What is the minimum to the maximum length of the mating session?

Question
I have a male chihuahua that is ready to breed with my friend's female dog. I want to know how long, from minimum to the maximum, it'll take for them to mate and lock to have a guarantee pregancy. My friend says it takes 2 to 3 weeks for them to mate. I really don't want to be apart from my dog that long sinc my friend lives far away. Will it be successful to mate in less than 4 days on the girl's heat?

Answer
Hi Betsy

Timing is the number one reason that a breeding doesn't work. There are many misconceptions concerning timing and how many times they must be mated.

If a  progesterone test is not going to be done on the female, you're guessing.  You should then assume that the female is ovulating around day 12 - 15 and breed her during that time.  Mating doesn't occur for 2 or 3 weeks, a female's season lasts that long, but she's not receptive or ready to be bred during that entire time.  

It should be noted if your sending your dog away, he could get "performance anxiety"  and may not perform away from his comfort zone (this is typical of the smaller dogs).

Before you do any mating ensure that the dogs are tested for Brucellois as this STD can render both parties sterile and is highly transmittable.

Good luck