Stud Services

Stud Services Information and Requirements Explained
All of the following applies to Collies and Dobermans.
*Some points can be more flexible or may not apply to Ranch Pyrs and livestock guardian dogs.*
Because I am a Ranch Pyr breeder I must protect my studs future. At this point I can not offer stud service for wild LGD females that can not travel,
be handled or vet tested. The only ideas I can offer: raise a male puppy that your wild female may accept in the future. Search for someone who might have a male that is tame enough to travel and hope your wild female doesn't protect her herd from the visiting male.

Shipped semen is available for about $350 per shipment. Please contact your local veterinarians regarding artificial insemination procedures and prices.

Ranch Pyr studs are available to compatible females of Livestock Guardian types and/or sizes. No registration papers required.
Doberman studs are available to Dobermans. If your Doberman female is not registered please ask me about options.
Collie studs are available to Collies and similar herding breeds. If your Collie female is not registered please ask me about options.
Why? Because real ranchers need real herding and real livestock guardians and Families want good family dogs.
How a dog is raised and trained affects it for life. A dog's ancestors and pedigree papers are merely the foundation we are working with.

Please call me before your female comes into heat so we can discuss details and anticipated dates. Anticipating dates is fairly easy with a bitch that has a regular cycle. Males may help you predict your female's cycle. Up to a month before a bitch starts bleeding you might notice males are “extra interested” in her. That is the time to check her daily for bleeding. KNOWING which day she started bleeding is very important for timing her breeding.
* I will evaluate prospective bitches for health, personality, instincts and faults that might be detrimental to the breed or drastically affect any puppies ability to be a happy, healthy pet. Bitches do not have to be shown or be show quality since I concentrate on health, personality and instincts. When I show I prefer to concentrate on obedience and rally. I may ask for photos for bitches that I can't meet in person.*
Please send the bitch at a healthy weight. On a scale of 1-9 she should be a 4 or 5. An experienced bitch might do well at 6 if she has conceived in that condition before. One bitch arrived at about a 7 on the scale. Of course, no conception and her family had a two day trip for nothing. And their local vet reported she was “in perfect health” for breeding before they left home. After loosing the extra weight she had 9 puppies the next cycle.
Please buy a book or two on dog breeding if you are not experienced. It should help you with breeding and birthing thru weaning and placing the puppies in homes. It will help you recognize normal versus emergency. During a true emergency you can't refer to a library book that you have already returned and you rarely have time to research the internet for several minutes! I am happy to help new breeders as much as I can. Who else will take care of my beloved breeds when I'm gone? But neither my work schedule nor my phone bill can handle several hours of midwifing in the middle of the night, or every other day for 8 weeks. Weather you pay a stud fee or feed your own stud for years- please research so you can recognize emergencies. Please prepare so your time, money and energy are spent wisely!
The Booking Fee is an appointment/reservation/deposit fee. It is not refundable. It gets you on the list/in line for stud service. When more than one bitch is ready to breed at the same time the first Booking Fee on the books gets priority. Booking Fees do not expire. Booking Fees compensate stud owners for the time and expenses of keeping the stud ready for breeding: Dog shows have to be skipped because the stress of showing temporarily reduces fertility. If the stud owner has to be home to serve your female they can't go to a show with any other dogs or “leave town”. Many studs are given supplements before breeding to help fertility, especially if AI might be used. Longhaired studs also have to be groomed, and kept cool enough to work during the summer. One hot day can affect the stud for two months! Stud owners' schedules have kept to be flexible to accommodate the female's dates and travel arrangements . If a bitch suddenly has to cancel her plans for that cycle it is some compensation for keeping that stud and his household ready for the last month or two.
Required for every natural breeding cycle: Brucellosis can abort a pregnancy and sterilize or even kill an adult dog. Testing is required because it can be cured with antibiotics before breeding. Virgins are tested because I have heard of a virgin having brucellosis from sitting on contaminated ground. Testing can be done on her first day of bleeding and still give you time to treat it before breeding. Here the test is $25 with results the next business day, but if infected we may have to wait for her next cycle because of the treatment time. If I take her in for a local brucellosis test I charge $10 for gasoline and time. Almost all brucellosis test are negative. Testing upon arrival is ok with Desert Kennels. But the one time we don't test will be the one time it becomes a problem! I am happy to test my stud for your female's breeding cycle.
Highly Recommended for the first natural breeding: Cervical Culture and Sensitivity bacteria test (all the way inside the uteris) must be done before her heat or on her 1st day of bleeding if you want to treat any abnormal results in time to breed this cycle. Abnormal results can prevent conception, abort after conception, infect the stud, and trigger the often fatal pyometria if the bitch is bred without treatment. The only successful Pyometria treatment is spaying the bitch while she is still strong enough to survive the operation. Required for a repeat breeding due to lack of a litter from the previous visit.
If Tests 6 and 7 are not done the most protection for both the stud and the bitch is by doing an AI. But most vets require #9 Ovulation test timing to do an AI because it saves time, money and office visits. The bitch owner is responsible for AI expenses. Even if we are planning on AI from the beginning tests 6 and 7 can greatly increase her chance of conceiving a healthy litter the first visit and greatly reduce any pyometria risk.
Ovulation test timing recommended for natural breeding: Beginning to test the bitch's progesterone levels the 8th-10th day after she starts bleeding will tell us when to breed her for best results. Ask your vet to look for “conification of cells” before progesterone testing. It is too early to progesterone test if cornification has not happened. The Luteinizing Hormone test is the most accurate but it must be done daily at the same time every day. When it goes up ovulation should start in 24 hours. Please consider you and your bitch's time and travel expenses when you compare the prices of these tests. Testing is the best way for success the first time and reducing the risk of having to try to breed all over again on her next cycle.
Required for return visit for lack of a litter from the previous breeding. Please feel free to compare prices at your local veterinarians, it can vary considerably. I will be happy to help you research prices in my area. We have had a litter of 9 from just one correctly timed natural breeding.
Bitches must be leash broke and manageable when they arrive. If they are too nervous to stand for the stud an AI will be required. If I can not take your female to a vet for testing or an emergency, if I can not handle her in my house or yard- there won't be much that I can do for her. Some bitches prefer their person be present for breeding, other are more likely to breed without a family member present. We might have to experiment a little.
Boarding at Desert Kennels: When I have the space I am happy to take your bitch into my home and care for her as if she is my own. But please understand I have a small house, part of which I have given to my dogs. I don't always have room to house visiting bitches. If I have a litter that must be protected from possible contamination (my moms don't have any immunity to what might be in your area to give to their puppies). If most of my dogs are spending most of their time in the house because of the weather, I may not have space for yours. Some families spend a day or two in a local dog friendly hotel. Comfort Inn in Riverton invites my studs in the room. Boarding or breeding your female at a local vet or boarding kennel may also be an option. Shipping semen to you for one of your local vets to do an AI is an option. Semen collection and shipping is extra. Or planning on breeding during a different cycle might be an option. Ovulation Timing testing can really help travel and visiting decisions if I don't have the space in my house when your bitch is ready.
I rarely accept stud fee puppies as payment. It can be difficult to really evaluate choices if the litter isn't close.
It is only an option when there is a bloodline I am interested in keeping. I don't need just another puppy to sell.

