hello everyone, please how will i know if my bitch is pregnant and what re the signs and symptoms to look out for in a bitch after successfull breeding?  your response will be highly helpful thank.

Probably no signs for a long time, but you might notice some clear white/opaque discharge around day 21 which is usually the first promising sign.

You might notice she is off her food (or she might not be).  Might be no other signs until she is quite late along really.

Each situation is bound to be different but with mine, I got to learn that if the vulva didn't go back to it's previous state, that was a fairly good suggestion the mating had taken.   Again if you know your bitch, you may notice slight thickening of the flanks by around 4 - 5 weeks.  By 7 weeks you should see the puppies moving around.

And then there's the option to have a scan done.   This isn't something I've ever bothered with.   And in truth it only means puppies, or not, at the time of the scan, not that she'll carry to term.   I had good matings, planned for a litter at the due time, and waited.

My dog was mated 18 days ago and she seems to be licking/cleaning  herself all the time around this area

Just check for any discharge its not uncommon for a bitch to have a pyometra following a season. It is possible she is pregnant but the risk is there. Make sure its not a smelly bloodstained discharge or even no discharge at all. If it continues or you are concerned the vet is your next port of call.

PS just seen your other post, all of these signs could be a pregnancy but if she is not eating and constantly licking herself I would be inclined to have the vet take a look. Pyo is deadly.

Thank you.  I have just fed her wet food and she has eaten that it seems she just don't fancy the dried food.  I will take her to the vets to be sure though thank you.  This is my first time breeding, i'm like a very nervous granny.

Its very hard before 4-5 weeks as some bitches have lots of symptoms and some have none! Quite often if its a phantom the symptoms are earlier and more pronounced.  Ive also had a bitch which had no symptoms at all and looked no different in body shape even at day 60 and had a litter of 8. 
Until you have her scanned at 28 - 30 days its a guessing game