Stud Services
The actual stud service itself is the act of the male dog mating with the female that is in heat. Unless you happen to own your own breeding male, you’ll likely need to use an outside stud on your bitch. However, many first time breeders don’t know what to expect from this experience, so here is a breakdown of the way many professional breeders handle the situation.
Some stud dog owners actually use a written contract that lays out the terms under which the breeding will be conducted. It is up to the bitch’s owner to read through the terms and sign the contract if they are agreeable.
Both parties retain a copy of the agreement, and the bitch’s owner should also receive a copy of the stud’s pedigree. Here are some of the common points usually included in most stud contracts.
Standard Terms
- The contract specifies the exact stud to be used as well as his registration number, and the bitch’s name and registration number are added to the document as well.
- A set fee is paid to the stud owner by the bitch’s owner. The fee is paid in consideration of the stud dog’s work, and does not in itself guarantee that the bitch will conceive. The amount of the fee is determined by the stud dog owner and listed in the contract. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $250.00 to $1,000.00 depending on how many champions a particular stud has produced. Some breeders charge a stud fee that is equal to the asking price for one puppy.
- In return for the fee, the stud will be used on the bitch for one, two or possibly three breedings during the current heat cycle. The contract may even specify whether the breedings are to be conducted naturally or by artificial insemination.
- Some contracts also have space to record the actual breeding date(s) so the bitch’s owner can calculate the possible due date(s).
Optional Terms
- Some stud owners are willing to guarantee one or two live puppies at the time of birth. If so, they offer one repeat service at no extra charge if the original breeding doesn’t take.
- If the prospective stud has never been used before, some breeders will agree to waive the fee in order to get the stud “proven”. This means proving he can produce a litter. Another variation is that the stud fee is paid after it has been determined that the bitch is indeed pregnant.
- In some cases, the stud owner may agree to take the pick puppy of the litter in lieu of a cash payment.
Sometimes both parties simply come to a verbal agreement on the terms, but it is usually better to write them down so you can refer back to them at a later date.
