Standing at Stud

Our Stud Dogs and the Breeding of Outside Females

The decision to breed a certain dog or dogs, comes after much consideration of both potential parents. I have always maintained that breeding dogs just for appearance is easy, just pick two pretty dogs and voila! Even that is challenging since there is not certainty that two pretty dogs will produce a litter of pretty dogs. If there is a possibility for 10 puppies then there is also the potential for pups that will lie on either end of the extremes and those who will be more homogeneous in the middle.

However, breeding for performance is much more involved. The decision begins with dogs whose genetics are known to me, that they are healthy and have a good mind. We begin this process through a lifetime of temperament testing in everyday life, genetic screening for known diseases, proven parents whose attitude and temperaments are predictable to at least with some degree of reliability.

At Tucker Creek we try to breed a purposefully bred dog. Our first interest is a working dog with natural instincts and we will select dogs to cross with other potential mates whose traits compliment one another, enhance or bring out the best in that special pup. We spend a great deal of time analyzing working pedigrees and seeking the shared knowledge of others in the breed. We respect traditions and add to that the tools we have today for genetic screening and temperament testing so that our dogs can live in the real world comfortably with their human companions.

If you are interested in breeding to any of our dogs we have done the health screening available to us and provide a short summary of the dog on their page. In many cases we have working videos of the dogs if you want to click on the links provided.

We are interested in hearing from you and if you have a bitch you are considering breeding to one of our dogs we will be interested in seeing her health screening certificates as well, some photographs, a pedigree and some kind fo working video would also be an asset.

Bitches coming to Tucker Creek will be boarded at a rate of $10 per day while they are there for breeding. We live less then 10 minutes from the Thunder Bay airport and if travelling we are only 30 minutes form the Canada/USA border – about 3 hours north of Duluth Minnesota. There are many hotels nearby and camping in the area if you want to come and visit.

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Our Stud Dogs and the Breeding of Outside Females
Chilled Semen Shipped
Frozen Semen
Steps to Consider With Your Female
Meet Our Studs

Sample Contract

Here’s a sample of our Stud Service Contract, which covers agreements for natural breedings, chilled or frozen semen.

Download it now.

Chilled Semen Shipped

We have been successful for many years collecting and shipping chilled semen all over the world. We typically use FEDEX and can use either the local vet for collection and preparation or we have also processed the samples here at home with the same degree of success. Samples are prepared, chilled and placed in an extender that can last 3-5 days. The shipping is typically very reliable overnight and arrives at most vet clinics by lunch hour or shortly after to most locations in Canada and the USA. We are experienced at shipping and preparing the packaging and letter for US customs agents so they are aware of the content of the package so we can eliminate delays due to improper packaging.

The costs are approximated below:

Vet fee for collection, spinning down sample, chilled and extender
Chilled semen kit – we use most often the Minitube kit (https://www.minitube.com/products/canine ) which comes with ice packs, styrofoam box, two shipping tubes, and extender. There are other companies – Synbiotics for example by Zoetis who have reliable kits and extenders.
Shipping cost approximate from Thunder Bay Overnight with FEDEX is roughly $200.00 CAD
We highly recommend that the female is undergoing a regular check in with w reputable repro vet, is having progesterone levels checked (from $60 – $120.00 per test)

Make sure that an optimal time for breeding has been arranged in advance with your vet. Make a special note of breeding schedules and national holidays when FEDEX or other couriers do not deliver.

Frozen Semen

Frozen semen is a very successful way to breed dogs that are at vast distances from one another, also when dogs have passed on. It is a small miracle we can rejuvenate some of these valuable dogs traits many years later.

However, if their breeding units are in short supply, or a dog has passed on or gotten very old and the breeding does not take, the opportunity to re-breed to that same dog or to get a replacement for frozen semen is not that simple.

