Features of the manifestation in small breed dogs’ reproductive function

The andrological clinical examination of small breed dogs was carried out and according to its results, were established the group, breed, age, and performance dependence of the reproductive function manifestation in small breed dogs. The research novelty is that the experiment was carried out on representatives of small breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Spitz, Toy Terrier, Miniature Poodle, and Maltese lapdog. We found out that residents of megalopolises, such as Dnipro, are more likely to have small and medium-sized dogs, which are more adapted to the conditions of the apartment, and less capricious to the conditions of keeping and care. The reproductive function manifestation of dogs was determined by qualitative indicators of the clinical state, reproductive organs, sexual reflexes, and sperm with distribution on a scale: «G» (good), «S» (satisfactory), «U» (unsatisfactory). After analyzing the data obtained during the study, we came to the conclusion that dogs of small breeds have no less reproductive potential than representatives of other dogs breeds. Of the total number of research dogs, 75% received a grade «G» (good), 22.2% – «S» (satisfactory), 2.8% – «U» (unsatisfactory). The Yorkshire Terrier and Chihuahua have the highest reproductive potential compared to other breeds. In terms of age distribution, the best indicators were shown by representatives of the group from 2 to 3 and from 3 to 5 years. It has been established that the quality of sperm increased depending on the mode use of the male. In particular, according to the intensive use of male dogs (2 times a week, no more than 2 weeks in a row), the reproductive capacity was higher, compared to the moderate and occasional mode of use. The obtained data will help to more expediently use males of small breed dogs in reproduction and have high reproduction rates inside the breed.