APPETITIVE BEHAVIOR AND COPULATORY RESPONSES WHICH CHARACTERIZE THE MATING BEHAVIOR OF MALE BEAGLES WERE STUDIED IN DETAIL. 4 DIFFERENT SEXUAL REFLEXES EXHIBITED BY SPINAL MALE BEAGLES WERE COMPARED TO RELEVANT ASPECTS OF THE MATING BEHAVIOR. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SOME ASPECTS OF MATING BEHAVIOR, PARTICULARLY THE INTENSE EJACULATORY REACTION (IER) AND THE COPULATORY LOCK, ARE PROBABLY COMPLETELY MEDIATED AT THE SPINAL LEVEL AND THE SEXUAL REFRACTORY PERIOD IS PARTIALLY A REFLECTION OF REFRACTORINESS OF SPINAL ELEMENTS. EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED TO SUPPORT THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE IER, WHICH APPEARS TO BE NORMALLY INHIBITED BY SUPRASPINAL STRUCTURES, IS FACILITATED BY NEURAL DISINHIBITION RATHER THAN NEURAL EXCITATION DURING SEXUAL EXCITEMENT. (18 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)