standing heat

Question
QUESTION: I have a female akc gsd that has been in heat for 11 days that I know of.  I have a male that she has been around for the last 10 days and introduced.  The problem is she will not stand for him.  We have done every thing that we could think of she turns around and is snapping at him when he gets down to trying the business end of the operation.  This is the frist time breeding for both of them.  fm is 18 months   ml is almost 4 years old.  What can we do to facilitate the breeding.

ANSWER: Hi Lorrie.  The heat cycle in most dogs runs for approximately 21 days as follows:

Days 1 - 7:  The vaginal area swells noticeably and within a couple of days bleeding begins.  During this stage the female usually will not allow the male to mate with her, and she will actually growl and possible bite him if he tries.

Days 7 - 14:  It is during this stage, the female is in what is called Estrus, and will now allow the male to mate with her.  She will normally stand still and move her tail out of the way.

Days 14 - 21:  If successful mating occurred during days 7 - 14, this is the stage where the embryos are forming.  No external signs are present.

Based upon the above information, most breeders try to mate their dogs within the 7 day Estrus time period.  Because not all female dogs come in to Estrus on day 7 (some a little sooner, some a little later) this is not an exact science.  

Some breeders try to mate their dogs on days 14, 16, and 18 from the moment they discover the enlarged vaginal area (or) days 7, 9, and 11 during the Estrus stage.  Hope this is not too confusing.

This is not an exact science, and dogs just like humans can be a little early, or later in their cycle.  I would give her a few more days and see if she will then allow the male to mate with her.   If not, you can try artificial insemination.  You can buy the kits online, and they come with a full set of instructions.  Or, if this is not something you feel comfortable doing yourself, most vets will preform the AI for a fee.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The female will not relax enough for the tube to go in as far as it needs to go in for the AI.  Is there something we can give her to relax her enough to help with the process.  thanks.

Answer

Reproductive Photo   Hi Lorrie.  The tube is actually longer than you need, and not all of it needs to be inserted.  

I am going to attach a photo of a female pig's reproductive system.  I wish I had one that shows the female dog's reproductive system this well, but I can't find one.  I doesn't really matter because they are very similar.

Hopefully the photo is large enough for you to see that about midway through the vaginal canal, the canal splits (one section tilts slightly upward toward the uterus and the other section slightly tilts downward towards the bladder.  

A common mistake is the insertion of the tube.  As soon as you insert the tube in the vulva, start angling it up and towards her back.  If you do not you are inserting the tube, correctly you could be in the bladder - which is a shorter distance.

I suggest that you practice inserting the tube a few times before you try performing the AI again.  This procedure usually takes two people, one to insert the tube while the other person hold the dog, with the tail end tilted upward slightly.  Both you and your assistant should talk softly to your dog, and pet her head.  This should help her remain calm (or at least a little calmer).

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,
Penny DiLoreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com