- Good coloring and/or pigmentation. This is rather self-explanatory. If you prefer red brindles, for instance, and your female is white, then you need to choose a stud that is heavy on red brindle in his pedigree. It is not necessary for the stud to be red brindle himself but to have plenty of red brindle generations back. Same with all the other colors.
If your female is a little too pink around the eyes and mouth, then choose a stud that is darker, or black around the eyes and mouth. Bright, true coloring is desired, and white markings will set off the darker colors adding 'flash' to the look of the dog.
- Good breathing: Ask the owner of the stud dog if he has had to have
nare surgery to open up the nose holes so he can breathe better. Look at his nose.
Look at the noses of other pups he has produced. Ask about the elongated palate. Did the stud have to have palate surgery? How about his pups?
- Good structure. A proper structured Bulldog will have good thick bone in his legs, a nice big head, a large, heavy rib cage, a definite shape to his body back of the rib cage and a smaller rear end.
His body will not be too short nor too long. All the structure you can see for yourself. If he is built right, then his relatives were built right too, because this is bred in.
- The right bone. The fore legs and the hind legs should be thick. Put your fingers around his 'wrist' and if it feels as large or larger than your own wrist, then he has good bone.
- Good health. Is the stud dog active and alert, and appearing happy? Or does he cough or gag when he runs? What does his veterinarian say about his health? Ask. Ask. Ask. And remember that an obese dog could be that way because of poor health.
- Good jaw alignment. Look at the lower canine teeth of the male. Then look at his six little front teeth between these two canine teeth. Those six little teeth should be straight across the gum. A mouth curved, even slightly, with these front teeth is an improper mouth. Overlapped little teeth are not right. Little tiny and gappy front teeth, with one or more set below the others is not right.
LOOK for yourself.
- Well developed and healthy spine: See him wag or move his tail. If he cannot wag his tail, then you don't want this tail in your pups. Even screwed tails will move a little if it is the end of a healthy spine. Also, the tail should be set high on the rear end but never up on the back. A tail that appears to be shooting out of the top of the back may mean some big time problems with the pups. Beware of a too short body - you want to find a stud with a good short body but not so short that he looks like a box. Too short a body is a sign of something being seriously wrong because a Bulldog is not
naturally built that way. A back that is high above the rib cage then dips down slightly and then goes back up to the rear end is what you need. Straight across the back is not good. Look at the picture describing the standard.
- Good tail. Bulldogs have tails and a good tail is at least two and a half to three inches long, even as long as four or five inches. Screwed tails will be the same length even though they are curled around. A little 'nub' of a tail is not right and indicates either that the tail was docked or else the spine is not fully developed.
- Good eyes: Bulldogs should have nice, round, open and clear eyes and they should be dark brown. Squinting and tearing indicates 'bad eyes', either from entropion or
extropion. Blue eyes are not acceptable.
- Good personality: You will be able to determine this the minute you meet the stud. Either he will run to you and beg for attention, or else he will shy back and appear uninterested in you. The true Bulldog personality is very friendly.
- Mentally alert: Do his ears perk when he hears his name? Is he very interested in you and your female? Does he watch and follow your movements? If yes, then most likely he is okay.
- Looking like a Bulldog: This is the easy one. Just get those pictures set in your mind and then you will notice immediately a Bulldog that just does not look right. Big head, shorter front legs, big rib cage, nice rosed ears, good eyes, a black nose, heavy wrinkles, and a tail will all come together in that
'Bulldog' look.
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Perfection is what you should be trying to produce.
Since no Bulldog or any other animal including human is perfect, you'll want to produce the best possible. Pups you will be proud to claim as their breeder, pups you will be proud to carry your name on their registration papers for many, many years.
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You must take a good, long and honest look at your female. Decide what she has going for her, and what little traits you would like to have a tad better in the pups you produce. We all want big heads, nice wrinkles, round, and clear eyes, good every thing and we all know we do not have a Bulldog that is 100% in what we desire. Study the American Kennel Club's approved
Bulldog Club of America standards set for
Bulldogs, then go shopping for the right male to compliment your female, and produce the 'as near to perfect' pups as you could hope for.
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You heard someone say that there was a great stud dog in your neighborhood. He may be great, and he may be a good-looking Bulldog. Go see for yourself. Ask all the questions you can about him, and ask for a copy of his pedigree. A pedigree will not show you the whole story, but you can certainly check it out and make sure there is no incestuous, haphazard breeding in his background. Contact via this great
world wide web, reputable breeders and ask them about the Bulldogs named in the pedigree.