Healthy Mom = Healthier Puppies Tips and Tricks- How I manage my own girls at home:

I feed my dogs as much nutrition as I can afford according to the DogFoodAdvisor.com. Most of my dogs get a mix of dry dog food proteins every day- poultry, lamb, beef , turkey, etc. - as much variety as I can find. Please remember that many Pyrs are allergic to either raw red meat or the modern diets of red meat livestock. Cooked red meats, cooked white meats, canned meats/dog food, eggs and dairy may be the best way to add to their diets. Historically and today most ranchers will not feed any raw meat to Livestock Guardians because some dogs will recognize the meat source and discover that the herds they are protecting are actually good to eat. Large Breed puppies get a mix of lamb and poultry dry foods. Since the recall of 2007 I try to buy each protein from a different manufacturer and I rotate which one is lamb, which one is poultry, etc. when I go shopping.
Dogs are designed to process moist food. Meat is 70% water. I add water, fresh meats, canned food, fruits, veges, dairy, eggs, and appropriate supplements to most meals. I can assemble meals for 15 dogs in 30 minutes flat! I just line up the dishes which have names on them and go for it. Canned applesauce and canned pumpkin without any spices are easy for dogs to digest and quick to use. Please research home made and raw dog diets to learn the wide variety of foods that are good or poisonous to dogs before you start. My mix is never the same and none of my dogs get upset stomachs from the constantly rotating variety because-. I believe that being parasite free has a great deal to do with healthy digestion. I have adopted adult dogs with “sensitive stomachs” before. Within a few weeks the diet sensitivity disappears never to return again!!
I use Nuvet supplements. http://www.nuvet.com/45950 It's ingredients really fill in modern nutritional gaps, I can use it with any of my other supplements and my dogs think it is a wonderful treat. Most of my dogs get Nuvet daily.

