Scout AT STUD

Day 1: Licking and attention to rear. Discharge is dark or bright red color, and beginning of swelling of vulva. Start counting the heat cycle from when the blood hits the ground. Do not bring us your female as soon as day 1 -- it could take up to three weeks for a breeding. Monitor carefully, though.

Days 2-7: Bright red spotting or bleeding with swelling of the vulva increasing. A male be interested, but unless she is incredibly submissive she will not be receptive and snip at him.

Days 8-10: Color begins to lighten to pinkish, swelling of the vulva is at peak and the vulva has a spongy look and feel. There is a “knot” at the top of the vulva and it is very firm. A male cannot have a successful tie when the vulva is swollen. However, a “slip tie” CAN produce puppies. The bitch may lay her tail over and tease, then snap, so wait a little longer as she can easily turn a young male off. We frequently see females brought to us about at this point, and usually 12-48 hours later she is ready to mate.

Days 9-14: Bleeding color changes from light pink to clear or even straw colored. This is usually the color we see when she is most fertile and receptive. The swelling is down and the vulva appears dry or harder on edges. The knot at the top of the vulva is very soft like butter. The bitch will stand solid and elevate her rear. The male is aggressive, restless and noisy. This is when our male will whine to visit her. Breed the bitch now. Monitor the tie as an aggressive bitch can damage a male. The tie may last 10-35 minutes.

Days 14-21: Color clears, discharge and swelling almost gone, bitch may act receptive, but is snappy.

Count 58-63 days for puppies after the tie!

Note that this is "average" and we'll often see the female come to us at about day 10 of her cycle. Females can ovulate sooner or much later than this, so monitor the signs. Best of all, progesterone testing will help time ovulation and when to visit best. Always, always have your female tested for bruscellosis prior to breeding. This disease will cause stillbirth and infertility in your female, and sterility in our male. We test our males at least annually, more frequently if they are breeding often, and ensure each female is tested prior to mating. We also ask that you female have a minimum of OFA hips, elbows, heart (through cardiologist, not a regular physician) and eyes (through veterinary opthamalogist) in addition to your regular veterinarian's pre-breeding check completed in advance of mating. You may also want to have genetic testing for various eye, skin or seizure disorders. Don't hesitate to ask for help finding where to get these tests done. We aim to help produce healthy puppies and reduce the inheritance of genetic disorders by testing parents prior to breeding.