If you’re wondering how to get dogs unstuck during mating because you’re trying to prevent pregnancy, the bad news is that it’s probably too late.
In fact, the so-called tie is not part of the mating process but happens after the male ejaculation.
When your dogs are stuck together, you should let them be because it’s part of the natural process and you will only harm both dogs if you try to separate them at this time.
How To Get Your Dog Unstuck After Mating?
There is no safe way to get dogs unstuck after breeding because the mating process doesn’t require breeder intervention.
If you see your dogs locked together, let nature do its thing and wait for them to separate willingly.
Besides, even if you wanted to intervene, there is no way to get your dogs unstuck without hurting them and you should absolutely avoid trying.
Sometimes dogs may start whining and whimpering, seemingly feeling pain during this process.
At times, they may actually feel pain, especially the female, and you may be tempted to help.
However, this is totally normal and you would do more damage trying to force them apart.
Only if the dogs remain stuck for way too long, you can reach the female and pat gently on her head to relax her, so that she will release her muscles and let the male go.
Mating is a natural process that dogs have been carrying out for thousands of years, so it is engraved in their DNA and you can be sure they will be able to get themselves unstuck without external help sooner or later.
Why Do Dogs Get Stuck Together When Mating?
Dogs get stuck together during mating because of the tie phenomenon, which happens when the male dog’s penis swells inside the vagina after the ejaculation, leaving them stuck.
This happens because dogs’ penises have gland tissues that begin to expand only after they enter the female, in particular the bulbus glandis which can grow twice as thick and three times as wide as when it’s flaccid, becoming also very stiff.
At the same time, the female will squeeze the vagina muscles around the penis, completing the tie.
During this process, the male dog dismounts the female and the two dogs usually stand rear-to-rear until they unstuck themselves.
In terms of evolution, scientists think that the tie serves many different purposes:
- It increases the chances of pregnancy since it prevents the sperm from leaking out after ejaculation;
- It prevents the female from getting mounted by other dogs until the first male’s sperm has reached the eggs;
- The unusual position rear-to-rear could be a defensive mechanism that allows both dogs to keep an eye on their surroundings.
How Long Does It Take For Dogs To Get Unstuck After Mating?
The tie can last anything from 10 minutes to one hour.
During this time, the dogs might whine or look pained, but you shouldn’t intervene because it’s completely normal and part of the natural mating process.
It’s not your cue to unstick a dog after mating, they can do it on their own when they’re ready.
The problem is, sometimes dogs get anxious or are too panicked to get unstuck right away, so they stay like that for a long time.
Some dogs go through the whole process completely calm and manage to get unstuck already after 5-15 minutes.
Others, especially if it’s their first time mating, may take longer.
Usually, if the female is panicked, she will be unable to release her muscles, which will prevent the male from pulling out and could make it painful for both.
In that case, if you notice that the dogs have been in pain for too long, you can try comforting the female until she relaxes.
Do not try to pull the dogs apart forcibly.
At most, you can try to comfort them by patting them on the head and talking to them in a reassuring voice.
Is The Tie Painful For The Dogs?
The tie can be painful for both dogs, especially the first or second time.
Inexperienced dogs may unwillingly make their situation more uncomfortable by choosing the wrong mating position or doing the wrong movements.
On top of that, mating can be a very stressful experience because it involves new sensations your dog has never felt before, like the swelling of the bulbus glandis.
In fact, some dogs get anxious when feeling their penis growing inside the female and will try to pull out early without success, since the engrossed glands make it impossible for them to retreat.
Unfortunately, they may hurt both themselves and their mate if they keep trying to pull out, so you should intervene to calm them down and help them reposition themselves correctly.
After the first few times, male dogs should not feel pain or discomfort when mating, while the experience might remain a little painful for females.
Does The Tie Ensure Pregnancy?
Pregnancy depends on the female’s heat cycle and not on the mating itself. If you let the dogs mate at the right time, then pregnancy is almost always ensured.
Most female dogs go into heat twice per year, starting as early as 6 months of age for small dogs and 18 months for big dogs.
It is recommended to avoid mating during the first two heat cycles because the eggs aren’t ready yet.
Identifying the fertile period is easy because females can feel when the eggs are ready and will offer themselves to males when it’s the right time, while they will reject them when it’s too early.
You can also place a piece of paper or cloth under the dog’s bed, so you will know as soon as she starts bleeding, which is the first stage of the heat cycle that usually lasts ten days.
After the first stage, your dog will be fertile and ready to mate.
During the fertile period, which usually lasts only 5 days, one single mating is usually enough to cause pregnancy, even though professional breeders usually prefer to keep the two dogs together for the entire period and have them mate more than once.
When the female isn’t in heat, there is absolutely no risk of pregnancy.
How To Prevent Dogs’ Pregnancy
Everybody loves puppies, but not everybody can afford to keep them.
Nonetheless, they’re living creatures that deserve a comfortable home, so you shouldn’t let your dog have puppies if you’re going to let them live in a shelter.
There are several ways to prevent dogs’ pregnancy, starting from the dog’s equivalent of women’s morning-after pill.
This method is actually not recommended because it can cause hormonal imbalance in your dog.
However, it is always better than to abandon a bunch of newborn puppies.
If you’re too late to stop your dogs from mating, you can bring the female to the veterinarian within 48 hours from the mating and she will be given two injections to stop the pregnancy.
Other methods to prevent pregnancy in dogs include:
- Crate: This may seem cruel, but it’s a very effective method to keep your female dog away from male suitors during the fertile days. Alternatively, you can keep her in your yard if you have proper fences that aren’t accessible from the outside;
- Isolation: Study your dog’s heat cycle to identify the “danger days” and keep her isolated from the other dogs. This might mean reducing her time outside and keeping an eye on her during walks, in case she runs away to mate with a male dog;
- Panties: Maybe your dog will look a little funny, but putting dog panties on her is an effective way to prevent “attacks” from male dogs and also to avoid them bleeding over your furniture. However, panties aren’t considered 100% effective, because a strong male dog may easily tear them apart;
- Drugs: There are contraceptive drugs for dogs, although they’re not considered the safest option to prevent pregnancy, because they can cause other medical issues, infections, and hormonal changes. These drugs will only postpone the heat cycle, so they’re not a definitive solution;
- Spaying: If you’re positive that you will never let your dog mate, the safest option is to spay her. When a dog is spayed, all reproductive organs are removed, not only to avoid pregnancy but also to prevent the formation of ovarian and breast cancer. Spaying is actually recommended to keep your dog healthy, but it is not possible to do it during the heat cycle;
- Chemical castration: This applies to male dogs. If you think you will want to let your dog mate in the future, chemical castration is a temporary solution that will make your male dog infertile for up to six months.
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