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Taking Care of
Your Canine Stud/s
In the years that our family has been involved with dog breeding, much has been made about the wisdom of proper health and nutirtion of one's brood bitches. However, not much has been written about the importance of a stud's physical conditioning, nutrition and social envoironment.
In fact, a reputaible breeder has the responsibility to manage planned breedings with bitches in heat, bitches in resting heat i.e. bitches too young to breed, skipped heats for optimum health of the bitch and the momentous desire for a male to copulate. Not a small responsibility all things considered. Now, add another male to the mix and things can seem to complicate exponentially.
Physical Conditioning
In the olden days, it was not uncommon to see breeders kennel their breeding stock fulltime. While this essentially eliminates the possibility of unplanned breeding it also has been found to destroy a dogs psychological and physical well-being. A dog such as the Boston Terrier, who was bred as a companion dog feels lost without their human family and their canine pack. Some seem to develop a sense of "Learned Helplessness" exhibiting hyperactivity, inappropriate wetting and showing submissive behaviors. The drive to reproduce is very strong in the canine world. Many have heard the stories of studs breeding through chain-link fences, scaling 6-8 foot walls, etc. However, a well conditioned male, who is exercised several times a week, will feel more relaxed and be more confident when his services are needed. In addition, they are less apt to try the impossible to get to the female mutt down the street. A good run 3-5 times a week, of approximate 1/2 to 3/4 mile will keep a stud in tip-top shape, avoiding obesity and the diseases associated with an out-of-shape canine. I run our dogs on my bike avoiding letting them cross in front of me or disobey a "Leave It" command when a rabbit dashes across our street. They love it when I get the bike out of the garage.
Nutrition
Most of us worry about our budgets these days and rightfully so. Human food and canine kibble is really getting expensive. It can be very tempting to schrimp on your dog's food. In addition, when reading the ingredient labels it can be very confusing what is actually in your dog's kibble. So, here is a couple of easy and fast rules to help one make the right choice.
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Secondly, the purer the protein the better. Protein should be first on the list and the name should be short. Example - Chicken (Excellent) , Chicken meal (Good) , Chicken Meal By Product (Not Good!!!)
- Thirdly, do some homework on the origins of a manufacturer's ingredients. It is now a well known fact that the dog food industry is not regulated. In fact, it is common for some companies to add renderings from other animals as filler to beef up the protein content. Some of you will be surprised to know that renderings can include euthanized animals such as dog and cats, as long as they don't exceed a certain percentage. Now that's frightening
- Fourthly, the worst offenders are wet dog food. These are almost always outsourced to companies that have no real chemistry knowledge of a canines nutrition. **We are strong believers in human-quality protein sources. Examples Include: boneless boiled-cubed chicken, hard boiled diced eggs, cottage cheese. A flat of boneless chicken breasts are a much purer source of protein then most canned wet dog food and cheaper too.
- Lastly, the money spent on HIGH Quality food can be saved on a lifetime of vet bills and uncommonly healthy dogs and litters.
Social Environment
A male Canines's primary drives are to hunt, reproduce and protect the pack. I'm sure there are others but for time sake, these are components of great importance. Unlike the "Olden Days" when stock was kenneled full time and studs were only let out to breed, many of our contemporary colleages and availability of inventive kenneling options are coming up with new and inventive ways to allow studs to have more active purpose in their identified pack. First, I want to say that crates are no longer the use of air transportation any more. The responsible use of crates is a discussion in itself but the use of crates for holding pen while rotating dogs to the exercise yard is invaluable. A bitch or competing stud can be temporarily penned if need be, while a stud is moved through thier area. An exercise yard is essential for allowing a stud the sense of pack leadership and command. A happier stud means a happier pack . It all goes to show you that there is not just one major element of importance but a lifetime of commitment to a happy, loving pack.
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