Mating Process

Question
Hi, I have a near three year old k.C.Cavalier who is in heat at the moment and I want to have her mated.  I have little or no practical experience of the mating process but I have but a lot of time and effort into reading up about it.  I am bringing the male to my female tomorrow night which will be her 10th day of heat, she knows this dog well (he belongs to a friend of mine).  How exactly will I proceed with the mating.  We tried this dog at her last season and he was eager but he didnt penetrate her at that time.  thank you for your help. Gillian.

Answer
Hi Gillian. First thing I would do is let them meet on leashes. If all goes well, then if you have a fenced in yard, I would let them off leash to let them play. This is usually foreplay. They may not do much tomorrow since it's only the tenth day. You said that he didn't penetrate last try. Has he been successfully bred before? What day did you try on last time? Has she whelped a litter before? If not, I would suggest taking her to the vet quickly to have him examine her vagina to make sure she doesn't have strictures. This can cause the male to not be able to fully penetrate. If she does have them, then you may have to resort to A.I.