Roanne,

It is a big swing from live cover to surgical insemination. Is there a reason that a "normal" AI isn't being considered? If that has been tried unsuccessfully with this bitch in the past, you could progress to a trans-cervical insemination.

Bulldogs aren't the easiest breed to TCI, but it certainly can be done successfully in the majority of Bulldog bitches. It achieves a similar result to a surgical AI, depositing the semen directly in the uterus, but is done without anesthesia.

There are only a few scenarios in my mind that are considered sort of automatic for surgical AI's: 1) a bitch who has failed to conceive on multiple occasions after having thorough ovulation timing performed 2) the male being used has poor quality semen 3) when frozen semen is being used, and 4) when the bitch is of an age that it is your last chance to breed her before you consider her too old to breed and you really want a litter out of her.

In the 1st scenario the surgical allows the vet to get a good look at the uterus and see if anything obviously stands out as abnormal. In the 2nd & 3rd, when using compromised semen the shorter the distance the sperm have to travel to find the target the better the chances some will make the journey successfully.

Good luck with your breeding.

Dan Bandy

It has nothing to do with the money end. Our repo vet wants to do a surgical implant and I was thinking the risk factor in anesthesia is not something taken lightly in bulldogs so thought maybe doing a natural would be better. I've heard so many nightmare's of loosing dogs under anesthesia it scares me. Thanks for the input.

Where will you be showing ? Are you going to Topeka, Kansas City, ? Will you be in Kansas for the November specialty? I look forward to seeing you both again.

however this is with over 20 years of experience and great care and precaution.

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While we are new. We chose AI over Free Breeding. We were advised by several well established breeders, as well as veterinarians, familiar with Bulldog physiology; its not a good idea. Several reasons were given; from the weight displacement of the male upon the females pelvic cradle, causing hip issues, to the aggression brought out in the female from the act itself. There was also the danger to the male. The excitement being "too much" for their hearts, to being bitten during the tie.
We won't do it and wouldn't recommend it at all. Like free-whelping, its asking for trouble.

Perserverance isn't a long race.
It's a series of short races,
ran one after the other.

If your itch has a good strong rear end, and has been well socialized to other dogs then you have a decent chance of a natural breeding.

If interested, get her vetted, make sure she has no obstructions and is in good shape with normal patellas. Remember that although she has to hold him up, the male has a pretty energetic job ahead.

A healthy male with a good airway and normal healthy heart is in no danger of over exertion during a breeding, but they can get s-t-u-p-i-d about overdoing flirting and trying to get started and could wear themselves out or get overly heated.. But if he is not athletic and fit he will have a hard go.

If you have friend who has a breed that commonly breeds naturally then they could help, a lot. Making sure you girl is in her fertile period helps too. Sometimes a bitch will reject a male she simply does not like.

In some cases, bulldogs achieve an "outside tie", If this happens then trying to make certain that the male is done with the sperm rich second phase of ejaculation before he dismounts is important.

You also need to make sure she does not snap at him or frighten him or let him retaliate if she rejects him