Gundog Stud Services UK

Finding a stud dog for your bitch

Every breed on GunDogsDirect has its own stud section, and there are 221 stud dogs advertised at the moment. Each advert carries the dog's name and breeding, the fee, the county and photographs, along with whatever health testing and working record his owner has put up.

Browse Labradors at stud, Cocker Spaniels at stud, Springer Spaniel at stud, and every other gundog breed on the site.

What a decent stud advert tells you

Owners write their own adverts, so the depth varies. A good one gives you:

The dog's registered name, and any Field Trial titles behind him
Hip and elbow scores, and when the eye certificate was done
The DNA tests for the breed
What he's actually done in the field, and on which shoots
The fee and the terms. Is a repeat mating included, and when does the money fall due

If an advert skips those, ring up and ask. Most owners will talk your ear off about the dog. The ones who go vague on hip scores or what his pups have done have usually got a reason for it.

What to ask before you use a dog

Expect it to go both ways. Any stud owner worth using will want to know about your bitch before they agree to anything: her breeding, her health results, her age and how many litters she's had. Have that ready when you ring, and take the questions as a good sign.

Health testing for the breed. The must-haves differ by breed, and the simplest way to cover them is the Kennel Club breed package, so ask which package was done. The Labrador package covers CNM, prcd-PRA, SD2, STGD and MCD, with EIC and HNPK in the enhanced version. The Cocker package is AMS, FN and prcd-PRA. The Springer package is AMS, Fucosidosis, PFK and PRA cord1. Beyond those, vWD Type II in German Wirehaired Pointers and CLAD in Irish Setters are the ones to ask about, and the Kennel Club's Breeds A to Z lists what's recommended for every other breed. Ask to see the certificates rather than be told they exist.

Hip and elbow scores against the breed mean. A number on its own means nothing. The BVA publishes breed means, so check his against it.

An eye certificate from the last twelve months. Eye testing has to be done every year, because several of the things it looks for come on with age. A certificate from the dog's second birthday tells you nothing about him at six.

What his pups have done. Has he been used before, and what came of it? A proven dog with pups working is a different proposition from an untried one, and the fee should say so.

His working record. Which shoots, how many seasons, what job. Anyone who genuinely works their dog will tell you without being asked twice.

The terms, in writing, before your bitch travels. Is the fee due at the first tie or on confirmation of pregnancy? Is a second mating included? Is there a free repeat if it doesn't take? These are ordinary questions and a serious stud owner expects them.

What a stud fee costs

Stud fees on the site currently run from £50 to £950, and every advert shows the fee. What moves it is breeding, health testing and what the dog has actually done: a proven dog out of Field Trial lines with a full set of certificates sits at the top of that range, an untried one out of ordinary breeding at the bottom.

Look at the whole arrangement rather than the headline number. A cheaper fee with no repeat mating can end up costing you more than a dearer one that includes it.

Advertising your stud dog

Stud adverts run 12 months from the day you place them, then come off. It costs £12.99, paid once. No monthly fee, no commission, and nothing to pay on any mating that comes out of it.

That twelve months is the part worth knowing. A standard advert comes off after 90 days, which is fine for a puppy that will be gone by then. A stud dog is available season after season, so his advert runs four times as long for the same money.

One dog per advert in the stud section. That keeps the enquiries clean and means whoever rings already knows which dog they're asking about. Titles can't be changed once the advert's live, so get it right first time.

Put up photographs, the full breeding and working record, and the health testing you hold. Anyone enquiring registers or logs in to see your number and email, or they can message you through the site without either of you giving out details until you want to.

We've carried stud adverts since 2002, and the site takes over half a million page views a month from people looking for working dogs. That's who sees your advert, rather than the general pet audience you'd get on a bigger site.

Advertise your stud dog

Online, or word of mouth?

Both, and most people end up doing both.

Word of mouth in a shoot or a breed club gets you a recommendation from someone who has actually watched the dog work, and nothing on a website replaces that. The trouble is you only hear about the dogs in your own patch, which usually means a handful within an hour's drive.

A site gets you the rest of the country. Breeding, health testing, fees and county set out so you can compare before you put the bitch in the car. What it can't do is vouch for any of it. That part is still on you.

Most people use the site to draw up a shortlist and then ask around about the two or three they like.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find gundog stud services in the UK?

Stud dogs are listed by breed on GunDogsDirect, each breed with its own stud category: Labradors at stud, Cocker Spaniels at stud, Springer Spaniels at stud and so on across every gundog breed on the site. Every advert shows the stud fee, the dog's breeding, the county and whatever health testing the owner holds.

How much does a gundog stud fee cost?

Fees on the site currently run from £50 to £950, and the fee is shown on every advert. Breeding, health testing and working record are what move it. Look at the terms as well as the number, though: whether a repeat mating is included matters as much as the headline figure.

What health tests should a gundog stud dog have?

Hip and elbow scores read against the breed mean, an eye certificate from the last twelve months, and the DNA tests for his breed. The Kennel Club sells a breed-specific package for each breed, so the useful question is which package was done rather than whether he is "health tested". A Labrador package, for example, covers CNM, prcd-PRA, SD2, STGD and MCD, with EIC and HNPK in the enhanced version. Ask to see the certificates.

How long does a stud advert last on GunDogsDirect?

Twelve months from the day you place it, for £12.99. A standard advert costs the same but comes off after 90 days, so a stud advert runs four times as long for the same money. At twelve months it comes off automatically and we email you, and you place it again for another £12.99 if the dog is still at stud.

Can I advertise more than one stud dog?

Yes, but one dog per advert in the stud section. Separate adverts keep the enquiries attached to the right dog.

What does it cost to advertise a stud dog?

£12.99, paid once, for a twelve-month advert. No monthly fee, no commission, and nothing to pay on any mating arranged through it.

Is it better to find a stud online or through word of mouth?

Both have their place. Word of mouth in a shoot or breed club gets you a recommendation from someone who has watched the dog work, but you only hear about dogs in your own patch. A site gets you the rest of the country, with breeding, health testing and fees set out so you can compare before you travel. Most people draw up a shortlist online and then ask around about the two or three they like.