Males
The Reproductive Anatomy of the Male Dog
The Reproductive Anatomy of the Male Dog
Much of the male dog's reproductive anatomy is visible on the outside, whereas the female's are hidden. He should have 2 testicles carried down in the scrotal sac. If a male dog has none or only one testicle he should be neutered (altered) immediately, as soon as he is old enough to handle the surgery. Retained testicles are not normal, and are caused by a genetic defect and can cause many problems inside the body. A dog with a single visible testicle can manufacture sperm, breed and reproduce but the genetic defect will be passed on to his puppies which is highly undesireable. The undescended testicle can not store live sperm. The normal body temperature kills the sperm, and also the undescended testicle is usually very small and under-developed.
The Testicles:
The testicles(testes) hold sperm for reproduction. The bulk of sperm(semen) is produced by the Prostate gland. The sperm, looking like tadpoles and very temperature sensitive, are stored in the testicles which are held in the sac away from the body. Body heat as well as cold will kill sperm. In the summer time, the scrotal sac is carried lower from the body to keep the sperm cooler. In the winter time, the sac is carried higher, closer to the body, to again control the temperature of the sperm. A healthy dog will have 250 million to more than a billion sperm in one ejaculate of spermatic fluid. Not all the sperm are healthy. Some may have deformed heads or tails, or missing tails and other deformities. Some swim in circles instead of going foward. However, only one healthy sperm, swimming up the vagina, propelled by it's rapidly moving tail to the Fallopian tube and penetrating the females egg, will result in a puppy. The extra sperm, if not required by the egg, will die in about 4 days.
The Penis:
The penis, much like the human male, is used for passing urine and for transmission of semen. It differs from the human penis in that the dog's penis actually has a small bone in it, as well as a bulb near the base on either side, which swells 5 times it's size with blood, once the dog has his penis inside the female and begins "thrusting" in the prepation to ejaculate. This bulbous, along with the females vaginal muscle, ensures that the 'tie' can not be broken until all the semen is pumped from both testicles, which happens as alternative spurts from each tests. Once the tie has occurred, you MUST WAIT until the female relaxes her vaginal 'locking' muscle and breaks the tie to release the male. If you attempt to pull them apart, you will cause serious pain and damage to both the male and the female dog. pulling them apart will not prevent a pregnanct. By the time the female has 'tied' the dog, he has already ejaculated and enough of the sperm are on their way to the fallopian tubes, (where her eggs wait to be impregnated) to make [pregnancy. The 'tie' only assures that the seminal fluid - ejaculate - will not leak back out and the slower sperm have a chance to swim up to the fallopian tubes. Normally, the sheath which covers the penis will slide back over the penis once the swelling is down. Occasionally, however, it does not slide back on its own, and can cause extreme pain to the dog and serious veterinary problems. If you are present when a mating has taken place, always make sure that the sheath is back in place.
Neutering:
Now that you know how many sperm and puppies a dog can make in 24-36 hours, as a responsible owner, you will make sure he is neutered as the Vet feels it is safe. Neutering does NOT change his temperament, and will not make him fat. Diet and exercise control are in your hands.
Much of the male dog's reproductive anatomy is visible on the outside, whereas the female's are hidden. He should have 2 testicles carried down in the scrotal sac. If a male dog has none or only one testicle he should be neutered (altered) immediately, as soon as he is old enough to handle the surgery. Retained testicles are not normal, and are caused by a genetic defect and can cause many problems inside the body. A dog with a single visible testicle can manufacture sperm, breed and reproduce but the genetic defect will be passed on to his puppies which is highly undesireable. The undescended testicle can not store live sperm. The normal body temperature kills the sperm, and also the undescended testicle is usually very small and under-developed.
The Testicles:
The testicles(testes) hold sperm for reproduction. The bulk of sperm(semen) is produced by the Prostate gland. The sperm, looking like tadpoles and very temperature sensitive, are stored in the testicles which are held in the sac away from the body. Body heat as well as cold will kill sperm. In the summer time, the scrotal sac is carried lower from the body to keep the sperm cooler. In the winter time, the sac is carried higher, closer to the body, to again control the temperature of the sperm. A healthy dog will have 250 million to more than a billion sperm in one ejaculate of spermatic fluid. Not all the sperm are healthy. Some may have deformed heads or tails, or missing tails and other deformities. Some swim in circles instead of going foward. However, only one healthy sperm, swimming up the vagina, propelled by it's rapidly moving tail to the Fallopian tube and penetrating the females egg, will result in a puppy. The extra sperm, if not required by the egg, will die in about 4 days.
The Penis:
The penis, much like the human male, is used for passing urine and for transmission of semen. It differs from the human penis in that the dog's penis actually has a small bone in it, as well as a bulb near the base on either side, which swells 5 times it's size with blood, once the dog has his penis inside the female and begins "thrusting" in the prepation to ejaculate. This bulbous, along with the females vaginal muscle, ensures that the 'tie' can not be broken until all the semen is pumped from both testicles, which happens as alternative spurts from each tests. Once the tie has occurred, you MUST WAIT until the female relaxes her vaginal 'locking' muscle and breaks the tie to release the male. If you attempt to pull them apart, you will cause serious pain and damage to both the male and the female dog. pulling them apart will not prevent a pregnanct. By the time the female has 'tied' the dog, he has already ejaculated and enough of the sperm are on their way to the fallopian tubes, (where her eggs wait to be impregnated) to make [pregnancy. The 'tie' only assures that the seminal fluid - ejaculate - will not leak back out and the slower sperm have a chance to swim up to the fallopian tubes. Normally, the sheath which covers the penis will slide back over the penis once the swelling is down. Occasionally, however, it does not slide back on its own, and can cause extreme pain to the dog and serious veterinary problems. If you are present when a mating has taken place, always make sure that the sheath is back in place.
Neutering:
Now that you know how many sperm and puppies a dog can make in 24-36 hours, as a responsible owner, you will make sure he is neutered as the Vet feels it is safe. Neutering does NOT change his temperament, and will not make him fat. Diet and exercise control are in your hands.
