I'm after some advice and some thoughts on  what you would do would be great. After looking for a long time to find a stud that suits our bitch we found one a few miles away that was exactly what we were looking for. The owner wanted us to use another stud she had as the one we liked had only sired a couple of litters, but we were sure that we wanted to stick with the one that best suited our bitch. Anyway thay were mated twice and we were thrilled to have a confirmed pregnacy. However the stud did not tie with the bitch properly and the owner put this down to him not having very much experience and then went on to tell us that this was why she did not offer him for stud very offen. Our problem is that hes is the only stud anywhere near us which is suitable for one of our bitches and the owner has now put him up for sale, she has given us first refusal but she is asking top money for him, he does have a good pedigree and is health tested and would also fit quite well into our breeding programe. He is now 28 months old so do you think this may be something that could be corrected with a bit more practice or is he likely to always have a problem.

its not down to the dog for a tie the bitch has to hold him, when weve had girls come and no tie shes been abit early ,next day or 2 days they have tied, but if the dog has done the laddering he has done what he should be doing if you get me??! and sperm can live upto 5days ,if shes only 2 doays early then very possible a litter :)....so many pros and cons just think very hard before you jump, our girls are now all spayed but omg when they were coming into season our boy didnt eat much at all 4weeks b4 they came in :( and he cryed so much!! it for faint harted having both together lol

I know someone who used their dog for stud a few times, on each occasion there was no tie and only a slip mating. He did sire a couple of litters through the slip matings but the owner decided not to use him at stud any longer. She kept him though as she loved him!

never having worried about distance I'm sure that there will be other suitable dogs available and if you've used him once why would you want to buy him? just a thought....

The fact that he is the only dog anywhere NEAR should really not be of any consideration whatsoever -most of us would travel for many hours if not days, to get the best stud dog for our bitches. If you buy him in you will rather limit yourself. After one litter you've used him (and wasn't your bitch already pregnant to him?), and there would be little or no point in repeating the mating unless the pups produced were very good but you  did not get the sex you wanted to keep back. You won't be able to mate him to any daughter you keep, so then you're effectively stuck. It's so much better to have the choice of all good dogs in the world (which it literally is these days when the pets passport process is so much easier) than to spend a lot of money on buying in a dog you will only use once.

I took it that the stud dog was the best suited to the bitch and that it was a bonus that he was so close, but that they had looked further afield. I suppose it all depends on how you read it ;-)

I have dogs and bitches. You should really think long and hard about taking a dog on when you have bitches in the house. You can trust yourself to make sure that all doors, cages are securely closed, but can you 100% trust everyone else in the family? I've even had bitches open very secure doors to reach the dog, so you can't really say that they are safe behind closed doors. ;-)

I took it that the stud dog was the best suited to the bitch and that it was a bonus that he was so close, but that they had looked further afield. I suppose it all depends on how you read it ;-)

In either scenario though, the bitch is already pregnant to him so I don't see a need to buy him.

Quote: 'He is now 28 months old' but the owner said he doesn't have 'very much experience and then went on to tell us that this was why she did not offer him for stud very often'

Hmm that's still quite young to have tried and then decided to move him on (although if he's a toy breed I understand it's more common to use them a bit younger).  Is it that he is of no more use to her, having been used on her bitches already?  I'd look at her motivations for moving him on just as much as I'd suggest you examine your reasons for wanting him.

As has already been said, if you've already had pups from this mating (or are expecting them) then it's unlikely that you will need to use him again.  Unless you are thinking of maintaining him purely as a stud dog for others?  In that case is he shown (or worked), and do you expect that he will get better show results with you than in his current home?  Presumably his current owner wouldn't be thinking of moving him on if he is showing well and has potential...

Given that he will be a pet first and foremost, and that you (and your entire bitch/es) have to live with him - I'd say his stud potential isn't the main priority.

To be honest why would you want to buy in a dog you have already used, or might only use once more on one bitch, when for the price of a stud fee you can have any available dog in the country.

If you want to keep  male then you can keep a male puppy.

Also a young dog that has already sired a couple of litters at only 28 months of age, seems a poor reason to be selling him on, unless he is producing badly.

In my own breed a couple of litters is all the most lucky dogs ever sire, and often at a much older age.

or are you thinging of keeping him to use at stud for other bitches??? if so please make sure you know what your doing so much can go wrong.

You mean buy him as a matched pair for your bitch to use again?
Remember that if you keep a puppy bitch ...and I expect you will unless this was a profit driven mating.... the puppy will be his daughter etc etc etc and so it goes on.
You will then have the task of keeping a keen stud dog away from his own daughter(s)....nightmare!