Conception & Dog Mating Process

Here are Stokeshire, we use a combination of AI, TCI, and Live or Natural Cover for our Females to help ensure pregnancy. Every planned litter is different. Some require a collection and insemination due the size difference between the male and the female. For live cover, we do a brucellosis test. Brucellosis is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Brucella canis. It is one of the leading causes of infertility in breeding stock. It occurs worldwide, affects all kinds of dogs, purebred and not, and can also be transmitted from dogs to humans.

Brucellosis affects female and male dogs in specific ways:

Females: The most often seen clinical symptom in the female dog is infertility, with 75 percent of cases resulting in late-term abortion (45–55 days of gestation). Aborted puppies will typically show signs of generalized infection, with the female presenting a brownish or green-grey discharge and being highly contagious with the bacteria for several weeks.

Males: The male will present with severe inflammation and/or infection of the epididymis (that part of the testicle where sperm matures and is stored). In the early phase of infection, the testes will be enlarged and painful. As the infection progresses, the testes become firm and shrunken. Infected males will become sterile due to testicular damage causing anti-sperm antibody formation.

Infected males may also develop prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland), with clinical symptoms of difficulty urinating and defecating.

Both sexes: Non-reproductive symptoms in both sexes can include lethargy, weight loss, and exercise intolerance. More specific clinical symptoms will depend on the organ infected but can include inflammation of the spine, eye, heart, and skin. Source: 1

To ensure conception takes place, it is best to take your bitch to the stud dog twice. Once on the 11th day after the heating season has begun and again two days later. This is when the bitch is at the most fertile period of her heat season. Sperm produced by a dog can survive for up to a week in the bitch's genital tract and still be capable of fertilizing eggs.

At first introduction, keep the dog and the bitch on leads just in case either party shows signs of aggression. Always bear in mind that the bitch may not like the dog you have chosen for her, and vice versa, although the latter is rare. It is best to abandon the idea of mating with this pair if this happens and it may be wise to have another stud dog lined up to fall back on. This is generally minimal. It is usual for the stud dog to lick around the bitch's vulva briefly before mounting, but this is not always the case.

There is a small bone in the dog's penis, which means that penetration can be achieved without an erection. Once the dog has mounted the bitch he will make strong thrusting movements and ejaculate the first part of his semen. During the second stage, the dog will dismount from the bitch, but his penis will remain inside the vagina. He does this by turning away from the bitch and lifting his hind leg over her back. This stage is called 'tied' and can take up to an hour to complete. The dog and the bitch are now in a tail to tail position. No attempt at separation should be made at this stage. The bitch's strong contracting vaginal muscles and the dog's engorged penis means the pair are 'locked' together and the dog continues to release semen. The pair will separate in due course. This second stage is not essential for conception to take place, however, the second release of semen is far richer in spermatozoa and should be allowed to continue.

Natural Cover

Breeding by natural cover means allowing the dogs to do the breeding on their own. This is the easiest and cheapest of the breeding options for dogs. However, timing the breedings is still important as it allows us to accurately predict the delivery date, and allows you to schedule the breedings if the dogs cannot be just left together all the time. Disadvantages are that the dogs need to be in the same place at the right time, not all dogs will breed willingly with one-another, and there are the risks of disease transmission or injury. A little direction may be required if one or both of the dogs involved have never been bred before. Surprisingly, male dogs appear to be more stress sensitive than females during mating. Successful matings are more common when the male dog is in his own environment. For this reason, females are usually taken to the male dog's home for breeding. We usually start natural breeding's the day the progesterone goes over 10. For fresh chilled and frozen semen, we usually want the progesterone between 15 and 22. Progesterone levels can sometime double in 24 hours so daily testing is imperative.

• Typically, the male dog will become very excited when introduced to a receptive bitch, sniffing and licking at her vulva. Very quickly he will mount her from behind and begin to thrust.

• When all goes as nature has designed, he will penetrate the bitch's vulva; this causes two glands directly behind the penis to swell considerably.

• In response, the bitch's vulva will clamp around this swelling; this is referred to as a tie, and it's the moment when the dog and bitch become "stuck" together.

• This period typically lasts from fifteen to thirty minutes, and it is at this point that sperm are being delivered to waiting eggs.

