Summary: Too many people emphasize the selection of the sire, but you have to spend time making sure the female dog is just as qualified to receive your premium stud dog. We suggest 10 key points to consider in How to Stud Your Dog.
How to Stud Your Dog?
Before you decide to turn your dog into a stud, you should know a couple things. If your dog doesn’t have papers, he is not worthy of studding out. If he is not a quality show dog or working dog or hunting dog, he is not worthy of studding out. He may be super cute and he may be healthy, but that doesn’t make a good stud dog. There are many factors to consider. After breeding your dog, his personality might change. He might become more aggressive around other dogs. He will likely wander in search of a dame in heat. He could start marking things he never marked before, like your couch! If there is a female dog in heat, and he can smell her, you may have some rough days ahead. You will want to keep him inside or with you at all times to prevent unwanted barking, digging, jumping, and litters.
10 Tips for Selecting a Stud Dog
So all your tests are done, you have your papers in order and people are knocking on your door wanting to breed with your stud, what’s next? Here are some tips for the selection process.
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Age: Is the bitch old enough to breed? NEVER agree to breed with a dame that is on her first heat. I suggest waiting until the 3rd heat or the age of 2.
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Tests: Are the all the health tests done? You want to make sure you are breeding your healthy dog to a healthy female dog. You do not want to bring disease to your home. You also want the offspring of your two dogs to be healthy and not prone to genetic disease.
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Papers: Do the dog’s owners have all their papers in order? Is she registered? Show or work quality? Are you accidentally inbreeding your two lines?
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Cycle: When is her next heat cycle? If you are busy, will you be around during the weeks surrounding her cycle? You may have to change plans if she comes into heat early or late. Also, if the owners do NOT KNOW when she is coming into her next heat, they are not knowledgeable enough to breed with and if they say their dog’s heat cycles are sporadic, she may not be healthy enough to breed with.
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Owner: Learn how to tell the difference between a responsible breeder and a backyard breeder. Are they knowledgeable about the breed and their dame?
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Experience: If your stud is inexperienced, you want to breed to a female dog that has experience. It is rarely a good idea to breed two first timers.
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History: Does the female dog have a history of hurting her mating partners? Easy to laugh about, but do your research by asking the question.
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Proximity/Location: How will you get them together? What does the property look like where they will stay? Is the property fenced well so your dog will not get lost? If you are going to house the pair, similarly ask the same questions of your property.
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Payment: Is the owner of the bitch capable of paying your stud fee? What is the stud fee?
- Contract: Have a contract, have a contract, have a contract! Do NOT breed your dog without a contract! We live in a lawsuit happy nation. Be prepared for the chance that someone might file a lawsuit against you. Have it all in writing with signatures. Keep your contracts in a safe place and hold on to them for at least 7 years.
Good luck with your adventures in Siring out your stud dog! Make sure you are prepared and have your dog vet checked regularly.
If you have further comments or questions about ’10 Suggestions Before Studding Your Male Dog’, feel free to visit our Forums or make a comment on this article below.
So, this summer, I’m looking to put out some feelers in order to stud out my dog. I’m not looking to make a buck, I just really desire to have pups from my dog.
I have a 3 year old AKC registered Australian Shepherd; blue merle, natural dock tail, blue eyes. He’s a beautiful dog, also very sweet and obedient. Good with kids and other dogs. Both parents were breed/show winners, though he was never trained in conformation.
I really want to see pups from him, being that he is very attractive and sweet. I realize the importance of not mixing merles, and also of choosing a good mate. I train dogs, but am a novice when it comes to the reproductive side of the equation.
I need advice on the best way to go about this. Where can I go to find a reputable breeder? Is anyone going to want my dog for stud? How much should I charge? I want a pup, so do I also charge a fee in addition in case there are no offspring? Should I emphasize that they come to his territory, and where should they meet the first few times? I have other male dogs at home (only one other intact), do you think they will cause a problem if I bring the bitch there?
I desperately need help! Any advice would be great 🙂
MSM
I am not a breeder: I am a dog owner, who was burned years ago
by buying an unhealthy puppy from a first-time backyard (Sheltie) breeder. I heart-brokenly returned the puppy, and subsequently got
a healthy puppy who was well-bred (sire a conformation champion, with performance titles in multiple disciplines). She lived to 15, with
few health problems, and very standard Sheltie temperament.
So I ask you these questions:
You say you train dogs. Do you mean your Aussie competes/has titles
in obedience, herding, agility, tracking or such? If I ever get another
purebred puppy, (and Aussies are very high on my list of favorite
breeds) I will not necessarily require show ring background, but I would prefer that or better yet, extensive performance competition in both parents. Show ring champions can be unsound, have bad temperaments or lack trainability; people breeding for performance sports are going to emphasize those things.
(As do responsible conformation competitors/breeders.) But if your
dog is not titled in either performance or conformation, you are NOT going to find a “reputable” breeder willing to breed to him. Period.
The best you can hope for is a fellow backyard breeder who is at least
willing to put in their homework/money for genetic and health testing for their bitch.
You’ve done some homework – you know to avoid merle-to-merle matings. Hopefully you know not to breed him to a fellow virgin.
But has your dog been CERF, OFA, MDR1 (etc.) tested? That’s probably the minimum for Aussies, though other tests are advisable. I wouldn’t let your stud get near a bitch of mine without such testing. And vice versa: you should make sure the bitch is tested. The fact that your dog is attractive – or that he has no obvious health problems, or even if you knew he had exceptionally good conformation – does NOT mean he is genetically healthy.
I have a relative who shows/breeds collies. She never bred her
most successful show dog, a nationally ranked smooth collie, because of a health problem the bitch had.
If you’re asking for pick of the litter, with a first time, unproven (untitled?) stud, I wouldn’t suggest charging anything, or perhaps a very nominal fee.
Better yet, if he has no titles, don’t breed him. Get him titled first.
PLEASE AT LEAST get him health tested. Or – get him neutered.
If your dog is performance titled, I ask forgiveness for the somewhat confrontational stance I take here. I do not apologize for it if you’re
not competing with your dog, and especially if you haven’t had him
health/genetically tested. I am one of the many dog owners who has
been hurt by backyard breeders. And I was luckier than most: I
was able to get the very reluctant breeders to take the puppy back, and return my money. I’ve often wondered who ended up with her, probably with no warning that she probably had epilepsy.
I dream of having a bi-blue Aussie. But after what happened to me,
I wouldn’t take a puppy from a noncompeting parentage for free.
How is the stud fee determined?
Is it based off of the breed and markings? How close the dog is to the standard? Age? Availability and desire for the breed? Will the bitch’s owners determine this, or should I come with my own suggestion?