Stud Dog
Should be checked for Brucellosis – this is a canine STD (sexually transmitted disease) and is detected by a blood test

Female

1. Should be checked for Brucellosis
2. Dewormed using Drontal Plus
3. heartworm prevention monthly
4. Immunizations – booster the Distemper/Parvo one month before breeding
5. If there has been any medical issues with previous breeding, a vaginal culture at the beginning of the heat cycle is recommended with appropriate antibiotic therapy determined by the culture results

A female dog’s heat cycle is normally three weeks long.  We think of the cycle as a week ‘coming in’, a week ‘in’, and a week ‘going out’.  While we are most concerned with the week ‘in’, some females will be fertile during the later part of the first week or the early part of the third week.  We should assume that a female can fertile during the entire heat cycle and prevent her from access to other male dogs during entire heat cycle.

Breeding
If a female dog does not conceive, we cannot point fingers at either the male or female unless we first know that a breeding actually took place.  Instead of simply putting the female in with the dog and hoping that they mate, we should selectively place the female with the male only during times we can observe the mating process. 

In generalities, we expect most females to allow breeding on around the 9th day after the first day of heat cycle – which is characterized by the first day of bloody vaginal discharge.  For this ‘average’ female, a minimum of two breedings, one on day 9 and then again on day 11 should suffice.  If the male is available, I would personally prefer to begin teasing the female on around day 7 and continue breedings on an alternate day basis throughout the time that she will allow the male to breed.

Trouble breedings may require timing the ovulation of the female.  This can be guestimated by vaginal smears.  If a finer time line is required, progesterone (hormone) levels can be detected via blood tests.