How do i know if breeding worked

Question
QUESTION: I have a male and female boxer. She has been in heat for a while and he has been trying to lock with her but he wouldn't stand and when she would he couldn't hit it rite her vagina was to low for him to hit it so i held her vagina up a little and they latched yesterday and i helped them today also. Will that be enough or should i do it one more time. And how do i know if it worked. Thank you so much for your help i really appreciate it.

ANSWER: Hi Lillian.  Great job assisting your male do his job!  It stands to reason that the more times your dogs "tie" the better the chances are that your female will conceive, but their really isn't a magical number.  

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 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.

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

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

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QUESTION: One last question i forgot to ask. Every time that she has gone into heat i have never actually seen her bleed even a little. Does every dog bleed or is it that it is just not noticable. The only thing that i have had to go by is that she swells. And you have helped alot thank you so much!

Answer
Hi Lillian.  Some dogs are very clean, and some male dogs assist the female in keeping clean by licking the vaginal area.  If this is the case with your dogs, then it is possible that you would not see any signs of it.

Good luck, and let me know if I can be of further assistance.

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