Like other animals, dogs have various survival instincts including copulatory ties that ensure there is continuity of life. For breeders, this is good news, since their ultimate goal is to bring about conception. On the other hand, dogs have a high chance of pregnancy with each mating or tie and this can be worrisome in cases of accidental breeding.

When dogs get stuck during mating, this doesn’t necessarily mean your pooch will get pregnant. However, copulatory ties generally increase the chances of pregnancy in females. Each mating comes with over a 40% chance of pregnancy. Hence, dogs only need 2 to 3 mating sessions to make certain the odds of pregnancy.

We’ll delve deeper into copulatory ties in dogs and explore various questions around dog mating that every dog owner should be conversant with.

What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant After A Tie?

When dogs undergo coitus, a phase arises (normally at the end of coitus) where the male penis get swells, and meanwhile, female vaginal muscles contract, causing the penis to be stuck inside the female body also known as a copulatory tie. When dogs tie, the male dog is unable to pull out his penis and ultimately gets the advantage to get enough time to release sperm into the female’s genitalia to make her pregnant.

There are 40-50% chances for a female four-legged member to get pregnant even after the very first mating session, but there are certain conditions behind it. First of all, it is to be a mark, not all copulatory ties ended up with pregnancy.

If a copulatory tie is detached too early then it can decline the chances of pregnancy (however pregnancy is still possible). The longer the couple remains stuck in this position with each other, the greater the possibility of the furry female getting pregnant.

Do Dogs Have To Lock To Get Pregnant?

No, locking is not always necessary, there are several myths about dog locking and pregnancies but it is important to note that pregnancy can still occur if two mates are not in a copulatory tie. So, dogs don’t have to lock all the time to get pregnant.

Pregnancy is not tie-dependent at all, most male pooch withdraws their penis before this lock stage, but release sperm, so there is a chance for a female to conceive and this phenomenon is called slip mating. It has a lower success rate and may result in smaller litters.

How To Stop My Dog From Getting Pregnant After She Got Stuck

Sexually mature dogs are unstoppable and they can tie a knot anywhere and anytime, leaving their owners confused because owning a litter of pups can be stressful.

Fortunately, there are so many control measures if your sweet doggo gets pregnant after a copulatory tie. There are certain kinds of pregnancy termination methods, which you can take only after consulting with a vet.

1. Pregnancy Control Drugs

Progestational compounds also known as progestin are a certain type of steroids, your vet may recommend for your pooch after pregnancy, as they can suppress the pregnancy by terminating the egg cell growth inside the female uterus, hence resulting in abortion.

Moreover, these drugs reduce the level of progesterone hormone as well, which is essential to retain pregnancy, with mild side effects of panting diarrhea, and nausea.

2. Mismating Injections

Apart from abortion drugs, hormonal injections are very popular among pet owners. Estrogen injections can be given to the female pooch soon after she gets stuck with her male partner. These estrogen injections can stop a fertilized egg from moving and implanting in the uterus.

Don’t Be Late!!! This termination injection should be given immediately after mating, otherwise, you need to consult your vet to confirm whether it is too late to give this dose or not.

Side effects include uterus infection, anemia, and bone marrow suppression can prove lethal.

3. Spaying

Besides non-surgical methods, spaying a female doggo is also a very popular surgical method to control unwanted pregnancies. Previously, during this incision, the complete reproductive tract including ovaries and uterus were removed, but nowadays veterinarians suggest removing only ovaries is enough to control birth for the rest of her life.

The good news for pet owners is that this surgical method is also applicable for already pregnant bitches but most vets deny spaying if they find late or visible pregnancy and lactation in bitches.

What Happens If You Pull Dogs Apart When Mating?

Most pet parents become extremely worried when they catch their bitches during unwanted intercourse. In such a situation, some new owners can’t help but stop them by trying to pull the couples apart, breaking the tie.

Without any doubt, this practice is a waste and a bad idea; instead, you can harm your pooch’s sensitive organs. This pulling can seriously damage the female vulva and male testicles or penis which is already stuck, resulting in severe pain or bleeding. Besides the damage and pain, you are disturbing a natural phenomenon and you are shaking your pooch’s confidence as well.

Don’t rush to pull them apart, as a sensible owner you need to wait until mating ends and during this time you should try to soothe and calm down your pooch rather than leave them in stress.

How To Improve Dog’s Fertility

If you have bred your pooch several times without any signs of pregnancy after 30 days of mating, you should visit your vet and he will locate the exact cause of infertility in your furry member. Your beloved pooch may be suffering from an inadequate diet or poor hygiene which is prominently the owner’s fault; abnormal estrus cycle of the female, low sperm count, diseases, or other reasons can be either of the members denying mating due to some anxiety issues.

Most pet keepers think that infertility belongs to female dogs only, do not blame your female dog for not conceiving because male dogs can also be a culprit of infertility

You can also follow certain tips to increase your dog’s fertility

1. Proper Diet Plan

Improper and wrong diet meals can lead to infertility in both sexes. Arrange a meal with a bigger section of the primary source of diet which are proteins and vitamins with less part of carbs and grains. A meal loaded with carbohydrates can disturb the estrus cycle of females and the semen quality of males, while on the other hand, a meal with more quantity of grains can leave inflammatory effects in both genders.

