Watch: Stud Dogs

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Transcript

Monica DeBosscher [0:00] I think that stud dog contracts are often really ignored when we talk about the importance of contracts when it comes to breeding. But they’re really important. Before even thinking about a contract (and I’m sure a lot of you already know this), there are a few things to consider about the dog you’re considering using as a stud in your program. A few things you want to consider are: Are you using a dog that has a good pedigree? Are you making sure that the dog has been health tested for all of the genetic conditions that are common for the breed? You’ll want to be sure that the dog is of the correct age. Every breed will have its own guidelines. Judi, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the general rule of thumb is around 2. You want to check your stud against the breed standard. Make sure that there are no faults that might be passed down. You’ll want the stud to be in good physical and mental health. You’ll maybe want to consider whether the stud is titled. You’ll want to ensure that the dog has the appropriate temperament. Maybe this will also vary on the breed. But it should be the temperament that’s described in the breed standard. You’ll also want to think about whether you’re choosing between natural breeding or artificial insemination. 

[1:18] If we go to the next slide, when you’ve decided on studding out your dog, you’ll then want to make sure that your contract includes all of the important points. First you’ll want to focus on whether there will be natural breeding or artificial insemination.

[1:43] If you’re planning on only offering natural breeding, you should be aware that there’s a chance you’re sort of limiting your stud to dogs that are only in your general location. But there are some other things that you should consider—things like proper vaccinations. Your contract should state that if a female dog is coming to your kennel, the dog should be properly vaccinated. You might also add information in your contract about what happens in the event of a refusal of stud service. For larger breeding programs, a secondary stud might be offered. But maybe if you’re just starting out, you could have at least a contingency plan in place that says maybe you’ll try artificial insemination with your vet if there’s a refusal of stud service. You’ll also want to note who’s traveling to whom and who will cover the costs. Generally, if you’re bringing the stud to the female, you’ll cover your own travel cost and the price of the studding. But if she’s traveling to stay with you, you might want to think about adding additional costs into the contract, so things like kenneling fees if she’ll be there for an extended stay. Obviously artificial insemination is when the semen is collected from the dog and inserted into the female in a variety of ways. You’ll probably want your contract to include what kind of ways these might be and the expenses that are associated with these. You’ll also want to be really clear about how the semen will be stored: fresh, chilled, frozen, and the differences in pricing along with that. You’re thinking about what else to include in the contract. You’ll want to include detailed information about the stud dog and the female dog, along with the information about both breeders. It’s really important. It identifies which dogs they’re breeding. It identifies who the contract is between. You might want to include things like the registered name of both dogs, the date of birth of both dogs, microchip numbers, contact information, and the dates of the breeding. You’ll also want to outline both the stud dog owner and the female dog owner’s responsibilities, and you should be really clear about those. With the stud dog, some things you might think of including are: who is responsible for the care and housing of the female dog if the female is going to the stud dog’s kennel. You’ll want to think about how she’ll be kenneled, how she’ll be exercised, fed, how she’ll be kept safe from other dogs. You might want to include things like how the actual mating will be supervised and how the dogs will be kept safe during and after the mating. You’ll want to have (again, as we already mentioned) alternative plans, things like including vet intervention in case the dogs do not breed. You’ll also want to include the parameters of the registration paper, so that will include things like when you (as the stud dog owner) will sign. As a general rule, registration is not signed until payment for the breeding is made in full. That’s just a good point to protect yourself. When you’re outlining the female dog owner’s responsibilities, you might want to see things like the dog’s health tests and vaccination records. You might want to know more about her breeding history. You’ll want to discuss vet fees. Usually the breeding fees incurred are the responsibility of the female dog owner. But that doesn’t include things like testing the semen or the stud’s vaccinations. But it usually does cover the collection and the shipping of semen in the event of artificial insemination. I think mainly with all of this, you’re just trying to establish a healthy relationship and partnership between the two of you. Part of that is just having a really clear and detailed contract so that you each know your responsibilities and you honor them. I think maybe the last really important thing is the fee provision. Part of discussing the fee—you’ll want to decide exactly what constitutes a litter. For some breeders, this is 3 or more puppies. It’s going to differ for any breeder. But you’ll want to decide what this is in order to determine the fee and what you’ll do in the event that there isn’t a litter produced. In the event that there is not a litter or there’s a small litter that doesn’t constitute a litter, you’ll need to have in the contract your plan. Some ideas are: refunding the stud fee, maybe reducing the fee in the event that there’s a smaller litter, or repeating the breeding up to a maximum number of times before the stud dog owner is entitled to just keep the fee. Generally, the price of the stud fee is determined in two different ways. One is a set amount, which is often the price of one puppy or the choice of a puppy from the litter. Stud dog owners, as we’ve mentioned, are usually not obligated to pay for any of the costs of breeding or getting the female to the stud dog. They usually don’t pay any vet costs or costs to raise and register the puppies. But you’ll want to make sure your contract includes whatever the agreement is between you and the other party. You’ll also, lastly, want to think about when the stud fee will be collected. Some stud owners will take a non-refundable deposit at the time of breeding, which is really meant to cover your time, your expenses. And then you’ll collect your remaining amount when the litter is born. Again, just to hit it one more time: A really smart way to protect yourself as a stud owner is to not sign the registration papers until the fee is paid in full.