In regards to puppy heartbeats I found this on the internet:
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Detection of puppy heartbeats with a stethoscope may be possible as early as six weeks but requires patience and some skill. I usually wait until six weeks post-breeding to check for heartbeats. Sometimes it’s difficult to hear the little heartbeats, but when you hear them, they sound like a soft, fast ticking…like, tic, tic, tic, tick, tic. Some breeders can tell the sex of the puppies by how fast the little hearts beat. They say Males tic faster than the females.
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As for taking them to the vets after breeding, a ultra sound can be done after 28 days from the first breeding and that will tell how many heartbeats. An x-ray can be done around 57 days and that will tell more about the size of the puppies and if all are alive. Some breeders do both.