Hello.
I wondered if anyone has had experience of a stud dog suddenly not being able to draw the bitch close enough to enter please? Our boy is a stud dog, and has successfully mated and tied with 3 bitches now, and all have produced pups. He had no trouble mating and tieing, but the last two bitches that he's had contact with, he doesn't seem to be able to get close enough to penetrate. He is trying, and at one point he gained an erection just being inbetween her legs, but not penetrating her, because he's not close enough. The bitches have been progesterone tested and were confirmed as ready. The only thing i would say, is that the last two bitches are maiden bitches, where-as the 3 before, weren't maiden bitches. They both seemed eager, and were flagging. I'm just worried in case there could be a problem, or does this happens sometimes? He seems well in himself. His hips, elbows, heart as well as eyes and genetics are good. Do you think perhaps he needs a vet visit, or is it just one of those things? More than anything, I feel sad for the bitch's owners, when they go away with nothing. I don't want to let anyone else down, and if it's a medical problem, then obviously i don't want him to hurt himself, but if it's normal, and can happen sometimes then i'll relax a bit more. This is my first stud dog, so don't know if this sometimes happens or not. He's always well hydrated and has been to the toilet just before mating, and with past ties, i've always been right there to comfort him, and turn him around safely, and asked the bitch's owners to do the same, so he hasn't been damaged by him or the bitch trying to pull apart, so don't know why there has been a sudden change. He does not tolerate anyone trying to guide him, and will back off. One of the bitch's owners tried to do this. They said they'd had 20 years of breeding experience. I have tried gently pushing the last bitch further back into him, but he moves further away again. I would welcome any suggestions please. Thank you.

I know he is fairly new at this, so may be that he's just not experienced enough yet, but if you think it could be some other reason, I'd love to hear from more experienced breeders with stud dogs as to whether this could indicate a problem, or whether it's experience and in time he will be fine.

Sorry, one last thing. He's not overly tall, but was taller than this last bitch. However, he's a really stocky hefty lad, and does seem to squash down them a bit when mounting them. Could this be the problem too?

Any possible problems with his back or even his patella?

His back has been fine, and he's running around and playing fine. No limping etc. Not had any falls. He's an inside dog, not kennelled, so we'd know if he had fallen. He puts all his effort into mating, just hasn't drawn the last two bitches close enough. It's only a small amount too. One bitch we managed, by pushing her gently back, and they achieved a tie. The other one, would move her bottom around if you tried gently pushing her back, so then he got off. It may have eventually happened in time, but the bitch's owner had to leave, as they had a long journey. He had a vet check, soon after i posted this, just in case. The vet felt all around his joints and spine, and he didn't flinch or seem bothered by it. The vet couldn't feel any abnormalities, and said as he doesn't seem uncomfortable when pressing on his joints, so he doesn't think there's a problem there, but said he could get x-rays done if necessary, and blood tests. However, he thinks it could be experience. I'll see when he tries with a bitch that is experienced. I hope I'm just worrying about nothing, and that he is fine. Obviously i also don't want to let any bitch owners down, especially if they've travelled a long way. If it continues, i'll take him back for further tests.

Well, he was certainly ok with the last bitch, so a huge sigh of relief :)