# Is it medically possible for a woman to give birth to a dog? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556 "2004-01-22T01:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![syntax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@syntax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syntax)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/21 "2004-01-22T08:18:43Z")
for her to be able to give birth to a dog, i would also be able to give birth to a mammoth out of my ass. that is the level of argument here. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/22 "2004-01-22T08:47:57Z")
C’mon. It happens in The Philippines all the time. No wait, that’s fish. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![phraser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e4f/32.png) [@phraser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phraser)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/23 "2004-01-22T12:01:31Z")
Dogs and humans have different kinds of placentation (zonary for dogs, diffuse for humans), which would be another problem. Further to the guar story above, an Australian veterinary theriogenologist, Dr Angus Mackinnon, gestated a rare french donkey foal in a standardbred horse (the embryo was collected by techniques usually used for embryo transfer within a species because the embryo was created naturally within the dam, she just couldn’t carry a term pregnancy due to spinal trauma), and that foal was a different species to the dam, even though it was of a species which could interbreed with the horse… ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/24 "2004-01-22T12:07:11Z")
If it were possible, would the puppy be considered legally human? ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/25 "2004-01-22T13:12:51Z")
No, it’s not possible. Cross species embryo transplants must be done on similar species. Succesful transplants have been done between a Siberian tiger and a Bengal Tiger, Florida panther and American mountain lion, llama and alpaca, to name a few. Even similarity of species doesn’t mean that acceptance will occur. Grizzly bear embryos are rejected by black bear hosts. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/26 "2004-01-22T14:56:40Z")
Nowhere…_absolutely nowhere_… **except** The Straight Dope…could this be asked by a sober human being, with a straight face. I am _flabbergasted!_ I am _flummoxed!_ _I am utterly bombastiboodled!_ :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/27 "2004-01-22T15:00:14Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > There is no difference in “people” blood and “doggie” blood, AFAIK. Plasma… dog plasma. _gets cross-eyed and switches the bottles_ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/28 "2004-01-22T15:23:33Z")
Of course you’re first gonna have to get Doggy Dad to beat off into a cup. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/29 "2004-01-22T15:31:15Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Of course you’re first gonna have to get Doggy Dad to beat off into a cup. The only reason I opened this thread was I saw **lieu** had posted and I had to see what he had to say. I was not dissapointed. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/30 "2004-01-22T22:14:47Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > There is no difference in “people” blood and “doggie” blood, AFAIK. The problem would be rejection of foreign antigens. If that weren’t a problem, I don’t think either would have any problem transporting oxygen. Are you sure this is true? Is animal blood typed the same way human blood is? If so, why can’t we solve any blood shortages with animal blood? (Assuming we screen for all the new diseases.) Maybe I should start a new thread. Wouldn’t the gestational length difference alone screw it up? You would have to essentially change the conditions so much as to create a completely different environment. I think it would be easier to just create an artificial womb than to change an existing one that much. Human fetuses get rejected by the woman sometimes, I don’t see how it would be possible for a dog fetus not to. Maybe the answer is “theoretically, with enough scientific advances, yes, but practically no.” ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/31 "2004-01-23T01:02:05Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Of course you’re first gonna have to get Doggy Dad to beat off into a cup. That’s not so hard. Just duct tape a cup to your pants leg. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/32 "2004-01-23T01:24:52Z")
> [@Velma](#): > > Are you sure this is true? Is animal blood typed the same way human blood is? If so, why can’t we solve any blood shortages with animal blood? (Assuming we screen for all the new diseases.) It’s not true. > [@](#): > > Blood is species specific - dogs can receive only dog blood and cats can receive only cat blood. In addition, dogs and cats have blood types just as humans have blood types. Cats have A, B, and AB groups with specific factors within these groups that further differentiate them. Dogs have eleven different blood groups; > **[inkabijou.co.uk](http://www.inkabijou.co.uk/blood.htm)** > > Incontinence,Dog Health Problems Symptoms,Dog Health Issues,How to Care for a Dog ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/33 "2004-01-23T01:26:31Z")
> [@Pepsi Classic](#): > > Could a woman have a dog embryo implanted in her womb and give birth to a dog? I would assume the woman would have to take drugs to keep her body from attacking the embryo? What else would be involved? Is there any chance that this could work? Hey, PEPSI CLASSIC…Was the movie ‘Deliverence’ filmed in your neck of the woods? ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/34 "2004-01-23T07:19:41Z")
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**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556/35 "2004-01-23T20:17:45Z")
I thought that mothers and foetuses specifically don’t share circulatory systems - which is why HIV is not always passed to the foetus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-medically-possible-for-a-woman-to-give-birth-to-a-dog/225556.md?page=1)