Finding a suitable stud

[Quincy]

Hello all,

Two questions,

1. At what age is it recomended to breed a bitch?
2. How does one go about finding a suitable stud?

I am sure it is the same situation in other areas as it is in my neck of the woods.
After in breeding and breeding with un registered dogs, the bloodline in my immediate area is limited. That was the main reason I went out of state to a well recomended breeder to get my bitch. what should I look for when choosing a stud for Haru? Thank you in advance for any assistance.

[rutylr]

I'm sure you are going to get alot of answers and questions.
You should wait until your female is over 2 as she needs to have her hips x-rayed at the least.
She should also have a few titles on her before she is bred,to prove she is worthy.
When looking for a stud you need to know blood lines and what is producing what.You need to know who will complement your girl.
How old is your girl?And what breeder did you get her from?
Donna

[Judi W]

Yes, it is the breeder of the bitch who will have the most knowlege of the family characteristics and gene pool. If she was sold to you as a potential show/breeding dog then the breeder will be your first stop for information. In general and according to the CHIC recommendations, those health checks considered most important in the breed are hips, elbows, eyes and hearts. Good breed type and no disqualifying or serious faults and then expect no less from any dog that you are considering for stud service.

[rottcrazed]

It takes time and a lot of leg work (long distance phone calls too) to find a suitable stud dog.

I always find it funny to hear people say 'my bitch is in season and I need to find a stud dog', which means they have 7 - 14 days to find one.... good luck .

You need to know your bitch's lines, as JudiW said. Know what she is out of (are their any longer coats ((not long coats, just more PLUSH looking)), eye color, pigment, toplines, etc.... what do you want to improve in her?).

Finding a good stud dog that you are happy with, that has all of the health clearances, temperament and perhaps the titles you want, well, look at having it take no less than 3 months to find one. I am in the process of looking for one for my girl for her summer 2006 breeding and I have narrowed it down to 2.

It is never easy and I have bred only once before. But you need to do so to improve on what you have, so you really need to KNOW what you have before you can find a stud dog who can compliment and correct your bitch.

Good luck in your search!

Kristi

[Quincy]

excellent responses. Haru is just a year now, so I wanted to make sure I knew where to start my quest for her "suitor". She does some things I would like to improve on. Overall she is a fine specimen of the breed. I am really not 100% sure i even want her bred. I will do some stud research and if one isnt found then its not the end of the world. Haru had entered in the local shows, but nothing beyond shows at the local fair etc.

[damp]

…and please don’t assume those with good proven studs and all the papers safe…tests /titles etc. are willing to breed to “just a bitch” and waist the good genes and loose reputation!

[Quincy]

point taken...........

[fbkeays]

I have a dog that I would like to stud. I have recently turned down a few people. The bitches in question did have hips and elbows and were willing to get CERF, heart and thyroid when I told them that were additional health certs I required. But when we got into the bitches’ conformation and pedigree that is when I said no.
There will be stud dog owners that if you have the cash, they have the dog that will produce sperm. Then there are the stud dog owners that actually want to make sure the bitch is worthy of being bred. And secondly, bred with their dog produces something that people would be proud to own.
So you might find the perfect stud, but the stud owner may not think that your bitch is the perfect bitch for their stud. Start looking at her pedigree- it can tell you a lot. Are her parents titled? Grandparents? How about OFA? If both generations are titled and have the appropriate health certs, you are getting warm. If none of the parents and grandparents have titles things are looking real iffy. If there is no OFA information for those dogs, it gets cold real fast.
Say the parents and grandparents have some titles and all have OFA. Now is the time to quiz your breeder about what faults run in the line and what things are “hidden”. What faults do the parents and grandparents have- don’t forget to ask about the littermates to all of those dogs too. If the parents/grandparents were the only “normal” dogs in their litter, don’t go any farther.
Next step is to start really training your girl. Start working towards obedience titles, agility titles, herding and or tracking titles. You will learn a lot about your girl from the bond you develop in working with her in these activities. Find a German style show and enter your girl. You will get a critique of your her conformation. She might not be fully mature (ie filled out in all the right places) but the critique will give you an idea of what faults she has and also what are her good things. Start to expand your AKC showing radius some more.
If you do these things, by the time you have her OFA’d (hips and elbows), you will have a much better picture of whether you should be breeding your girl. If things are still looking good, get her CERF’d, heart checked by a cardiologist and thyroid test (OFA has specific guidelines so the vet has to be familiar with the protocols in drawing it and sending it out).
Things are still good? Great!, now is the time to put together a puppy contract- stud dog owners usually want to see it. You have spent more then a year now going to shows. You will have better contacts and a better idea of what attributes you want in a stud dog. Start contacting stud dog owners 4-6 months before you are planning on breeding. Ask questions. Find out if the stud really is right for your girl. Find out what their fees are and what is included and what is not included in the stud fee. Do they only do AI or are they willing to do live cover? What does their contract say? Are you comfortable with everything?
In addition to the stud fee, do you have several thousand dollars you are willing to never see again? Whelping a litter can get expensive if there are complications and you have to be ready in case there are complications.

You thought you were asking an easy question