What do I do to Stud my German Shepherd?

Question

He has an excellent temprement, is in lovely condition, is KC Registered and is a pure bred. I would love to extend his bloodline as he is a fantastic animal. But i dont want to and wont turn him into a money making business. How do i go about studding him? Any advice on the do's and don'ts would be appreciated.

Good points. He is 3 years old.

Answer 1

firstly you need to show him to prove he is an excellent example of the breed worthy of passing on his genetics.. also he should be vet tested for genetic problems like hips... owners of females will see him at the shows and very likely get in contact with you if they are interested
you can advertise in dog magazines..
DONT just accept anyone who wants to breed to your dog.. only allow females who also have shown and have proved themselves.. otherwise you will just be breeding substandard dogs, and we dont need more of those..
DONT accept dogs who are not of the same breed

Answer 2

If your dog is as good as you say he is then you should be showing him.

If he does well then you can almost guarantee that people will be approaching you asking if they can use him.

The real point of showing dogs is to improve the breed. Show winning dogs gain publicity at the shows and in the dog press. By rights only the best dogs and b**ches should be bred from in order to ensure this. By 'best' I mean champions.

Getting back to your question - if your dog is well bred then his bloodlines through his sire, dam or prize winning siblings should already be ensured. However if what you really want is a puppy from him I would advise you to go back to the breeder and find out whether you can get another pup from the same lines.

Remember if you use him for stud you have little or no control over where his pups end up and you can't be sure whether the mother is suitable.

Dog Shelters have many German Shepherds that have been bred from KC registered parents but they still end up unwanted and the various German Shepherd Rescue Societies up and down the country are always looking for new homes for dogs with pedigrees as long as your arm.

Breeding dogs carries a lot of responsibility as you are breeding not just the next generation but the one after that and the one after that and so on. Breeding should include a fair amount of research into the bloodlines on both sides and even that cannot guarantee that your dog will pass on either his good temperament or his good looks.

If you are serious about breeding you should go around some of the dog shows particularly the championship shows (and Crufts) and talk to some of the successful breeders to see what is involved.

Answer 3

It's nice that you think your dog is great, however most breeders won't want him for a stud if he isn't proven in the show ring, or obedience, schutzhund, what have you. You should do something to get him some titles and then he would be more appealing, right now only backyard breeders would want him for a stud. Most people charge a stud fee, this is based on the titles the dog has as well as it's bloodline and proven offspring. Some people will also take the pick of the litter, but this probably wouldn't be offered to you. Also how old is he? Being a larger breed he should not be studded out until he's at the very least 2, that way his temperment is known and he is fully developed physically. You could try posting an ad in the paper saying you have a gsd stud, but be wary of the people who respond. If you aren't interested in showinghim and improving the blood lines, you should have him neutered, there are already tons of shepards out there, many poorly bred(regardless of if they are registered with a kennel club or not).

Answer 4

(1) Being registered is necessary for registering puppies BUT all that it means is that you can trace his family and it is not a guarantee that he meets the breed standards, and in fact is a superior example of his breed who can contribute to improving the next generation .

Your vet is NOT a judge as to whether he meets the standard for the breed. They don't teach that in vet school.

You need to have him evaluated by someone who breeds and competes GSDs in shows in conformation. (The GSD Schutzhund people would want to see him trained in or tested Schutz as well as assessing conformation.)


(2) No reputable breeder will use your dog unless he has his breed Championship. All you will get will be backyard pet people who want to have a litter. Without that CH in front of his name, his stud fee is worth no more than $25-75. That title PROVES his is a superior dog in his breed - no title, just someone's opinion and reputable breeder's aen't interested.

Even with the title, he needs a pedigree showing that mom, dad, grandparents etc were also superior examples (that title again) to show that he is not a genetic fluke and can pass on the traits.)


(3) You MUST do all the health clearances. We are not talking a checkup or general health exam. All breeds, and GSDs in particular have enormous problems with hereditary health conditions. The fact that a dog shows no symptoms does NOT mean that the condition is not present. For example, a dog can have hip dysplasia and when young move fine but as he hits middle age or later, the pain and disability set in because of the years of the incorrect joint wearing improperly from use. You can only definitively establish that the hips are normal by xrays - same with elbows, patella ....

Such tests include xrays for hip dysplaisa, elbow dysplasia, patella and blood tests for thyroid and eye exam.

The first 3 are xrays which are submitted to the OFS for evaluation

The second is a blood test that goes to the Univ of Michigan

The third is an eye exam by a board certified veterinary opthamologist with the results going to CERF.

Cautious breeders also a full cardiac exam

Go here to read about the tests:

http://www.offa.org/index.html

You can look up the incidence of these conditions in a breed. Keep in mind that the OFA statistics ONLY reflect the rate of the condition in dogs whose tests and xrays have been submitted to them; that typically such dogs are owned by breeders/owners who are rigorously testing their dogs to eliminate those with defects from their breeding plan - not exactly the neighbor down the street who decides it would be fun to do a litter; and if the hip xrays which are taken by your local vet are so bad that it is clear the dog can never pass, most people don't bother to send the xrays into the OFA for evaluation.

