Using Your Dog at Stud

Allowing a dog to sire a litter is a major decision. It requires careful thought, considerable knowledge and a willingness to accept responsibility for the puppies he may produce.

Simply owning an entire male dog does not mean that he should be used for breeding. He should have qualities that could genuinely benefit the breed, an appropriate temperament and all relevant health tests.

Would Breeders Want to Use Your Dog?

Breeders and established breeding kennels are not usually interested in using a privately owned dog unless he has particular qualities, show or working merit, or a pedigree that is suitable for their breeding programme.

A stud dog should complement the bitch. Choosing a mating involves much more than putting together two attractive dogs. Their pedigrees, health results, temperament, construction, virtues, faults and family history all need to be considered.

Health Testing

Before breeding from your dog, speak to his breeder, your breed club and your veterinary surgeon about inherited conditions that can affect the breed and the health tests that are available.

For Rough and Smooth Collies, relevant screening may include tests for conditions such as CEA, MDR1, DM, DMS and other conditions appropriate to the variety, pedigree and proposed mating.

Where official health schemes or DNA tests are available, both the sire and dam should have the appropriate tests. The stud dog owner should ask to see the bitch’s results rather than assuming that she has been tested.

Health testing reduces avoidable risk but cannot guarantee that every puppy will be free from all health problems. Knowledge of the wider family and lines remains important.

Kennel Club Registration and Endorsements

To register the resulting puppies with The Kennel Club, the dog must be recorded in the correct registered ownership.

Check the registration certificate for any endorsements that prevent the registration of progeny. If an endorsement is present, it will normally need to be removed by the person who placed it, usually the dog’s breeder, before puppies can be registered.

An endorsement should never be assumed to have been removed. This should be confirmed before agreeing to a mating.

Stud Fee and Written Agreement

The terms of a mating are a private matter between the owner of the stud dog and the owner of the bitch. The arrangements should be agreed clearly and put in writing before the mating takes place.

The written agreement should cover matters such as:

The stud fee and when it is payable
Whether a free return mating will be offered
What happens if the bitch misses or has only one puppy
Any veterinary, progesterone-testing or collection costs
Whether natural mating or artificial insemination is planned
What documentation and health results must be provided
Any boarding or travelling arrangements
When the owner of the stud dog will sign registration paperwork

A first-time stud dog may be offered for a nominal fee or under a different agreement until he has produced a litter. Any arrangement should be fair and understood by both parties.

Is Your Dog Suitable?

The responsible owner of a potential stud dog needs an in-depth understanding of the breed and of any hereditary problems that may occur within particular families or lines.

A Potential Stud Dog Should:

Have a sound, breed-appropriate temperament
Be in good general health and physical condition
Have completed all relevant health testing
Be free from defects that should not knowingly be reproduced
Have qualities that could make a worthwhile contribution to the breed
Have a pedigree and family history suitable for the proposed bitch
Be registered in the correct ownership
Have no breeding endorsement preventing registration of his progeny

Fertility and Experience

A male showing interest in bitches is not proof that he is fertile or capable of completing a mating. An inexperienced dog may be unsure what to do, particularly if the bitch is also inexperienced.

A veterinary fertility assessment and semen analysis may provide useful information, especially before a dog travels a long distance or is used with a particularly valuable bitch. However, producing a litter is the ultimate evidence that a dog is fertile.

The assistance of a calm, experienced breeder or stud-dog handler can be invaluable when either dog is inexperienced.

Understanding the Bitch’s Cycle

Bitches do not all become fertile on the same day of their season. Counting from the first day of bleeding alone is not a reliable way to identify the correct mating date.

The bitch’s owner and veterinary surgeon may use progesterone testing or other veterinary assessment to help determine the most appropriate time for mating.

Behaviour can provide useful clues, but it should not be relied upon as the only indication of fertility. A bitch may appear receptive before or after her optimum mating time, and some bitches remain reluctant even when they are fertile.

Safety During a Mating

A bitch that is frightened, stressed or not ready to mate may snap at or injure the dog. The dog may also injure himself if a mating is badly managed.

Both dogs should be handled calmly on secure, non-slip flooring. They should never be forced together or left unsupervised. Rough handling can cause pain, distress or serious injury.

If the dogs become tied, they must not be pulled apart. They should be kept calm and supported until they separate naturally.

Anyone without the necessary experience should seek assistance from an experienced breeder, reproductive veterinary surgeon or qualified canine reproduction professional.

