When to Stud? - Page 1

Hello, I am new to this forum!

I have a year old GSD, he is papered and has had all of his vet checks and then some.
Anyways a kennel in town is interested in him as a stud.
so my question is, is he too young to go ahead and let him sire a litter or should we wait a little longer before we let him do his thing. I just want what is best for our guy and his future puppies. The female which he will mate with is a 5 year old female who has whelped many litter before. This will be his first time. IS there anything I should do to prepare him for this if he is old enough?

1. He is too young at just a year old; he has to be at least 24 months of age before he can be x-rayed and certified by the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals [OFA] for sound hips and elbows. It's not ethical to breed dogs that haven't had their hips and elbows certified as normal and healthy.

2. Anyone who would suggest breeding him before he's gotten his hips and elbows certified is not a breeder you or anyone else ought to be supporting in any fashion, and certainly not one you should want to be associated with, either. Ethical breeders don't do that.

3. You should never allow anyone to use your dog for breeding unless that person can produce a recent [within the last 30 days] lab report from their veterinarian that shows the female has been tested for canine brucellosis and found to be negative, and that person should also be insisting you produce the same proof for your male. That's what ethical breeders do, to prevent the spread of an infectious disease that is passed between dogs during mating and which is transmissible to humans as well---a disease which cannot be treated and resolved, but rather is dealt with by euthanizing all dogs which test positive.

3. There are tons of papered GSDs with full vet checks that are sexually intact in the world; what, other than the proximity of your location, is so special about your young male that makes this kennel so eager to use him for breeding? This is not to say that there isn't anything special about your dog--but an ethical breeder would be able to tell you exactly WHY they want to use him to breed their female, and it would be more involved than because your dog is young, good looking, seems healthy and you live in the same town. At just a year of age, your dog isn't even fully mature yet--he will keep developing, mentally and physically, for at least another year, and some dogs don't really fully fill out until they are closer to three years old.

4. How would you feel if you decide to go ahead and allow this person to use your dog, and two years from now you learned that one of your dog's offspring had been turned in to your local animal shelter because his or her owners decided the dog was too much trouble? Will you go there and get the dog released to you, and look for a good home for it yourself? What if half of your dog's offspring end up in such circumstances? Do you have room for all of them?

Get the repro tests done on the female at the very least

Do a controlled breeding, both on a leash with you and her owner present

According to the pedigree you entered for Shiro Okami von Starke, he was born May 23, 2016, but you also indicated that he's had his hips and elbows rated by the OFA--which isn't possible, since this dog is only 11 months of age. The most that this dog could have had completed via OFA is a preliminary opinion, which is not a certification.

Thought the dog had to be a full year old to get an OFA prelim reading.  At least that is what they tell me when I do it and send the x rays to the SV

If you have to ask......

The dog has to be a minimum of 12 months of age for hip or elbow prelim results to be published in the database, but you can send in films taken at any age and get an opinion.

 

From the OFA website, Hip Dysplasia section, "Hip Prelims" tab:

"The OFA accepts preliminary consultation radiographs on puppies as young as 4 months of age for evaluation of hip conformation. If the dog is found to be dysplastic at an early age, the economic loss from the cost of training, handling, showing and so forth can be minimized and the emotional loss reduced. These preliminary radiographs are read by the OFA veterinary radiologists and are not sent to outside radiologists. The same hip grades are given to preliminary cases."

 

Regardless of if he is breeding quality or not. Things to consider

Breeding a male before 18 months OFTEN makes them sex driven, and if you are inexperienced it can change his personality as your loved pet, and I am sure you bought him as a pet, to enjoy for many years, don't risk the peace/harmony in your house for a "breeder" just to have some puppies with him unless you are sure you can handle it.

Do you have breeding rights with the breeder you bought him from? Full AKC reg? Did you sign a contract stating you wouldn't breed him and your AKC papers are limited?

DM Test him, if he is at risk he should NEVER be bred. I do mine through Gen Sol, super reasonable and very worth it.

OFA Test him for HIPS/ELBOWS at minimum, having your vet look at his xrays isn't good enough. Heart,eyes and thyroid are also recommended. Not just for him but for the bitch they want to breed him to. You are about to be responsible for a whole new generation and I wouldn't want it on my conscious that I produced or destined a puppy to have an avoidable issue.

As mentioned above, she should be BC tested, current within 30 days.

What attributes make him breed worthy, at his age, he is not mature mentally or physically, so what makes you or the breeder believe he should be producing more of him? Are you working towards titles or certifications in any venue (conformation, obedience, rally, tracking,agility, dock diving, barn hunt etc?) helping prove your opinion is a shared one and not bias because he is a great couch cuddler?

We all love our dogs but morals and ethics,being honest if the dog truly should be bred is CRUCIAL to purebred dogs. Age is not the determining factor but quality of the dog AND his pedigree. I see from looking up his pedigree, no titles,no health certifications except a FAIR on one great grandpa?

You mentioned the bitch they want to breed him to is 5 and whelped many litters? How many exactly? I would hope at her age, she hasn't had more than 3 at the most and that this would be her last if it was the case. When was her last litter, do they give her breaks between litters etc? I know that ultimately their breeding program isn't your decision but an over bred bitch is not something I would want to contribute to, as well as if she is bred back to back over and over again, the risk is higher for pregnancy complications, hard delivery, loss of puppies,weak puppies,higher risk for csection etc and thats also very hard when you are very emotional invested being that it would be your boys first puppies. Are they responsible on their policy if someone can't keep a pup?

All things to consider. Breeding isn't as simple as a yes or no.

Whatever you decide of course is your decision, but please consider how serious of a decision it is and do the best you can for you,your boy, and the potential future puppies.

What is difference in OFA prelim at 12 months being normal/good and an A stamp from Europe being normal; .....if one is ethical for breeding, and the other isn't ethical, what is difference in the actual hip readings other than personal opinion of people determining what is ethical?
I have never understood this on a tangible level? Someone please explain with facts, and not what they want to see so I can understand!

Guess, there is no real difference...

but it´s nice OFA asks the dog to be 2 years old, kind of at least one ( although still voluntary ) breeding requirement for responsible breeders.