Your dog was mating with another one.
After the sexual act, the two dogs got stuck together…
Now, it’s normal for you to worry about this.
And to even ask yourself whether you should unstick them and how.
Continue reading to discover:
- The 3 stages of mating in dogs that you need to know.
- 3 handy tips to unstick a dog after mating (#1 is crucial).
- Why canines get stuck after mating (the science behind it).
- And many more…
How to unstick a dog after mating? 3 tips
Disclaimer: When dogs achieve the “tie” after mating, you shouldn’t unstick them. Instead, you must let them be. Not unless they’re stuck for more than an hour.
Remember that dogs are animals with instincts.
Moreover, they’ve been mating way before we domesticated them. With that, human intervention isn’t exactly necessary.
Now, you can assist them. But you must not intervene.
Otherwise, you’re going to risk yourself and the dogs’ health.
For one, you can get bitten by a canine who’s sticking to another after mating.
Warning: Forcefully unsticking tied dogs from each other can hurt them.
According to AKC, doing so could cause injuries on one or both of the canines’ genitals.
Aside from that, interfering with the puppers can stress them.
And that’ll be cruel since some dogs already experience anxiety during mating. So, you’ll only make it worse.
Moreover, if you really intended your dog to breed…
Unsticking them after mating can decrease the chances of pregnancy.
With that, here’s what you must do instead of meddling with their mating encounter:
#1: Just supervise (and take action, if needed)
When you see dogs stuck to each other after mating…
Set your worries aside.
That’s because you should supervise them instead.
According to vets, the so-called copulatory tie in dogs should last from 10 to 30 minutes.
And during that, the only thing for you to do is wait. Along with carefully supervising the canines.
“Is this necessary?”
Yes. That’s because some dogs behave poorly during the tie.
Sometimes, female pooches are feisty after the encounter.
That’s why once Fido is dismounted from her, she can be aggressive toward him.
If not her, then the male dog can act that way toward his partner.
Other times, one of the canines is too giddy. That’s when they’ll be too playful and spin around. Which can hurt their partner (and them) during the tie.
“Then what should I do if they misbehave?”
The best action to take is to put them on a leash.
Note: This should only be a last resort. If you see that the dogs are in pain as one of them fools around. Plus, if they’re not yet ready to unstick. Moreover, make sure that the leash is loose.
The only purpose of it is to gain control when one or both of them are misbehaving.
So keep them still until they’re clear to get untied.
Continue reading: 11 Ways To Know If Dog Mating Is Successful
#2: Keep a calm behavior and a quiet environment
Dogs are born knowing how to perform the encounter.
However, some canines can’t help but be anxious during the act. Especially if it’s their first time doing it.
Other times, their anxiety can be due to a painful mating experience.
Now, regardless of the anxiety they’re feeling…
Some will still proceed.
And during the act, both or one of the dogs might even cry.
So once the canines get stuck with each other after mating, you should:
Maintain a quiet environment for the dogs
The canines can still be under a lot of stress.
With that, it’s best to keep their surroundings quiet.
While you can’t control most of the external noises and displays…
It’s a good idea to tell everybody else to leave the room or spot where the canines are.
Also, ask them not to be loud even if they’re in another place in the house.
Fun fact: According to Dr. Coren, a canine psychologist, dogs hear a hundred times better than us.
His book entitled ‘How Dogs Think’ says they can detect between -5 dB to -15 dB. Now, that stands for decibels, which is the loudness of sound.
Therefore, dogs can catch sounds that you can’t.
So even if you can’t hear your family…
The canines might still detect the sounds they make. Which can disturb them, make them lose their focus, and ultimately get them anxious.
Moreover, remember that dogs are reactive to stimuli like:
- Lights.
- Scents.
- Sounds.
So, as much as possible, keep the area neutral. Doing so gives an undisturbed environment for the dogs.
As for you, keep your cool as well
Your involvement here is crucial.
You might not be interfering physically…
But your reactions can give away what you feel.
And that can affect the puppers’ moods as well.
According to research, dogs can recognize human emotions.
By looking at your facial reactions, they’ll know your emotional state.
Moreover, canines can also detect how you feel through your voice.
So, be less reactive when you’re supervising dogs that are stuck after mating.
If not, your worries might make them more anxious during the encounter.
And once they’re stressed, they might cry or misbehave. And the latter can only hurt both of them.
#3: Continue observing even after their tie
Once the dogs separate from each other, it’s not yet over.
After dismounting, the puppers might lick their partner’s genitals. Which is an attempt to clean themselves.
During that, you still have to observe the dogs.
Moreover, ensure a few things:
Right when they’re done cleaning each other up…
You must separate the female pooch from the male pup.
