I have a dog and a bitch and at moment she's on heat and its time for mating. My problem is (if its a problem) my male I feel is gonna have a heart attack trying is this normal. He can't seem to get his breath but won't stop jumping on her. I don't think either one have slept for a few days. Just getting a bit worried for him now, I just wish he'd just do it and have done. Can I do anything for him.

yes put him in a separate room away from the girl.

From what you've written, you aren't experienced at this.    Better to leave it to those who have put in the ground work

What health testing have you done?   Are the results good?    What kind of a match is he for the bitch?

These are questions puppy buyers want answers to.

If your male is struggling to breathe whilst attempting to mate, the question is, whether he's healthy enough to breed from.

Perhaps it would be wiser to keep them separate whilst she's in season.

> I don't think either one have slept for a few days

I am extremely worried that they have been together for them to be getting into such a state.  An experienced breeder would only introduce the dog to the bitch for the actual mating, and then remove the male.  Of course, it would be very unusual for an experienced breeder to use their own dog.  Your inexperience is a worry.  You're heading for a bus crash.

Remove your boy, poor lad.

To you all.
No I am not an experienced dog breeder, I'm the owner of 2 beautiful dog that's just letting nature take its course. But I was just enquiring about breeding as I've never done this before but I can see that you all just want to criticise me rather than help. To think this is what this forum was for, for advice and help, In future I will no longer use this website.

Perhaps you should consider letting nature take its course then if that's what you want, and give up on this mating. We are not trying to criticise, but we do get an awful lot of novice breeders on here who don't know the basics before they leap into breeding. Buy 'the Book of the Bitch' and give it a good read. Bear in mind that your breed is particularly difficult to mate and rear puppies, and consider very strongly whether you want to risk your bitch. Get all the breed health testing done, not just a general vet saying your dogs are healthy, and then find yourself a mentor, perhaps your bitch's breeder, who can also help and advise.

You are clearly not experienced if you think letting nature take its course is going to get you anywhere with your breed, who are not a natural breed.

Are you aware of the likelyhood that the bitch will not go into labour naturally, or be able to deliver naturally?     Would you recognise the signs of inertia, or of your bitch needing an emergency caesarian?

With any breeding, there's always a chance of losing the bitch, and the pups.    In pugs that risk is so much higher, are you really prepared to risk your bitch because you don't know what you're doing?

Do you have a spare couple of thousand pounds to cope with this?   Most vets expect payment up front.

Many toy dog breeders start off with vast experience of having bred larger breeds, and have also helped out at whelpings
in their chosen breed, before they ever think of breeding their own bitch.   It's called gaining experience.

We are trying to help, giving good advice with regard to the health and welfare of the dogs, this may not be what you want to hear, but it isn't because we are being nasty.

Being nasty would be encouraging you to continue, with the high chance that your bitch and the pups could be lost through your ignorance.

> I'm the owner of 2 beautiful dogs that's just letting nature take its course.

Letting nature take its course in this instance sounds its quite likely your male will have a heart attack if you do not stop him getting so worked up trying to mate your bitch. Breeding a litter of any breed takes a fair amount of common sense and leaving the dogs together for days so they can't sleep demonstrates a marked lack in this commodity.

Good advice given just unfortunately advice you don't like which doesn't mean it is wrong.

Separate your dogs and get the breeder of either the bitch or the dog to come and help you with the mating, I assume you have tested to see that the bitch is ready - it is possible she has gone too far so you need to wait until the next one but please do your homework first and use a stud that does not live with the bitch.

If you dog is having difficulty breathing he could have BOAS or other heart complication, BOAS is quite commong in pugs and he should definitely not be bred from. Experienced breeders dont just let dogs run together and hope they get down to it. the bitch and dog are brought together at certain times and not left together a, if the time isnt right an inexperienced stud will wear himself out trying and b, if something happens during the tie you need to be there to supervise.

Pugs are a lovely breed but not for the fool-hardy. They are pretty specialist in all areas and this includes breeding. The market is flooded with awful (poor example) , unhealthy puppies. please do not add to this. Have common breed ailments screened for PDE hemivertebrae patellas BOAS and heart, BVA eye testing and hipscoring to cover all bases.

I have to agree with other comments, your breed is not the breed for the first time breeder, if you do get her pregnant are you available 24/7 to rear/supervise the pups as this breed is well known for being poor dams, they either will not have anything to do with the pups or may feed them under supervision but not stimulate to toilet so you will need to be there to feed and toilet every 2hrs through day and night.

Puppies need to be kept very warm[ weather getting cooler by time pups are due] if they get chilled for even a short period the canine herpes virus to get hold and pups will fade and die.

When you bought your dogs did you let the breeder know your intention to breed so you got pups that were potentially show/breed quality rather than a pet quality pup?

You may think your pugs are beautiful but have you had them assessed by a show judge or independent breeder that they are both breed quality?

Are they compatible re pedigrees, this can be checked on the KC website.

In view of your male struggling to breathe when physically exerted I would abandon any plans to breed with him, you would not want him passing on this problem to his offspring nor would puppy buyers be happy to buy pups that may need lots of vet care throughout their lives or be returned to you for refund.

Our comments may be upsetting but you asked for advice and it has been given, you can go to other sites and be encouraged to continue but here you get the truth from members who have either had problems with your breed or have read posts of the outcome of breeding from this and other breeds [there is a thread on here at present]and desperate for help and advice so please take the comments as they are meant.

Well I'm sorry Smiggy if you think we're being horrible.  You asked for advice, you were given it, didn't like what you heard, so it must be us being horrible.

Being horrible would have been to have told you to just leave them together.  And wait for the car crash.  Have you ever seen a bitch panic during a tie?  I've seen them turn somersaults.  I've heard them scream for 20 minutes, totally in panic.

The difference here is that I could handle it.  You would not know about things that could happen, and may end up with a very badly damaged male.  As well as finding your bitch torn.
 
But you don't want to hear the truth.  This is so sad I could scream.

I read about people who just want to breed and have no mentor or experience, don't bother health testing and don't want good advice, just want the puppies and presumably the money from them (car crashes waiting to happen)

And can understand why most vets have a very poor opinion of breeders - after all, this is the majority.    

Good, responsible breeders are still in the minority in Britain :-(