So you have decided that your stud dog or brood bitch is worthy of breeding. There are several ways to make the most of a breeding, to maximize your chances of success. Lets start with general testing for both sexes.

A few months in advance, there are several screening tests that may and should be performed to minimize the passing on of genetic defects that are particular to mastiffs. There are varying opinions of what testing is necessary. I will list all that are available at this time, and note the bare minimum tests that are absolutely necessary to most breeders. Most reputable breeders test for many or all genetic defects for which we have a test for, in order to do their best not to perpetuate known problems in their line, and to protect the integrity of genetic soundness when combining with another breeder's line. There will still be problems that rear their ugly heads, that is the nature of purebred dogs, and giant breeds, in particular. But if we don't test our breeding stock, we won't know what we are dealing with, or what we don't want to "double- up" on. We may decide at this point not to breed an animal at all, depending on the defect, or how we feel about the defect in relation to our breeding program.

If the dog is under 2 years of age, preliminary hip and elbow exams should be performed to rule out hip and elbow dysplasia. Most veterinarians are able to perform these radiographs, and most vets require the dog to be anesthetized for the procedure. Many breeders have these films taken without their dogs being anesthetized, but it depends on the veterinarian and the individual dog. Permanent OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) numbers will not be assigned until the dog reaches two years of age, so you will have to re-test after the dog's two year birthday if you do "prelims." You may also choose PennHip, which is another type of registry for hips. Most breeders use the OFA method, as the permanent certification numbers are listed on all A.K.C. documentation pertaining to that dog, forever. OFA and AKC are requiring permanent identification now in order to receive certification and listing on AKC documents -- meaning either a microchip, tattoo, or DNA profile. Most vets can perform a microchip implantation at the time of taking the radiographs, which is the simplest method of permanent ID. Any of these methods are acceptable at this time. If the dog is over 2 years of age, you will never have to repeat these hip and elbow radiographs they are a permanent rating if not found to be dysplastic. Hip and elbow certifications are considered two of the bare minimum breeding requisites for reputable breeders.

The other very important test that is absolutely necessary is the CERF eye exam. This test can be done at any age, but needs to be redone yearly in order to maintain the certification on AKC documents. Mastiffs are prone to several eye defects, with the most devastating being PRA, or Progressive Retinal Atrophy. This generally does not surface until close to two years of age, and causes eventual total blindness at an early adult age. The mode of inheritance is currently being researched, but for now all we have to use as a tool is the CERF exam to rule out suspicious cases. The somewhat late onset of this disease is one very good reason to wait until after two years of age before any breeding takes place, especially if there are known PRA- affected dogs in the particular line. There are also other eye defects that can appear, and those can be discussed with the opthamologist if they are found, in regards to breeding options. A CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) exam can only be performed by a certified veterinary opthamologist-- your vet should be able to refer you to the nearest one. They often have eye clinics at dog shows, as well.

Another test that most breeders feel is important is the complete thyroid panel. Hypothyroidism is very common in the mastiff. It can affect fertility, and the overall health of our dogs. The youngest age that this test can accurately be performed is after sexual maturity-- generally around 13-15 months of age. Hormones play a big part in thyroid levels, so any thyroid panel must be drawn when a bitch is anestrus-- 8 weeks prior, or 8 weeks following a heat cycle. Stud dogs can be drawn any time after the 13th month window. Do not test the thyroid on a dog that is ill or undergoing any medical treatment, on medication, etc. The test is most accurate in a sexually mature, healthy, anestrus animal. A complete thyroid panel tests for many different values, and cannot be determined from a routine test ran by your veterinarian. This test must be sent out to an outside lab, often Michigan State University. A complete thyroid panel must include T 3, T 4, Free T 3, Free T 4, autoantibodies, and several other values, as well. This test should be performed yearly on all mastiffs, not just breeding animals. Jean Dodds, DVM, at Hemopet in Irvine, CA, is a very good contact for information regarding autoimmune thyroiditis in the dog, and she can help determine the best route of treatment for your dog. She has a database for mastiffs, and all other breeds, and the normal levels within those breeds. She also will give you a free, personalized consultation, which is nice. If a dog is hypothyroid and you are still planning on using that dog in your breeding program, you need to get the thyroid levels at the correct level before any breeding occurs. This may take a few months, so it's best to test far in advance of any breeding. The levels will need to be retested every 6 weeks until the correct levels of supplementation are achieved, and will need to be monitored throughout the life of that dog. Thyroid problems should not be ignored or left untested-- they have a profound effect on the health of the dog.

Other tests that many breeders are also performing are certification of the patellas (kneecaps), testing the urine for cystinuria, and cardiac certification. Patellar certification can be performed at the time of hip and elbow radiographs and requires a form from OFA to be completed, and the appropriate fee sent along with the form. A regular vet examines the knee to be sure it is free of patellar luxation. This is not a common defect in the mastiff, but is performed by many breeders as part of the general testing regimen. This is a one-time test.

Cystinuria is a kidney disease, causing development of a particular type of kidney stone. It appears to be present in some mastiffs, and is now becoming more common in testing protocol. Information on this disease and testing can be found at the MCOA website. It is a urine test that needs to be sent to a particular lab, and can be done at any age. This only needs to be performed once.

