Reproduction & Fertility

Pyometra is one of the most common serious illnesses an intact breeding bitch can develop, and it usually appears weeks after a heat, when nobody is watching for it. The signs, the timing and the decisions that follow.

Common reproductive infections beyond Brucella canis — herpesvirus, vaginitis, prostatitis — and the hygiene and screening habits that reduce risk.

A pillar guide to reproduction and fertility: anatomy, hormones, timing, mating, infections and infertility, and how they connect to the rest of the breeding process.

What a pre-breeding examination covers for both dogs — general health, breed-specific screening review, and reproductive-specific checks — and why it belongs at the end of planning, not the start.

Why timing errors are the most common cause of apparent infertility, and how a full veterinary investigation works when they aren’t the explanation.

Why a written mating agreement matters even between trusted breeders, and the core terms it should cover — fee structure, non-conception terms, health testing and paperwork.

How fresh, chilled and frozen semen differ in collection, timing and insemination method, and what determines success with each.

The stud dog’s reproductive anatomy and why libido isn’t the same as fertility — plus what a proper fertility evaluation actually checks.

The four stages of the canine heat cycle and the hormones behind them — proestrus through anestrus — and why the LH surge, not visible signs of heat, is the key timing reference point.

A practical stud service contract template covering parties, health testing, fees, non-conception terms, paperwork responsibility and liability.

Why calendar counting doesn’t reliably time a mating, how serial progesterone testing finds the true fertile window, and how the window differs for natural mating vs. frozen semen.

How the bitch’s reproductive anatomy — ovaries, Y-shaped uterus, cervix, vagina — works, and why understanding it makes the heat cycle and timing make sense.

What a normal natural mating looks like, including the tie, and when supervision should become intervention — plus why timing still comes from progesterone testing, not behavior.

A practical template for logging progesterone results, trend, LH surge and ovulation dates — turning test numbers into a clear breeding-day decision and a useful record if fertility issues arise.