A NOVICES GUIDE TO THE BREED (Part 3)
By Steve Foran
MATINGS
Still there, good! If you recall I have "helped" you to make the step from wide-eyed newcomer to hard bitten, bleary eyed, leg kicking, tearing around, outside screaming gladiator they call new G.S.D. exhibitor. This is not to be confused with other's in dogs, who "FANCY" their charges, stand them on a table and make them wear nylon waterproof body suits whilst lobbing sides of beef (sorry liver) to keep the animals attention from inside the ring, which is clearly not against the rules. NO! THIS is the real thing.
Up to this point things have not been too bad. You have bought and re-homed seventeen puppies in your attempt to compete at the highest level. You have a handler, you know how to get to the four corners of the U.K. whilst still asleep, you can talk show-speak, you know what I mean:
"He has a mouthful of missing teeth".
"She will make a good brood".
"The judge missed my dog today". "I told you so and so would get the ticket".
"It's nothing more than a pet".
Right. Now, lady luck has been kind and you have done everything you can and you have done OK at some of the shows.
Your bitch is nearly 2'/2 years old and she is due in season and you now make the decision to mate her! AND why not, she has a good character, decent hips and no glaring faults, so what do you do? There are varying schools of thought here and I feel I had better emphasis your options.
METHOD 1
Go to shows and actually watch some of the classes. Get a feel for the type of animal you like and see if your favourites also appeal to the judges. Look at some of the males and see if those you favour have sired any nice youngsters. Keep an open mind. Enquire about the breeding, obtain a pedigree, see if it is a possible match. See if the dog has a good character. Check his survey report in the handbook. Basically do your homework.
METHOD 2
Ignore all the above and look for some of the following so called "plus" points. Don't bother with shows because you can not be misled, sorry, informed properly unless you talk to the owner of the dog or their best friend. Disregard the fact that the stud dog you are being told about has allegedly produced dwarfs, blue's, monorchids, bad characters and duff hips. The owner will not be aware of any of these faults and if he did it would be the bitches fault anyway. Do not pay any attention to any reference books as the author must have made a mistake when he named the stud dog as a producer of any of the above and the hip tables are not accurate anyway. No, No, you can be certain that the stud dog under question is the saviour of the breed and he is all things to all bitches. EASY really.
METHOD 3
If none of the above appeal to you then your final option is the IMPORT.
THE IMPORT is easily recognised because of the highly colourful adverts, at great expense I might add, that appear in some of the dog papers.
The Import's claim to fame will be his sister once came 73rd behind Vanta vd Wienerau at the BADNAMESPELLING
-LANDESGRUPPEN show in 1993 when she was robbed. He is only available at stud on a limited basis to those lucky owners who have large pockets and a bitch who is still breathing. He only became available for sale because no one else wanted him. Also the A stamp hip score will be fine (eh Sheila). He will do! of course, his greatest asset is his birthplace.
-LANDESGRUPPEN show in 1993 when she was robbed. He is only available at stud on a limited basis to those lucky owners who have large pockets and a bitch who is still breathing. He only became available for sale because no one else wanted him. Also the A stamp hip score will be fine (eh Sheila). He will do! of course, his greatest asset is his birthplace.Make your choice and let the owner of the dog know in good time.
When your bitch comes into season, take her to the vet, have her checked out, a course of broad spectrum antibiotics may be useful, watch her discharge, blood test and send samples to John Allinson. When the score is 10 take her to be mated.
OR
IGNORE the above. Feed her dragonfly eggs, aniseed and garlic for 4 weeks before she comes into season. Make her drink goats milk, when she comes into season take her to be mated on day 12 and 14 regardless of anything anyone says to you. Feed her on bread and dripping. Hold her upside down for a week and hey presto no pups.
At this point I will share with you some of the things I have heard over the years. These are true and most were said by people who have bred one or more champions in the past.
a)I don't believe in all this science stuff the bitch is ready when she is ready!
I don't believe in all this science stuff the bitch is ready when she is ready!But, I answered, it's her first time, it's over 200 miles and the blood test can tell me when she is likely to be ready. How do I know if she is ready on day 5 or day 25?
Our (blank) was always mated on day 6 and she always mated. Never got any pups though.
b)Our (blank) only gives to bitches, he never takes away.
Our (blank) only gives to bitches, he never takes away.c)ANTIBIOTICS REACT AGAINST THE SPERM AND STERILISE the sperm.
ANTIBIOTICS REACT AGAINST THE SPERM AND STERILISE the sperm.d)I don't let him have a second mating as I believe it will wash out the first sperm from the first mating and she will miss.
I don't let him have a second mating as I believe it will wash out the first sperm from the first mating and she will miss.e)I'm not using your dog as I know he has produced blues.
I'm not using your dog as I know he has produced blues.I'm using the new import! Does he produce blue's?I don't know.
f)We are repeating the mating because we liked the results and the pedigree matches up on paper!
We are repeating the mating because we liked the results and the pedigree matches up on paper!"We don't show the pedigree's" was the reply from someone standing just behind me.
OK - D DAY
The day your bitch is ready will be the day you wake up with a king sized hangover, it will be raining, you will have a flat tyre and the stud dog owners phone will either ring out or it will be engaged.
Eventually you get through "Oh I've got to go out, can you get here for 4.00 p.m. at the latest?" You break the land speed record and arrive at 3.40 p.m. to see a dog trailer disappearing down the road, with "LOADSACHAMPS" G.S.D.'s painted on the trailer. You enquire with the stud dog owner, "no, you must be wrong, it wasn't them, in fact I don't think I even know them." Out comes the stud dog, who immediately raises your suspicions as he has a silly grin on his face, is smoking a Rothmans and looks completely knackered. Oh well. He manages a half hearted attempt. The stud dog owner get's the KY jelly, your obliging bitch wraps her tail around her eyes whilst backing towards the dog. The stud dog owner nearly loses his arm whilst announcing "she's not quite ready" and "he alwavs knows does Fido". The jelly does the trick, Fido performs for a full 38 seconds before collapsing in a heap to lick himself (why do they do that?).
"Good, nearly an hour long tie". You check your watch, has it stopped?
Your bitch seems unsatisfied, or is that just a female thing.
Money time "How much", as you go to write the cheque, "oh I'd prefer cash, deutsmarks please". You rush off to the local bank and draw the king's ransom, which could fund 3 small African countries for a year, and hand over your hard earned cash.
"Can I have my green form please?" Ah, they haven't arrived yet. Don't worry I will post it on to you, plenty of time, right bye then. No green form, no brew, no gossip, no thanks for bringing your bitch to their dog just kiss my bum!
Oh well pups in 9 weeks, as you turn your car around and head home.
Look out for the next episode on puppy selection, rearing and of course that wonder of nature.
BIRTH.
See you next time.
