Last Modified: 1/16/08

Should you buy and raise your own stud or pay for the services of another? Let's talk about using another first. Stud Services allow you to keep track of less dogs and makes it easier to determine when you want your bitch to breed. It also keeps the owner of the stud from having to take care of a litter if they are not willing and able to do so. Be just as careful about choosing a stud as a bitch.

Just as there are dishonest or irresponsible breeders you will find undesirable studs as well. Many male dog owners see that they own a male who is going through puberty and since they haven't taken the time to neuter him they might as well make some money. In order to find the best stud follow the same show quality guidelines as with your bitch. Also make sure that he is the same size as breed guidelines. A smaller stud would have trouble getting on top of a bitch larger than he and a stud that is more than the normal size for a Shih Tzu might cause the litter to be larger than can safely be delivered. Also check to see if the he has been DNA tested and whether or not he has any history of defects.

It is true, in my experience, that it is difficult to see a male's flaws as a puppy but not impossible. If you want to own your stud, I suggest buying one that is at least 9 weeks old whose parents have been DNA tested. Also make sure you have seen both parents. They may be purebred Shih Tzu but that does not automatically make them good for breeding. By 9 weeks you start to see what his character and stature is like. Of course, the older the better, but sometimes that is not always possible. Most boys will mature about the age of eight months but some can be as early as six months or later. There are signs of maturity, but the only way to really know if your male is capable is if he successfully ties with a bitch. I am uncertain how old is too old for a male to mature as there is not much information as there is with females. I have yet to hear of a male that has never matured, so until I hear of such a dog I would assume that every male matures and if your male is taking a little longer than normal you will need to be patient and find a temporary stud if necessary. If anyone knows of a dog that has not matured properly and you have been given reliable information, I would really appreciate a note.

There are down- falls to owning your own stud. Yes, it means no stud fees and if you have bought well, no time consuming searches, but it also means another dog to care for. But that's not the half of it. With a stud hanging around a bitch in heat just guess what is bound to happen. If you do not watch closely you may find her pregnant at far too young an age or, if you were trying to skip a heat, you may find you didn't skip it after all. Of course, this is nothing that a couple of cages and a careful eye can't remedy. Do not think that a fence or a gate will separate a healthy stud from a very desirable bitch. Nor will anything without a roof. As long as everyone in your home understands that you want to keep both dogs separated you are halfway to success.

If you are currently unaware of the benefits of owning your stud, know there are many. Besides what I just mentioned above, owning your stud will reduce the chances of STDs in your bitches to almost nonexistent. You always know how they will react to your stud and you will be able to predict the activities of your stud to the level of art. After about two matings with different types of bitches you know exactly how long it will take him to mate and how he handles the mating. You will also be able guarantee puppies from a stud that always produces litters. The major benefit of a male over a female is that males are capable of mating well into the age of 10, for a well cared for stud, while females can only whelp until eight years at the latest. Most bitches are not healthy enough to whelp to the age of five and are lucky to produce two or three litters. For more information on the health of your dogs please visit Preserving Health.

There are general types of studs. The first is very excited and will gladly mate with a bitch at any time of her heat. Many of these studs are so excited that any new female in their path will get this treatment until the stud has sufficiently calmed himself and realized she is not in heat. Others will be kind and sniff her thoroughly before pushing himself on her. The second type of stud is picky. This type will only touch her when he feels her heat is at the right peak. It is generally known that once she wipes gold she is ready to mate, but not all studs may agree with this. Every stud is a different kind of picky. They may only mate with her once and then want nothing to do with her. They may mate a few more times or they may use the whole of the second week of the heat for mating and then ignore her. Either one of these types may try to mate several times a day or may insist that once a day is plenty. You cannot push the stud. I have heard and seen the pros and cons of both types but, really, they outweigh each other. The picky stud will cause you grief when your bitch is ending her heat and he continuously insists she is not ready. For many, this leads to finding a new stud at the last minute. With a stud who is in no way picky, you fight his reasoning that every new female must be in heat and when there is a heating bitch present, the whole three week process becomes a nightmare. When it all comes down to it, you can prefer one over the other, but you may find yourself bowing to the inevitable and using the first available stud nearest you and praying for a good outcome, or the puppy you so meticulously chose as your new stud may not grow up to be as you thought.

If you are the stud owner, never let your dog out of your site. A stud is more likely to perform well and be more willing to mate when he is at home verses being sent to another location. I am sure that the bitch owner is just as worried about releasing her dog to you, and she has a just worry, but at this moment if he is unwilling to cooperate, the whole process is over. Take the time to consider the other owner's fears and concerns and work this out together. If the owner lives close enough she will be able to bring her dog to mate and then take her home after they have finished; bringing her back each day for the agreed upon amount of matings. Do not allow your stud to mate with a bitch more than once a day. Once you have them together it could take between mere minutes and days for them to successfully tie. I have known a stud that did not even tie and preferred to be unwatched by his owner and still never failed to impregnate.

If you are the bitch owner make sure to take the time to interview, or at least meet, with the stud owner of your choice long before your female comes into heat. Ask plenty of questions about how she will be cared for during mating if you have to leave her for any amount of time or reason. Make sure to alert the stud owner of all her normal behavior's, her bedding options, food and water preferences, and her general care. If she is used to the run of the house please be advised that this might not be acceptable to the stud owner if they are concerned for their carpet. If you are serious about breeding her you should train her now, if not already, for the comforts of a cage. You may be able to think of many places to block off for her use but none of them will be as safe as a cage for her and her pups.

