My bitch is now on day 15 and has stopped flagging. I took her to the stud when my own boy started showing interest last saturday which was day 10  and although there was a slip tie on the monday, no actual tie took place. She always starts flagging 6 days in but my own boy is a good judge and spot on when we have a visitor ourselves and he never shows interest that early. She came back from the stud and they suggested she may not be ready. She would initiate play, stand, brace herself and then move away or sit at the last moment. I stayed to help but that didn't work as she doesn't want interference. She isn't a maiden. we came down this morning and my boy still showed signs of interest but she just went and sat in her crate and back to sleep. He too isn't vocal anymore.

This is the 2nd time this has happened. What am I doing wrong? We have had 2 missed opportunities and she absorbed the time before that. She is fit and healthy, been vet checked and nothing seems untoward. I know nature has its own way. I'm just disappointed I guess.

Timing is usually to blame so I'd get her progesterone tested next time, it could be she isn't ovulating.

What dates was she mated for her first litter?  Though they can vary from season to season, all mine have been more or less the same for each.

She didn't belong to me when she had her first litter so I can't tell you, although I think her owner had no idea/intention when she was bred because she wasn't old enough. When she absorbed she was mated later (my own dog caught her after hubby left the door open and crate unbolted) but even then it was day 14. We knew the pedigrees inside out and knew it would be a decent litter so decided to see if she got pregnant.

Every bitch I have come across has been desperate to mate, she will initiate play but thats it.

I think I'm turning bitter! Everyone who breeds seems to be having success after success (my scanner's small breed just self whelped a litter of six), even the scrap metal man has a litter of of (dare I say it) 6 jackapoos! My breed as supposed to be easy whelpers and good breeders but so far I have had 2 absorptions, 3 misses and a litter of a single pup with both of my girls....it must be something I'm doing.

Don't worry, it just seems that way, my youngest champion bitch missed twice last year (had two litters)and this time came in season too close to a younger bitch needing to be mated for a first litter before the stud was too old to be viable.

She is 7 in July, so she is going to be spayed, could at a push have mated her on her next season, but it's two years since her 4 year old daughter had a litter, so will mate her instead.

Sometimes it's worse when you have more than one bitch of breeding age, as it's a job to fit litters in between them all, their show careers (bearing in mind a litter means you loose most of a year)

I feel your pain. I've missed with all three of my bitches this year, after never having missed one ever before..... I've lost confidence in progesterone assay tests a bit I have to say.  I think I've missed by mating too late with all of mine.

It's so frustrating and disappointing isn't it. Especially when you desparately want a pup - and the bitch is not getting any younger :(

Our single pup has done so well in her foundation training and she is showing great promise as a security prospect. This bitch is more showline than working type but has strong drives and the stud throws wonderfully shaped pups so we really anticipated a wonderful litter.

As you say brainless, its frustrating when both girls are the same age and I will not be breeding my youngest until she is 3 next year. Also, I don't like winter litters as my breed needs early socialising to ensure lifelong homes - so a new pup over christmas feels like setting them up to fail before they've started. Statistics have shown that owners give up on my breed between 6 months and 24 months - that junior/hooligan stage so I plan a breeding accordingly. Seems like mother nature doesn't agree with my planning...

My problem with progesterone testing, kennel maiden is the same as yours. Also my dogs love my vet but dislike continuous blood taking and I don't want them to change their opinion. My sister's dog backed into the corner and growled at the vet after he was microchipped which resulted in them demanding he was muzzled for every visit until 6 months ago (he will be 7 this year) simply because of the breed.

The jackapoos, by the way, started out at £500 but were reduced to £350 at 7 weeks. One was sold and the metal man is apparently being driven mad. Said he couldn't give 'em away so will have to let his desinger dogs go cheap at £200 if they don't sell by 8 weeks.

> Also my dogs love my vet but dislike continuous blood taking and I don't want them to change their opinion.

Ditto, only ever progesterone tested once with in house kit and needed three blood draws.  I would nto have bothered but this was a bitch who had loads of libido but was determined she was the dominant one and wanted to act the male.

I don't believe in anything more than steadying a bitch, so wanted to ensure that the timing was right with more hands on approach to a mating.

In my breed fortunately stud dog owners will either have the bitch to stay with the male, or even let experienced bitch owners borrow the male for as long as needed.  Our males tend to get little use compared to more numerous breeds but fortunately seem to be good at not messing about unless the time is right.

A couple of matings over a 3 - 5 day period usually gets bitches in whelp.

That must be so disappointing. I would absolutely go for progesterone testing next time (if you are still planning to try with her). I was amazed at how fast and painless the blood draw was for my bitch, and that was with our vet drawing blood from her neck--much faster but needs a lot of skill! She didn't turn a hair, but got very upset with a subsequent draw by a technician (to her leg) while we were abroad to the stud dog. She's been fine ever since, though.

If she has absorbed a litter you might also want to consider CHV vaccination--once within 10 days after mating and the second within a week of the whelping date.

I know exactly how you feel! I have been trying to get one of my bitches in whelp for 18 months now, if we miss again this summer she will be too old and that's the end of my line. I have done the testing and taken her to the dog on what should be the right date, tried different dogs, both experienced and fertile studs and experienced owners, and failed to even get a slip! The latest lady took her to the vet and they thought she had a flap of skin at the entrance in the way, but she looks perfectly normal to me and the other experienced bitch owners I have asked. I suspect she is an 'up and over' bitch as her mother is too, but surely an experience stud dog should be able to cope? My younger bitch again I took at the right time according to the blood testing and didn't manage better than 2 slips, again experienced fertile stud, but no puppies. Meanwhile pretty much every single one of my friends has puppies on the ground!!

I'm beginning to wonder whether its nurture, rather than nature. Maybe I should look at exercise/feed/supplements and make subtle changes...at least now I don't feel like the green eyed monster if others are in the same boat. Fingers crossed we have some success at next mating