Semen evaluation

Semen can usually be collected easily from most stud dogs. The dog needs to be used to people being around him when he is mating a bitch. We ask clients to leave their dogs in the car until we are ready for them, as we do not want the dog to become anxious while waiting in the surgery reception area.

We collect the semen by having a bitch, which is on heat, and the dog is encouraged to mount the bitch. We then collect the semen and examine it under a microscope for motility, speed of movement and quality of the sperm. Some dogs will collect without a tease bitch but we have found that the best quality sample is obtained when the dog thinks he is actually mating the bitch.

Owners of stud dogs should consider checking the sperm quality of their dogs, especially if they have missed 2 bitches or more.