Artificial Insemination (AI)
A technique trusted by most breeders to help their bitches become pregnant without a natural mating and reducing infections. The semen is collected from a stud dog, analysed to ensure that the semen is alive, good quality and quantity to help achieve a successful breeding, depending on the technique used, is either inserted into a bitch’s vagina or her uterus.
Benefits to AI
- It prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and other infections.
- New possibilities to improve the genetic diversity in the breed.
- Introduce/enhance characteristics and/or certain traits.
- It enables deceased dogs to contribute to a gene pool.
- Takes away the stress for your dogs and yourself with travel commitments, timing of the fertile window when distance is an issue between the two breeders.
Types of Semen
- Fresh semen – tends to be used to reduce infections, take away the stress for both dogs, time and to check the semen figures prior to the AI.
- Fresh chilled semen – by adding an extender to the freshly collected semen allows to prolong the life of the semen, normally up to 10 days so it can be transported.
- Frozen semen – opens up the opportunity to send/receive frozen semen world-wide. Accessing new bloodlines for your breed. The semen is stored in liquid nitrogen until the time of the AI and the semen is thawed, tested to ensure the semen is of good quality, quantity prior to administering this into the bitch.
2 Types of AI
- Trans-vaginal (also known as intra-vaginal) insemination – Fresh or chilled semen is inserted into the bitch’s vagina using a catheter. This is the most commonly used AI procedure and is the least invasive for the bitch.
- (TCI) Transcervical Insemination – Fresh, Fresh/Chilled or Frozen Semen can be used for this method of AI. The semen is inserted directly into the uterus using endoscopy equipment.
Please visit the Kennel Club website for up to date Registration and Regulations guidelines.