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SELECTING
A STUD DOG.
In
these days of technology and permissive Governmental regulations,
to breed a pure litter in Australia today, the stud dog may be a
pure pet quality animal which, in fact, resides in your own backyard,
or he may be a multi-titled champion living in another country,
being merely the donor of semen for artificial insemination. The
avenues for selection, therefore, are myriad and, as such, can be
quite daunting or perplexing for new breeders and experienced breeders
alike. Particularly, if they are going to wade through the sea of
paperwork involved in semen importation.
Whatever
his quality, his pedigree or his breed, the stud dog should conform
to some very basic criteria before he is used to pass along his
genes to the next generations, just as the dam of the proposed litter
should conform to the breed standard.
Firstly,
the dog will need to be sexually mature, entire and sound of health,
both physically and mentally. Ideally, he should be mature in growth
and development.
The
use of very young males prior to the manifestation of all adult
traits can be a very costly error if he develops any serious temperament
problems or departure from the breed standard with maturity. The
same goes for hereditary diseases that, in some cases, are not totally
obvious until the dog is well into middle or old age.
Although
it is not practical to wait several years before using a dog at
stud, by which time he could well have lost the desire to breed
normally, it is an obligation of the breeder to take all reasonable
steps to ensure that the stock he is working with is healthy in
all ways.
The
choice of stud dog should result from exhaustive talking to people
within the breed. Stud dog owners may offer a `rose tinted’ opinion
that their dog is suitable for every bitch – such a dog has still
to be bred!
Seek
opinions from the breeder of your bitch, from anyone who has already
bred from siblings of your bitch, and from anyone else in the breed
who can show success in their breeding programme. From all of this
information attempt to distill the necessary pearls of wisdom that
will point you in the direction of the most appropriate dog for
your bitch.
For
the regular exhibitor, selecting the suitable stud for his bitch
will be relatively simple. He will have all the facilities at hand
to make his choice from other show or trial stock. These may be
present at local shows/events, or he may discover them in another
State. He has access to breed journals and kennel journals in which
stud dog owners advertise the prowess of their males. Many show
catalogues even give a contact point for exhibitors.
For
those who do not show or trial their dogs, finding a suitable male
is perhaps more difficult. As members of your State canine body
they will be in receipt of that State’s magazine, which will list
various males of their chosen breed. either in the stud directory
or in litter registration lists. A telephone call to these advertising
members will usually yield all the information necessary. If the
advertised stud is not perhaps suitable in the opinion of the owner,
no doubt he will be happy to recommend or advise a further direction.
Otherwise, a telephone call to the State canine association may
provide an appropriate contact or starting point.
THE
ABOVE POINTS ARE THE BASIS FOR STUD DOG SELECTION. THE VERY WORD
‘STUD’ IMPLIES THAT THE ANIMAL CONCERNED IS SUPERIOR OR, AT LEAST,
OF VERY HIGH QUALITY. FOR THAT REASON THE DOG SHOULD NOT REALLY
BE OFFERED AT STUD UNLESS HE CAN BE HELD IN THIS LIGHT.
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