How many times have your gone to the National or a large regional dog show to check out prospective studs and been disappointed in the lack of choices? Sometimes nothing you see complements the bitch you have. With today’s shrinking world, there are more options open to breeders. One of those options is using an over seas stud. With the improvements in storing frozen semen, collecting and shipping fresh chilled semen, and newly lifted quarantines; your breeding choices don’t have to be confined to your geographic area.

When using an overseas stud, you must often rely on pictures, video and word of mouth of people who have met the dogs in person. But this is the case with many US studs where you may not have had the opportunity to meet the dog in person. Or even the case of having only seen the dog as an adolescent and you do not know how he has matured. I was fortunate to deal with breeders and owners who were very helpful in supplying whatever I wanted to do my research on potential overseas studs. This included pictures of the dog, his parents, siblings, and any offspring he may have had on the ground. Videotapes of the dog and relatives. Talking with other breeders overseas who have used the particular dog, or close relatives of his in their breeding programs.

I have had experience sending a bitch overseas for a natural breeding. This can’t always be done if the country still has quarantine laws in effect. My latest litter was a result of fresh chilled semen sent from overseas. You can still run into problems with customs and language barriers resulting in delays. Timing is everything when using fresh chilled semen. Even a day’s delay can mean the difference between having a litter and not. It did take a bit more planning to make sure it all came off smoothly. With fresh chilled, you should decide before hand on what kind of extender you will use, and what type of shipping container it will be transported in. A test collection and storage of the stud is a great idea. That way you know how many days his semen will live. Not all dogs are alike, and not all dogs semen react to the extender and chilling the same.

Everything you need to register such a litter is clearly explained on the AKC website. I am currently bringing in frozen semen from overseas to store in the US. This has its pros and cons. With Frozen semen you don’t have to worry about the timing of shipping, as you can have it on hand months or years in advance of the breeding. One of the drawbacks of frozen semen is with the shorter life span, either surgical or transcervical insemination is recommended over vaginal insemination.

With the use of fresh chilled and frozen semen, you do have the potential for higher breeding costs with the addition of progesterone testing, collection, storage and insemination fees. You also have the potential for decreased litter size in some cases. Finding and using the right stud for your bitch isn’t about producing a huge litter. Its about producing a few quality dogs that fulfil the goals you have for the breeding and the resulting offspring.

Article written by Cathy Lewandowski for the Curly Coated Retriever breed column in the AKC Gazette

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