I've read the article in CD's about studding your dog out & various other things & I know the general "rules" etc regarding studs. But I would like peoples experience's of dogs changing/not chaning after being used.

I have 2 males a 4 year old & 2 year old who both get on fine. I have no bitches but my boys do sometimes stay with my parents who do have a veteran bitch & dog, both are speyed.
My boys are my pets, they live in the house & spend all their time together & are left unattended together. My oldest does let the younger one have his own way, if he has a toy & the youngest wants it he just lets him have it.

My older boy is the one being considered for stud. He's clear health wise, in my opinion a well made dog & judges have thought so too (2cc's 3rccs & won out of limit into open arrggghh)
He's had stud enquiries in the past but recently had a alot more (all show people)

I don't want to ruin the happy balance we have at home, thats my main reason for saying no but on the other hand I feel I am denying the breed something good, something free of known health issues who isn't too tightly bred.

For the last year now, I've ponder over & over & over this and I just don't know what to do!

FYI - I do have physical experience of studs with bitches etc as when ever I get the chance I help my mentor when she has bitches for studs. She is also 50/50 on the idea.

i wouldnt upset your home balance. im sure your boys siblings can go on to continue his line

I can only give you my experience of one dog, im sure all dogs act differently. 

My dog has been used at stud a few times over the last 5 years or so.  He is the bottom dog out of my 3 (one neutered and one entire) and to be honest his behaviour hasnt really changed.  He has always gone after bitches and neutered dogs when we are out so that hasnt changed, or got worse (although I had hoped it would improve once he knew what an inseason bitch smelt like !!) he doesnt "mark" any more than he used to and he has never fallen out with my other dogs over a bitch, he even comes straight back indoors with the others after being mated

I only have one male so am going to have to comment on friends dogs where there are more than one male in the household. I am also talking breed specific, so I can't comment on your breed.

My friends have dogs that have been used and it hasn't made any difference to the way they react to one another. This is more than one friend with more than one male in the household. I think a lot is the mentally of the owners, who don't allow any silly behaviour from their boys. If your dogs are excellent in temperament then I would seriously considering using your boy. As you say, he is doing well in the show ring so why not pass his genes on?

Know of one dog in our breed that was a popular stud and in order to avoid trouble with the other dogs he lived with he was always taken to the bitch (not the usually way) and then washed down before being returned home, it seemed to work.

A friend of mine had 3 entire male dogs living in the house. Looking at your avatar they were the same breed. Anyway they all got on well and she had no problems even though 2 of them were frequently used at stud. I remember that she would leave the one that had just mated a bitch in the garage,( where the matings took place) give him a quick wipe down and then back to join his pals in the house.
The only problem I can for see is when you visit any litters sired by your boy, it is so tempting..........!!

I do the same with mine.  They go to my parents for stud work, and then get a wash down with TCP in solution to mask her scent.  Only once has there been a slight upset, when the wash down was omitted before return - the old boy didn't appreciate the younger one getting fruity with him.  He just wanted to rest.

In your breed it is not uncommon for several studs to be on the same premises. Whether they need to be separated once stud work starts cant be known until after the fact. One thing boxers do well - if it takes their fancy - is fight!

It is always better to make up your mind about these things before your dog wins, lots of people ask to use him and the flattery aspect  or even the discomfort of saying no, has a bearing.

Have you spoken to his breeder? They may have an opinion based on their experience.

The Zammits ( Santonoaks) used to use pictures of their 4/5 stud dogs on a garden bench to emphisise how well they got on despite being at stud but then they had kennels if it hadn't worked out.

ps...it's really not called 'studding' by anyone in the know. Its called having your dog at stud or standing at stud or used at stud..... :-)

Hmmm...Ive thought about this for a while and I haven't come up with a better answer than...

Every single dog reacts (or not as the case may be) differently to being used at stud. Nobody can ever know how or if their dog will change. Even father, sons and brothers can vary dramatically in there reaction to being used.

Personally my gut feeling is don't use him.

My reasoning being is that you have a happy household, and believe me, this is worth it's weight in gold! 

If you have 2 or more males living together it isn't always the one being used that changes. If the one not being used is the higher ranking dog and then the other one makes his debut and very subtle differences take place this can cause the original dominant one to resent it and react to keep his standing.

Are you prepared and do you have the space/environment to cope/seperate/re-integrate your 2 males if anything should happen. It may even be the case that if things really do turn sour, would you be able to re-home one if things got too bad. I know this must be so hard for you but once your boy is used at stud, time can't be rewinded and you can't undo it. As I said a happy household is worth it weight in gold.

In my breed the only thing you would do is not have the in season bitches where both dogs are, so if a bitch is to visit you would need to have the dog go elsewhere, or have the stud visit the bitch, but of course he may not work well away from home.

The stud dogs i know where they get on with their own sex continue to do so as long as they are not in direct competition for a bitch.

These traits are often familial, so what were his male relatives like after being used at stud?

> My reasoning being is that you have a happy household, and believe me, this is worth it's weight in gold! >

I couldn't agree more and if people really really like him then they will use his father.

The only gain I will get out of him being at stud is financial, which is not what I'm into showing for. I pay my hobby, it doesn't pay me (only when we win dog food lol)

I love my boys and the risk isn't worth it

Thank you all for your advice :) x

The Zammits ( Santonoaks) used to use pictures of their 4/5 stud dogs on a garden bench to emphisise how well they got on despite being at stud but then they had kennels if it hadn't worked out.

Actually tooolz, they stayed here a few times with some of their dogs - the dogs all slept in the same kennel, and l also used Josh at stud whilst they were here. They all DID get on alright as l recall. I think that they may have been the exception rather than the rule tho' LOL. I'm not altogether sure that some of my dogs would have been OK with one another once used at stud - l always kept the dogs separate from one another.

> They all DID get on alright as l recall

Yes I know they did and Annabell was very proud of that fact .....but if there were problems they always had the luxury of using their kennel block.

Ive used dogs at stud over the years and havent had many problems but it could have been just luck.