Because every litter starts with timing.
Because knowing the right time to breed shouldn't be this hard.
Take the breeder surveyChapter one
Meet the inspiration.
This is Amber. A fox red Labrador and the dog who started it all.
Watching her litter arrive was an extraordinary moment. But getting to that moment was not simple. The timing of a breeding cycle is everything, and getting it right took planning, appointments, cost, and more than a little anxiety about whether we had it right.
It made us ask a question.
Why is this so hard?
Amber with her litter of fox red Labrador puppies
The problem
The problem with timing.
For dog breeders across the UK, getting the timing right in a breeding cycle means navigating a system that was not built with them in mind.
For many breeders, knowing the right time to breed is one of the most stressful parts of the process. Current approaches often involve repeated appointments, travel, waiting for results and interpreting complex information, all while working within a narrow and unforgiving window.
Miss the window and you may miss the cycle entirely. A failed cycle means wasted stud fees, disappointed buyers, and months of waiting to try again.
Too many breeders know this feeling. We want to understand whether other breeders were experiencing the same challenges.
We experienced this first hand. Easter weekend and time to test Amber's progesterone levels. Most veterinary practices were closed for routine appointments on the bank holiday. We could not get an appointment through any local vet.
We did eventually find a canine fertility clinic that could help. It was over an hour away and progesterone testing is rarely a one visit process. We made that journey twice over the bank holiday weekend. Four hours of driving in total. Four hours in a car for Amber.
It should not be this difficult for breeders to access routine reproductive testing.
Cost
Repeated vet appointments add up fast.
Access
Weekends, bank holidays, and evenings, when timing matters most.
Timing
A missed window means months of waiting.
Who we are
A small team rethinking how breeders access reproductive testing.
We are a small UK-based team bringing together expertise in breeding, veterinary science, engineering and laboratory science.
Evidence-led, person and pet centred and genuinely excited about what we are building.
If you breed dogs, we would love to hear what your experience has actually been like.
Where we are now
Before we build, we want to understand.
We are talking to dog breeders across the UK about their real experiences of reproductive testing. What works. What does not. What you wish someone would fix.
We have lived this problem ourselves. Now we want to understand how it feels for you.
If you breed dogs in the UK, your experience is exactly what we need to hear.
No sell. Just listening.
Get involved
Be part of the conversation.
Are you a UK dog breeder?
We're conducting research into reproductive testing and breeding timing.
If you've ever used progesterone testing, fertility clinics, vaginal cytology, AI, frozen semen, or simply tried to work out the right time to breed, we'd love to hear about your experience.
Anonymous. No sell. Just listening.
Interested in sharing more?
We're also conducting 30-minute video interviews with breeders. Whether your experience has been positive or frustrating, we'd love to hear your story.
No sales. No product pitch. Just research.
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