I received a private e-mail yesterday suggesting a topic to be reviewed. She said she'd like to see a review about stud dog owners. Being a stud dog owner herself, she has lots of experience in this area. Apparently, this stud dog owner goes above and beyond when it comes to being a responsible dog breeder. She told me that she has gone as far as giving bitch owners a place to stay overnight in her home. If the bitch owner doesn’t come with her for the breeding, this stud dog owner will call to let them know she has arrived safely. She let’s them know when the breeding took place, and how long the tie was. She lets the bitch owner know how well their girl is doing and if she’s eating her food. In other words, she lets the bitch owners know what is going on every step of the way to reassure them.
I remember years ago that it was not uncommon for the stud dog owner to take a picture of the ties of the animals to assure the owner that their bitch was indeed being bred. I have found most stud dog owners to be accommodating and go out of their way to make you comfortable. I’ve had them invite me to stay for lunch or dinner. One time when I was staying overnight in a motel, the stud dog owner let me take many of her old German Shepherd Dog Reviews to read. The next day I came back and she was frying up a hamburger for lunch for the two of us.
Sometimes you will get a stud dog owner who is a novice as far as breeding dogs and really doesn’t know too much. This can be frustrating to all involved including the stud if he’s a young dog. Many times the nervousness of the stud dog owner will affect the dog and he might become a bad breeder because of it. I bred to a young stud one time that after he tied my bitch, he tried to lay down and look at himself in the mirror and boy did he scream in pain. It was quite traumatic for him and his owner. My bitch looked at him like he was nuts! Thank God she remained calm as this poor boy tried to twist and turn himself. An example of lack of experience!
I would say that 99% of the times, stud dog owners have been good to deal with. However, I did have one occasion where this was not the case. One time I called a handler who also had complete control of when a stud dog was being bred and to which bitches he wanted bred to him. I wanted to breed my Best in Maturity Champion ROM bitch to him. Well, he was as rude and nasty as can be. Oh yeah and condescending as well. Well that didn’t sit too well with me and he lost the breeding. I’m sure the dog’s owners would not have been happy learning about that. But all in all, I’ve been lucky. So here is my rating:
STUD DOG OWNERS: Responsible: (4), Friendly & welcoming: (4), Knows what they’re doing: (3), Honesty: (3)
I have received a few personal e-mails about this subject. Some decided to contact me instead of posting their experiences. I have their permission to relate some of their views about stud dog owners.
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me that they didn't feel that they got the same consideration when they bred to someones stud dog compared to the service that they offered when someone bred to their own stud dog.
Another person told me that he was all set on breeding to a dog and then the owner of the stud canceled without letting the bitch owner know about it. There was no communication. It was just canceled. He ended up breeding his bitch somewhere else and was lucky to find one on such short notice. So he felt that the owner of the stud was not a very thoughtful person.
Then another person told me of a breeding he did with a well known stud dog. He and his family traveled many hours coming from out of state. The stud dog owner was condescending and rude and acted like she couldn't wait for them to leave. They got their breeding and went on to produce several champions. Will the breeder return to that kennel? "Not on your life," I was told!
So "me thinks" that better communication is needed between the parties!
Being a good stud dog owner is extremely important; it can be a difficult and frustrating job. I was fortunate enough to learn how train a stud dog from one of the best and that always made my job much easier. It's important to remember, especially with a bitch who has been shipped in to breed, that this little girl is someone's baby and to treat her as well and as kindly as you would your own. Fortunately, I have been equally fortunate with other stud dog owners to whom I have brought bitches. My favorite experience was sitting outside with Helen Franklin, breeding my ROM bitch to her magnificent CTH Don Quixote, while her entire family sat at the dining room table, watching us do the breeding, while they waited to have their Thanksgiving dinner which rapidly grew cold.
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