SearchWhen is a male Doberman ready to mate?
Koda recently attended a dog show where he received promising results from the judges. I don't speak French so I was unable to fully understand what they were saying. Another French speaking Dobe owner listened in and I was told that Koda holds great promise for when he is able to breed and believes he will probably win a title next year as compared to many of the Dobes here, Koda really looks good. Actually both his parents are from France and have titles, what exactly I am not sure, but he has very good blood and has the attributes and temperament of a beautiful dog. I am new to this dog show business. All this title business is not really of concern for me but at the very least I am happy to say I believe his morphology will meet the standard. This same Dobe owner called me up and asked if I was prepared to allow Koda to mate with his female as he believes the two of them would make a good breeding pair.
Koda is 12 month old. Is he ready for this? Thank you in advance for your advice and input.
Love and peace
Koda is a nice looking dog but you must know the bloodline of Koda and the female or like Sweetpea said you may be creating issues for the puppies. It's always a great feeling to have anyone compliment your dog's appearance, but that is not sufficient reason to breed.
I know my most favorite collie was Levi he was gorgeous, he fit the standard great according to my limited knowledge at the time so I was interested in showing him in local events and took him to one to just wander around and get familiar with the sounds and smells and other dogs, when we got out of the car every person at the collie ring began looking at Levi then furiously brushing their dog's coat up in order to make the dog appear to have a thicker coat than it had, Levi had a natural double 'bear' coat and it was so long it brushed the ground at his chest, he was just beautiful with a personality to match. We stood around watching the collie judging while everyone else was watching us with worried looks, I honestly didn't put it together until the end when the Judge came over and asked why we had not entered Levi and I said I was just getting him used to the atmosphere she said "I was so hoping you were entering him he would have won" I said "oh well thank you but we are here for fun" she said " let me look at your dog" she examined him and said the only issue she found was that his eyes might be a tad too small but that was all. We were flattered for Levi's sake, however, had anyone approached us for stud work we would have said no, even with my limited knowledge then I still knew that with collies the eyes are a BIG factor and if he has small eyes then he was not breed worthy to me regardless of his bloodline. Compliments about the appearance of your dog are great but no reason to turn your dog into a stud dog. Levi was never neutered as he never had any issues; no one had any idea he was not neutered, several people did approach us later about using him for stud and although my husband wanted to try that, I told him I loved Levi the way he was and I didn't have his complete bloodline, his eyes were too small and I would never allow it and number one I didn't want his personality to change and become focused on finding a female, Levi had no idea that he was an intact male and I wanted to keep it that way.
So enjoy the compliments and be proud that you are not creating more homeless dobermans or god forbid abused ones, revel in Koda as Koda - a handsome boy with a great home and lots of love; and do take the advice here about really knowing everything you can possibly find out about the doberman and health issues & how to identify that in his chart and the female's chart this is a course of study that will keep you busy for a long time; you must show him and get input from judges and breeders etc. There are alot of years of research in your future before Koda should even be considered as a stud dog - breeding is about bettering the breed and unless you are certain that that is what you are doing then don't. I agree with Sweetpea if you visit the doberman rescues you will see what happens when the research is not done some are truly not doberman looking at all. Do your research.....good luck with whatever you decide....
Sweatpea, you're an Angel! This was exactly what I needed to hear today and thank you for your prompt response. I don't mean to be writing a novel but as passionate as you are, I am becoming everyday having Koda as a member of our family and would like to share my little story with you and anyone who cares to read this.Today several things happenned and the large part of my day was taken up with Koda and my eldest son (12yrs) who is now my designated Koda assistant! 
1. Koda, River and I had our first tracking experience 2. Spoke with chap who wants Koda to stud 3. Met with the breeder from whom I got Koda.
This afternoon, I took Koda and River with some "yummi" liver (NOT-I'm vegetarian lol) to the sugar cane fields near to where we live. It was about 35 degrees centigrade and it was cooling off. We decided to start using Kodas impressive nose. I figure with such an aristocratic nose, surely there had to be some use for it. We parked in the middle of the field somewhere. River then darted off with my wifes mobile into the sugar cane to hide. After a few minutes we gave chase and Koda definitely caught his sent after I made him sniff River's smelly soccer boot. I contacted River and he remained in contact while were searching, now and again i would tell him to whistle just to help a little. Koda did fantastic and found him. It was just then I got a call from this gentleman who wants Koda to stud. We agreed to meet Sunday morning and that in principle I didn't really mind Koda doing the deed. Mmm... was not to sure about this but I could hear he was really keen, since he was a licenced breeder.We finished up in the field and went on to meet with Koda's breeder who was doing some shutzhund training.
