This study was carried out to investigate the general characteristics of semen such as semen volume, pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the semen collected from Shih Tzu dogs (age of 24 to 48 months, weight of 4 to 8 kg) by using the method of digital manipulation of the penis. The effect of preservation temperature and time on motility of fresh semen was also investigated in the present study. Semen was collected for 16 times from 4 male Shih Tzu dogs by multiple ejaculations (four times ejaculation per dog). The average of semen volume, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the second fraction containing small volume of the initial third fraction per ejaculation were 2.11 ± 0.31 ml, 6.25 ± 0.07, 97.59 ± 1.03% and 2.05 ± 0.14 × 108 cells/ml, respectively. Average semen volume per ejaculate, semen pH, sperm motility and sperm concentration of the first fraction from the ejaculation were 1.12 ± 0.15 ml, 5.99 ± 0.14, 16.09 ± 6.18% and 5.16 ± 2.03 × 105 cells/ml, respectively. Those of second fraction were 2.07 ± 0.29 ml, 6.36 ± 0.13, 97.31 ± 1.36% and 2.15 ± 0.30×108 cells/ml, respectively. Those of third fraction were 2.60 ± 0.29 ml, 6.63 ± 0.08, 95.72 ± 1.61% and 6.03 ± 1.83 × 107 cells/ml, respectively. Sperm motility was significantly higher at 17℃ preservation temperature than at 5℃ or 36℃ during preservation period except 1 h preservation (P<0.05). When preservation temperature was 17℃, sperm motility was 96.69 ± 1.49% at 1 h, 91.38 ± 1.90% at 6 h, 88.38 ± 2.34% at 12 h, 78.13 ± 4.58% at 18 h, 58.44 ± 8.57% at 24 h and 29.56 ± 5.06% at 30 h, respectively.

• Kyung-Bon Lee(Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology)
• Min-Kyu Kim(Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology)
• Byung-Kwon Park(Department of Companion and Laboratory Animal Science)