Are you looking for a fool proof method to breed your dogs? Your dog may not have tied during the mating process and you find yourself wondering “what is the slip mating success rate for dogs?”
Slip mating happens from time to time and many ponder if it will actually result in puppies.
In this article, you will find out about:-
- What is the success rate of slip mating?
- What to do if slip mating happens?
- How do you tell if mating is successful?
- And more…
What Is The Slip Mating Success Rate For Dogs?
Slip mating success rate is lower than when a tie has occurred during the mating process. If the stud manages to ejaculate inside the female dog before pulling out, there is a chance that the dog can get pregnant, although the probability of success is low.
In a usual mating session, the male dog’s bulbus glandis will enlarge when it’s penis is inside the female dog, forming a lock (or tie) to prevent any spillage of semen during ejaculation. A tie helps to improve the odds of pregnancy however, it is not a sure win formula as pregnancy is not guaranteed even with a tie.
Having said that, there is still a chance for pregnancy during slip mating however, the overall success rate of slip mating will be lower, even if the dog has ejaculated in the female.
What Is Slip Mating?
Slip mating is a form of mating where the male’s tie forms outside the female’s body. Therefore, the first 2 steps of ejaculation take place except the last phase (the knot).
This form of mating although seems incomplete, it can still result in pregnancy as long as sperm is still transferred into the female.
6 Factors Influencing Dog Mating Success Rate
There are a number of factors that can affect the overall success of dog mating. Here are a few important ones:-
1. Experience of the Male Dog
According to Dr. Ryan Llera, DVM at VCA hospitals, male dogs are more sensitive to stress as compared to female counterparts.
The likelihood of the male dog experiencing anxiety increases if he is inexperienced in the act of mating. And as a result of that, the chances of a successful mating are low and slip mating can happen more frequently.
Therefore, it is advised that male dogs with an experience in breeding should be bred with bitches.
You can also ensure a calmer environment by bringing the female dog to the male dog’s home and by leaving the dogs alone.
For younger inexperienced dogs, do not be discouraged if slip mating happens often. A successful mating can happen even with slip mating. Allow your dog to practice a few times and very soon, it will have the experience and confidence for a successful mating.
2. Age of Dogs
In a study of 111 dogs from 50 different breeds, researchers examined the sperm quality using the Hamilton-Thorne Semen Analyser to determine the correlation of sperm quality with body weight and age of the dogs. They found out that dogs tend to produce poor quality ejaculate with increasing ages.
Hence, it must also be taken care that the dog is not too old in age as that affects the sperm quality of the dog resulting in decreased fertility.
In addition, female dogs should be bred when they reach adulthood. This is because at adulthood, a female’s body is more fertile so the success of mating is enhanced.
Moreover, an adult dog is better able to carry out a pregnancy and deliver puppies safely with less health complications.
The age of adulthood, for female dogs, is determined by their first estrus.
As for male dogs, there is no requirement for the dog to be of adult age. It is just important to ensure that the dog has reached sexual maturity. This can be around 5 to 24 months of age, depending on the dog’s breed.
3. Female Estrus
The female estrus is defined as the age at which bitches reach sexual maturity.
According to AKC, the age of the first estrus cycle varies from breed to breed, however it can begin anywhere from 6 – 18 months after birth.
Also, estrus recurs at intervals of six months until old age.
During estrus a female is the most fertile and she will readily accept the male, thus increasing the chances of conception.
Therefore, it is generally advised to confirm that the bitch is in heat before you decide to mate her.
4. Overall Health Condition
It is essential that your dogs are kept healthy prior to the dog mating process.
A male dog with health complications like arthritis will have complications while mounting the female.
Likewise, a female with poor muscle definition will likely have complications getting pregnant.
Thus, the overall health condition of the dog is vital in increasing the success of slip mating.
5. Quality of Sperm
In order to increase the success of slip mating it is important the male dogs produce sperm that has a high volume of motile spermatozoa.
Certain health disorders like inflammation of the testes or bacterial infections can cause a decrease in quality sperm in dogs.
This decreases the likelihood of successful conception without the tie.
6. Overall Body Temperature
According to Petmd, it is important to provide a controlled climate for your male dog, especially if his breed is not adapted to hotter climates.
You must also take care to avoid over exercising your dog as this induces heat exhaustion.
Higher body temperatures are harmful to dogs as they can disrupt testicular regulation of the dog.
This results in poor sperm quality and abnormalities like teratozoospermia, which affect the fertility rate of the dog.
3 Stages Of Male Dog Ejaculation
An indicator of successful mating in dogs is male ejaculation at the right time and right place. Male ejaculation takes place in three successive stages and it is important to recognize which stage of these phases did the male dog retracts from the female dog.
1. Pre-ejaculatory
This is the first phase of ejaculation, here the male dog produces a clear fluid with almost no sperm in it.
This pre-ejaculatory fluid is mostly just lubrication and is produced when the dog is beginning to mount the female.
Chances of Pregnancy in Slip Mating:
If the male dog retracts from the female dog at this phase during a slip mating, the chances of pregnancy is almost nil as no sperm is deposited in the female dog.
2. Thrusting
This is where male dog has penetrated the female.
The second phase of ejaculation is important as this is when the greatest amount of fertile sperm is produced.
Moreover, the dog engages in vigorous thrusting to transmit the sperm into the female.
Chances of Pregnancy in Slip Mating:
If the male dog retracts from the female dog at this phase during a slip mating, the chances of pregnancy is higher as sperms have been deposited into the female dog.
3. Tie/Knot
During the tie phase, the bulbus glandis (bottom part of the penis) enlarges and forms a knot in the female.
