September 1, 2022
Successful Breeding Through AI for Dogs
Are you a dog lover? If you are, then you know the feeling of having dogs at home and what benefits they give you. Dogs affect us in many emotional, physical, and even financial ways. Dog breeders know how the breeding world works, hence, the rise of AI for dogs.
One of the challenges dog breeders and owners face when they want to get their bitch pregnant is choosing the perfect stud dog. There are many considerations, like breed, characteristics, strength, intelligence, and personality. Another factor to consider is the risks of having your bitch undergo natural mating. It is why AI for dogs is performed. Let’s discuss it further.
What is Canine Artificial Insemination (AI)?
AI for dogs is a common method of artificial conception in dogs using a stud dog’s fresh, chilled, and frozen semen. It is a popular method of dog breeding that lets owners and breeders reduce sexually transmitted diseases and traumas brought by the natural mating processes.
With artificial insemination, dog owners have the assurance of high-quality semen from stud dogs. Certified stud dogs are DNA-tested and provided with all necessary details upon contract signing to ensure that the male dog can give quality puppies during canine reproduction.
Different factors affect the success rate of dog artificial insemination. It includes semen type (fresh, chilled, and frozen semen), quality, quantity, age of the bitch and male dog, method of ai for dogs, and time of insemination.
Transcervical & Vaginal VS Surgical Insemination
There are three (3) methods for dogs: transcervical, vaginal, and surgical insemination.
Transcervical insemination is the most common method where frozen semen is recommended. It is inseminated in female dogs through an insemination pipette straight to the cervix. This method is less invasive and can be performed while the female dog is standing.
Vaginal insemination, just like transcervical insemination, is a less-invasive procedure performed in a standing position. Unlike transcervical, using frozen sperm is not recommended in this procedure. In this procedure, the sperm is deposited directly at the end of the vagina to increase conception rates.
Unlike the first two, the surgical method is an invasive insemination method of dog artificial insemination. It can only be performed by a veterinary professional. An incision is made on the abdomen to access the female dog’s uterus, and the sperm is directly injected into the uterine horns. However, this method does not increase conception rates. These insemination methods deposit semen directly in the female dog’s uterus through the vagina and surgery.
Is Frozen Semen the Best Choice for Dog AI?
Semen collection is a method of collecting semen from stud dogs. Storing stud dog semen depends on the usage. Fresh semen, when used in artificial insemination, can live in a bitch’s reproductive tract within 5-7 days. Chilled semen can survive from 24 to 48 of the collection. Frozen semen can only survive 12 to 8 hours in a female dog’s body.
If you are weighing your options for semen, fresh semen has a higher success rate because freezing semen decreases its life span. On the other hand, using frozen sperm for artificial insemination can still be successful if breeders can identify the right time when ovulation occurs.
Advantages of AI for Dogs
Some breeders still prefer natural and normal breeding. However, in terms of safety, some prefer insemination. There are many benefits of artificial insemination for dogs. Let’s talk about those!
Stud dogs can come from different countries.
Many clinics now offer canine semen shipping (linked to canine semen shipping page), so they can get sperm from different locations, even outside their country. Through this, costs are cheaper instead of having them travel to the stud dog.
Less behavioural problems for female dogs
When female dogs are in heat, they often display different behaviours; they can be aggressive or timid, affecting mating. It can result in an unsuccessful mating procedure. With artificial insemination, female dogs don’t have to undergo natural breeding, which can cause stress.
Enhance genetic diversity
A small gene pool causes extinction and low biological fitness. These also allow diseases to pass on from generation to generation. With artificial insemination, stud male dogs are strictly chosen and tested to provide quality genes for AI breeding.
Less sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
Since breeding through AI for dogs does not require direct contact, female dogs are less prone to STDs. These STDs can cause terminal disease, miscarriage of litter, and sterility. The possibility of contracting STDs through semen can be avoided through semen analysis.
AI for dogs often produces small litter sizes. But given this fact, many people still choose this breeding method for a safer breeding process. Read more of our blogs about canines here.
