From an evolutionary perspective, the copulatory tie helps them make the most of every opportunity to produce offspring," Marty Greer, DVM , author of Canine Reproduction and Neonatology and co-owner of Veterinary Village in Lomira, Wis. Dogs remain stuck together at the end-stage of mating for five to 45 minutes, says Greer.
The male dog dismounts and ends up rear-to-rear with the female. Dogs new to mating may experience a bit of anxiety at being locked together, but it's a natural process. Help your dog to remain calm and stand still until the two can safely separate. This will occur on its own once the male dog's arousal subsides. The longer dogs are stuck together in a copulatory tie, the greater the chance that the semen will reach the eggs.
But pregnancy in dogs is never guaranteed, Greer says, "Just like in people, not every mating is successful. According to the American Kennel Club , a veterinarian can determine if your dog is pregnant with an exam or an ultrasound around 25 days after mating. You may also see signs of pregnancy about three weeks after mating, such as:. However, some females ovulate as early as the third or fourth day or as late as the eighteenth day.
Blood tests will assist in determining the best period for your dog. It is normal to arrange for two matings for your dog, often twenty-four or forty-eight hours apart. Check these details with the owner of the stud when making initial enquiries. Also, inquire as to the procedure if your female dog does not become pregnant as a result of the stud service.
It is common for owners of the male dog to offer a free service next time. The genital anatomy of the male and female is such that during coitus part of the dog's penis the bulbis glandis enlarges and is held firmly by the contracted muscles of the vagina, thus preventing the penis from being withdrawn.
This is the "tie" that is considered a desirable feature of a successful mating. It is important to note that pregnancy can occur without a "tie". Once "tied" the male dog will often step over the female or be turned by handlers into a position so that the animals are back to back. There is little point in trying to separate animals that are locked in this way. Buckets of cold water, water pistols, cap guns, and so forth do little to speed up the process of separation and merely upset the dogs.
In fact, forced separation can result in serious injury to the female and should be avoided. Skip to main content. Veterinary care now, pay later! The age at which dogs reach sexual maturity depends to a large extent on their breed. Small breeds tend to mature faster than large breeds. On average, however, males become fertile after six months of age and reach full sexual maturity by 12 to 15 months.
Healthy stud dogs may remain sexually active and fertile to old age. Adult males are able to mate at any time. Bitches have their first estrus also know as season or heat after six months of age, although it can occur as late as 18 months to two years of age.
Estrus recurs at intervals of approximately six months until late in life. During estrus, the female is fertile and will accept a male. The bitch should not be bred during her first season. Keep in mind that AKC Rules do not allow, except with special documentation, the registration of a litter out of a dam less than 8 months or more than 12 years of age at the time of mating, or by a sire less than 7 months or more than 12 years of age at the time of mating.
Responsible breeders generally do not breed a bitch at the first heat to avoid imposing the stress of pregnancy and lactation on a young, growing animal. It is also customary to avoid breeding a bitch on consecutive heats to allow sufficient time for recuperation between pregnancies.
Most dogs are first bred between the 10th and 14th day after the onset of proestrus. As long as the bitch will accept the male, mating every other day for a total of two or three matings is generally considered sufficient.
However, signs of proestrus are not obvious in some bitches. To catch the peak fertile period, a veterinarian may need to perform hormone tests or examine vaginal smears under a microscope.
Bitches are usually less inhibited by new environments so they are usually taken to the stud. Breedings involving young males proceed more smoothly if they are paired with experienced bitches.
Sometimes human handlers must step in with assistance or guidance during breedings. Some breeds are more apt to need assistance than others because of anatomical considerations. Discussing this process with your own breeder will help you be prepared. During breeding, the male mounts the female from the rear and clasps her midsection with his front legs. Rapid pelvic thrusts follow until penetration and ejaculation take place.
After the pelvic thrusts cease, the dog and bitch will not separate for 10 to 30 minutes. Known as a tie, this results from a swollen section of the penis called the bulbus glandis. During the tie, the male may move around until he and the bitch are positioned rear to rear. Do not try to separate the dogs during the tie because it can injure either or both animals. After some time, they will part naturally. Artificial insemination is a relatively simple procedure that can be used when natural breeding is impractical.
