Hiya I'm new to this forum so please be gentle!
I have 3 JRT and have wanted to breed my Roxy since we brought her due to her beautiful temperament etc! I undertook a lot of researching and brought the recommended book of breeding your bitch which became my bible! I was also in contact with other JRT breeders!
I am not doing this for money and don't have any intention of selling the pups as they were going to family and friends!
Roxy is 2.5 yrs and I chose a working JRT (proven stud) whom was known to some friends to stud her with! Roxy came into season early Nov and we intro the stud to her several times after days 9-22!
She seemed ready to stand for him on nov 20-23rd (which seemed later than my research mentioned) and we did see him mount her and get excited but I am not convinced they actually tied! They did this three times over the three days
We waited and waited took her to the vets after day 28 and he said he "thought" he felt something!

Roxy was sick a couple weeks after the mating in the evenings twice and she appeared to look pregnant; rib cage very wide, swollen belly, etc
Her due day came and went and nothing! Phoned the vet and he said it was prob a phantom!
She appears fine (not depressed or finding replacement puppies)
Any advice on my breeding her in the future would be very much appreciated!

Welcome to the Forum.

I'll start off with health testing as many JRT breeders do not realise the problems with the breed, so I though I'd get that out first

JRT should be tested for DCM (doppler), Primary Lens Luxation, Patellas and vWD- the last could easily cause death during labour, so very important.

Ok, with future breeding plans.
As her next season starts (or before) I'd have her at the vet to check for a stricture... this could be what prevented a tie forming, or indeed full penetration. During her season, have her progesterone tested to ensure ovulation. It may be that she isn't ovulating at all hence why she missed and had a humdinger of a phantom.

Was their no handling involved? Most studs require a little it of assistance to hit their mark, also may require holding in place if the bitch fails to hold onto him to create a tie. I hope they weren't allowed to get on with it? It is a very dangerous thing to do, so please handle them.
Is the stud handler used to handling the boy?

A tie is unmistakable. They are stuck together. There are slip matings, but even then it is pretty obvious penetration has occured, particularly as she will leak a little seminal fluid.

It is quite likely that she missed all together rather than reabsorbed, vets have never been very good at diagnosing pregnancy and as he "thought" he felt something, I doubt he did, he'd be pretty sure, the feeling is unmistakable. Palpation is very difficult.

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SOMETIMES YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR IS MERELY AN IDIOT WRAPPED IN TINFOIL

Hello and thank you for your helpful response!

We get her health checked regularly etc so know she is ok but did not know about the stricture so will speak to my vet! We were with them at all times during the mating as I am aware about potential harm to either dog if one gets aggressive etc

I think you are right and next time we may have to help and hold her in place!

I am going to change my vets as I found them extremely unhelpful and if I'm honest got the impression they wanted her to have scans and X-rays for the cost not because she needed it ate that time!

Many thanks

Welcome to the forum,

Health checks and health tests are completely different.
For example I have just sent my bitch's blood off to new york for a CEA test.
Good luck.

Yes, I'm afraid Shetlandlover is correct. General health checks are irrelavent. I believe the vWD is done via blood test, patellas by xray and DCM is a doppler.... all these health tests are likely to top £300 before you even get started.

Breeding correctly is very expensive. The stud should also have the same health tests as a minimum. Unfortunately JRT are a relatively unhealthy breed. Personally I believe its because there is no governing body (like the KC) that can monitor the breeds health and introduce health testing.

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SOMETIMES YOUR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR IS MERELY AN IDIOT WRAPPED IN TINFOIL

I believe vWB = LABOKLIN (UK)|Genetic Diseases | Dogs| von Willebrand disease Type I (vWD I) (not sure if its type 1-2 or 3 that JRTs need).

It is very costly but so worth it.

Did the bitch and stud dog undergo any health tests before mating?

I understand they can be expensive but so worth it to breed healthy pups which is much more important than temperament

Why oh why do people seem to think that getting a vet check is the same as health tests

It is imperative to the required tests for the breed - in the case of many DNA tests, it can act as a guarantee of progeny status (i.e. carrier or clear dependent on parent's status) - with some other tests it isn't as clear cut - but nevertheless - at least you know then you have gone about things the right way - doing all you can to prevent genetic illnesses - I've been unlucky to be caught out twice now despite testing - but it will NEVER stop me doing these tests.

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No idea.

It costs a small fortune but its worth it to know you are breeding healthy dogs.

Totally agree with the health testing, but I don't agree with this bit:Most studs??? In all the years I've been breeding dogs I have only had to help a stud to hit the mark ONCE. And that was a first timer. I always hold my dogs when tied, but just to reassure them and keep things calm, (often helping them to turn) but not because they could not tie. I'd be concerned if my dogs could not mate naturally.

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