Although her post-mating behavior will vary…
She can be friendly to her partner, or she might despise him.
Now, regardless of how she acts…
The male dog might not be receptive to either.
That said, it’s best for the puppers to rest and be separated after.
Once they’re isolated, check if the male dog’s penis is no longer swelling.
According to vets, it should subside after 15 minutes.
If not, the pooch either has paraphimosis or is at risk of having one.
And MSDVM says this condition happens when the dog can’t reduce his penis back to its normal size.
Warning: This is dangerous as it can dry out the glands and cause irritation. That said, this is an emergency. So, take the pooch to the vet immediately.
Why do dogs get stuck after mating?
Dogs get stuck after mating because the male pupper’s penis is swollen. Moreover, the female’s vagina also contracts. Which helps lock the 2 of them together.
As I mentioned, this is called a copulatory tie.
And to understand this better, let me talk about the process that led to it.
I’ll start with:
Stage 1: Pre-mating
During this phase, the male dog will court her dam.
And she must be in the estrus period of her heat cycle. Otherwise, she’s not ready, and she’ll reject her suitor.
In contrast…
Instead, a female pupper releases a distinct smell when she’s in heat. And when Fido smells that, he gets attracted.
That’ll lead to the pursuit of mating.
And if everything’s good, they’ll proceed with the act.
The male pup will begin mounting the female pooch.
You might also want to know: 5 Crystal Clear Signs That A Male Dog Wants To Mate
Stage 2: Mating
Once he’s mounted, the mating phase begins.
Fido thrusts his pelvis in an attempt to insert his penis into his partner’s vulva.
Note: This is a trial-and-error process. It takes a few tries before the male dog successfully inserts his penis. It’s called an intromission.
And once inserted, the bulbous gland of the penis becomes fully erect.
Eventually, Fido will stop because he can’t pull it off anymore.
Thus, he dismounts. And he moves one of his legs to be in a back-to-back position with his dam.
This is where you can observe the copulatory tie.
During this, ejaculation takes place.
So, the penis secretes semen to fertilize the female’s egg.
That’s why this is an important phase for breeders.
The tie serves as a plug to keep the semen inside the female. Which increases the chances of impregnation.
Stage 3: Post-mating
The dogs will be stuck until Fido’s penis shrinks enough to slide off.
As I said, after the tie, the dogs will lick each other’s genitals.
And not only can it help clean themselves…
The male pooch needs it to make his penis shrink back to its normal size.
And to further understand all about dogs mating…
You can watch this short and informative video:
FAQ
When dogs get stuck together, is she pregnant?
When dogs get stuck together, there’s a high chance she’s pregnant. According to expert breeders, 80% of natural mating encounters lead to pregnancy.
However, getting stuck doesn’t always guarantee success.
For one, there’s this thing called a phantom tie.
It’s when the male dog is in a mounting position or is back-to-back with a female dog.
But there’s no connection between them. His penis isn’t exactly locked, or it’s not inside.
Moreover, you don’t have to worry if the dogs don’t tie after mating.
As long as the penis gets inserted and ejaculation occurs…
Pregnancy can still be achieved.
The only thing is that chances will be lower than when they achieve a tie.
And to tell whether there was any ejaculation…
Right after mating, you can observe if there are any semen drippings. It’s a white or transparent fluid.
You can find it on the female’s vulva. There could also be some around the male dog’s penis.
For further reading: 13 Things You Can Expect From A Female Dog After Mating
How long does it take to get dogs unstuck?
It should take 10 to 30 minutes for dogs to get unstuck. And you need to leave the dogs be during this. If you forcefully separate them, both you and the dogs can get hurt.
Now, some dogs will break their tie as early as the second minute.
When that happens, don’t worry. It only means that the penis shrank fast.
Then, others take as long as 45 minutes.
And that’s actually a good thing, especially if you’re breeding them.
That’s because the longer the dogs are stuck together, the higher the chances of pregnancy.
But that’s not to say you should aim for them to be stuck for a long time.
Anything longer than 45 minutes is a cause for concern
Unfortunately, the male pup might have high blood pressure.
And since his penis relies on reduced blood flow to shrink…
It’ll have trouble doing so since blood is continuously flowing.
Now, this is the point where you can assist them a little.
Carefully lift the male dog’s tail and gently push his anal area away from the female. Then, hold that position for 1 to 2 minutes.
After that, release the dogs.
And you have to wait for a few more minutes to see if they’ll untie themselves. Or at least observe if they’re trying to.
If not, then it’s time to go to the vet. There, the male pooch needs a shot to reduce his blood pressure.