Barking Up The Wrong Tree

When To Breed Your Dog

If you’ve never bred your dog before, you should take advice from the stud dog’s owner. If your bitch is a maiden bitch (i.e. never been mated before) then do not use an unproven stud dog.

As a general guide, after the season starts, the bitch should be mated between day 10 and 14, usually two days 48 hours apart, for example, on days 11 and 13. Sometimes, breeding can take place every other day as long as she’s ready. It takes 48 - 72 hours for a dog to produce further viable semen so there is no need to breed more often than this.

An experienced stud dog will know when she is in season and he wouldn’t try to mount her if it wasn’t the right time.

Always introduce the dog and bitch a few times before the mating. When the mating takes place, watch for signs of aggression from either. Sometimes the male will try to bully her before she’s ready. If that happens, separate them for a few minutes and then put them back together.

If you want to be more precise, you can use progesterone testing or smears to check that she’s ready.