# Stud advice



## Melissa Freeland

I have a stud, we don't do AKC shows. He is just an wonderful healthy boy. I would love to bred him with a healthy female, I know to most people if he's not a show dog, they look at him as a mutt. I just want to have one of pups. I could go and rescue a German Shepherd, but my boy is great and I know he will not live forever, so one of his puppies for my kids to enjoy would be wonderful. So what's the best way to breed him with a healthy female?


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## LuvShepherds

If this is a serious post, don't do it. If it's a joke, why?


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## WateryTart

Melissa Freeland said:


> I have a stud, we don't do AKC shows. He is just an wonderful healthy boy. I would love to bred him with a healthy female, I know to most people if he's not a show dog, they look at him as a mutt. I just want to have one of pups. I could go and rescue a German Shepherd, but my boy is great and I know he will not live forever, so one of his puppies for my kids to enjoy would be wonderful. So what's the best way to breed him with a healthy female?


Don't. For real.

Nobody with a bitch worth anything, with any knowledge whatsoever, is going to breed to your dog. Anyone with a breeding program that is at all reputable will insist on their bitch being proven and on your dog being proven in some objective, performance or show related way. I'm sure your dog is great, but he isn't proven. Nobody who knows anything is going to want to bother with your dog. You don't have a stud, you have an intact family pet.


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## carmspack

well there is one reason not to breed " they look at him as a mutt"

another reason not to breed " I just want to have one of pups" and "I could go and rescue a German Shepherd,"

such a better idea . Take one away -- rather than add 5 or 6 to the shelters ! 

there is no responsible , conscientious owner of a female that would even entertain the idea of such a breeding .

you would have people with the wrong motivations , with poor representatives , with no knowledge and your chance of having something any where close to a "your dog replacement" is slim to none . All for naught .


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## MineAreWorkingline

I was telling a breeder once how much I liked my oldest dog and he responded with "Well, if you like what that breeder produces and they do it with consistency, you know where to go to get your next dog."


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## WateryTart

MineAreWorkingline said:


> I was telling a breeder once how much I liked my oldest dog and he responded with "Well, if you like what that breeder produces and they do it with consistency, you know where to go to get your next dog."


Exactly.


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## Thecowboysgirl

Melissa Freeland said:


> I have a stud, we don't do AKC shows. He is just an wonderful healthy boy. I would love to bred him with a healthy female, I know to most people if he's not a show dog, they look at him as a mutt. I just want to have one of pups. I could go and rescue a German Shepherd, but my boy is great and I know he will not live forever, so one of his puppies for my kids to enjoy would be wonderful. So what's the best way to breed him with a healthy female?


Here is an idea: how about explaining pet overpopulation to your children. Explain why it's so important not to breed just any old animal. (if you don't know why it's important, go do some searches in the breeder forum on here)

Get your kids involved in a dog sport with him, or conformation showing. that is something they could enjoy and learn life skills at. Take them to the vet with you when you have his hip and elbow ex rays done. If he comes back less than stellar, this would be a valuable lesson to teach your children:  "see Johnny, our dog has mild hip displasia, and he could pass that on to his puppies, so that's why we can never breed him", or alternately maybe he comes back OFA good/normal and you can say to your kids "see Johnny, he does not have this inheritable disease so now we are going to check for degenerative myleopathy and xyz. If those come back good, we need to title this dog in a venue that shows he is breedworthy. And have unbiased people who are knowledgeabe about the breed say he is breedworthy" Maybe he wins at conformation shows, maybe you meet a mentor at an event who agrees your dog is breedworthy and will help you do it right. Probably, you discover that there are actually far finer specimens out there and it doesn't make sense to breed yours. To me, that is a MUCH more valuable experience for a child to have than just carelessly breeding a litter so your kids can have a puppy by your pet.

There are hundreds, thousands a mediocre-bred GSDs languishing in shelters and rescues all over the country. If you don't want to do any of the above, explain to your kids how important it is not to contribute to breeding dogs without specific care for temperament and health. It just isn't about snobby people saying your dog is a mutt. It's people who know what it takes to breed a mentally and physically sound dog AND find it a suitable lifelong home or take it back at any time in its life so it never winds up in a shelter.


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## Jax08

In order to find a nice female, you have to have a male proven to be worthy. Your word doesn't make it so. Could you find a female somewhere and slam out a litter? Sure you could. Would it be quality and produce what you want? Maybe. Maybe not. 

What does your male have to offer a female? Nothing. There are no health tests done. No testing and trialing. Why should an owner of a quality female choose such a male when there are proven males out there?

Just don't. Go back to the breeder and get a puppy. The pet population doesn't need 8-12 more dogs out there just because.


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## astrovan2487

As others have said, please don't breed your male. If you put in all the work to get him health tested, he passes, and get him titled in something legitimate then he may be worth breeding. I'm sure your dog is great but everyone thinks their dog is great, that dosent make them breed worthy. There are thousands of great German Shepherds out there, many of them will be put to sleep because of over population. The overpopulation is due to reckless and irresponsible breeding, and I guarantee a large percentage of them have the same idea that you have about just wanting a puppy like the dog they already have. Your dog is special and no other dog will be like him, not even one of his puppies. 
Many people with pets do not understand that breeding is very complicated, you don't just breed your male to a female you like and get an awesome litter of puppies that are carbon copies of the parents, it is not that simple. 
Being a legitimate breeder is a huge responsibility and really should be left up those who know what they are doing.


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## Kazel

Being a show dog isn't a must have. But he needs to prove himself somehow. From agility to tracking to obedience to herding there are a lot of different things you can do with your dog to prove that they are more than just another dog. Lots of people can have a GSD so other than being a nice dog what's good about yours?

Have you actually done health tests on your dog? Many genetic disorders don't appear until later in life and a few disorders aren't visible to the naked eye, just because your dogs look healthy doesn't necessarily mean they are. Poor example but say you have a well taken care of dog with epilepsy, can you tell it has epilepsy? Unless you've seen it have a seizure probably not. Obviously the owner would be aware of epilepsy but there are other conditions out there that are serious and not so visible.
Sometimes the best choice you can make is to not breed your dog. I just got a lovely 3 year old female GSD, went into heat a week after I got her. She is now spayed and had no litters.


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## onyx'girl

The female is very much an influence in what the puppies will be. You won't get a clone of your male. 
Even if you are diligent in searching out a female that would complement his pedigree, the puppies aren't guaranteed to be what you think you want. 
Best to go back to your dogs breeder for a puppy.


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