4. I use daily vitamins and breeding supplements from the Revival Animal Health website. They have supplements for pre breeding, pregnancy, lactation, and recovery that work well for my dogs. They have a wonderful collection of breeding and nutrition articles also.

5. Simple Recipe: dry dog food, water, 1-2 tablespoons of canned dog food or meat/dairy/egg for flavor and natural protein, fossil flour 1 tablespoon per 60 pound dog, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar with “the mother”, with or without any supplements or fresh foods you see fit.

6. An easy way to rotate proteins for just a few dogs: pick your dry dog food, then rotate which fresh meats, egg, dairy or canned dog food you add. Its ok to finish one can of food before you open the next. Some dogs may allow you to rotate which dry food you buy. Fish for humans can be very expensive, hint- I use fish based canned cat food and I don't get any complaints from my dogs!

7. Fenbenzadole wormer without a prescription is available in livestock and pet stores, veterinarians and online. You can use it as a once a month digestive tract wormer. But it does not do heartworm. My dogs get fenbenzadole 3-4 times a year. I add livestock fossil flour every day in their meals- 1 tablespoon per 60 pounds of dog. It helps digestion and naturally combats any parasites or worms that might be present. I also add apple cider vinegar with “the mother” ½ teaspoon per 50 pound dog or if you are “cooking for a crew” like I do: 2 tablespoons in the gallon of water that I add to everybody's dish for mixing and moisture. I invite you to research the benefits of both on the internet or at any human health food store. My dogs are not on heartworm medication because it is so rare in this area. Please consult your vet regarding heartworm prevention while breeding.

8. If your bitch is on a once a month wormer follow your vet's advice regarding pregnancy and lactation. Some are safe and some aren't. But if you stop the once a month wormer it must be replaced with a safe alternative! Monthly fenbenzadole, daily fossil flour, pyrantel every two weeks - are safe and effective for breeding, pregnancy and lactation. Fossil flour and pyrantel are safe for puppies. I know a Rough Collie who was removed from her once a month wormer for the 4 months of her pregnancy and lactation, but there was no replacement. She was left completely defenseless. She had a long labor, lost lots of weight nursing, and no amount of supplements or expensive dog food helped her until after her litter was weaned. It is normal for females to shed after a litter but a year later her coat has not completely returned and her new coat is dry, brittle, curly and less than the original. If a bitch's original coat doesn't completely return within a year she needs some help. My girls have soft, shiny, healthy, growing coats by the time their puppies are 5-6 months old. Most of my girls shed little after a litter and many have a healthy, shiny coat while they are nursing large litters. The long haired girls do take almost a year to get their full length back , but it is never less than their original coats. Of course with long haired breeds take into account their seasonal shedding. You are looking for healthy hair, not full length hair in the heat of summer.

After high quality food or a raw natural home made diet- I believe keeping your dogs worm free is the best thing you can for their health.

Preparing Your Bitch

If you want to OFA certify your bitch's hips or elbows for her dysplasia evaluation - Three months before a heat cycle is the recommended time for the x rays on a bitch because their hormone fluctuations can affect their cartilage. If you want to do this now is the time to schedule it. Hips and elbows are only evaluated/certified once in their lifetime after their 2 year old birthday.

Hopefully your bitch is healthy year around. But two months before she should go into heat: check her vaccination record. Never vaccinate a bitch between the day she starts to bleed and the day the puppies are completely weaned! Her body's reaction to a fresh vaccination can really put the litter at risk.
One or two months before she cycles is the perfect time to vaccinate so her colostrum is a strong as possible. This is also the time to put her worming schedule on the calendar and stick to it.

3. Evaluate Your Bitch 2 Months Before: You see your girl every day and its easy to miss issues that might be developing gradually. Take her outside on a sunny day. Close your eyes for a minute. Now open them and really LOOK at her. Is she active and moving with ease? How healthy is her coat? Her eyes? Inside of her ears? Are her foot pads soft and strong or hard, dry, and cracking? Should her teeth be cleaned to reduce the bacteria that she is swallowing? And HONESTLY how is her weight? Should you start trimming her toenails so they aren't long enough to get caught in something and break when she plays with the stud? You have two months to catch up on any vet services she is due for, adjust her diet and exercise, and really get her ready for breeding.