Ordinarily, if the breeding is not a success, there is little we can do to replace it with another frozen sample. We can however offer the opportunity to breed to another male, or if that male is still young and fit, and not deceased, we can breed to him live. The contract will state the conditions and typically it will be to the same bitch or an approved replacement.

In many cases, the semen is perfectly viable but the bitch may not be the best candidate, the veterinarian was not as successful, and the range of reasons are limitless. We maintain the industry’s best standards in collecting and storing a quality semen sample or we won’t offer to sell it to you.

We have semen collected and stored in Minneapolis at two separate locations. Invergrove heights animal Clinic and Stillwater Vet clinic have both provided us with successful frozen collections that have produced viable puppies years later. Both facilities collect and prepare the sample on site. They evaluate the ejaculate and determine how many breeding units will come from the sample. Before the final process is confirmed they will freeze and then unthaw a small piece of the sample to make sure it has a great survivorship and motility upon thawing, and then can safely tell us how many breeding units that collection will produce. Every dog is different and age, health at the time of collection etc, can determine all be variables in the quality of the sample.

We trust that our clinic will have deemed it a good sample for storage, then each breeding unit it should thaw well and be more than sufficient for a successful single breeding. One breeding unit is all that is needed to successfully inseminate a bitch. All stud dogs collected for frozen semen are typically tested negative for Brucellosis before collection.

Steps to Consider With Your Female

We highly recommend that the female is undergoing a regular check in with a reputable repro vet, is having progesterone levels checked and an optimal time for breeding has been arranged in advance with your vet. Make a special note of breeding schedules and nationals holidays when FEDEX or other couriers do not deliver.

If you are interested in breeding using frozen semen, payment is arranged up front since there is no recovery even if your bitch does not take. We sign a release form with the clinic and they will handle everything else with you for the cost of shipping the frozen semen to your vet. Typically the cost will involve a refundable deposit for the shipping tank once you return the tank to the clinic.

Steps and Considerations Involved in Organizing Yourself for Breeding a Female to an Outside Male:

Research pedigrees and find a male you like.
Make sure your female has had all the required health screening and hips, elbows eye CERF, and genetic screening before you find a male.
Look at potential males and pedigrees, tax to someone in the know and who will be honest with you about health and temperament.
Look at a calendar and see when your bitch will be coming into season
Make an appointment with your vet or better yet a repro vet who can assess your dogs age, health and be ready to assist you in future endeavours with progesterone testing, Brucellosis test if the breeding is live, and finally the AI if you decide to do a standard AI, a Trans-cervical procedure or, or surgical implant. Talk to your vet about all these options.
Be prepared to place a deposit down with an accompanying Stud dog contract – to cover the breeder for their time and expense. Often this fee (from $200 – $500) will be taken out of your stud fee later but can be a non refundable amount in case the stud fee is not covered up front. The stud dog contract should lay out your options in case the breeding is not successful. All breeders will deal with this differently but most are honest and want your dog to be successful if they agreed to breed to her in the first place. Owners of stud dogs have expenses as well – a Brucellosis test can cost as much as $200.00 and semen storage is roughly $100 per year per dog. When providing you with a fresh chilled sample for export or mailing, that will mean at least 2-4 trips to the vets and trips to the FEDEX office for delivery as well.
Stay in close correspondence with the person shipping you the semen. The better they communicate with their vet and you with yours, the better chance of a timely delivery when you need it most.
With Chilled semen, you might consider two shipments unless they are able to split a collection over two days. Most dogs breed more than once with a natural tie – so it’s nice to know you will cover the bitch with two breedings. The cost can be considered a balance between travelling all the way to the stud dog or staying home, and using it to ship semen.
If you are shipping your bitch, have a good record of her previous cycles as you don’t need to spend more money boarding the dog in an unfamiliar place. Some females come out of their heat cycle with travel stress etc. So shipping semen can be a valid option.
Make sure you pay the difference in your stud fee promptly and particularly when you want to register pups. The stud dog owner’s signature will be necessary.