~ Articles ~

How To Facilitate A Mating

Matings can be very different depending on the dog, and your ways may be different, and your mileage may vary.

You first need to consider the experiences of the two dogs. If you have a proven male and female you may be able to just put them in together. I still prefer to manage their time together so I can see a tie. Remember that if you own a stud, and you have a client bring a female, it is important to do everything you can to facilitate a few ties so that the girl dog doesn’t miss a heat. This is often financially important for the owner.

Dogs are multiple ovulators, so you want multiple ties within her ovulation period, which is around 3 days somewhere in the middle of the standing part of the heat. Her ovulation period corresponds to her most vigorous flagging, and when she will stand the most still. Two ties are sufficient for a litter if the ties are in the window.

A dog’s heat lasts about 3 weeks, and she will stand for about 4 or 5 days somewhere in the middle of her heat. As she begins to stand, he may be able to mount, but she may move her backside just a bit to avoid him entering. This means she is entering standing heat, but is not in full standing heat. She will also behave this way at the end of her ovulation period... she will allow him to mount, but not to mate. Shortly after that, she will lunge at him signaling the end of the standing part of the heat.

NOTE: during standing heat she may also lunge at him, so you, as the facilitator, need to be able to interpret the difference between the following two messages:
1. “GET THE JOB DONE OR GET OFF ME YOU BIG OAF!” and 2. “MY HEAT IS OVER AND IF YOU TRY AGAIN I WILL KILL YOU AND PUT YOUR HEAD ON A SPIKE”.

These two messages don’t look or feel the same. A female may get worn out by a clumsy male. Then she will lunge at him... this tells the male that he does need to respect her, to focus, and to get the job done. I may pull him aside and allow him a rest. I also may walk her out of the pen, which causes the male dog to go into a frenzy, and gives him another shot of adrenalin. I’ve often had successful ties right after doing this. He goes crazy for about a minute, and I lead her back in, and he’s all pumped up, lol.

Message two means no more tries, and it’s time for the handler to separate the dogs.

The female always chooses the timing. Work WITH her. NEVER force a mating. I allow a young male to be in with a proven female before the standing heat. He’ll get cowed by her, and this teaches him etiquette with females.

NOTE -- female dogs do not read the books and articles! I have had female dogs breed on day two of a heat, when the discharge is still red, and then refuse the stud the next day and for the rest of the heat, and have big litters. For this reason, I ask owners to bring their girl dogs as soon as they see the heat begin, and I work with the dogs to track the heat by the dog’s behaviors.

It is always best to have at least one proven dog in a pairing. It’s harder to get two novices to have a successful tie. It will take more management.

When the female arrives, I like to work with her, take her on walks, refine her leash abilities, clip her to a fence on a short leash so she learns to stand and not freak out...I always love and praise and encourage. I need to be able to work with her if she is a novice. She needs to know me a bit.

Every time she stands and he mounts and tries, after the try, I love and praise and get excited. This greatly encourages dogs, and lets them know they are okay, even with these weird things happening. When they tie, I praise quietly, and gently sort them into a comfortable position. You need to be careful if a novice female ties for the first time, that you have a leash on and hold her steady so nobody is injured. I like to loop the leash through a fence, pull her near the fence and stand back. will only do this if I see she is in standing heat and ready to mate, never to force her. But this definitely helps keep the stud safe. If a novice female panics when a tie is made, a stud can be badly injured. I help get the stud’s leg over after he ties. I keep the female on the fence throughout the tie if it doesn’t look like she will be still. Lots of big praise and congratulations.

I will be updating this article as I think of more things to add. :-)
Photo by Carrie Mast, when we paired BTA Aslan and HVF Chloe! This resulted in such a beautiful litter! <3