Breeders are aware that the sperm count of stud dogs plays a vital part of a breeding programme and when the dog is 12 months of age nearly all are sexually mature and can provide a good sample.
Semen testing and evaluation is best carried out with a teaser bitch in season to be present as this helps the process and results.
We will always carry out a general examination and look at historical information as this is all vital to the assessment. An examination of the testicles, penis, prepuce and prostate will be carried out. We will also check the cardiovascular systems of the stud dog ensuring everything is fit and healthy.
Our semen testing will look at the samples taken and we check visually colour and the overall volume of semen collected. We will check microscopically for motility, forward motility and morphology.
The sperm count testing for numbers is then calculated electronically using a photometer. Sperm count testing is recorded in millions/ml and with the use of the photometer we can provide results instantly.
We call good semen to have at least 70% forward motility at this play such as vital part of the sperm process for any breeding programme. We would also want to see less than 10% of the sperm to be classed as abnormal to ensure the sperm usage to be successful in breeding programmes.
Semen quality will decrease once a stud dog reaches five years of age and we recommend that if you would like to use the dog in a breeding programme you look to freeze semen from your stud dog after it has been successfully checked and certified. The best time is capture sperm is when the dog is between 15 months old and 5 years old.