4. PLEASE Consider Carefully: completely shaving the body of a long haired female so she can have puppies “cleaner”. If you have never had a litter of puppies it is a lot cleaner than you imagine!! As soon as a dog is shaved their body tries to start growing their coat back. This takes precious resources, protein, vitamins, minerals, and energy. PLEASE do not ask your long haired girl to make puppies, make milk and make a complete coat of hair all at the same time!! The harder your girl has to work for her litter and recovery the harder it will be for her to have any future litters. The harder it will be for her to grow her original coat back. Some breeders trim some of the long hair so it is about half length: on the back of the hind legs, around the nipples if it hasn't shed some before birth, and some of the long hair under the tail. I have never trimmed any hair on any of my Rough Collies or Ranch Pyrs to give birth. Any dried fluids are easy to rinse off the next day, it only takes a minute or two. Then I towel dry the hair for a minute so the puppies don't get chilled from getting to wet. Some girls have enough discharge to get a rinse two or three days in a row. But I believe it is much easier for their bodies to recover when they aren't trying to grow a complete coat against mother nature's schedule. I have never had a girl fail to get her beautiful, full length, virgin coat back. I have two girls who consistently have 12 puppies at a time. Another likes to have 10 each time.

Sample of Contract Details: Please contact Desert Kennels for the actual contract to sign and list individual dog information and details.

2017 Desert Kennels Stud Dog Contract for Collies, Dobermans , Livestock Guardian Dogs and Ranch Pyrs

Bitch Owner's Responsibilities:

Provide a negative canine Brucellosis test to the stud owner within 21 days of the first natural breeding attempt.
Pay all veterinary expenses for the bitch during the breeding visit including all AI expenses.
* Provide the stud owner with copies of the bitch's registration, pedigree, health testing , show record before the first breeding attempt.
* For the Record: within a week of birth report the sex, color, variety and any dewclaws of each puppy born to the stud owner.
* For the Record: report any serious faults/disqualifications of conformation, personality or health of the puppies to the stud owner by the age of six weeks. Send the stud owner a photo if requested.
* Place any puppies with serious faults/disqualifications with a spay/neuter contract and limited or non breeding registration, or no registration. The puppies reflect on the dam and the dam's owner as much as on the sire and sire's owner.
Not knowingly place puppies with dog fighters, pet stores, laboratories, wholesalers or abusive/neglectful homes.
Pay all stud fees by the time the litter is one month old so the stud owner can sign the litter registration application.
Pay the bitch's travel expenses to and from the stud. Send the bitch healthy, up to date on vaccinations and free of parasites. Send the bitch clean enough that she does not require an immediate grooming session. Send a collar that fits and some of the bitch's normal diet. Inform the stud owner of any personality quirks and training that may help the bitch during her visit.
The bitch owner(s) will be financially responsible for the bitch's and puppies veterinary expenses during the boarding period, breeding time, pregnancy, whelping and puppy raising. This includes any injuries resulting from extreme escape attempts by the bitch: jumping through closed windows, attempting to escape enclosures, etc.
Collie puppies must have their eyes checked by a veterinarian or canine optomologist between 5 and 7 weeks of age and a copy of the results sent to the Stud Owner(s).
Understand: A bitch that may pose a danger to herself, the stud dog, people, etc. and may be returned before/without breeding. In which case all monies except the booking and boarding portion will be refunded. The stud owner can not be responsible for extreme behavior by the bitch, for example: dog fighting, refusing the stud, biting people, extreme escape attempts, refusing to eat/drink, etc.

Stud Dog Owner's Responsibilities:

Screen bitches with the long term future of the breed in mind; and happy, healthy puppies the goal.
Provide bitch owner with Brucellosis, bacteria, ovulation timing test results if requested.
* Provide bitch owner with copies of stud's pedigree, registration, health testing, show record upon payment of all stud fees.
Prevent the bitch from having any contact with other dog's while she is visiting the stud.
Attempt a natural or AI breeding every other day while the bitch is receptive or as timing test indicate.
House and care for the visiting bitch as if she was one of my own dogs.
Have the stud dog clean, healthy and ready to breed for the bitch's anticipated cycle dates.
Refund the booking fee and/or stud fees already paid if the requested stud is not ready and available for the anticipated breeding dates.
Refund the stud fees already paid if the bitch can not be bred naturally or by Artificial Insemination ie wrong dates, etc.
Booking Fees/Deposits are not refundable.
______Unless the bitch owner wants to apply the paid monies to an alternate stud: _________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sign the litter registration application upon contract fulfillment.

