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Originally Posted by tjdmom  So you find your girls ovulate on day 8 of their cycle? I'm not yet a breeder but I just thought that day 11 was the average. That sounds interesting..... unless I read wrong and they were saying that day 11 the eggs are ready (I also read it takes 2 days for the eggs to ripen)...... |
Yep. I thought the same thing, but the two girls I have tested this year all ovulated at day 8 or were on the verge that day. It differs from girl to girl, but I would not wait until day 9 or 10 to test for the first time. Also, one of these girls does not have much discharge so picking up on what is really day 1 is tricky with her. However, counting backwards from when that girl whelped first litter (I did not test for that one) I still got to day 8 for ovulation according to the calendar I keep for the girls' seasons.
The only one of my boys who has been used for breeding will not breed a bitch too early. I swear he knows when they have ovulated. He has absolutely no interest in the bitches until they are, confirmed by the test, ready to be bred. And I totally agree with the suggestion of keeping them separated before the actual mating. Absence makes the heart (or whatever!) grow fonder!!!! My dogs are, for the most part, crated when I am not home in a single room. The exception to this is my Penny, who is totally spoiled and stays in the living room. When the girls that crate in the "dog room" are in season they are not nearly as exciting or attractive as Penny, who is kept in a different part of the house. She is the forbidden fruit I guess...