I just wondered if any of you would consider giving 'Pick of Litter' puppy in return for a stud ?? I find it a really strange way of doing things as surely the main reason for breeding a litter is to keep a puppy for yourself so, why would you want to owe the pick to someone else. I have never done it and never would as I would be devastated if I had to part with my pick, much better just to pay a stud fee I think.

Debbie  

I havent for a stud fee, but have for other reasons - first time it was a dog and I wanted to keep a bitch, second time it was obviously a dominant bitch and as I already had one of those I didnt want fighting in the future...

>much better just to pay a stud fee I think.

I agree :-)  although for some, the financial burden of paying a stud fee against giving up pick of the litter may prove too much.....................but then I wonder why they would have a litter in those instances

If the litter are all pretty even, one persons pick may not be the same as someone elses,  so could work out all round.

Well one person's pick may well not be someone else's ;)  One of my litters contained three puppies.  Two experienced breeders saw the puppies and each one of us liked a different puppy!  A lot of the time people will have pick of one sex (the sex that the breeder doesn't want to keep) instead of a fee.  There are a few reasons why someone would have a litter even thugh they could not keep a puppy themselves.  It may be that the bitch is getting on a bit and needs to have a litter to continue a line before the breeder wants another puppy.  In this case, the stud dog owner having pick of litter would be an advantage to the breeder as they could have something back from that bitch at a later date.  It could even be that the breeder produces outstanding dogs that people want but does not want to keep one.  The resulting puppies could then go on to make super foundation/show stock for future breeders/exhibitors. 

Debs

No I dont think I would do it for various reasons. 

In my breed the stud fee tends to be half the price of a pup. A well known breeder does offer this service when you use her stud dogs but it really annoys me as she is openly selling the chosen pup when she gets it. I would rather pay my money and sell the pup  myself. To a home I have chosen and lets be honest I would rather the extra money was in my pocket. ;O))

Also what happens if there is only a single pup who gets it? This happened to a friend of mine, the arrangement was a bitch pup in return for the mating. The bitch only had one pup and it was a bitch. Luckly the stud dogs owner didnt take her and got a pup from another litter at a later date but my friend did offer her to him as that is what was arranged and he could of taken her.

I would like a pick of a dog from a litter off my dog so i could always have a dog with his bloodline, it would be like always having him around. So if he optigen tests, hips and eyes ok I would consider offering him at stud. If there was a problem with him then I would be responsible and have him castrated. But I am ever hopeful that he will be ok.
Cockers usually have large litters and my "pick" would not be of the "best" as honestly I would not know what to look for! The bitch's owner would get first pick at all times I am sure there would be dogs enough for me to choose from.
He has 10 champions in his breeding and he is a good one according to others but I exercised him a lot and he has long legs so is too big to show.

we let someone else have pick of litter from our lot, though not as stud fee. she was an experienced handler who was wanting a bitch from the stud we used. the hope was she'd turn out nice and do well in the ring, get the name going etc.

unfortunately the btich in question didn't take to showing so she has retired to be a pampered pet who apparently rules the roost as queen of the other dogs :)

Whistler - dogs tend not to be "offered at stud" - the bitch owners approach the dogs owner, and if he has legs that are too long, that would be unlikely. Maybe the best way to get another of his bloodline would be to go back to his breeder and buy a pup.

I'd give 2nd pick - not that it's likely to come up as my only boy isn't at stud anymore. :-)

If the litter are all pretty even, one persons pick may not be the same as someone elses,  so could work out all round.

I can see it could work but, it would just be my luck that they would pick the same puppy as me :-) I would be a nervous wreck until they came to see them !!

I was offered this when i mated my bitch , she never took and i won't be mating her again as it was horrid ....I wanted pick of litter ,so when i was offered a dog with pick of litter as payment i told told them i wanted pick of litter, as how i saw it ...i wanted first pick from my bitch but they were adamant they wanted first choice ,even though their choice might not have been mine i was not happy and decided not to use the dog and went else where .... they never got intouch for a while, later when they knew my bitch would have been in season  i got an email asking if i had found my choice and would i be mating again..To which i had decided i was not cut out for breeding ...It is quite a challenge ,knowing the right way to do it and also seeing the wrong way .....

Sorry just noticed your reply, we have been asked to mate Whistler, I would not breed from him with out checking his health. At Crufts, we were advised that by exercising him so far and fast he had grown too tall, that show dogs should be exercised in moderation. He's not an elephant just over 17" whan he should not have gone over 16.5" max.
I think he is too young at 14 months, re back to breeder he is one of the last ever litter from a lady who bred as a hobby rather than a career, bit like me really.
I also realise we could have 9 pups or so, but its a dream.
If I could get another one from his breeder I would have put my name down for another litter.
Ah well time will tell.

I think you will find this to be old fashioned now and something that happened when country sporting dogs were bred for ability rather than looks. Back then a pick could of been anything from it's big feet, good eye, looking like it's trial champion mother, or even for just it's colour and it would be a bit of a gamble as to what you really ended up with anyway, champ or no. This does still go on to some degree, by the way.