A litter consists of at least 3 living puppies at one week of age.
If a veterinarian certifies that a litter did not result within 75 days of the first breeding: then the bitch may return for one free repeat breeding service within 12 months to any of DK's stud of the same breed. No repeat visits until the initial Payment Plan has been completed and/or all initial contract fees have been paid. A substitute bitch may be served at DK's discretion if the original bitch is not available.
Boarding fees will apply on the repeat visit. The first Cash stud fee and booking fee will be applied to the repeat visit. If no litter results from the repeat visit the contract is terminated. Only one free repeat breeding cycle per contract.
______ The Booking Fee/Non refundable Deposit of $_________________________________________ is agreed to by all parties.
_______The Stud Fee of _________________________________________________________________ is agreed to by all parties.
Booking Fee $__________________________________________________ received on _________________ with signed contract.
Doberman Pinscher and Collie Payment Plan:
½ Stud Fee $____________________________________________________________________ received before 1st service attempt.
¼ Stud Fee $______________________ received within 75 days of first breeding date.
¼ Stud Fee $______________________ received before stud owner signs the litter registration.

The stud owner will not sign any litter registration paperwork until the entire stud fee has been received.

Ranch Pyr and Livestock Guardian Dog Payment Plan:
½ Stud Fee $____________________________________________________________________ received before 1st service attempt.
½ Stud Fee $________________________________________________________________________received at 1st service attempt.
In the case of Cash Stud Fees: If the stud owner wishes to purchase a puppy from the resulting litter the puppy's total price will not exceed the Stud Fee. Booking/non refundable Deposit monies are NOT part of the Stud Fee. The purchased puppy will have full breeding registration and may have the stud's and bitch's kennel names included in the registered name.

Desert Kennels does not routinely accept puppies for stud fees. Pick of the Litter does not cover the booking fee.

Pick of the Litter Fee: The stud owner will get first pick of the litter before any other sales/reservations. The stud owner will inform the bitch owner of their preliminary pick (color/sex or best potential for a particular job, etc.) by the age of__________- so the bitch owner can start accepting reservations on part of the litter. The stud owner will pick the individual puppy by the age of ____________. The picked pup will be delivered by __________. If picked pup can't be delivered for some reason the stud's compensation will be $___________ OR _________ the stud's second pick and third pick of the litter:
1st Pick Puppy:

2nd Pick Puppy:

3rd Pick Puppy:

Stud owner(s) pick(s) with get ______full registration/breeding rights on the stud fee puppy(s). Stud owner(s) can not demand cropped ears before delivery but may demand delivery while the pup is still young enough to crop. Stud owner(s) may dictate tail docking length and dewclaw removal of their chosen pup if the decision is made in time before the operation. Stud fee puppy(s) delivery details:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
The stud owner(s) may withhold the dates of service, copies of stud's certificates, pedigree, etc. and/or not sign the litter paperwork until entire stud fee is received.

The stud owner ____ may OR ____ may not change from a stud fee puppy to a cash stud fee. The litter's Registration Papers:
The resulting puppies will go home with _____limited registration OR ____full breeding rights registration
____ OR __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Boarding at Desert Kennels: Anticipated length of boarding_______________________________________________________________________.
Length of boarding is not guaranteed and can be shortened by either party or extended with both parties agreeing.
A boarding fee of _______ per day while the bitch resides with the stud owner will apply and be paid:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
The stud owner(s) will keep the bitch in the house, on leash, in a crate, fence or in a kennel at all times.
___________________________ (bitch owner/co-owner) has personally inspected and approved of the home and outdoor and indoor kennel facilities where the visiting bitch will be housed/bred, etc.
__________________________ (bitch owner/co-owner) has approved of the home and indoor and out door kennels and facilities via pictures. The visiting bitch arrived with (food, equipment, etc) ________________________________________________________________________________________
All parties understand that breeding animals can be unpredictable, hard to control and dangerous. Dog fights, dog bites, injuries to people and animals can result. Damage to kennels, crates, furniture and other property can result. All parties agree to enter into this contract "at their own risk" and "at their own risk to their own dogs and property". All parties will only be financially responsible for the animals, equipment, etc that they owned upon arrival. If the visiting bitch dies or escapes due to Desert Kennels negligence and can not be recovered while at Desert Kennels the bitch owner(s) compensation will be________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
All parties understand that bloodlines, health testing for genetic concerns, show quality, pedigrees and other canine information without owner's contact info and without the dog/bitch's identifying name or reg # may be released to other people inquiring about the breed in general.

Prices and Discounts: Please contact me.