Cardiac certification can also be done by a regular veterinarian, and requires another form from OFA in order to receive certification documentation. Cardiac issues are common in the mastiff, and this is a good test to rule out murmurs and other obvious defects-- but it is only as good as the tester. I would suggest having this done by a cardiologist if at all possible. They are more "in tune" to hearing heart defects than the general practitioner.

Let's say you have completed all testing and are ready to move forward with your breeding plans. We will approach the stud dog preparation first.

The stud dog should have a complete semen analysis a month or two before the breeding is estimated to occur. Hopefully a "teaser bitch," a bitch in season will be available to use as stimulation for the dog, especially if this dog has not been bred before. This will maximize sample quality, and gives you a more accurate idea of what you will be using on the bitch when the actual breeding occurs. If there are many abnormalities, or artifacts that don't belong in a normal semen sample, one should probably send this sample in for a culture and sensitivity, and also a mycoplasma test, to rule out infection. These are handled and processed differently from each other. Both bacterial infections and mycoplasma (a bacteria-like organism that normally occurs in most animals, but can grow out of control ) can lower semen quality, and should be treated according to results. A good contact for discussing culture results is Dr. Hutchinson in Ohio. Most breeders can supply his clinic telephone number or find it for you.

A brucellosis blood test must be drawn at this time, as well. Most brood bitch owners would appreciate the dog being current on his vaccinations, topical flea control, and have a negative fecal exam, as well, prior to the planned breeding.

The potential brood bitch has her own preparation that she should go through, as well, a month or two prior to her coming into season. Many breeders don't run anterior vaginal cultures on their bitches prior to a breeding. But it seems as we go further along these days, there are more and more bacterial issues that cause infertility. Most likely due to overuse of antibiotics in our society. If it is very important that this breeding be successful this season, or if you are doing a chilled or frozen semen artificial insemination or surgical implant, it is important that you run the cultures to maximize your success. There are currently two cultures done, an anterior vaginal culture checking for abnormal bacterial growth, and the mycoplasma culture. Both are collected by the veterinarian using a mare culture swab. Unless your vet is a large animal practitioner as well, he may need to obtain two of them ahead of your appointment. The swab is guarded, meaning it has a sheath around the entire length of the swab, which is generally about 2 feet long. Your vet will insert this as far as it will go into the bitch vaginally, about 10" or so, and open the end of the sheath to collect only a sample near the cervix. The swab is then re-sheathed, and the swab removed completely. This is repeated for the mycoplasma culture, as well. They are handled differently, so they can't be cultured from the same swab. When results are obtained, Dr. Hutchinson is the best person to contact regarding the results. Generally, there are some normal bacteria present in an anterior vaginal culture but it must be determined if they are normal species at normal levels. Mycoplasma is the same way, there are normally some present, but when it gets to moderate or heavy growth that treatment is recommended. If treatment is warranted, the antibiotics must continue for at least 30 days, and until the bitch is ready to be bred. That is why it is important to culture 6 weeks or so prior to her being due to come into season, in order to give you enough time to treat if need be.

She should also have a brucellosis test ran at this time, and of course, be brought current on her vaccinations, fecal exam, topical flea control, and any other health issues that need to be addressed.

When the bitch comes into season, the stud dogs needs to be contacted so they know what is going on. The easiest way to pinpoint her optimal breeding time (and eventual due date if she is pregnant) is to run serum progesterone blood tests throughout her season. The first blood test is ran 3 or 4 days after you first see a bloody discharge, as a "baseline." If you have a bitch that is swollen, and attracting any males that you may have, it may be worth it to run a serum progesterone to determine if she is in a "silent heat." Some bitches are missed, or have accidental breedings because they are not heavy bleeders. The old method of using vaginal smears is considered pretty outdated, and should only be used as a backup or in conjunction with the serum progesterones, if desired.

Serum progesterones are ran every other day until the levels approach 5.0 . When you get close to 5.0, tests are generally performed daily. Optimal breeding days are 1-2 days following the SP level reaching 5.0, and breedings should continue past 10.0. Most surgical implants are performed at approximately 48 hours after the bitch reaches 5.0. Some vets do not use the "numbers" method of testing SP, which is sent to a lab. Rather, they have an in-house kit so they can run the tests themselves. It is a color- change type of kit, and it is generally not as accurate as the lab ("numbers") test. It is still better than nothing, but if you can run the lab test instead, I highly recommend it. It is important that the results be posted as soon as possible, preferably less than a day's turnaround.

The nice thing about using serum progesterones is that you have the due date pinpointed to the day, and this is very useful if you are planning an elective cesarean section. The bitch will be due 63 days after she reached a SP level of 5.0 counting the day that she reached 5.0 as Day 1. Occasionally a bitch with many puppies will go into labor a bit early, depending on the number of puppies, so one needs to be watching for signs of early labor a few days ahead of that due date. I have had one bitch go over that due date, and that should be monitored with serum progesterones, as well. When the level drops below 2.0, she is ready to deliver the puppies, and it is within a safe window to perform a c-section if desired or needed. You don't want to wait and see what happens, as the puppies can become over-mature and die, and/or have placental separation. Generally, most bitches go into labor on that 63rd day post- serum progesterone reaching 5.0.

Read About The Author "Laura Hagey"