Answer

You may be a bit early in expecting them to breed.
Dogs are usually in heat for about 3 weeks.
The first week they have a red discharge, then the second a clear or straw colored discharge, then almost no discharge the last week.
They usually are willing to breed sometime in the middle of their heat cycle usually in the range of days 9-14 of their heat season.
Dogs are individuals so you have to see when the female is agreeable as there is no one specific day for sure.
One sign of her being ready would be for her to 'flag' or roll her tail to one side when touched on her hind quarters.
If she has only been in for 8 days he may be interested but she may not be ready.
If he isn't showing any interest you might call your vet about trying an artificial insemination to get the litter you want. The vet would collect the semen from the male and insert it in the female. If you get a natural breeding afterwards that would be fine too but if you didn't then you might still have a litter coming.
If the male is too short to reach her then he may need a folded rug or a rug over a phone book with her backed up to that to manage a breeding.
If he has bad knees or a bad back he may be unable to get in position to mate.
Hope this helps you!

Expert:	NancyH
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Answered:	6/24/2008

Dog Expert:Rescue, Train,Breed,Care

30+ yrs dog home vet care & nursing, rescue, behavior&training, responsible show breeding, genetics