When I spoke to him, firstly he warned me that this guy who wanted Koda to stud was a "seller" and not a "breeder." It kind of confirmed my doubts and suspicions. When I asked the guy wanting to breed with Koda, if Koda was too young, he could only give me examples of other dog types where it was okay to do this. He is the vice-president of the island's Doberman Club and a registered breeder, surely he he should know exactly how one should set about breeding Dobermans and that it could be detrimental to Koda's development. Surely the goal is to improve the breed. (Just very quickly, you mentioned about the strange looking Dobes. I attended a show and met at the local Dobe club. Actually, I was not sure if I was at the right place because none of them looked like a Doberman.lol)So later, when hearing that this chap is a "seller" (in it for the cash) and not a "breeder" (for the right reasons as you have so clearly stated), I feel so much more at ease now to tell the guy, "No thank you."
Taking into consideration Koda's geneology now that I have the papers, I am very proud to say the he comes from a long line of French/German ancestry. I really did not realise that Koda come from 4 generations of champions on BOTH SIDES of the tree. This is all new to me and I am not even going to be able to realise all Koda's potential because of my inexperience. But do you know what? He's been adopted into our family just like my daughter and is now one of us. And we'll all do our best for him, and I am sure that he'll be just fine.
Thanks Sweatpea for all your input! Every word of what you said makes perfect sense.
Thank you.
Love and peace
Congrats on the tracking!!! That is such a rewarding experience to share with your dog, working dogs love to have a job!! I am working on carting Ben my rottie, he loves seeing his leashes/halter coming out to drag the laundry around. So I know Koda will start to beg to go out and track, keep us posted on his progress!!! Love the veggie treats, we use vegetarian here too
Good job on the tracking! That can be a really rewarding thing to do with your dog, if you can pursue it more I'm sure Koda will love it.
I think you made the right decision. It's great that your breeder was able to help steer you away from the seller. By the sounds of it he is a really handsome boy, so it's not surprising that someone would ask you about using him for stud(hell, I've had people on the street ask to breed my BYB girl, who is FAR from perfect conformationally). As for what you said about Koda not being able to reach his potential...maybe not in terms of the show ring, but I think his potential as a family member has just as much if not more value! :)
I would recommend that you let someone far more experienced guide you in any breeding decisions. If his breeder is someone that you respect, and they are respected in the breed, then I would let them be your mentor. It is pretty simple to tell anyone that asks you about breeding to your dog that they need to discuss it with his breeder.... that way they won't hound you and will also know that they can't take advantage of a newbie.
All the show males I have sold have a clause in their contract that all breeding decisions MUST be approved by me - I don't have a financial interest in the stud fees, but I sure have an interest in where my dogs genes end up :-) It makes it easy for the owners - who for the most part have no experience in breeding and don't know the people in the Doberman world.
@ Talisin: I just reread your comment and would like to thank you too for you input. This 'breeding thing' is as important as you say it is and like you said, it's gonna take plenty of research and study. All the pointers you have given now give me the words to say when I meet these rather pushy "sellers" who are just out there to make money. It is important that we improve the breed. I was taking a look at his papers that strangely enough I only got a week ago, after 8 months! I had seen them before, but it meant very little to me at the time. I was buying Koda on the recommendation of a knowledgeable friends who confirms exactly what you and sweatpea have said. Koda has a terrific bloodline and would like to keep things that way. I have more or less decided, that the only time I will mate him is when I have an equally if not better Dobermann female. I am so passionate about Koda and can't wait until I can't wait to get another. There aren't many to choose from on this island. That also tells you, there ain't that great a demand, so would it be helping the breed. I still want to get a female though!
So thank you again for your valued input.
Love and peace
@Fitzmar: Some clever tips there,mmm..."speak to his breeder,"...I like that one!