The AKC accepts registration of a litter mated by artificial insemination using fresh semen, fresh extended semen, and frozen semen, provided the proper procedures are followed. Registration of these litters requires DNA certification. Canine gestation lasts approximately 63 days. Signs of pregnancy include an increase in appetite, weight, and nipple size. However, a bitch with false pregnancy may also show these signs.
A veterinarian can usually confirm a pregnancy through abdominal palpitation at 28 days or by using ultrasound or X-rays.
Once pregnancy is confirmed, you should talk to your vet about special feeding requirements and about what to expect during pregnancy, labor, and after birth. You should also be briefed on how to recognize and respond to an emergency. A bitch in good condition should continue into pregnancy with the same caloric intake that she had during adult maintenance. Her food intake should be increased only as her body weight increases, beginning about the last five weeks before whelping.
Daily food intake should be increased gradually, so that at the time of whelping she may be eating 35 to 50 percent more than usual. As her weight and food intake increase, begin offering small, frequent meals to spare her the discomfort that larger meals can cause, especially in a small dog.
If you have been feeding your bitch a well-balanced, high-quality diet, you should not need to add anything to her food during her pregnancy. However, some breeders advocate supplementation with a protein source such as evaporated milk, eggs, meat, or liver. It is a good idea to build a whelping box well in advance so the bitch has time to become accustomed to it. Unless you have already accustomed her to a whelping box, she may choose your closet or another inappropriate place for a delivery room.
An ideal whelping environment is warm, dry, quiet, draft-free, and away from all other dogs when possible. Confinement and whelping location of your bitch is relative to her breed and size.
A good whelping box is roomy and has low sides so you can easily reach in. It should also have a small shelf or roll bars running halfway up along the sides so the pups have something to crawl under to avoid getting rolled on by the bitch. Many breeders prefer to line the box with newspapers until after delivery because paper can be changed quickly when it becomes soiled. After whelping, newspapers are typically replaced with non-skid bath mats, outdoor carpeting, or something else that provides better footing for the puppies.
Approximately 24 hours after her temperature drops, she can be expected to enter the first stage of labor when the cervix dilates and opens the birth canal for the passage of puppies. At this time, she will pant, strain, and appear restless. This stage of labor is followed by actual abdominal straining and production of the puppies and placentas.
Most bitches give birth easily without the need of human help. Each puppy emerges in its own placental membrane, or sac, which must be removed before the puppy can breathe. The mother usually takes care of this by tearing off and sometimes eating the membrane and then severs the umbilical cord.
After delivery, she will lick each puppy to stimulate its breathing. You should keep track of how many placentas are delivered and ensure that the number matches the number of puppies because a retained placenta may cause problems. You must take over if the bitch neglects to remove a sac or sever an umbilical cord.
A puppy can remain inside the sac for only a few minutes before the oxygen supply is depleted. The cut end should be painted with iodine to prevent infection. At the time of birth, the bitch will be busy cleaning her puppies, warming them, and allowing them to suckle. It is very important for the puppies to suckle soon after emerging from the womb.
Suckling lets them ingest colostrum, a milk-like substance containing maternal antibodies which is produced in the mammary glands just after birth. Colostrum helps the newborn puppies fight infection in their early days while their own immune systems mature.
To track nourishment of the puppies, it is advisable to identify and weigh puppies during the first 2 weeks. Signs of potential trouble include:. A newborn puppy cannot control its body temperature and must be kept in a warm environment. Chilling will stress the puppy and predispose it to infectious disease; overheating can kill it.
The environmental temperature can be controlled with a well-insulated electric heating pad or a heat lamp. Limited availability due to high demand. Please see our Stock Availability page for more information. Why Do Dogs Smell Bad? Why Do Dogs Eat Poo? Why Do Dogs Yawn? Why Do Dogs Eat Mud? Why Do Dogs Snore? Why Do Dogs Whine? Why Do Dogs Itch?
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