Content
- Reproductive system: male dog
- Reproductive system: bitch
- Why when dogs cross do they stick together?
- Dog crossing: should I separate?
The reproduction of dogs it is a complex process that usually begins with courtship, in which male and female emit signals to make the other understand that they are prepared to mate and, consequently, copulate. Once the mating is done, we observe that the male disassembles the female, but the penis remains inside the vagina, so the two dogs are stuck together. It is at this point that we ask ourselves the reason behind this and whether we should separate them or, conversely, let them separate in a natural way.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will answer these and more questions, clarifying the cause that explains because dogs stick together when they cross, keep reading!
Reproductive system: male dog
In order to understand more easily why when dogs breed they stick together, it is essential to make a brief review of the anatomy of the reproductive system, both male and female. So, the dog's internal and external apparatus is composed of the following parts:
- Scrotum: bag responsible for protecting and keeping the dog's testicles at a suitable temperature. In other words, it is the visible part of these glands.
- Testicles: located within the scrotum, they function to produce and mature sperm and male hormones such as testosterone. They are ovular shaped, are positioned horizontally and are generally symmetrical.
- Epididymis: located in both testes, are the tubes responsible for storing and transporting sperm to the vas deferens. These tubes are made up of head, body and tail.
- vas deferens: it starts at the tail of the epididymis and has the function of transporting sperm to the prostate.
- Prostate: gland that surrounds the bladder neck and the beginning of the urethra, whose size is not similar in all races, varying significantly from one to another. Its function is to generate a substance called prostatic fluid or seminal plasma, to facilitate the transport of sperm and nourish them.
- Urethra: This channel is not only intended to transfer urine from the dog's bladder, it is also part of the canine reproductive system, carrying sperm and prostatic fluid to its final ejaculation.
- Foreskin: it corresponds to the skin that lines the penis to protect and lubricate it. This second function of the foreskin is thanks to its ability to produce a greenish-colored liquid called smegma for this purpose.
- Penis: in a normal state, it is inside the foreskin. When the dog feels aroused, the erection begins and therefore the penis appears outside. It is formed by the penile bone, which allows penetration, and the penile bulb, a ventral groove which allows the so-called "buttoning".
Reproductive system: bitch
As with the male's body, the female's reproductive system is made up of internal and external bodies, some of them guilty of keeping the dogs together after crossing. Below, we briefly explain the function of each of them:
- Ovaries: oval-shaped, they have the same function as the testes in males, producing eggs and female hormones such as estrogens. As with the male prostate, the size of the ovaries can vary depending on the race.
- oviducts: tubes located in each of the ovaries and whose function is to transfer the eggs to the uterine horn.
- Uterine Horn: also known as "uterus horns", they are two tubes that carry eggs to the body of the uterus if they have been fertilized by sperm.
- Uterus: it is where the zygotes nest to become embryos, fetuses and, later, offspring.
- Vagina: it should not be confused with the vulva, as the vagina is the internal organ and the vulva is the external. In a bitch, it is located between the cervix and the vaginal vestibule, being the place where copulation takes place.
- Vaginal vestibule: located between the vagina and vulva, allows penetration during crossing.
- Clitoris: as in women, the function of this organ is to produce pleasure or sexual stimulation for the bitch.
- Vulva: as we said, it is the female external sexual organ and changes size during the heat period.
Read too: Do I have to breed a dog?
Why when dogs cross do they stick together?
Once penetration occurs, the male tends to "disassemble" the female, staying attached to her and causing the owners of both animals to wonder why the dogs became attached and how to separate them. This is because the dog's ejaculation occurs in three stages of fertilization or fractions:
- Urethral fraction: occurs during the beginning of penetration, the dog expels a first liquid, completely free of sperm.
- sperm fraction: after the first ejaculation, the animal completes the erection and starts releasing a second ejaculation, this time with sperm. During this process, a penis bulb enlargement it occurs due to the venous compression of the penis and consequent blood concentration. At this point, the male turns and dismounts the female, which leaves the dogs together.
- Prostatic fraction: although at this point the male has already disassembled the female, the copulation is not yet over, because once he turns around there is a so-called "buttoning", due to the expulsion of the third ejaculation, with a much smaller number of sperm than the previous one. When the bulb relaxes and regains its normal state, dogs let go.
In total, the copulation can last between 20 and 60 minutes, with 30 being the usual average.
In this way, and once we have reviewed the three phases of male ejaculation, we see that the reason that answers the question "why do dogs stick together" is the expansion of the penis bulb. The size it reaches is so big that it cannot pass through the vaginal vestibule, which closes precisely to ensure this and avoid damaging the female.
Also know: Can I breed two sibling dogs?
Dog crossing: should I separate?
Not! The anatomy of the male and female does not allow for the extraction of the penis until the dog's third ejaculation is complete. If they were forcibly separated, both animals could be injured and damaged, and the copulation would not come to an end. During this stage of fertilization, animals should be allowed to carry out their natural mating process, providing them with a relaxed and comfortable environment.
It is common to hear the female making sounds similar to crying and even growling or barking, and although this may lead your human companions to think that it is necessary to separate her from the male, it is best not to stimulate the stress and, as we have said, let it separate alone.
Once copulation has been produced, if the eggs have been fertilized and the female has entered a gestation state, it will be necessary to provide her with a series of care. Therefore, we recommend reading the following article on Feeding a pregnant dog.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why do dogs stick together when they breed?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.