  Best Time for Mating

  There's no specific at-home way to tell the best time during heat for mating when ovulation occurs. Usually your dog will be most fertile between 9 to 10 days after she entered heat and she can remain this way for up to five days. According to VCA Hospitals, the most common sign is the color of the discharge, which becomes more of a pink, "salmon" color rather than blood red. You can also take your dog to the vet to have serum progesterone tests which can tell you when the best time of the heat cycle for mating is, but it does require you to take your dog for a series of tests every day or every other day during her cycle. DIY testing kits are available for purchase as well although they may not be as reliable as the tests performed by your vet. For most females, the best time for breeding is between the tenth and fourteenth day of estrus. However, some females ovulate as early as the third or fourth day or as late as the eighteenth day. Blood tests or vaginal cytology will assist in determining the best period for your dog. It is normal to arrange for two matings, also called services, for your dog, often 24 or 48 hours apart. Fresh ejaculated canine semen has the longest viability. Semen from young, fertile stud dogs can survive for up to 3 to 5 days in the bitch’s reproductive tract. Optimum time of breeding is typically done between days 11-13. (without knowing progesterone levels).

  How long do canine eggs live after ovulation?

  Eggs are released (ovulated) 44 hours (2 days) after the LH surge, on average. The eggs are viable for about 3 – 4 days after this (5 – 6 days after the LH surge). Most dogs ovulate and are receptive around the eleventh day of estrus. The discharge is usually less bloody (often described as a salmon color) and the female will be actively looking for a male. Sixty hours are needed for maturation to secondary oocytes which then remain fertile for 48 hours. Sperm cells will reach the eggs in the oviducts of the bitch within 30 seconds of ejaculation and have a viable life span up to seven days. Fertilization (union of sperm and egg) takes place in the distal portion of the oviducts and occurs a few days after mating.

  Age and Mating

  A dog can breed the first time she goes into heat, however, a responsible breeder will have important criteria in mind before allowing a dog to be bred. According to the American Kennel Club, you may not register any litters from a dam younger than eight months or older than 12 years. In addition, they strongly recommend that breeders consider several factors not related to age before breeding. We recommend breeding on the third heat cycle.

  Canine males are always fertile from the onset of their sexual adolescence, usually after six months of age. Larger-breed males may take a few months longer to become sexually mature. Males are usually promiscuous and are willing to mate with any available female.

How long is each cycle?

Heat usually lasts between 2-4 weeks. Early in the cycle, a female dog may not be receptive to male dogs, although some are receptive through the entire cycle. It can be shorter or longer and you’ll know the cycle is over when all her vulva returns to its normal size and there’s no more bleeding or discharge. There’s a relatively small window when your dog is most fertile during the heat cycle; it may begin about nine or ten days after she goes into heat and lasts about five days. However, she can become pregnant until the end of the cycle.

Distribution and viability of spermatozoa in the canine female genital tract during post-ovulatory oocyte maturation

Canine ovulation is characterized by the release of primary oocytes, which may take 12 to 36 hours. Further 60 hours are needed for maturation to secondary oocytes which then remain fertile for about 48 hours. Oestrus takes 7 to 10 days on average and may start as early as a week before ovulation. This together with the prolonged process of post-ovulatory oocyte maturation requires an according longevity of spermatozoa in the female genital tract in order to provide a population of fertile sperm when oocytes have matured to fertilization.

Canine spermatozoa may remain motile and even fertile for up to 11 days in the female genital tract. There is evidence that canine sperm are stored in the utero-tubal junction and the uterine glands. The utero-tubal junction is area where the uterine horn connects to the oviduct. Nevertheless, in in vitro preparations, spermatozoa were attached to the oviductal epithelium for 5 to 6 days.

Fertilization may be delayed at least up to 83 hours after ovulation (3.5 days). The mean progesterone concentration of 26.1 nmol/L at ovulation was within the average range of 12.7-31.8 nmol/L suggesting the need for a minimum period in the oviduct before fertilization. Oocyte maturation is accompanied by a sharp progesterone rise, and fertilization usually takes place at progesterone concentrations above 47.7

In the bitch, sperm are deposited into the vagina and are rapidly transported through the open cervix. Sperm are then distributed around the uterus by uterine contractions such that transportation to the tip of the uterine horns occurs within 1 min of the start of mating.

When female dogs release eggs, it takes a while for those eggs to be ready for fertilization—around 60 hours. Once they're ready, they're good for about 48 hours. Female dogs are ready to mate for about 7 to 10 days, starting about a week before the eggs are released. Male dog sperm can stay active for up to 11 days inside the female dog's body, however, 4-6 days is the average for health fresh semen. It seems like the female dog's body stores some sperm in certain parts, like the area where the uterus meets the oviduct. Fertilization, when the egg meets the sperm, usually happens around 83 hours after the eggs are released. The female dog's hormone levels play a role in making sure the eggs are ready for fertilization. When dogs mate, sperm quickly move through the female dog's body to reach the right place for fertilization.

How long does it take for the sperm to reach the egg?

Sperm from a natural mating may reach the oviduct of the bitch within 25 seconds of ejaculation. More importantly, canine sperm has a relatively long survival period in the uterus. Undiminished concentrations of motile sperm have been found in the uterus 4 to 6 days after a single breeding.

nmol/L. Source 1.