Mating


A Tie

Some genes have been in the lines so long they may never be bred out of the line.
Short faced breeds, the Shih Tzu, Pekinese and English Bulldog carry a gene for cleft palates.
Harlequin Danes ( white with black spots ) have a deaf and blind gene which is produced by the Merle (gray and black dots). The Merle Dane carries the gene that produces the spots that in the Harlequin Dane. If you were to bred the Merle out of the Harlequin Dane, then you would bred out the gene that produces the spots.
This is a catch 22 situation...
Anyway I think you see my point. Choose your flaws wisely

To find the best day to bred
The bitch will began to bleed. The first 1-8 days not much changes until she goes into standing heat at about day 9. ( breeds vary )
Standing heat means she will be receptive to the males advances. She may lift her tail, dance in front of the males face. A test is to run your hand down her back, if she is in standing heat, she may lift her tail.
A good stud will not attempt mate until the correct time which is when she is ovulating. He senses this by the smell of progesterone that she will give off during ovulation . Breeding will take place on days 10, 12,14. for Smaller breeds, Larger breeds may ovulate earlier.
If you are unsure of her best days to bred her, than take your female to your Vet for a vaginal cytology or contact Camelot Farms, they have a new Ovulation test on the market called Premate. (Its a blood test)

When the female ovulates, it take 48 hours for her eggs to ripen before they will allow penetration of sperm.
She may release 200 eggs which the male may fertilize. Her body and mother nature will absorb the unhealthy and some healthy fertilized eggs. Leaving fertilized eggs that her body is capable of caring to term. There are occasions when mother nature brain drives off the map and she absorbs them all. This is usually about the time you go yelling at the stud owner, saying her dog is no good. It is not always the studs fault that your female did not go on to whelp a litter of pups.
There are a number of reasons a Female will fail to conceive.

• Age - to young or to old

• Health

• Irregular heat cycles- it may not be a true heat

• Bred on the wrong days - this is why ovulation testing is important. You may of bred to early or to late.
  If you lucky you will find a stud like my Rocky, he knows when the day is to bred. If they are not ready Rock will not touch them. If they are heaven help them, I've seen Rocky dive across a coffee table to bred a bitch. No is not an option with Rock.

• Stud has low sperm count- Always use a proven male, one that has sired other litters.