

When the dog family mate, the male's penis base (Bulbus glandis) swells during intromission. The female vulval entrance also swells, effectively locking the animals together.
The male will cock a leg over the female's back and they stand back to back until swelling subsides (usually 1 to 2 minutes). We witnessed this for at least 5 minutes, so these 2 were locked for an unusually long time.
This apparently ensures that sperm is transferred effectively in a single mating session! The animals stand back to back to look for danger while they are in this vulnerable position.
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