What Do I Do If My Dogs Will Not Mate?

Dog breeding has become a very successful business for many owners; some purebreds can fetch prices well into the thousands. For some dogs and dog owners, breeding comes as a very natural, quick and easy process. For others, it can be a very tricky time -- especially for dogs that are relatively unfamiliar with one another.

  1. Basics

    • For new dog owners and breeders the first steps are usually the simplest. After ensuring that you have a male and female dog, learn about the pedigrees. If you're attempting to cross-breed dogs that don't cross-breed, this can be one of the first breeding culprits. In this case, it will be necessary to pair different dogs together.

    Breeding Timing

    • The other thing to ensure when attempting to breed is that the female is in heat. For most breeds, females are in heat around twice a year; the times will vary slightly from dog to dog as well as from breed to breed. When going into heat, a dog will first bleed, then go through a period of mild discharge, followed by a period of no discharge. For many of the larger species, this period often lasts a few weeks, with the most fertile time being directly in the middle of the period -- often 10 to 15 days after the bleeding. If you're not sure if you've got your timing right, pay close attention and wait until the next breeding period for the female dog.

    Familiarity and Time

    • When a female dog is ready to mate, she will usually make herself receptive to a male dog in her vicinity. If you have placed two dogs together for a very short period of time prior to the female becoming fertile, sometimes this can cause hesitation on breeding. In most circumstances, the most optimal thing to do is to let the dogs become familiar with each other. The key is allowing them to spend time together and then wait until the next breeding period.

    Other Options

    • A much more abrasive approach -- assuming you're willing to pay for it -- is to perform an artificial insemination at the veterinarian's office. The vet can inseminate the female with the sperm of the male. Although it might seem like a guaranteed result, the downside is that it might not work. The female may not be fertile -- as this can be difficult to gauge -- and a single session may not be enough for a successful fertilization, even during fertile periods.