I have an 8 month old boxer dog, Kennel Club registered etc and want to stud him out. I have never done this before and would appreciate any advice on how to go about it please. Many thanks in advance. Gill.

Have a read of the first post on the 'Breeding' forum of this site.

Make sure he's hip-scored, heart-tested, and all the other tests that Boxers need to pass before they are bred from. Then your best bet is to start showing him so that bitch ownres can see whether they think he's good enough to use on their bitches - they're the ones who choose!

On the Kennel club Website http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/ click on the left on Information Guides and read the one on stud dogs.

Be awre that you will need to ahve yoru dog Hip Scored (£150 rough cost) then find a specialist cardiologist (join one of teh Boxer clubs and you will get the details from them) to have him heart tested.  There is a high incidence in the breed of heart problems,a dn he would have to be graded as 0 or 1 to be bred from responsibly.

After this you need to realise that it is the owners of bitches that dhoose the dog to best suit their bitch, so you will need to show him to prospective bitch owners and he will have to compare favourably with his rivals.  This basically means you weill need to show him.

Any bitch owner that would want to use yoru dog just because he was available is not the sort of person you should acept as they are unlikley to hae the welfare of the breed, their bitch and any resulting puppies as their priority.

Also as Boxers tend to be male dominant/intolernat you will find that if he isn't already then being used at stud will likely make him so or make him worse around other male dogs.

Firstly and foremost you will need to have him health checked, the absolute minimum
required will be heart-testing and he must score either a 0 or 1 grade to be considered clear
for breeding purposes. This test must be performed by a vet that specialises in cardiology.
This test will be done aged 12 months and over before you can get certification.
Then there's hip scoring, thyroid testing etc.

He will have to measure up well to the breed standard too. Alot of people do this by exhibiting
their dog at dog shows. If he is very lucky he may be good enough to get his Champion title.
But there are alot of Boxers being exhibited that do not win their titles too, but they have done
some winning. Some just don't make the grade.

Despite some popular myths even some Champion male Boxers do not get prolific stud work.
Stud fees for Champion males are between £300-400. Fees for not so successful show dogs
stud work can be £150-200. Fees for unshown dogs are very much less unless they are an outstanding example and have good bloodlines.
Even then they won't get that much 'work'.

You also have to consider the possible health risks in studding a dog. Infections can brought to your dog by the bitch etc etc.
Knowing which pedigree lines blend well with each other and if your dog would compliment the bitch etc etc.
Also what happens if there are any problems with puppies produced etc etc.
What happens if your 'placid' dog since undertaking stud work becomes a hormonal 6 stone nightmare?
As some dogs temperaments can change when used at stud.
There is an awful lot of responsibility when it comes to breeding dogs and it should never be lightly undertaken.

Just enjoy your puppy and if you really want another Boxer, it's far easier and less stressful to buy another puppy.
:)