If you have seen two dogs mating, you might have also seen them get stuck together after they finished.
Sometimes when dogs mate, they get stuck, and it takes a while for them to separate.
Why does this happen? Why do dogs get stuck while mating?
Should you be worried if it happens to your dog, and what should you do about it?
Let’s find out.
Why Do Dogs Get Stuck Together After Mating?
Dogs get stuck while mating as an evolutionary adaptation to give the mating the best chance of success.
The male dog’s penis gets stuck inside the female dog, giving the sperm more time to get to the female’s eggs.
The penis pushes the semen up the vaginal canal and stops any semen from escaping.
This happens with most dogs; most times that they mate, and it’s the same for other canine species such as wolves or foxes.
It is a normal and natural part of the canine mating process, and there is nothing to worry about if it happens to your dog.
Related Post: Do Dogs Find Other Dogs Attractive?
What is Canine the Copulatory Tie (aka The Copulatory Lock)
The copulatory tie or the copulatory lock are more formal names for two dogs getting stuck after mating.
A section of the male dog’s penis called the bulbis glandis swells up to twice its regular width and locks the penis inside the vagina, stopping him from pulling out.
At the same time, the female’s constrictor vestibuli muscles contract around the bulbis glandis, thus making the copulatory lock even more secure.
You might like to watch this video to see what happens in practice when two dogs mate and then get stuck.
Just click the video to start playing:
Note – You might also find this helpful post to read. It answers the question – why do dog owners cut off their balls?
What Is the Reason for the Copulatory Tie?
The copulatory tie occurs so that the penis can push the ejaculated semen deeper into the vagina and that no semen can leak out.
If these two things both happen, there is a significantly higher chance of the copulation being successful and the female getting pregnant.
In a nutshell, the copulatory tie increases the chances of dogs and other canine species having more puppies by making the mating process more effective.
How Long Do Dogs Get Stuck Together After Mating?
Dogs can get stuck after mating for around five to forty-five minutes.
Typically, quite soon after ejaculation, the male dog will try to unstick itself from the female.
It will lift its front legs off the bitch’s torso, and the two dogs end up facing away from each other in a rear-to-rear locked position.
As the male dog’s penis reduces in size and the female dog’s constrictor muscles relax, the two dogs will separate without human intervention.
Does Getting Stuck Together Mean the Female is Pregnant?
No. If two dogs get stuck while mating, this does not mean that the female has successfully gotten pregnant.
However, it gives the female a better chance of getting pregnant by ensuring the semen is pushed up and then kept deeper into the vaginal canal.
It is also true that the longer the dogs are stuck, the better the chance the female has of getting pregnant.
How Do You Unstick Dogs After Mating?
You should never try to separate two dogs that have become stuck while mating.
The two dogs being stuck is a perfectly natural part of the breeding process, and they will naturally become unstuck.
Please note that if you try to force it, you could injure one or both dogs while also causing severe mental distress.
If your dog gets stuck during intercourse, you must be patient and let nature take its course.
You must not try to unstick the dogs. You could hurt them, and they may become aggressive.
Final Notes on Why Dogs Get Stuck Together During Mating
When dogs mate, they sometimes get stuck together.
This is known as the copulatory tie or the copulatory lock.
It happens for a reason: to give intercourse the best chance of being successful and getting the female pregnant.
It is a normal and natural part of canine breeding, and the dogs should free themselves in anywhere from five to forty-five minutes.
You should never try to unstick the dogs yourself, but contact a vet for advice if you are concerned.
If you are in financial difficulty and are worried about vet bills, this website lists helpful resources for charities to help you pay your bills.
(If you don’t live in the US, you can use Google to find similar help in your country, there is a lot of support for dog owners who are in difficulty).
Tim is a proud, vetted, and experienced dog foster carer for a charity helping dog owners escape domestic abuse.
He has years of experience training and caring for dogs, both his own and other people’s.
He is an expert in canine behavior and is highly skilled in dealing with all dogs but specializes in the difficult ones that other people may struggle with.
When he isn’t fostering dogs, he is making friends with other people’s pups!