So I stopped people coming for my studs during lockdown but I’m seeing people on Facebook atm still breeding and studding their dogs out?! How is this allowed??

Simple answer - they have to be breaking rules!   Taking a bitch to be mated is NOT 'essential travel', in my opinion.  And they are being pretty stupid allowing 'strangers' onto their properties.    I don't want ANYBODY in here at the moment.

Thanks! That’s whT I thought, yea I don’t want anyone here atm either I want to stay healthy so I can stay with my boys and continue my lines

Could they be using their own stud dogs?

I’ve personally put off mating my girl this time but I know some people who have both dogs and bitches.

Pets4Homes are still putting loads of adverts for studs up everyday. Some even offering AI!

Maybe some are offering AI so taking a sample and sending it to the owner? By visiting a stud dog social distancing is well out the window for a natural mating

Not replying to any one in particular here

I just cant believe that some are still going ahead with matings, at this most uncertain of times.

I feel for those who had already mated their bitches which have been/are getting born now, before all this lockdown.

This may be just my opinion but those who would have mated bitches from around 11 March could & should have held off altogether.

I agree anyone trying to breed at the moment is just plain stupid in my opinion.

This may be just my opinion but those who would have mated bitches from around 11 March could & should have held off altogether.

Lockdown was announced on the 23rd of March. How was anyone meant to know what would happen before then? Crufts had just finished on the 8th. The last show I went to was on the 15th of March.

Having mated in January long before we knew it would hit the UK, the extra stress caused and difficulty caused by the current situation their is no way I would plan a litter right now.
However could the adverts be more for the future, I was first researching stud dogs a year before and then contacting stud dogs 6months before my planned breeding date to find out more information.

> Lockdown was announced on the 23rd of March.

Yes it was but Covid 19 was in the UK before that & I know on the 11 March (when I had my chemotherapy), hence why I chose that date ;)

People need things to look forward to after lockdown.  If they want to browse stud ads and ponder possible future breedings and look forward to that, then what's wrong with that?

There's a difference between advertising studs for people to use after lockdown and actually doing breedings right now, which of course isn't a good idea.

My thoughts would be if you breed as a business then its technically allowed as you "cannot work from home" I would say this is how people would get round it.
Im not saying its right, far from it, but whilst it may not be classed as essential travel, you can travel for work purposes.

Again, not directed at anyone here, people even thinking about breeding in lockdown need to consider the welfare of the pups. Socialisation is being seriously impacted by the current circumstances. Even something as simple but vital as the pup learning that new people entering the home is ok, cannot take place. Pups going out in urban environments are experiencing unusually quiet and calm conditions but once lockdown ends it will be as though the volume is suddenly dialled up from 0 to 10. Pups cannot get used to the vets, to shops, to cafes, pubs or even the full range of dogs they might encounter. We cannot know for sure the effects of all this long-term but should not assume there’ll be none.

It also fills the whole puppy-raising time with anxiety rather than just enjoying your new puppy.  People are going to want to make the most of what they are allowed to do, go out more than they otherwise would, get closer to people than they otherwise would, go on public transport with the pup - there is a direct conflict between what makes for good socialisation (being out and about everywhere in many different public places, having people over) and lockdown requirements.  So people will be caught between wanting to expose their puppy to as much as possible and the risk of that, in terms of their own exposure to coronavirus!

> Maybe some are offering AI so taking a sample and sending it to the owner? By visiting a stud dog social distancing is well out the window for a natural mating

Yes some are, which makes me wonder how many bitch owners will use this without even meeting the dog? but I’ve also seen stud owners offering to travel to do the AI.

As for other ads I’ve seen things like ‘available at short notice’ a few times, none saying they are not available at the moment due to lockdown. There is no harm in advertising but I just don’t see the point.