Original Article by Delaine Thomson   

There is a lot that goes into owning and managing a stud dog properly. Much more work goes into it than most people who haven’t owned one, would ever know or could appreciate the work involved.

It isn’t all glory, rather it’s more like work and dedication and spending endless hours of trying to campaign him properly, making sure that you are showing him to the best of your ability, and not showing when it would damage his career, such as, when he is out of coat, or showing to the wrong judges. This isn’t proper promotion or public relations.

Better to keep him home than to have his career, reputation and name even slightly damaged or affected in a negative way..

It is a very “dog eat dog” world out there, and in the world of “well known” stud dogs. It is much different than owning bitches. The stud dog gets all the blame, if there is a problem of any kind with his offspring, but on the other hand, he also gets the fame for the litter, it’s as if there wasn’t a mother involved in the litter. 

We give at least 70% of the credit and input of the outcome of a litter to the bitch. This is not to take any heat off the stud dog, but the dam has a great deal of impact on the outcome of a litter.  As we say “takes two to tango” and we have always had good bitches and know that all the problems can’t come from just the male.  The quality as well is in a litter comes from the dam, so it takes a good quality, producing bitch, to pull off a good breeding and litter, she must however, also take some blame, as well for problems that may occur.

Now as to the work involved:

There is much and lots of hours spent, making sure bitches get bred in a timely manner, and just at the right time of their heat cycle. We make sure that the bitches have all proper veterinary checks done, before we breed our stud dogs. We also do our own slides for Vaginal Cytology, this is to make sure that she is cornified before doing a breeding, meaning all cells are ready and indicate she is ready to be bred. 

We own our own microscope, and have learned thru a highly recommended veterinary the technique of doing slides or smears, so that we use this as a guide line.

Now the work involved means that IF you own a popular stud dog, it means running to the airport,  which is four trips total -  one to pick her up at the airport, then travel back here with her, then turn around days later and do the same trip in reverse. Puts on a lot of miles and time making these trips, but it goes along with the territory of just owning a good stud dog.

Also, no matter if it is 10 degrees or 100 degrees outside, you must do the breeding, no matter what the conditions are, making sure to have the right set up for keeping warm in the winter and as cool as possible for summer breeding.

The money you get paid for the stud service is exactly that. It is for a service. This service involves all kinds of things, bitches that come in for breeding, and a lot of them are virgins, that are tight and present a real challenge to the stud dog. a. No matter how long it takes in hours or days to get that breeding, stud dog owners try their hardest to get it done.

Virgin bitches are usually the ones that a stud dog gets in the start. They can be nasty, and fearful away from home, they are in a strange place, so naturally this isn’t uncommon.

We usually ask the owners of these bitches to send them a few days in advance so they can warm up to us.   Usually that works well.

We have a covered security run here to keep bitches coming in for breeding, to protect the bitch and us from liability, or any unfortunate incidents.

IF people only knew (the ones who have never done the “stud dog” thing before) how much work and time  really went into to, I don’t think they would think the stud fee is really enough for all the time and effort it takes to get a breeding, in most cases.

We have spent endless hours just trying to make sure that all the bitches that come in for breeding, get bred, and covered at least twice, if not more to get a good tie.

Some bitches come in real bad shape – I mean smelly and dirty, and haven’t been socialized. These can be a real challenge. We usually bathe them before we breed them, as it makes it safer and more tolerable to just sit there on the chair and not have to smell that., while others come in  impeccable condition (most do) and are a joy to have.

Freezing weather or hot bug bit nights, there you sit as “stud dog owner” trying to get a breeding.

With the time, effort and campaigning involved, not to mention, the “bad mouth people out there” who like to bad mouth stud dogs, it is more than worth whatever stud fee that is asked. It surely isn’t an easy job.

Bitches too can be a problem, ones that come in that are so tight, that it is impossible to get a breeding.  This has become a major problem in our breed, and we need to find out why? Makes it hard to get a breeding, then people want to blame the stud dog, and it isn’t HIS fault at all. That problem needs to be addressed and taken care of, it sure would make getting a breeding easier.

So in the end, all I can say is – Owning a popular stud dog isn’t all its cracked up to be, it isn’t easy, its hard work to be successful. Unless you let “things said” out there, such as rumors, run off your back like water off a ducks back, then you are not cut out for the Stud Dog Owning and Managing world.

Perhaps as they say.. “It’s a dog eat dog world out there” and you have to be tough skinned to make it and ignore the rumors, for they are just that “rumors” and jealousy.
But the work we go thru to make it happen when breeding these stud dogs, is worth every penny they get for stud fees and more. I hope that people out there that have bitches to be bred understand that. If you haven’t been there and walked in our shoes, you wouldn’t have a clue as to how much is involved for that “fee”

The results and real payback is seeing those little “beauties” (puppies) that resulted from the breeding. NOW THAT IS A REAL JOY in the stud dog owners’ world.

Wishing you all the best of luck and many gorgeous puppies!