This study was performed to evaluate anesthetic and cardiovascular effects of xylazine/fentanyl/azaperone and medetomidine/midazolam as preanesthetics and their combinations with antagonists in halothane-anesthetized dogs. Eight clinically healthy dogs(4.54+_2.16kg) were used at the interval of more than 14 days between experiments in turn for propionyl promazine(PP 0.3mg/kg, IM), xylazine/fentanyl/azaperone(XFA 2mg/kg, 0.0137mg/kg, 0.11mg/kg, IM), medetomidine/midazolam(MM 0.02mg/kg, 0.3mg/kg, IM), combination of XFA and their antagonists (yohimbine 0.05mg/kg, naloxon 0.0005 mg/kg, IV) and combination of MM and their antagonist(atipamezole 0.08mg/kg IM). The sedation induction times in XFA(2.56+_1.01 min) and MM(5.44+_2.07 min) groups were sighificantly better than that of PP group(10.75+_2.38 min)(p0.05). The thiopental sodium dose required for tracheal intubation in XFA(2.38+_3.38mg/kg) and MM(3.91+_3.47mg/kg)groups were significantly less than that of PP group(12.57+_2.13mg/kg)(p0.05). All time indices expressing the recovery(pedal refles recurrence time, extubation time, arousal time, standing time and walking time) were significantly shorter in the combination groups of XFA or MM with their antagonistis than in PP, XFA and MM groups(p0.05). The suppressions of cardiovascular function of XFA and MM were more than that of PP. Heart rate and cardiac output were recovered by the antagonists of XFA and MM, but mean arterial pressure were not recovered by the antagonists.