager stud only showed minimal interest.  They did get a mating on both occasions but no puppies.  third time the dog was really eager for her (I'd have been trying another dog by now, but he had sired big litters before and after mating her).  She went on to have a litter of 10.  It subsequently turned out that the bitch had a slightly  underactive thyroid, which explained why she gained weight so easily despite loads of exercise and minimal food even for our reed.  It does appear to e the case that an under active thyroid will interfere with ovulation/fertility so this might be worth looking at in the bitches case.  If it is a northern breed it needs to be remembered that low normal is actually under active for a Spitz breed.  It might be worth finding out what are the normal levels in your breed.

Another thought is that the bitch may be erratic.  I have known a bitch that for her first litter (after missing a previous season) was mated and whelped to a day 7 mating, but wasn't ready until day 15 the next time she had a litter.  so it might be as well for this bitch to stay with the stud from the start of her season, cheaper than doing lots of investigations, which can be left until later if still no mating.

Thanks Barbara, that is an intersesting thought about the thyroid actually because we seem to be getting a fair few cases of thyroid problems in the breed.
I don't think I would want to go down the pheromone route because if she isn't ready she won't take anyway.
Tell me about erratic seasons my bitch was suppose to come in in April but missed that one and has now come a month early for her next. I'm so glad I won't be breeding from her until I'm back in the UK. Oh the joys of breeding!!

Well I am hoping Lexi doesn't come into season until she is due early November, but last time she was mated she was a couple of weeks early.  She is loosing her coat now so I rather think she should not be early as they usually are over the moult and coming back into coat before the season.