Mating Dogs

Dog Breeding and the Male Dog's Importance

If you are considering mating your dogs, there are a few things to remember about breeding a male dog.

It is not always as easy as it sounds.  And sometimes it can take awhile before dog breeding becomes “natural” to your Golden Retriever.

©Photo Courtesy of John Downey

If you plan on raising a stud dog from puppyhood, never scold the young pup for humping! 

You do not want to ever make him fearful of humping, as this will make him skiddish when it is time to breed him.

Get the pup use to your touch all over his body, including his genitals.  This can be done during his grooming times. 

You may need to actually help your stud dog find the right spot when he is first learning to stud, and therefore, having him use to your touch will not cause him to stop trying if you need to touch him.

©Photo Courtesy of Tina LaFountain

At some point you may decide to do artificial insemination, so teaching him to allow your touch from an early age will be helpful.

For an inexperienced male stud dog, it is best to breed him with an older, experienced female.  She will teach him the ropes, and not allow him to give up!

When mating dogs, always bring the female to the male, if you do not own both dogs.

If the timing of your female is correct, she doesn’t care where she is when it comes to mating!

However, it will make a huge difference on the male and whether or not he will be able to perform.

Most people believe that when breeding a dog, the male naturally understands what to do, but this is not always true.  Many times, a male dog needs LOTS of practice, before he figures out what he is doing.

©Photo Courtesy of "ZD"

He gets overly excited and when that happens, he will try his hardest, but still won’t be able to figure it out.

You will often even see him mounting away at the side of her body, her head, and every place imaginable, except where he is suppose to be!

And even if you are successful in mating your dogs, the male dog can tend to “forget” how he did it, when it is time to stud him again!

It takes many successful breedings before a male dog can truly be considered a stud dog.

A true, mature stud dog knows when the female is ready to breed, and will not unnecessarily hump a female whose timing is not quite right. 

©Photo Courtesy of Deb Wiles Zitelli

Although, he will be attentive to her by staying close to her, licking her vulva and ears, and giving her all kinds of loving affection!

Dogs can get hurt during mating, but especially the male dog.  The female may bite him, if she isn’t interested.  When your Golden Retriever’s tie, the male turns around, and he can sometimes lose his balance, causing both of them to fall.

When a tie is achieved, males lift their leg and turn, so the pair are standing butt to butt.

Sometimes after tying, a female may decide to run off, thereby dragging the male with her.  Never allow this.

A tie can last from 5 to 30 minutes, with 15 minutes being about average. There is also the possibility of a slip mating.

When deciding whether or not breeding your male dog is a good idea, please remember this:

A Golden Retriever stud dog that knows a female is in heat, but is not allowed to mate with her, basically becomes a nightmare for 3 very long weeks! 

©Photo Courtesy of Melinda Southall Rhodes

He will stop eating, pace constantly, whine, cry and just act totally pathetic.  He will not be interested in playing or interacting with you. 

He will turn into the biggest cry baby you have ever encountered, and the whole world suddenly revolves around whether or not he is going to be able to mate with her.

If you own a stud dog and have a female come into heat, but do not want her bred, sometimes it is best to board the male somewhere until she is safely out of heat.

Breeding Golden Retrievers can be very exciting, but it may take more time than you expect to raise a perfect stud! 

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