For a better estimate of the incidence of the conditions in a breed, multiply by at least 2. Go here and search by breed

http://www.offa.org/stats.html


These test are not cheap - figure $500-750 for your dog and most can't be done until they are 2 years old.

(If you are in the UK, contact the KC and the breed clubs which are listed on theire website under the breed standard for GSDs and ask them the name of the comparable groups there. Health testing and clearances are an internationally accepted practice in breeding dogs.)


In addition, no reputable breeder will allow their dog to be breed to any dog who has NOT passed all these exams.

Who wants to be responsible for producing puppies with devastating inherited health conditions and selling them to buyers who can end up either having to destroy their dog or foot the bill for things like $3000 or more in hip surgery?

Answer 5

don't.
Unless of course he is a fine example of the breed, preferably won at shows, gained his champion title? Since anyone with a female can pay a small fee and use any champion dog in the country, why would they want to use any old pet quality dog?
You will first need to pay around £350 to have his hips scored, preferably have his elbows scored too, then get him tested for leukaemia, epilepsy, haemophilia, pancreatitis and all the other things that German Shepherd dogs are prone to. After you have done all that, start taking him to some championship shows, to gain his title, and only then might you find someone who wants to use him. I will ask, since around 10,000 german shepherd dogs end up in rescue in the UK every single year. Why on earth do you want to add to the problem?
If I wanted a German shepherd dog under 6 months old, I could have a choice of at least 5 in an hours time just by phoning some rescue centres. That's how bad the situation is.
What do you mean exactly by "extend his bloodline"?????
Have you any idea how to read a pedigree and compare it with a b1tch's pedigree to ensure that there are no conflicts? Do you know how to manage a mating to ensure that your dog is not injured by the b1tch or that she doesn't have an infection to pass on to him? Do you know how to test to ensure that the b1tch is ready and fertile to accept him?
It sounds very MUCH like you want to turn him into a money making business and you are about to make a complete hash of it aswell as adding to the poorly bred GSD in rescue situation.

Answer 6

I am studing my St. Bernard out for the same reason right now. First of all, get your dog cleared of all medical problems by your vet, and have the papers to prove it incase anyone needs them. (I make copies for the people of the other dog to have.) You will also need a pedigree on the dog. (This is to make sure your dog and the female dog is not related in any way.)

You need to make a contract to make sure your dog stays safe. If he goes away, then you need to make sure you get a signed and noterized document assuring his safty, and the same if the female is coming to your home. Then you can start advertising him. Write a little something up with his picture below the info, and post it at grocery stores and places like that around where you live. I also posted mine on free sites on the internet. Just type them into your search bar and tons will pop up. Let them know how far you'd be willing to go. You also need a set stud fee. For my St. Bernard it is $400.00.

Answer 7

I dont think your dog will have any complaints if you turn him into a money machine...LOL He be one happy pup. Get his hips check and certified. Have professional pics done of him and advertise. Have a good contract w/health requirements from the female dog owner and make sure they are responsible dog owners as well. These pups are gonna kinda be yours too so make sure they will handle the pups as you like and that their female meets your qualifications. This female is gonna be putting out a reputation on your stud and so will the females owners so look them both over carefully. Have you shown your stud at all? Maybe try it to promote as well.

Answer 8

Maybe you haven't been to any of your local shelters lately? You might want to take an afternoon and see how many pets have been turned out by their owners and now live in concrete and metal boxes. If you look, you'll see the hope in every single animal's eyes that maybe, just maybe, you're going to pay some attention to them.

I don't doubt that your dog is wonderful all around, but that doesn't mean you have to make more of him! How could you, with a clear conscience, want to bring more animals into this world?

Answer 9

You have some brilliant answers already. I just wanted to let you know about showing him. (Apologies if you're already clued up)

If you haven't done it before then the best way to start is to join a local dog club that have Ringcraft Classes ... Ringcraft being the odd name that they use to refer to training your dog to know what's expected of him in a show ring. (Different dogs are shown in different ways)

Hopefully, one of the links below will allow you to connect up with a club in your area that offers Ringcraft classes ... & if you go, I wish you lots of fun & much success with your dog.

Answer 10

You don't actually have to have won anything with him to use him as a stud dog, I have a white GSD b1tch she's been bred pure for 10 generations and you can't show white ones, Please get his hips/elbows x-rayed and get him tested for haemaphilia, talk at length to a Shepherd breeder show him/her your dogs pedigree ask (and be prepared for a truthful answer) if he/she thinks he is good enough! If the answer is a negative one please accept it.
Good luck
A bit of further info go to this link you will find it interesting.
http://www.studyourdog.com/German%20Shepherd%20Dog.html

Answer 11

Some good answers already but I don't agree that you should show him if you don't want to. As long as he is happy, healthy and good socially with others dogs, children etc and you've had his hips scored and blood tested, go for it.