Mating Techniques

Contrary to popular belief, not every male dog instinctively knows how to mate successfully. Some dogs need patience and careful, knowledgeable assistance.

Matings may be more difficult when there is a considerable size difference between the dog and bitch, when either dog is inexperienced, or when the bitch is reluctant to stand.

The welfare of both dogs must always come before obtaining a mating. If a natural mating cannot be achieved without force, distress or risk of injury, it should be stopped and veterinary advice obtained.

Managing an Entire Stud Dog

Some dogs show little behavioural change after being used at stud, while others may become more interested in finding bitches in season. Possible changes can include:

Increased scent marking
Restlessness when a nearby bitch is in season
Attempting to escape or wander
Greater interest in urine marks and scent trails
Mounting behaviour
Increased tension around other entire male dogs

These changes are not inevitable, and using a dog once does not automatically alter his personality. Behaviour is influenced by temperament, training, management, environment and previous experience.

Nevertheless, the owner must be able to keep the dog secure, prevent accidental matings and manage him responsibly around bitches in season.

Responsibility for the Puppies

The stud dog owner’s responsibility does not end when the stud fee has been paid. Both the sire and dam contribute genetically to every puppy in the litter.

The owner of the sire should be prepared to:

Check that the bitch is of a suitable age, temperament and health
Confirm that the bitch has completed all relevant health tests
Consider whether the proposed mating is genuinely suitable
Refuse a mating where the bitch, breeder or proposed litter raises welfare concerns
Keep accurate records of matings, litters and any health problems reported in the offspring
Provide reasonable information and assistance to the bitch’s owner
Help if one of the dog’s offspring ever needs to be rehomed

If hereditary disease or a serious defect is reported in a litter, it should be recorded and considered carefully before either parent is bred from again.

The appearance of a problem does not necessarily prove that the sire alone caused it. Many conditions have complex or incompletely understood inheritance. Nevertheless, the information should never be ignored or concealed.

Choosing Which Bitches to Accept

A stud dog should not be available to every bitch simply because the owner is willing to pay the fee.

The bitch should be assessed honestly. Her health, temperament, construction, pedigree, virtues and faults should all be considered alongside those of the dog.

A health-tested dog should not be used as justification for mating an untested bitch. If the bitch has not completed the appropriate health testing, the responsible decision is to refuse the mating.

The stud dog owner should also consider whether the bitch’s owner is knowledgeable, properly prepared and able to rear and find suitable homes for a litter.

Show Wins Do Not Prove Breeding Ability

Success in the show ring demonstrates that judges have considered the dog worthy of awards. It does not prove that he will reproduce his virtues or become a successful sire.

A great show dog can be disappointing as a sire, while a less successful show dog may produce extremely well. Producing ability can only be assessed through the quality, health and temperament of the offspring.

An excellent sire can also be used unwisely. A dog that produces well with one family of bitches may be entirely unsuitable for another. Popularity should never replace careful pedigree research and an honest assessment of compatibility.

Food for Thought

The following observations were written by Mr M. Stockman, MRCVS. Although written several years ago, the principles of responsible health testing, careful selection and accountability remain relevant.

“To the uninitiated, it may seem that the easiest way of making money from dogs is to own a successful male of a popular breed, advertise him at stud and wait for the fees to arrive.

“The bitches do the travelling, the fee is paid when the mating is completed rather than when puppies are born, and the dog costs no more to keep than he did before. What could be easier?

“But what should happen? What should the owner of the dog do to make certain that they are doing the best for the breed?

“First, ask some important questions. Is the dog fertile? Does he have the ability and willingness to mate effectively? Chasing every bitch in sight does not necessarily mean that he will know what to do when the opportunity arises.

“You can read about mating techniques, but the experience of a knowledgeable breeder and stud-dog handler is one of the most useful assets you can have.

“Before reaching that stage, have you investigated the hidden problems within the breed? Has the dog completed the health tests appropriate to his breed, such as hip, elbow or eye screening and any relevant DNA tests?

“Even if the dog appears to be an excellent example, is he of sufficient merit to offer a genuine benefit to the next generation?”

“It is flattering when somebody asks to use your dog at stud, particularly after a show win. However, the proposed mating should always be considered carefully. The dog may be entirely wrong for that particular bitch.

“If you have completed all the appropriate health testing, do not let your dog or the breed down by allowing him to be used on bitches that have not undergone similar testing.

