Resources for dog owner who wants to stud (in the U.K.)

[samuelh24]

Hey there. Sorry if this is the wrong place or if the sun has info elsewhere. I’m finding it hard to find concrete answers to questions I have around breeding my dog. For context, he’s a Scottish terrier that is now nearly 18 months. As the breed is in decline in the U.K. and there are no breeders in our part of the country, coupled with the fact he ticks all the boxes for a good stud, we think we owe it to the breed to stud him out once ready. We’ve read the KC guides but we have some more questions:

• whose responsibility is it to keep the pregnant bitch once they have mated?
• what’s the fee and when do you get paid? Do you usually get a stud fee then additional for the litter being healthily born? This is especially confusing with a dog who hasn’t successfully bred before.
• do I need to be a part of a local club for my breed?

Are there any other resources that you have for the U.K. that would be helpful?

Thanks,

Freddie

 

[preciousleslee]

@samuelh24 1) you own a stud. That’s it. The owners of the females will breed to your stud and that’s it. That’s the end of your involvement. The owner of the bitch takes back their dog. You don’t keep someone else’s dog

2) stud fee is often the value of a single puppy of that breed unless otherwise stated in the breeding contract. If your stud isn’t breeding healthy litters, then he shouldn’t be a stud at all, so no, you don’t get a bonus for puppies being alive. Because puppies being alive is the expectation. Also, lots of that pressure of puppies being alive and healthy falls on the bitch and not on the stud anyway.

3) do you need to be? No. Should you be? Yes.

You’re in a small breed. Speaking as someone who’s also in a small breed, I generally speaking don’t interact with people who aren’t apart of my breeds club. I use the breed club to meet other members and I talk to those other members to learn about studs. If someone isn’t committed enough to the breed to be apart of, and be active in, the breed club, they’re probably not worth my time.

Other things:
1) I understand the desire to breed your dog, especially in a small breed, but rarer breeds often have a very high standard for studs used, because they are extremely vulnerable to “bad genes” making themselves through the entire population in only a few generations. What titles does your dog have to prove he is a quality stud and accurately represents the breed?

2) does your contract for this dog even allow breeding? Most wellbred dogs that go to pet homes are sold on Non-breeding contracts

3) health testing needs to be done. No respectable bitch owner will stud to a dog who isn’t fully tested

4) you need to talk to your breeder about this. They need to give you permission to breed the dog. Especially in a small community. If you go behind their back and offer his as stud, you could upset and offend your breeder. If this happens, word will spread quickly in the breed community that you went against their wishes and you will quickly be ostracized.

Flip side: if his breeder supports the move to breed him, they can help you in this process

 

[samuelh24]

@preciousleslee Thanks so much for the detailed feedback. I know I was coming in cold to this so this detailed and frank response is helpful.

I’ve already got in touch with the local breed club, and I’ll get in touch with our breeder. We had no contract from our breeder regarding breeding our dog.

 

[definedbytruth]

@samuelh24

1. The owner of the bitch, although not always but in your case definitely the owner.
2. Depends on the breed. Usually first pick and €500 depending on the breed and usually only if successful. No pup, no pay. Again depending on the dog. It depends on a number of things. Do you have a pedigree? Do you show your dog? Does your dog have any confirmation of health?
3. It certainly helps to meet people in the breed. It would also help if you’re interested in showing because you can’t exactly walk up to a breeder and ask if your dog can fuck theirs without so much as a conversation beforehand.

I can find more info for you but is your dog registered with the kennel club and do you have access to the pedigree?

 

[samuelh24]

@definedbytruth Thanks for replying. Yeah my dogs KC registered so can access his pedigree and assumed from the reading online that as part of the process id need an array of tests on health, genetics etc before advertising he is an available stud.

How do you know when your male dog is ready to breed? Would my dog stay for the duration of the pregnancy or just mate and vacate?

 

[mygisfy]

@samuelh24 The male dog can be bred whenever. It's up to when the female dog is I'm heat. The dog should "mate and vacate", and I wouldn't have him around the female dog after birth, but he could totally visit the puppies!

 

[definedbytruth]

@samuelh24 Males are always ready. Females have seasons where they can mate. Your dog would do the business and leave. You are probably best actually attending a show and meeting someone with Scotties that breeds. You have a fair bit to learn and a lot of these people aren’t all that instagram savy. Roughly where in the UK are you? Don’t need a city, north south east west will do.

 

[samuelh24]

@definedbytruth We’re in Yorkshire, Leeds more specifically. Looking at the Scottish Terrier Club (http://www.stcengland.co.uk/) which is a bit further away or the north of England Scottish terrier club (https://m.facebook.com/northofenglandscottishterrierclub/) but again, unsure how to tell if these clubs are legitimate or the kinds of clubs I’d need to go to in order to introduce myself onto the scene

 

[definedbytruth]

@samuelh24 The easiest way is to go to a show and make contacts there. All the shows are cancelled at the moment but the Leeds show is in July.

Leeds City & SCA, Harewood Est.
Mrs E Stannard, Summerhill, Sutton, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 0JD.
Tel. No: 01260 252834, Email: leedssecretary@gmail.com
July 23 - 25
23 - Utility/Toy, 24 - Hound/Gundog, 25 - Working/Pastoral/Terrier

Enter your dog if you want to make it easier to meet people. People are more likely to talk to anew exhibitor than a random stranger with no dog. Or just go for the day and see who you can chat to. There is a Yorkshire show too.

Our Dogs is a kennel club affiliated paper for all doggy news.

 

[mygisfy]

@samuelh24 How does he meet the requirements for a good stud? Has he been fully health tested? Have you reviewed his pedigree- not just parents and littermates, but also cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents. Do you have a breeding mentor? Has he proven himself in conformation or sports?

The responsibility is on the owner of the pregnant dog. You can always lease a bitch, which would have you responsible. The fee is something you will set depending on the answers to the above questions. Often times, first choice of a puppy will be the fee (though I'd reccomend not having first pick, but rather matched by temperament). The stud fee is money OR a puppy. It's inappropriate to ask for both. I'd reccomend his first litter be with an experienced bitch who has proven herself and had healthy puppies. It will also be easier to take, and for him to "do the deed". Please join a local breed club. That shows that your dog checks all of the appropriate boxes, allows people to view him and select him for stud, and narrows down the choices for who you can breed to.

 

[lumiere]

@samuelh24 Completely agree with civil_disturbance. It is important to make sure your dog is health screened and has gained titles showing that he bestly represents the breeds.

Dogs should be bred to produce better versions of their breed. Every dog will have their flaws. It is your job to learn of their flaws and match them with a female who doesn't have those flaws and can make the litter a better version of the breed.

I must also add that as a stud you also have responsibility. Learn the good and bad signs of a breeder and make sure that you are only offering your stud to responsible breeders as well. If you need more information on good vs bad breeders and signs to look for myself and this sub will be happy to answer

 

[samuelh24]

@lumiere Great community, frank good advice, thanks for your collective input.

 

[lumiere]

@samuelh24 No problem