Yip! It's always good to know where your genes go, for sure!"Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!"
I mean your dog's of course.:)
So glad to have helped, it really is great to know that a post has helped in some way. Can't wait to see more pics of Koda, and have fun studying bloodline charts, it's like geneology for people but for dogs, do your homework, and be sure to share your findings with us.....
You know I have ONLY rescued never ever purchased a dog - oh take that back I did give a guy $50 for a female doberman that needed to get out of that neighborhood - not good - so I did buy her but I still consider her a rescue - all my dogs have been breed dogs - I have had collies for 26 years now, a whippet, a chihuahua, a welsh springer spaniel; a german shepherd; cocker spaniel; and a Lab. I believe in breed rescue; well rescue period but if you are looking for a specific breed begin with the breed rescues, and when you start looking at the number of breed rescues you realize how unfortunate it is that people do choose to breed without full knowledge of the bloodline and the awards to back it up. Seeing how many breed rescues and how many dogs are in those individual sites makes one take a deep breath and then cry; way too many dogs bred without thought to where they will end up in the end. And now with the economy like it is there are WAY TOO many well bred breed dogs being turned into the LOCAL shelters - these people do not call the breed rescues and if they do the rescue may be full, so they have to hope that when they leave their dog a kind shelter worker will then call a breed rescue to save the dog, BUT big BUT here - owner relinquished dogs are euthanized first, most are just taken to the back and given 24 hours max to find a home if that, one would expect they would be the easier dogs to adopt out cause they have some history but not the case - strays have to have the cage space so that owners can come claim their pets and when cage space is limited the owner turn ins are PTS immediately. A harsh reality that most people do not know or are not willing to see. This is why we are so vocal about not breeding without a full knowledge and acceptance of what your puppies may endure in their life, not to mention making sure one is bettering the breed.
Just some other insights into a puppy's possible life circumstances once it is out of your hands, do you add to the already huge breed rescue listings or not......
glad you have decided to wait..... congrats on being able to take the info everyone provided, it definitely allows for anyone to make an informed decision and whichever way you go it is at least informed....that's the best you can do...hugs to Koda and more pics!!!
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No he's not. If you made a point of purchasing him as a puppy from titled, health tested parents then you already know the importance of doing those things with Koda before he should be even considered for breeding. Who was it that asked if he could use Koda for stud? And what are his reasons for saying they would make a good pair? How old is the bitch and what titles does she have, what health testing has she had? What are the common health problems/causes of death in her lineage, and how do they compare to those from Koda's lineage?
It's nice that the French judges complimented your dog, but if you want to do this the right way you need to enter him in some shows and see how he stacks up against the other dogs in conformation, obedience, etc. You can't piggyback on his parents titles, he needs to achieve those things on his own.
I know you're thinking that titles don't matter if all you want to do is produce pets(and I used to feel the same way), but they do. Titling ensures that your dog meets the breed standard, has an appropriate temperament, etc. If dogs didn't compete in shows we would completely lose what the doberman breed is in a matter of years. All you have to do is check out a doberman rescue website and compare the dogs that end up there to those that are being produced by quality breeders - some of them are barely recognizable as dobes - and you will see what I mean. Those dogs are the product of people who have a nice dog, want to make a bit of money, and think that since Fido is the best pet I could ever ask for and I love her to pieces that we should make more of her. They produce dogs that are out of standard, have health problems, temperament problems, and don't screen their homes which is why so many end up in rescue. Sad, isn't it?
People often think that offering their dog for stud is a great way to make a quick buck - and then you don't have to deal with the pregnant bitch, her delivery, puppy care for 2 or more months and finding new homes. But those who do it responsibly(and ethically) health test their males extensively and are very picky about who their male mates with. How ethical the owner of the bitch is (in terms of her health testing, caring for the pups, and finding new homes with contracts that require the owners to return the pups if at any point in their life they can no longer care for it) is just the tip of the iceberg. How would you feel if you found out one of Koda's offspring was abused, or bounced from home to home, or killed before his/her 2nd birthday at a shelter because their owners liked the look of the doberman but realized it was too much work after they brought one home? Without propper screening, those things happen all the time.
I'm sorry for the novel...I don't mean to preach I just think you need to think this through and do more research before you make a decision.