Many established breeders have computer programs to track pedigrees and names on these pedigrees, and can even cross match the registration numbers of the Bulldogs,
giving you very important information on them. Someone is going to recognize at least some of the names on the pedigree and be able to give you some health information. Champion titled Bulldogs are easier to trace and therefore the more 'CH's you find on that pedigree, the more trustworthy that stud dog will be health wise. Next ask about previous litters this dog has sired and about health problems with any of those pups. People who are proud of the pups their stud has produced will gladly furnish you with names of owners of the pups because this helps build up their stud dog's reputation as a good stud.
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You will find many studs available in Bulldog publications, usually males that have attained their 'Championship' title. The title is great, and is well deserved, but it does not mean that because you like his looks, he will produce what you desire to produce in your pups. Some owners are offering 'shipped, frozen semen' - beware. You better go see that guy for yourself before you send off your check. Sure he looks great in the picture but pictures are not always 'true'. Everyone's camera takes a different picture and the best that could be gotten of that great looking dog is the one being shown in the book. You need to see his total face. You need to see those nice straight teeth. You need to feel that correctly upturned chin and see him able to hold his head up on his own. You want to see his sides - both of them. You want to see him walk. You want to see him wag his tail and most of all you want to see that tail and feel it yourself.
WEIGHT is a big, or small, deal too. The standard says 50 pounds for the males, forty pounds for the females. Breed your little 42 pound darling to one of those 75 pound guys and you are going to have some big, big, big pups. You might get one the right to the standard size, but most will be small horses by the time they are grown. So what if your little darling is not so 'little'? Maybe she is at least 50 pounds herself? Then you surely do not want to go with
a larger, heavier male. You will need to find one not an ounce over 50 pounds when he is as heavy as possible for him, and this will result in about half the litter maturing out to the proper size and the other half maturing out rather large.
This smaller stud still needs to have all the qualities you desire.
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It is very difficult to find a stud dog that is perfect in every detail you desire. The important things are size, bone structure, health, well-developed spine and tail (the tail hopefully will be very straight, at least two and a half to three inches long and wag-able) and a good personality. Titles mean nothing when it comes to finding 'Mr. Right' for you. Cost means nothing either. Just because a stud dog carries a high sum for stud fee does not
necessarily make him suitable. If you find a bargain priced stud service, you may well find out that you got what you paid for, and will be paying for in many years to come. But it may mean that he just happens to be reasonably priced. Find out what the deal is 'before' you place your money on him.
Do your homework.
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Which is better - a stud dog that can naturally breed, or a stud dog that will be 'handled' for an artificial insemination? First of all, you are not going to find many unhealthy Bulldogs that can naturally breed. You can find ugly ones and ones that do not have the traits you are looking for but it takes a very healthy, good breathing, energetic and enthusiastic male Bulldog to naturally breed.
Good ones are out there.
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Of course if you are ordering semen you will never know if a male is too fat, too lethargic, or just plain unhealthy unless you visit him first.
He will have to be handled for the job. This doesn't mean that all artificial inseminations are from poor quality studs, it just means that you better be more careful when it comes to the health issues. Some high quality stud dogs are never given the chance to breed naturally, and once they are accustomed to being handled for the job, it becomes difficult to change them.
Remember that a title of championship does not guarantee health nor does a natural breeder always guarantee anything other
than a fair bet that he is as healthy as possible.
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For your information: Natural breeding takes human help. It requires at least two strong people, one to support the female and one to support the stud dog.
It requires a controlled temperature environment so the stud will not become overheated. Artificial insemination requires the insertion of a tube or pipette into your female's vagina and the collection of the semen in a container. Then the semen is transferred to a syringe, which is then attached to the tube and pumped into the female. A.K.C. registration requires a veterinarian to attest to the artificial insemination process and the veterinarian's signature on the puppy litter registration form.
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Pros and Cons: Natural breeding eliminates the need for the veterinarian's assistance and signature. Studs that are natural breeders are much more difficult to locate, and since you have specific traits you want in a stud, this makes finding a naturally breeding stud even more
difficult. But it can be done.
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Artificial insemination gives you a broader field of studs to choose from.
Artificial insemination is a lot easier on you and the owners of the stud. There is a risk of the tube being inserted into the bladder and this sometimes results in a nasty urinary tract infection. In the vagina, there is a risk of infection due to the utensils required for the process and there is a higher risk of your female not conceiving due to the stress of the process and a higher risk of the sperm being damaged or killed due in the process. But it can be done.
