Questions? Contact Lauren

We receive calls from all over Australia requesting Stud Master services. In the past we have attempted to support people from afar during some hilarious phone calls, shaky video and all sorts of comical situations!! We also receive emails from around the world asking specific questions about practical breeding/mating issues that dog breeders encounter. Our head office and practical breeding support services are based in Brisbane, Australia, so unfortunately we cannot always be “Johnny on the Spot”.

But…demand drives outcomes!! So we have developed a Mini Course called “Stud MasterY” that specifically supports dog handlers who are volunteering for service dog organisations, or dog breeders who do not have professional support in their area. This collection of videos, templates, quick tips and cheat sheets can be accessed from anywhere, online, at any time…with lifetime access! So if you are in a precarious position (literally!) you can pull your smart phone out of your pocket and access everything you need to know to develop your skills as an attentive and ethical Stud Master.

Remember to check out our range of FREE resources too!

Yes. It’s very important in my opinion. You gain so much information from a progesterone profile…and you can project and predict so many breeding parameters using the information on a progesterone profile. Such as;

·   When a Brood ovulates and when her fertile window is for mating/AI

·   When to start introducing a Stud Dog to a Brood. No, he won’t instinctively know “when the time’s right” 

·   When to schedule a diagnostic pregnancy ultrasound

·   An accurate due date for the litter

·   Trends within Brood lines, from generation to generation

·   Trends for an individual Brood

Visit our Mini Course “Ovulation Station” for one-on-one upskilling on season management directly from the Service Dog breeding program I founded and oversee. AND…check our out FREE cheat sheets in our resources section!

No Breeding requires careful planning, research of a pedigree, review of health and temperament documents – and ultimately a very clear vision of why a Brood is being bred – and also, what a Stud Dog offers that endeavour. If a Service Dog organisation or private dog breeder approaches me well in advance, with a goal to discuss health and temperament in depth and a clear vision of the type of puppy they aim to breed (and most importantly what role those pups will have in life) then I’m very happy to discuss plans and options.

I believe that breeding a litter is a huge responsibility. It is a considerable commitment of time and finances. You must be in a position, both professionally and financially, to be able to manage any negative outcomes from the decisions you make, should any arise. Even the most diligent of breeders, who research their decisions extensively, may see unforeseen issues arise that were unexpected. DNA and genes do not always behave in a way that is predictable…which is in fact where the “art”, alongside the science of breeding, has it’s day. I talk extensively about the process I believe every breeder needs to work through before deciding to breed a litter in my FREE resource “Should I breed my dog?” in our FREE resources section.

In a nut shell….not every dog should be bred. There is plenty of room in this world to care for and love a dog and not ask them to reproduce. I hear some owners say that they “love their dog and think they’d be a great mum” or they “love their dog so much” they want to breed a litter so they can keep one of their offspring, or simply that they “think they are cute”. None of these reasons should motivate someone to bring more dogs in to the world. My belief is that a dog should be bred for a purpose. The purpose may very well be as a pet companion, it may be as a service dog…but there must be a plan in place, a specific reason to bring those dogs into the world other than because the mother of the litter is “cute…and loved” by it’s owner. At least 50% of a litter should be booked before it is conceived in my opinion and the dogs should have purpose. Both sire and dam should be fully assessed. By “fully assessed” I refer to:

·   Hip and elbow radiographs that are certified on a recognised scoring scheme

·   Ophthalmic examination  by a specialist (eye exam)

·   Cardiac exam by a specialist (echocardiogram)

·   DNA testing (a full-breed- DNA panel if one is available for your breed. E.g. test for all available inherited diseases known to your breed of dog)

·   Behavioural assessment by an experienced trainer (this person will assess your dogs level of confidence/fear, distraction levels toward dogs, cats, livestock, movement, scents etc, resource guarding, aggression, attitudes toward children, other dogs, your dogs’ environmental soundness, willingness to please and trainability…along with other things such as travel nausea and sound sensitivity. You want to know that your dog is not going to pass on behavioural trends that would make it’s offspring difficult to live with, or predispose your dogs progeny to be anxious, stressed or a risk to others. This is responsibility that every dog breeder should take very seriously in my opinion. Behavioural assessment is the most overlooked assessment criteria when I speak to dog breeders, unfortunately.

Most breeders I speak with are anxious about the possibility of something happening during their dogs labour or whelping that they don’t understand or have knowledge of. I completely understand how nervous and stressed people can become when they start to think about the “what if’s”. The reality is that pregnant dogs can run in to trouble and the key is to have information and knowledge at hand. This can be very difficult if you are facing decisions at 2am in the morning, or if your local vet is an hour away. That’s why we developed our online course “Whelp with Confidence” so breeders could gather information, upskill, and prepare in the comfort of their own home. My course gives breeders direct access to me with an opportunity to ask questions, tap into my experience and gather the information they need on a fortnightly basis through our Facebook LIVE sessions.

Without delving into the course and it’s videos – here’s a few little tips:

Your dog feels everything you do – do inform yourself, upskill and prepare well. If you feel anxious, your dog will be in an anxious environment….and a good whelping is a relaxed whelping! 

Set up your whelping area well ahead of time and be organised. I am pedantic about setting up a whelping space and the “kit” I like to have on hand. I share more about this in my FREE resources section’

Set up your support network and contact numbers – Let your repro vet (if you have one) know your dogs due date, find out who is on call over those few days, ensure your care is reliable and ready should you need to travel in the small hour of the morning, if you need someone to care for your children when your dog goes in to labour – set that up also

And once more – set up a calm relaxed environment!! Eliminate the “what if’s” that you are ruminating over! The best way to do this is by informing yourself and giving yourself the best opportunity to understand what you re observing in your dog!