During mating the stud will mount the bitch from behind and rock back and forth trying to penetrate. He may get up and down several times or, if he is really amorous, lick her, or show other signs of affection. Depending on the ability and experience of the stud, the mating process could take minutes or hours before a tie. The experience of the bitch can also help to delay or speed the process. Many bitches are prone to fight but this is very normal. At the worst case the stud will be too intimidated to fight with an unwilling bitch, which usually shows he is immature and inexperienced. Normally, the stud will be too insane over her scent to care about her attitude or actions.

If this is a first time mating, he may have trouble penetrating or even have trouble finding his way to her. I have heard of breeders who have needed to help their stud mate, but I would consider this a great example of the his immaturity. If you want to try to get under a stud and bitch in the middle of mating to help, be my guest! On the other hand, if this is a first time mating for the bitch, she may be tight or scared and cause him some trouble. For this reason, it may be a few minutes or a few days for the two to tie depending on how tight she is. If she is under two years of age she may very well be too young to breed even if this is not her first heat.

Do not try to help a bitch who is not ready. She is ready and mature enough to breed when she willingly backs up to the stud in a bating fashion. It may seem as if she is inviting the stud to mate or even playing with him. Some seem unable to make up their minds. One minute they seem to be inviting him and the next they are fighting or running away. This is good for her as long as she seems inviting at any point. If you introduce her to the stud and she is everything scared and reluctant then separate her or send her home to wait for the next day. If she spends the whole of her heat running from the male and never seems to be inviting in the least than end the process completely and wait for her next heat. She can be in an unusable heat so allow her to tell you when she is ready. If she has invited him, but still won't be still long enough for penetration, you may sit on the floor and hold her front in your lap. You may have to hold her up under her belly. Gratefully this is not usually necessary.

If we look back at the behavior of the stud and bitch during the mating process, and remember that aggression is normal, you may notice he will pant heavily to the point of worry but, I promise, you do not need to worry. This is going to be more out of insanity for her than exhaustion. If he works fairly long without a tie (several hours) then it becomes more exhaustion. If the mating process takes too long (all day) without rest, he increases his risk of fainting. Make sure to keep a water supply close. If you are using a bowl, make way for a mess. If you use a water bottle you will want to either hold it, or else try to keep him/her in the area of the bottle. Should he fail to tie after two hours, less if he starts to show signs of exhaustion, separate the pair for at least half a day to allow him to regain his strength. If she is really difficult and really fighting, she will try to escape under furniture. Section off any areas with means of escape and try to keep the couple on a surface with good traction. A slippery floor will make it hard for him to get a grip with his back legs and he could slip off her back.

When he finally ties, he will slide off her back from the side and then face away from her. They will be stuck together from behind and can remain that way for up to 40 minutes. Normally, they will only remain this way for 15 to 20 minutes. The amount of time will depend on him and his expertise. Most first time studs will not stay tied as long as a stud that is well used. Once they have tied, watch the couple to make sure that they are not fighting to release themselves from each other. Being pulled before he naturally releases her will damage his genitals. At worst, he may have to be neutered if they are separated too violently. At best, he may be fine or will be sore and need some time for recovery.

If either has a long flowing coat the stud will need to be monitored to ensure that hair, whether his or hers, does not get caught and wound around his genitals during mating. A stud who is caught by hair will lose circulation to his genitals and be unable to retract. If the caught hair belongs to the bitch, she will do more damage when the tie breaks but she still finds herself stuck. Most bitches, in this instance, tend to run and tighten the tangles. Should this happen, be there to release the tangles as quickly and kindly as possible and he will be fine. If he is left unmonitored the hair cutting off circulation to his genitals could render him useless for mating in the future and he may need to be neutered. If left far too long he may be more permanently damaged. Either way, you will need to see your vet for help so it's best to keep a close eye on the couple during the process. Even if he is shy and requires isolation and quiet to perform you will still need to check on him periodically to estimate his progress and whether assistance is necessary.

Now, all these situations pretty much apply to couples in which one or both are inexperienced with either mating or the other dog. If you eventually plan on owning a kennel, hobby or otherwise, you will find that male and female become so attached to another that the rules can change. My females tend to be breedable from the very first day of their heat. They also seem to be capable of mating all the way up until the last day of the three week wait. For this purpose, I want to warn you to watch your dogs and, should this be the case, be prepared to separate your dogs until day 11 of the heat. I do not even wait for my bitches to wipe gold anymore as this does not matter. I always start right on day 11 and then I can be 100% positive other due date. If she is allowed to mate off and on throughout the three week period, there will not be a reliable due date. It is almost impossible to tell if she will deliver 62 days after the very first mating or one to two weeks later. It is better and easier if you separate the couple until day 11 of the heat and only allow them to mate until day 15, should you choose to allow them to tie that often. Generally three ties is sufficient. After that, separate the couple again until after day 21 of the heat.

In most cases the mating goes off well and without a hitch. Once they have mated be sure to record the time and, if you are the stud owner, how long he stays tied. This information will help you to better manage your time in the future when working with the same bitch or another. When you know what time of day they mated you will know to separate her until that time the next day, if she is staying, or if she is returning home to have her return about that time the next day. If he is one that will mate at any time during the heat then it is best to allow them to tie at least three times. If he is one that will only mate during a certain part of the heat, you will have to stop when he loses interest. Even if that means after only one tie. In most cases this is the easiest part. Rarely do the kinds of problems I listed occur and the only worry is whether or not the bitch is pregnant.