May 23, 2011
Should we buy a male to go along with our female pup to start our breeding program?
Full Question:
We have just purchased a German female pup, what I consider a good pedigree. However, we are just getting started. My husband works with the State Patrol, so he is naturally more interested in that type of training. Our biggest problem now is do we get a male pup too, train him and if he turns out good breed them? Or concentrate on our female then find a stud for her. I guess you can say we're you 20 some yrs. ago. We really want to do this. We just want to do it the right way and get started the right way. (By the way our female is sable). This IS NOT the first German Shepherd we've had. We're starting over with her. Any comments you have will be appreciated. We also have had several different opinions on whether the male is to be American or German. It?s quite apparent that we should have a German male. Thanks for making that clear.Heath and Melissa
Cindy's Answer:
Here are the things to consider (from my perspective and experience):
A breeding program is based on bitches - not stud dogs. People new to this business often misunderstand how important this is. The strength of my breeding program is not based on the fact that I have great stud dogs (which I do have). It’s based on my foster home program and the fact that I have more nice bitches than any breeder I know.
2. Is your bitch a German bloodline bitch? If not, then don't worry about her being your foundation brood bitch unless you goal is to only breed pets.
3. Do not try and raise 2 pups at the same time. I have written about this on my web site. It’s strongly discouraged. The pups do not get the kind of attention they need and the end result is ALWAYS POOR.
4. Buying a male pup with the hope of it becoming a stud dog is always a big gamble. Any male can breed but very few males are stud dogs. A stud has to be able to constantly produce pups that are similar in temperament and type with multiple bitches. My opinion on what is acceptable for breeding and yours is probably different, but still I always recommend people start by going to a local proven outside stud. Do not ship your bitch the first time she is bred. It almost never works. The stress of shipping seems to result in too many problems and too few litters.
5. Here is some advice you can take to the bank, DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO IS TELLING YOU TO BUY AMERICAN BLOODLINES. These people do not understand temperament, drive and working ability. You will never find a person with good working dogs offer this advice.
6. You can buy stud service to males that you could never dream of owning, the same can not be said for a bitch. When you do breed, keep females. The only reason to keep a male is for your husband to work with.
A breeding program is based on bitches - not stud dogs. People new to this business often misunderstand how important this is. The strength of my breeding program is not based on the fact that I have great stud dogs (which I do have). It’s based on my foster home program and the fact that I have more nice bitches than any breeder I know.
2. Is your bitch a German bloodline bitch? If not, then don't worry about her being your foundation brood bitch unless you goal is to only breed pets.
3. Do not try and raise 2 pups at the same time. I have written about this on my web site. It’s strongly discouraged. The pups do not get the kind of attention they need and the end result is ALWAYS POOR.
4. Buying a male pup with the hope of it becoming a stud dog is always a big gamble. Any male can breed but very few males are stud dogs. A stud has to be able to constantly produce pups that are similar in temperament and type with multiple bitches. My opinion on what is acceptable for breeding and yours is probably different, but still I always recommend people start by going to a local proven outside stud. Do not ship your bitch the first time she is bred. It almost never works. The stress of shipping seems to result in too many problems and too few litters.
5. Here is some advice you can take to the bank, DO NOT LISTEN TO ANYONE WHO IS TELLING YOU TO BUY AMERICAN BLOODLINES. These people do not understand temperament, drive and working ability. You will never find a person with good working dogs offer this advice.
6. You can buy stud service to males that you could never dream of owning, the same can not be said for a bitch. When you do breed, keep females. The only reason to keep a male is for your husband to work with.
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