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Managing a Stud Dog by Jennifer Floyd |
| A great deal has been written about the maintenance of a bitch
for breeding, but there is not nearly as much information about the other half
of the breeding process, the stud dog. |
| Whether you acquired your dog precisely because you
wanted a good dog to stand at stud, or whether a bitch owner has just alerted
you to the fact that your boy out in the pasture might make a great match
for her girl, there are certain guidelines towards responsible stud ownership. |
Health
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| "Soundness is the ultimate prerequisite for a breeding animal." (Walkowicz
& Wilcox, Successful Dog Breeding, p.7) |
| First of all, does your dog have his OFA certificate, verifying
that he is free from that common crippler of large breeds, hip dysplasia? This
involves having him x-rayed at the age of 24 months or older, and sending the
results to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for evaluation by three
different board-certified veterinary radiologists. |
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Next, has he been tested for evidence of normal thyroid
function? Unfortunately, hypothyroidism is becoming widespread in many breeds.
While the affected dogs are able to live a quality life as long as they are
treated once or twice a day with hormone replacements, this is not a problem
that we want to have entrenched in our breed. Many AKC breeds are
resorting to breeding less affected dogs to other less affected dogs, because no
one bothered to screen breeding stock when this disease was first identified,
and there are few dogs left in their breed that are not diseased! Run the
complete blood test that also checks for antithyroid antibodies, as well
as T4 levels. |
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There are two other tests that are advisable to have done. The
CERF certificate, obtained through a veterinary opthamologist, verifies that
your dog is free from diseases or malformations of the eye. The main problems
with eyes in our breed are entropion and ectropion. The other test is a blood
screening done to detect von Willebrand's disease (VWD), a kind of hemophilia,
which the greatly respected Dr. Jean Dodds reports as being possibly associated
with hypothyroidism and other immune system disorders. I haven't heard of this
occurring in Anatolians yet, but as they are succeptable to hypothyroidism, it
is beneficial to test for this as well. |
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Your dog must have a brucellosis certificate. Brucellosis
is a highly contagious bacterial disease (which is also communicable to humans)
that is transmitted through infected semen, urine, vaginal secretions, and
aborted fetuses. It causes sterility in males, and can be impossible to cure.
The slide agglutination blood test is the most reliable, and males should be
tested once or twice a year, depending upon how active they are at stud. Bitches
should be tested within six months of being bred. |
| Your dog should also be clean, in good health, and free from
parasites. |
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Remember, all of this testing applies to the prospective mate
for your dog - she should at least be OFA certified, thyroid normal, with
a brucellosis certificate and an otherwise clean bill of health. |
Contracts
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| "Gentleman's agreements either between friends or strangers are
well-intentioned, but sometimes memories are short." (Portman-Graham,
The Mating & Whelping of Dogs p.81) |
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Your stud fee and guarantees for the bitch's owner should be in
writing. You should include when the fee is payable, how it is to be paid
(money, a pup), how many matings the fee covers (it is customary to have the
bitch bred to your stud at least two times during her season, to ensure
fertility), and what happens if the bitch doesn't conceive or has only one pup.
Most stud owners give a return breeding to the same stud if the bitch should
miss (not conceive). Valid contracts need to be signed by the dogs' owners, and
be dated. |
Care of the Bitch
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It is usual for the bitch owner to pay for transportation for
her bitch, as well as expenses incurred for her stay with you. However, while
she is with you, the bitch is your responsibility, and you must see to it that
she is kept clean, and has good food, fresh water, a secure enclosure, and any
medical treatment that may become necessary. When a bitch is shipped, you will
need to be ready to pick her up at the airport, and a call home when she arrives
is greatly appreciated. The mating should be conducted in a secure place that is
free of distractions, and has good footing. With large breeds, it is preferable
that there be a handler for each dog, and any necessary supplies placed in a
handy spot in advance (see Successful Dog Breeding by Walkowicz &
Wilcox, for details). |
Promotion of Your Stud Dog
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Your stud should only be available to 'approved bitches' -
refuse unsound or unhealthy bitches, even if they are beautiful or are owned by
your best friend. If puppies turn out poorly, often more than 50% of the blame
is laid at the doorstep of the sire. Many great sires of racing horses have
wonderful records, simply because they only were bred to the very finest mares
available. If you are running advertisements of your dog, it is good to have
some sort of 'quotable facts' in the ad. Championships, obedience titles, a
documented 95% reduction in predation on your ranch, the achievements of
previous offspring or a pedigree that boasts three or more generations of good
or excellent hips are all possibilities. Also, photos are very important. Bitch
owners want to see nice, clear photos of your dog standing so that they
can evaluate his conformation. Movement (trotting, jumping) is also good, as are
photos of your dog interacting with stock, but one single blurry snapshot of
your dog peering out from behind a herd of sheep is not going to show people
what he really looks like. You know what he looks like, and it may
be a cute photo - but this may be the only image that the owner of the bitch has
to go on when looking for a good stud. |
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| ARBA,
ASDI, ASDCA, RBKC Ch. Shahbazin Alp Arslan C.D., P.C. C.G.G., V.C.C.X. |
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Remember that, while the dog and the bitch are making an equal
genetic contribution to their puppies (dominant traits aside), the stud dog will
usually be making a greater contribution to the breed. Fewer dogs are
needed than bitches, so that one is able to be more selective of males; one male
is likely to produce far more puppies in his lifetime than is one bitch. It is
up to us to honestly say, "My dog is an outstanding Anatolian - he
has many strong points, no major flaws, and would be a worthwhile
contributor to the breed," or to say, "Much as I love my dog, and find
him to be a wonderful guard/companion, I don't think that it is necessary to
breed from him." |
| For more information on what is involved in
being an ethical breeder, visit Breeding
Ethics. |
| To learn more about modern reproduction methods (cooled and frozen semen supplies), visit Canine Cryobank. |
