I’d like to begin studding out my dog but I have no idea where to begin. Can anyone refer me for some place to start? He’s got champion bloodlines, certified w AKC and all his paperwork is in order just don’t know where to begin.
@hisgirl First off you need to make sure that he is health tested. You don't want to pass any bad genetics down to the puppies to shorten their lifespan. Look up the recommended tests of your breed on the AKC website. You will need a genetic test, OFA, along with anything else they recommend. You also want to make sure that the bitch has been health and STD tested. A responsible breeder will also ask if your stud has been STD tested recently so you want to do that as well. Look up what makes a responsible breeder and red flags for a irresponsible breeder. You want to be one of the good ones. You may only be studding but you still have the responsibility to only work with responsible breeders so each puppy has a good life. I don't have any recommendations of where to help you stud out your dog, but I hope you take what I said to heart.
@hisgirl So there are different ways to stud your dog and it is up to you on how you want to stud him. There's the live breeding way which you need to get both dogs tested for brucellosis or you can go the AI way which doesn't require that exam. As someone who has a bitch, I look for AKC registered and hopefully other registrations such as CKC or ALAA (depends on what kind of dog you have). I also look for health testing with OFA, especially for hips and shoulders. So I would recommend to health test him first for what his breed could have and then stud him. When you stud him, you can put him up as a stud on k9stud.com or on your website.
@hisgirl Totally agree with the above comment that you'll need to do health testing. These depend on breed too.
As for how to go about it. Depends a bit on the breed and goal of the litter. Usually you'd make connections in the breed community, shows, events, etc. Reach out to breeders and see what they're looking for in studs.
@hisgirl Another good place to start is have him collected for a semen sample and see how his motility is. Also your dog needs to be two years old for all the proper health testing. Have him checked for PRA too, it's an eye issue that is genetic.