So, it’s better to switch to easily digestible meals like green leafy vegetables, fruits, eggs, and red meat to boost fertility. Fats extracted from animals and plant resources only are considered to be good for male dog fertility.

2. Anti-Stress Hormones

Sometimes either of the genders refuses to undergo coitus, due to some hormonal changes, psychological stress, or trauma. Like in humans, certain types of an antidepressant can be given to the pooch to improve their mood and to get rid of any anxiety.

Clomipramine and Serotonin are useful anti-stress drugs while Sepia 30C is a homeopathic drug that improves mating by solving mood swing issues, hence proving to be effective in fertility for both partners without any side effects.

3. Fertility Booster Supplements

As a breeder, you can add an adequate amount of supplements to your dog’s meal to improve your pooch’s fertility. These supplements are enriched with all those vitamins that are essential to promote fertility. Talk to your vet about which supplements are best for your pooch.

Fertility booster supplements are available at any pet store and contain vitamin A, C, E, and B1, iron, manganese, and zinc promotes female sexual hormones, improve ovulation, embryo development, implantation, and cell division in the fetus, and ensures regular menstrual cycle as well.

Some other vitamins like Selenium help produce normal sperm. Zinc maintains normal blood testosterone levels in a male dog’s body. Beta-carotene is a key mineral for the male reproductive system. Vitamin D ensures sperm mobility.

Vitamin E-enriched supplements are considered to be crucial for male fertility as they delay aging and aging can be a major factor of infertility in old aged canines. Fatty acids are the most ignored and missed nutrients in a dog’s meal. Although dogs can produce fatty acids on their own it does not contain fertility boosters Omega-3 and Omega-6. Moreover, fatty acids can improve sperm quality in male canines.

3. Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Research has revealed that too cold and too hot temperatures can affect the fertility of both genders. Extreme temperatures can disturb the estrus cycle in female dogs and disturbs the sperm quality and number in male species resulting in reduced birth rates.

Therefore, to increase fertility in both sexes it is important to shelter them with excessive heat and cold.

4. Beware of Brucella Canis

A gram-negative bacterium that directly attacks the fertility of your pooch is called Brucella Canis. This bacteria attacks differently in both genders. In females, it attacks directly the placenta and a developing fetus leading to abortion.

On the other hand, it causes the male body to produce antibodies against sperm and further leads to inflammation of the testes.

As a breeder, it is important to treat this disease to enhance fertility in dogs. It is not easy to cure Brucella Canis. It is an expensive treatment and requires regular blood tests to monitor the infection.

5. Clear Your Dog For Hypothyroidism

Sometimes dogs are unable to produce a litter of pups because they are facing hypothyroidism, which is decreased thyroid hormone in their bodies. Both male and female dogs can be a victim of this hormonal deficiency.

Females under hypothyroidism may face irregular or even missed reproductive cycles and if she gives birth to pups then there are poor chances of litter survival. Male dogs with hypothyroidism may experience low sperm count, smaller testicles, low libido, and even infertility.

However, to improve fertility in dogs thyroid hormone replacement therapy can be given to deal with hypothyroidism in dogs. Some dog foods can also help to treat this hormonal imbalance in dogs.

6. Choose A Proven Dam and Sire

Normally, pet owners are not worried and don’t pay much attention to the fertility of their pet pooch. But yes dog breeders do and should be. Proven dogs are those that are physically fit and already have a history of producing healthy and active young ones.

The reason why breeders would love to select a proven dam or stud is due to their high fertility level and they do not want to waste the female heat cycle, which occurs only twice a year and it also ensures they give birth to disease-free, a strong and larger litter of pups. It is also believed that proven dogs can pass their fertility characteristics to their newborns as well

Do Pregnant Dogs Attract Males?

The answer is YES! Pregnant female dogs do attract their male species. It has been observed that male dogs are more attracted to female pooch during labor or whelping; they become disturbed, and continuously roam around because they want to mate with her but cannot due to her poor condition.

Surprisingly, without any test or medical diagnosis, most male dogs can sense the pregnancy of their female partner; this is because dogs have 100,000 times more potent noses than humans with extra olfactory nerves called vomer-nasal nerves. So, nothing can escape from their nose.

A male dog can detect female canine pregnancy through pheromones (chemical signals), it is an invisible communication between both doggo species. When a male dog sniffs another female dog’s body, then by using his sharp nose, he can detect some basic information from pheromones about her like age, estrus cycle, emotional and physical condition, sexual status, and pregnancy as well.

Final Thoughts

As a pet owner if you are not ready to welcome a litter of pups at your home, then it can be surely unsettling to see your lovely female pooch getting stuck with another street dog. Don’t try to pull them apart because not all mating leads to pregnancy.

Yes, when a couple of dogs manage to make a copulatory tie, during their heat cycle and stay locked in this particular position for a longer time, then there are greater odds of a female pooch getting pregnant.

If you want to stop unwanted pregnancies, you can use certain surgical and non-surgical processes, after your vet’s permission.

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