# Girlfriend for West?..



## Eder C. (Feb 1, 2011)

So I know this is a little early since West is only 8 months, but I want to breed West once he is ready, but I want to know what would be the easiest way on finding a girl for him. Is there certain things I should look for and most of all... where should I look to find one? We live in Phoenix, AZ and I havent seen many females out here, mostly males. Thanks


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## Bikecafe (Jun 11, 2011)

opcorn:


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Bikecafe said:


> opcorn:


:spittingcoffee: and then opcorn:


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

That really wasn't very nice of me, I'm a bit crabby tonight and I apologize.

If he's only 8 months old then you have a lot of time to:

Title him sufficiently to prove he's really a great dog to breed
Get his health certifications (OFA/etc)
Study pedigrees to get a start on what would be a good match for him
Find the female whose lines will match with his 

Most people that own great females are not going to breed their female to a male that doesn't have titles/health certs/etc

Good luck with the titles and the pedigree studies!!!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Eder C. said:


> So I know this is a little early since West is only 8 months, but I want to breed West once he is ready, but I want to know what would be the easiest way on finding a girl for him. Is there certain things I should look for and most of all... where should I look to find one? We live in Phoenix, AZ and I havent seen many females out here, mostly males. Thanks


That kind of depends. What are your goals for wanting to breed West?


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

When you are out titling him you will meet other GSD owners with females they intend to breed.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The problem with owning a stud dog is that unless your dog has a super resume, you may not find any decent bitch owner willing to breed her bitch to him. Your best bet is to get involved, get him titled, join a training club, join a breed club, get out there with him and meet as many bitches as you can. But again, a lot of people will think about your dog, and then travel two states away to breed to a Grand Champion, or a ROM dog. Others will consider your dog and breed to someone else's just because they have more experience in the breed. 

So it is hard to break into breeding with a dog. 

Now, if you walk your dog often, bitch owners will screech their cars to a halt and rush out of the car and shower you with questions, mostly "is he fixed", "are you going to breed him?" Unfortunately, these people rarely know if their bitch is working or show lines, has papers, has heard of brucellosis, and many of them have a bitch who is totally pet quality. 

Bitch owners have it easier. Every breed worthy bitch could conceivably be bred, using only a fraction of the breed-worthy dogs.


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## marshies (May 18, 2011)

I think the best way for us non-experienced folk, like the OP and me, to think about this would be:

If you were the owner of a female dog, what would it take for you to want to deal with possibly losing a beloved member of your family, waking up to find dead puppies, 10 puppies in your house for 2 months, and a host of other pregnancy and birth-related complications.

If for a second I pictured myself in the shoes of a female dog owner, I would say NOTHING. But there are some who will say yes. And the yes' you want to hear are going to be from the female dog owners who say they would only take that risk on a STELLAR stud dog. This male dog better be a walking statue of perfection, with good nerves, complimentary structure, nice coat...all that jazz. 

Or, if you don't want to go the high road and ensure that puppies that come from your beloved West are going to live healthy and happy lives, any female dog owner that expresses an interest will do. Just know though, these puppies might have temperament and health problems, and might be given up and euthanized for them.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)




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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Educate.....don't Interrogate.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Assuming that you acquired him from a breeder you admire, whose goals you agree with, I'd talk to your breeder & get additional info. IF the breeder concurs with your assessment of him after he matures, s/he might know of other breeders that would be interested in using him.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Robin I agree

And Ruby, good advice that I also agree with,,go back to your breeder and talk to them about it


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I don't consider "What are your goals?" to be an interrogation? We ask people that all the time when they say they want a breeder. Where OP finds a bitch has a lot to do with his goals for the breeding.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I don't think 'interrogation' was directed at anyone specifically, just rather a general statement


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## Mom2Shaman (Jun 17, 2011)

Just remember, if you breed, you should responsibly choose a female of quality just as a female's owner should choose a male of quality. There are so many health concerns that have been or are being pulled out of the breed by responsible breeders who study pedigrees and make sure the match would produce healthy pups (mentally and physically). Because males have the capacity to reach many many many females in their lives (versus the more limited female breeding capacity) the male really must be titled, health screened, personality screened, top notch lineage, etc. 

To expand on the "what are your goals?" idea . . . you will need to weigh your reasons for breeding with such issues as having a breeding male is a bit more difficult to live with than a neuter with marking, behaviors, and such; there are transmissible health ailments a female can bring to you; you may produce many puppies and will always wonder if they are treated right and live good lives or are they abused and euthanized and such; licensing is more expensive on intact animals; you will spend considerable time and money on titles and health certs which probably would be more than the stud fees ever amount to; are you prepared to deal with a female meaning sometimes breedings don't take or the female goes out of heat and you must either board the female or have people return; etc. Breeding brings a lot of hassle and you must decide if your reasons to breed outweight them. 

It really is a major committment to have a stud dog, just as it is to raise puppies. You have time to learn and examine all the angles before you decide. When you come down to it, breeding should only be done well, breeding isn't really for everyone, and only you know if it is the right thing for your family and your dog.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Diane...you are correct....my comment was not directed to anyone or any individual post. It was just a "generalized statement".


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

The thing with owning males is that breeding is really built on having super females. If you really want to breed decent dogs, that starts with owning a superb foundation bitch. Studs are a dime a dozen, even good ones, even TOP working or show dogs (especially show dogs because they are judged based on the quality of their progeny, so it does no good for an owner with a nice stud to make their breedings cost-prohibitive). Even if you do all the health checks, training, titling, showing, etc you may never have a decent bitch coming to you. For example I've got a nice dog that's been shown in three different venues and has the highest show ratings (for the age/level he's been entered), he is OFA'd hips and elbows, no allergies, diseases, or other known illnesses, titled in half a dozen different things just so far and I've had two people interested in breeding to him, both were crazy (IMO, tehe). I'm not breeding him anyway but just to illustrate the point. The owners out there with females who they are willing to breed to a stud just because is not very good.

If you like your particular dog, I would consult with the breeder. Maybe later on get a puppy from a repeat or similar lines. Or perhaps the breeder has better resources or a better network and could get you a good female.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Eder C, why not post his pedigree and we'll go from there.


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