There is less sperm produced in this phase. It is mostly prostatic fluid only. However, the knot helps to prevent spillage of semen from the second phase, thereby increasing the chance of pregnancy.
This phase can last anywhere from 15 mins to an hour and it is when the male and female remain in a locked state.
It is highly discouraged to split the animals in this phase as that can result in injury to their genitalia.
What To Do If A Slip Mating Happens?
According to most breeders, if the dogs go in the tie position, it means that the mating was successful.
However, in slip mating, the dogs do not go in the tie. This makes many breeders think that the mating was unsuccessful.
But this is not true, as in order to get pregnant a tie is not important. The male dog simply has to ejaculate.
If you suspect that your dogs have slip mated then the first thing you must do is wait for 30 days and then take the female to the vet in case there’s any pregnancy.
This is because taking your bitch to another dog for another breeding trial (while she’s pregnant) is against AKC regulations and it may cause the resulting litter to not get registered.
If you find that your female is not pregnant, you can take her to another dog for a retrial.
Also Read: What To Expect From A Female Dog After Mating?
Stud Dog Keeps Missing – How To Help It?
If you find that your stud keeps missing while mating, there are a number of ways you can help it.
Normally a dog tends to miss due to:-
1. Pain
It is normal for the bitch to experience discomfort during mating. However, this should not be the case for male dogs.
If you find that your stud is yelping or exhibiting physical signs of pain then you may have to get it checked for an underlying health condition.
2. Too Much Movement
Sometimes the female dog tends to move a lot during mating.
This causes anxiety in the stud and makes it difficult for him to mount.
The solution to this problem is to give the dogs time and to allow them to be calm.
3. Different sizes of Dogs
If both the dogs are far too different in size and breed then they may have a harder time mounting each other.
For instance, if the stud is too small, he will find it harder to mount the female.
Likewise, if he is too big, he might find it harder to locate her vulva.
This invokes unnecessary stress and makes it easier for the stud to miss.
To solve the problem, a compatible pair should be allocated prior to breeding.
4. Lack of Experience
It is not uncommon for inexperienced male dogs to feel stressed. They are highly susceptible to it.
Due to not knowing what to do a stud may tend to miss and find it difficult to mount the female.
Hence, it’s better to breed the bitch with an experienced dog whenever possible. Alternatively, you can gently guide your dog during the mating process and encourage it to try again if it fails.
5. Disinterest in mating
Sometimes dogs refrain from mating with their counterparts because they simply do not want to.
This could either be because the dogs have lived together for a while that they consider each other as housemates or that the male dog is not interested.
In order to evoke the natural process of mating, it is important to give the dogs time, allow them to remain calm and let them be alone.
It is also advised to introduce the dogs prior to the mating day so they can become more familiar with each other.
6. Watching Over the Dogs
Some breeders tend to watch their dogs so they can “observe” the scene or control it, if needed.
However, this invokes unnecessary stress in the male dog and may cause it to miss while mating.
Hence it is recommended to leave both the dogs alone so they can commence peacefully.
How Do You Know If Mating Was Successful?
The best way to confirm whether the mating was successful is if the female is pregnant.
To determine pregnancy, you should take your bitch to the vet.
Otherwise, you can also look for physical indications to confirm that the dog has indeed ejaculated.
Physical signs of male dogs include body language traits like
- Hard and fast panting
- Leftover ejaculate
- Male penis still aroused
Physical signs of female dogs include:
- Inactivity and sluggishness
- Swelling around belly
- Prominent nipples and genitals
To confirm the pregnancy you have to at least wait 28 to 40 days after your dogs have mated.
The vet will either run a blood test or perform an ultrasound.
The blood test is done to detect the hormone relaxin. This test can be done within 30 days, however this isn’t very accurate and may give false negative results.
According to Dr. Kristiina Ruotsalo, DVM of VCA hospitals, the gold standard of detecting and monitoring dog pregnancy is ultrasound.
It is safe, far more accurate than blood tests, plus the embryos can be detected as early as 3 weeks.
Can A Dog Get Pregnant After A Few Seconds?
Dogs can get pregnant as long as sperm is deposited into the vagina of the female. However, it is important to note that the chance of pregnancy will be much lower.
Therefore, if the stud has penetrated the female and ejaculated, your female dog can become pregnant even if it was for a few seconds.
Normal dog mating process can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour whereas slip mating takes less time.
How Many Times Should A Dog Mate to Get Pregnant?
The female dog is bred in her mating cycle or estrus. As long as she is allowing the male to mount her, two or three matings should be sufficient to get her dog pregnant.
The AKC states that the best time to breed a dog is the 10th or 14th day after the beginning of proestrus.
On these days, the two dogs should be left alone.
How Can I Increase the Chances of Pregnancy?
The most effective way of increasing the conception rate of a dog without a tie is to correctly determine her mating cycle.
The signs of proestrus are not obvious in bitches, but there are some general signs that you can look for.
This includes:
- Bloody discharge from the female’s vagina
- Attractiveness to male counterparts
- Holding tail to the side
- Behavioral changes like arching back and raising her hind
After you see the signs, it is best to confirm your assumption by taking your bitch to the vet.
The vet will perform a series of hormone tests in order to catch the best, most fertile period of the bitch.
Veazie veterinary clinic states that the best indicators of fertility are the hormones progesterone and LH.
- Progesterone- should rise above 2.0 ng/ml, this indicates that LH has been released
- Breeding the bitch on day 3 or 5 after the LH surge ensures the largest litter size possible as this is when the conception rate is maximum
- Day 5 or 6 is best for breeders that would like to breed their dog only once
Additionally, it is generally discouraged to breed a bitch during her first heat because she is still a young growing animal.
The stress of pregnancy may be far too much and might result in severe health complications.