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What you should require of the stud dog's owner: Proof of the stud dog's having sired at least one healthy and hardy litter prior to you using his services. He must have been tested for a positive sperm count prior to the breeding if this is his first attempt. He should have all his vaccines up to date and a veterinarian's statement to that effect. He must be tested for venereal disease
when used as a natural breeder, prior to each and every stud service, and a veterinarian's statement that he has been tested. A contract that fully states any and all terms of the stud service (this contract is signed by both the owner of the stud and the owner of the bitch).
Beware if a written contract is not a requirement.
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A stud dog's owner should be willing and eager to follow the pregnancy of your female, and if at all possible, to be there at the time of the delivery of the pups, then be available to help you with the pups when you need help. Most established stud dog owners will provide you with written, and verbal, instructions on the proper care of your female during the pregnancy. These instructions will tell you the warning signs of a pregnancy in trouble, other changes to expect in your female during the pregnancy and when to expect the pups and a good Bulldog veterinarian to deliver the pups if you do not have one of your own.
Stud dog owners should want, and have, an interest in placing the pups once they are eight weeks old. The better quality stud dogs are usually very popular and so are their pups, so the smartest way to place the pups is to follow the lead of the stud dog's owner. He/she will recognize the quality of the pups and what prices you can expect for the pups.
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Beware of any stud dog's owner being willing to stud their dog to just any female that comes along. These are the stud dog owners that are just in it for the money and care nothing about the breed. If you are not requested to bring your female to visit them prior to the stud service so they can evaluate her and approve the stud service, then don't use that stud. This is why you need to start looking for the right stud months before the actual mating. Beware if the stud dog's owner does not require that your female be in just as good health as the stud dog, that her vaccines are up to date, that a venereal disease test be done
and a veterinarian's signed statement of approval for your female being bred. Sometimes you find people owning a female Bulldog who just want to breed her for whatever reason. A veterinarian knows of any health problems with the female, or other problems, is not going to sign an approval for her to be bred. Same goes for the male Bulldog. So an owner of a stud dog will need this approval if he is not
familiar with your female. BEWARE of any stud dog owner not requesting you to view the entire mating. DO NOT trust anyone when it comes to the actual breeding unless you can see it for yourself. Do not leave your female boarded at a stud dog owner's home for the duration of the breeding process. If you can't be with her, then don't breed her. Chances are she will be very upset if you leave her and even more upset when strangers are handling her for a breeding that she does not understand. Many, many females do not conceive due to this stress.
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Note: Venereal disease in a dog can be passed along to a virgin male or female dog. Sexual experience is not necessary. Dogs can (and do) lick each other in the weirdest places, and thus pass the disease, or catch the disease themselves, this way.
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Facts:
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All the intense planning and selecting of the mating of your female and a particular stud dog insures you of nothing. The end result will be determined by the 'chemistry' of the two of them 'working' together in producing the pups - her genes and his genes interacting. The two best examples of a male and female Bulldog could be mated with disastrous results. Luckily, of course, this is not often the case, but it does happen from time to time.
Select the best stud, to the best of your knowledge, and pray for the best results.
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Tails - I was very careful in trying to reproduce the nice, longer spiked tail one of my females had. I chose a stud dog that had a very nice straight longer tail too. What did I get on the pups? Eight screwed tails! - not one straight tail in the litter. So what went wrong? The female's dam had a screwed tail and her sire had the nice straight tail. The stud dog's dam had a screwed tail and his sire had the straight tail and on back through the pedigree, the ratio of straight tails versus screwed tails was about fifty/fifty. Chances were that I would produce at least half a litter with nice straight tails and the other half with screwed tails, but that did not happen.
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Anasarca (water pups) - I noticed that several pups sired by one particular male suffered from the condition called Anasarca, or the Walrus pup syndrome. I knew it had to be caused by something wrong with that male. There were three females with different bloodlines that were mated to this male and each one of them had pups full of fluid. This stud dog has since sired four more litters, by four different females, and not a one of the pups has been full of fluid. It was either something to do with the chemistry between this stud and each of those three females, or something that could be blamed solely on the female.
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Spinal problems - if the nerves of the spinal column are interrupted somehow, then you have problems. Unusually short bodies and/or with very tight tails are a warning sign when choosing a stud. The tail 'finishes' off the nerves of the spine by tapering off the ends of the nerves naturally. This is why it is so important to be able to actually see the dog able to wag and move his tail. Interrupted nerves will not function properly and cause pain to the tail or make it unable to move. This is a genetic problem and is
likely to pass on to the pups produced/sired by the Bulldog suffering this problem. |
