Coital behaviour in dogs. I. Preferential mating in the bitch

Five male and five female beagles were raised together from puppyhood in a large field and were tested for copulatory behaviour when the females came into oestrus. Mating tests were repeated 8 to 13 months later during a second oestrous period. Females exhibited clear-cut preferences for particular males as sexual partners. Feminine rejection behaviour ranged from simple avoidance to active attack. Some females were more selective than others, but all showed discriminatory responses. Some males were rarely rejected by any bitch, whereas others were generally unpopular. It is suggested that any concept of sexual receptivity as an endogenously controlled condition leading to indiscriminated acceptance of all conspecific masculine partners must be evaluated separately for each species. The absence of preferential responsiveness on the part of the females should not be assumed a priori. Its existence or nonexistence can be established only by direct investigation.