The Simple Way to Collect Genetics from your Dog

Artificial insemination is the easy way for the stud dog owner to preserve their bloodlines for the future and to possibly sell or export the semen. If exporting semen to other countries you may need to adhere to different outline requirements for identification, blood testing, vaccination, etc. for each country.

How is Semen Collected?

The semen collection procedure is carried out by a Veterinary Surgeon and is relatively simple with an experienced stud dog. If dogs are nervous or not keen to work, the presence of an ‘in-heat' teaser bitch can be helpful. A dog should not suffer any pain or discomfort during the collection process, since the aim is to intervene when the dog is attempting to mate normally and then allow him to think that he has ‘tied' with a bitch. Most dogs produce 1 to 2 ml of sperm rich ejaculate. If the motility and density of the semen are high enough then the semen is diluted in a specialised canine semen freezing solution and cooled for 3 to 4 hours before freezing in pellets on dry ice or in plastic straws over liquid nitrogen. A sample of the semen is thawed and checked for post-thaw motility and if good enough then the semen is stored in a liquid nitrogen container for future use. 1 to 2 ml of the initial collection would be expected to provide enough semen to inseminate 4 to 8 bitches.

Its worth noting that the older the dog the more likely it is that he will produce slightly lower quality semen; maybe only enough for 3 to 6 bitches at half its natural maximum age and reducing further as he gets older.

It is usual for the stud dog owner to travel to a collection centre or Veterinary Surgery for an individual appointment, but if a group of breeders get together in a particular area and there is a minimum of six dogs being forwarded for collection a Veterinary Surgeon may well travel to you.

Surgical Insemination of the Bitch

Insemination with semen involves serial blood sampling of the bitch once she is first seen ‘in-heat’ as it is important to monitor the level of progesterone to ensure the optimal time of insemination is chosen. The best time of insemination can vary considerably between bitches. When using frozen semen the timing is usually later than when a bitch would normally be naturally mated.

If it is not possible to do a trans-cervical insemination then the semen can be inseminated surgically. The surgical insemination procedure involves general anaesthesia and a short operation where the semen is deposited directly into the uterus of the bitch. This procedure is acceptable in the USA and European countries.

Kennel Club Registration Rules

When ordering semen from abroad it must be accompanied by all relevant documentation when being imported into the UK.

Artificial insemination in the United Kingdom is recognised by the UK Kennel Club as long as the veterinary surgeon endeavours to do a trans-cervical insemination using an endoscope and catheter first. If this insemination is successful it is a straightforward process to register the litter with the Kennel Club.

If it is not possible to do a trans-cervical insemination then the semen can be inseminated surgically, but the registration of a resulting litter must be put before the UK Kennel Club committee to be considered for registration. The inseminating veterinary surgeon should give documented evidence of why the insemination was carried out using this method. Always ensure that the insemination procedure you choose is acceptable to the kennel club or organisation with which you intend to register the resulting puppies.

The Kennel Club will not register puppies where both living Sire and Dam are resident in the UK. Once the Sire is deceased frozen semen can then be used and will be recognised by the Kennel Club enabling puppies to be registered. One exception to this is that Irish Wolfhounds of 8.5 years or older and living in the UK can be used as donors in artificial insemination.

In the United States of America artificial insemination is widely used to the extent that some Sires will probably never physically perform a live mating. The logistics of travelling such vast areas in the USA have encouraged this procedure.

See the UK Kennel Club page for more details by clicking here.