I can appreciate that this has probably been asked a million times so my apologies in advance.

My bitch is on about day 13/14 , (I was looking for her to show so spotted the first blood as I was wiping her) If I hadn't wiped her I may not have know for a day or two later.

The stud dog is a maiden, she has mated once but missed. He has been doing the sniffing etc but not tried anything yet, however another stud on the yard was from BEHIND BARS allowed to sniff her as he is one of them "who knows" apparently and comonly know as the sex pest! well yesterday and previous day he didn't show much interest, however today he was doing the teeth thing :-)  the chosen stud was also yappy when she was taken away/seperated from him, but isn't as interested as the proven experienced stud.

Of course I am starting to worry about her ovulation, I know it can be varied, I am hopeful that this is a sign that she is about to ovulate or has just done so, but the fact she is on day 13/14 today worries me.

can anyone put my mind at rest, the owner of the stud dog thinks i'm nuts and need to chill out! probably right.

I am more than likely worring for nothing.

I had a bitch acting similar at day 13, but she wouldn't mate until day 18.  Only one tie, and a successful outcome.

Thank you Jean, I guess I just have to ride it out.It really gets to me, there are people that breed dogs left right and center and dont do any health checks, wouldn't know the breed standard if it punched them in the face and think Crufts is some thing round the edge of a slice of bread that goes hard ! when you put all the effort in its just never simple is it.

I do wonder what the true average time is, you do read about day 10 and 12 but is that a true reflection I wonder.

Why is it so stressful.

My last 2 bitch's haven't ovulated until day 16, following mum and gran so ovulating later in season definitely the way with my girls!  If I were you I would have her progesterone tested (Idexx, not the in house vet ones) to check day of ovulation.  Don't forget you usually have 48 hours after ovulation before eggs are ready for fertilising and then they stay alive for approximately 48 hours so there is no major rush to mate them on the day they ovulate.]

Also, I totally agree with you regarding some people not health testing, etc.  As has been said many times before, if you care less it seems to come off more easily!  Or is it just that because it matters so much that we find it stressful?

Thank you, How quick are the Idexx test's, receiving and results ?

>you do read about day 10 and 12 but is that a true reflection I wonder.

No, no and no!   I hear so many people say that "the book says" to mate on day XX.

I just remind them that I have never met a bitch who had read "the book."

I have had a bitch ovulate on day 4.  I also had a bitch mated on day 28, and the vet told me that there was no way she could be pregnant.  Wrong!

Idexx usually contact you the next day (around lunchtime) so I get bloods done late on afternoon and send off that night to get there next day.  It does mean you are always working a day behind so to speak but it helps confirm what's happening. 

My girls seem to "stick" on the level just before ovulation for a few days and then increase very quickly (more so than the average bitch) so I have learnt now to move immediately once ovulation has occured.  I think this is pretty unusual though.  The blood testing is what has shown me that they are a little unusual in their patterns, giving me a very small window to work with.  Obviously if you have access to the stud dog and he knows exactly what is happening then you are ok to leave it to their discretion but I've always found I feel slightly more secure having the blood results backing this up!  Especially so if maiden dog or bitch or having a bitch who will stand for over a week and therefore giving "false" signals about being ready!

As JeanSW says, the bitches don't always follow the book (mine certainly don't)!

Thats reasuring, thank you again Jean.

I'm not a fan of averages :-)) I'm too much of a flapper.

thank you also Zajak. Will enquire tomorrow at the vets, but hopefully I may hear from the studs owner.

thank you both

> or having a bitch who will stand for over a week and therefore giving "false" signals about being ready!

I've got a total trollop here like that!  :-)

That would be still early for most of my bitches that most commonly aren't mated until around day 15, though I have one that is ready days 18 - 22.

I get results back the same day from Idexx - usually late afternoon

> I get results back the same day from Idexx - usually late afternoon

Do you courier the blood sample to them or deliver yourself?

My vet sends them off by courier - we're lucky, Idexx do all routine bloods in this area

I had one (of many lol) taken at 6pm, picked up at 7pm and got results back at 11 next morning. When she eventually ovulated on day 19 the lab said she ovulated at the time the sample was taken!

No idea about Idexx ... would be broke if used them!!

Would endorse what JeanSW says, our lovely girlies haven't read the books!! My girl last year mated days 27 through to 31 - 6 fabulous pups produced.

Might sound a stupid question, but have you let your girl out with the stud boy? Is she flagging? Sorry to say (that's a lie, I'm not at all!) I'm a great believer in dogs being very good judges as to when to get on with it, after all they were doing it well before the lab tests invented :-o

hi she's receptive to him now HOWEVER tonight he just couldnt hit the sopt, he is a fair bit taller than her, he's aiming at her anus and over her tail/back...

Ahh, was talking to someone a couple of weeks ago with similar problem. The dug a hole in garden where he could stand to even the height :-o If you look at past threads people seem to have come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful ways of doing some levelling up ;-) Good luck!