“It may be argued that an untested bitch owner will simply go to another dog, but let them. Owners who make their dogs available at stud must accept some responsibility for what those dogs sire.

“It is wonderful to see a dog’s offspring succeeding, but less pleasant when a cryptorchid, epileptic or dysplastic puppy is produced. This does not necessarily prove that the sire alone was responsible, because the inheritance of many conditions is complex.

“Stud dog owners should keep an accurate record of their dog’s offspring, including health and temperament as well as show success.

“They should question unsuitable matings, try to dissuade an unprepared novice and be willing to help find responsible homes if necessary. Taking the stud fee should never be the end of their involvement.”

— Mr M. Stockman, MRCVS

Show Dogs and Stud Dogs

“A stud dog is not simply a male dog. Neither show records nor championships prove a dog’s producing ability.

“Winning in the show ring proves that the dog has the quality necessary to win. Siring outstanding offspring is what proves his value as a sire. These are two different qualities.

“A dog can be a truly great show dog and a poor sire. A dog can dislike the show ring, never win a point and still be an outstanding sire. Breeders should not confuse show dogs with breeding dogs. We hope they will be the same, but often they are not.

“Many judges may agree that a particular dog is the dog of the hour, but that same dog can be a complete disappointment in the breeding department. If his quality is not reproduced in the whelping box, all that remains is a box full of ribbons.

“This is not to suggest that a winning dog cannot also be an outstanding producer. Many have been both. The important point is that producing ability must be judged through the offspring and not assumed from the show record.

“Even an outstanding sire can be misused. A few excellent youngsters may emerge from the correct combinations and then a parade begins, with every possible bitch being taken to the popular dog.

“If only a very small percentage of the resulting puppies are of genuine quality, the breed may take a step backwards. This is not necessarily the fault of the sire but of owners who follow popularity without considering whether he is suitable for their particular bitch.

“Truly great sires are few and far between. There is an old saying that an exceptional producer could be bred to a fence post and still produce good puppies. Dogs with that degree of prepotency are extremely rare.

“There is only one breeding worth making—the right one. When it is time to breed a quality bitch, stop and consider the possibility that this may be the only litter she ever has.”

— Richard G. Beauchamp

Finding Suitable Bitches

For a dog to be considered by reputable breeders, he generally needs to be seen and assessed. Depending on the breed and his purpose, this may be through showing, working trials, field trials, agility or another appropriate discipline.

Owners of bitches will usually approach the owner of a dog they believe could complement their bitch. Advertising a dog does not mean that suitable mating enquiries will automatically follow.

There are already many experienced and proven stud dogs available. Even a good-quality, health-tested dog may never be asked to sire a litter.

Keeping a Puppy from the Litter

If the reason for offering your dog at stud is simply to obtain a puppy with his looks or personality, remember that puppies do not inherit an exact copy of either parent.

The resulting puppy will inherit genes from both the sire and dam, and may not resemble the sire in appearance, temperament or working ability.

It may be easier and more predictable to return to your dog’s breeder for another puppy from related lines.

If you retain a bitch puppy from a litter sired by your dog, strict management will be essential whenever she is in season. Accidental father-to-daughter matings must be prevented.

It Is Not an Easy Way to Make Money

Using a dog at stud is not simply a matter of putting a dog and bitch together and collecting a fee.

There may be costs for health testing, fertility assessment, travel, accommodation, veterinary assistance and repeat matings. There may also be difficult decisions when a mating fails, puppies are affected by a health problem or a young dog needs help later in life.

The welfare of the dog, bitch and future puppies must always take priority over convenience, popularity or financial gain.

Before Agreeing to a Mating

Research the health, temperament and longevity of both pedigrees.
Confirm all relevant health-test results for the dog and bitch.
Check that both dogs are registered in the correct ownership.
Check that no registration endorsement prevents the litter being registered.
Consider whether the dogs genuinely complement one another.
Confirm that the bitch’s owner is properly prepared to breed and rear a litter.
Agree all fees, return-mating terms and responsibilities in writing.
Make suitable plans for a safe and properly supervised mating.
Be prepared to retain records and accept a continuing interest in the puppies produced.

Final Thoughts

A stud dog is not simply a male dog with a pedigree, a show award or an attractive appearance.

He should be used only when there is good reason to believe that the mating may produce healthy, sound dogs with appropriate temperaments and qualities that will benefit the breed.

The responsible stud dog owner must be willing to say no when a proposed mating is unsuitable.