Any specific tips on introduction to other dogs, preventing marking, how much they would need to be separated from a bitch in heat(a year away but still). He had mostly been living in a kennel but was also shown a good bit. Planning on waiting a few months to see if I can get this sperm count up (only 4 yo) then neutering. I know most of this is individual dog stuff just curious if anyone has imput
[QUOTE=Pinkypony;8595017]
Any specific tips on introduction to other dogs, preventing marking, how much they would need to be separated from a bitch in heat(a year away but still). He had mostly been living in a kennel but was also shown a good bit. Planning on waiting a few months to see if I can get this sperm count up (only 4 yo) then neutering. I know most of this is individual dog stuff just curious if anyone has imput[/QUOTE]
I adopted an almost 7yo intact male of a Toy breed. He does not live in belly bands- hurray! What breed? How do you intend to house and manage him? I think it’d be easier to start with what you have than us tell you the thousand possible options that may or may not work for your housing/schedule/program.
I adopted a 10yr old GSD intact male last yr. I don’t know if he was ever used for breeding. He should have been. Beautiful disposition, many titles in performance etc. He’s just a dog. I had a spayed dobe too. The GSD would occasionally get pushy with her but I just corrected him. Otherwise I’ve never had any problem with him. But this is a well trained dog.
[QUOTE=Pinkypony;8595017]
Any specific tips on introduction to other dogs, preventing marking, how much they would need to be separated from a bitch in heat(a year away but still). He had mostly been living in a kennel but was also shown a good bit. Planning on waiting a few months to see if I can get this sperm count up (only 4 yo) then neutering. I know most of this is individual dog stuff just curious if anyone has imput[/QUOTE]
What makes you think his sperm count is low? I can’t even imagine what the point of that would be? I would neuter right away. He is more than past the point of physical and sexual maturity; you have nothing to gain by waiting any longer.
How much would they need to be separated from intact bitches in season? Completely. For at least 3 weeks… or longer. (Ask my good friend that just had 13 puppies from an unintentional litter - they tried reintroducing their bitch to their stud at day 20 or 21; bitch snarled at male, they thought “oh excellent”; phone rang, turned their back for 2 seconds and…8 weeks later 13 puppies.) These are previously bred, outstanding dogs, so not the worst scenario…they were just trying to “tease” their bitch to see if she was close to being “out” of standing heat…and now have a ginormous litter!
How they behave will really depend a lot on individual circumstances and temperament. My 6 year old stud does not mark in the house, but he has lived here his whole life, and never lived in a kennel. I would not expect a kennel-raised dog to be house-trained at all, and it might definitely mark. Belly bands and training will be your friend.
Many of them are tough to reliably housetrain. It really depends upon what their life was like before.
We adopted him last night and so far so good. Just one bit of pee in the puppy’s crate- lesson learned to close the door. Overall he seems very happy. Now my husband can do obedience class with him and I can take the pup. As an aside, what was the company that makes dog carts/harnesses someone recommended? I seem to be falling out of horses and more in to dogs lately.
Just curious why you think his sperm count is low and why that would matter if you are going to neuter him.
And you’d need to keep an unneutered dog away from a bitch in heat for at least 3 weeks, as mentioned above.
He has had one appointment with the theriogenologist and the agreement was for me to take him again- this is why the breeder is retiring him but he is a GCh so I will try a bit more before neutering. I was asking about other people’s experience with neutered previous stud dogs around bitches. Not going to be an issue for a while.
[QUOTE=Pinkypony;8598271]
He has had one appointment with the theriogenologist and the agreement was for me to take him again- this is why the breeder is retiring him but he is a GCh so I will try a bit more before neutering. I was asking about other people’s experience with neutered previous stud dogs around bitches. Not going to be an issue for a while.[/QUOTE]
OK, I guess I misunderstood some of the original post.
So the dog is sterile/or has sterility problems? What is the dx or prognosis?
If the repro vet can increase the sperm count, is there a plan to use the dog for breeding? Personally I would not breed to a dog with a low sperm count unless there was a specific, known reason for it - stud dogs, even GCHs, are sort of a dime a dozen in many breeds.
Has the dog been used as a stud previously? (Successfully/unsuccessfully?)
I would assume that like owning a dog that had been previously bred and an intact female, would be similar to owning two intact dogs, even if the dog was neutered later in life. It’s unlikely that all of their learned “breeding behavior” would be forgotten even if they don’t have the same hormone level driving them.
It can be done, of course. Wouldn’t be my first choice for a pet arrangement.
We are sending out a few more tests next week but there is no official diagnosis yet. He has sired a few litters but not in the last year (breeder tried unsuccessfully multiple times). I may try taking him to a few shows to learn more myself before taking my puppy then will probably neuter if nothing changes. I am pretty sure he will need to be separated when the pup goes in to heat but I am going to wait to tell my husband that. 
I would love to have a pup out of him, he is a beautiful dog- I will pm you pics if you like, just don’t want to make things public so as to make the breeder ashamed about rehoming or anything.
Yes, I’d like to see him.
If you intend to show your puppy, it is a great idea to show a dog that knows how to be shown while you learn. That’s how many kids (including my daughter) learn - she shows my special in Junior Handling, and because he’s been around the ring a few times he is easy to learn on. It’s still a lot of fumbling, even if the dog knows what to do, but when you put a new handler and a new puppy together…well, you can just imagine how that goes sometimes.
My puppy has only been shown a few times and he’s a little bit like a marlin at the end of a fishing reel. I think it’s kind of funny (I’m sure that will wear off) but it would be pretty unnerving for a new handler to try to work around that.
I know of a dog that had a low sperm count because of Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever - tick borne illness. I’m sure the breeder started with obvious things, but if you didn’t check for Lyme/tickborne illnesses, I’d definitely do that. (If I recall, this dog had a high fever for some time and then low sperm count after that.)
I have had a male, when first collected, it was great. Another collection, lots of bent tails, plenty of sperm, but lots of abnormals as far as tails.
Put him on the recommended supplements, and next collection was greatly improved.
So there is hope!
My intact breeding males have been lovely house dogs- maybe depends on the breed.
We “adopted” a intact male at 18 months that we had no trouble at all with marking/inappropriate peeing in the house. He was shown pretty extensively up until he came to us, and still shown a bit after that. He is now 7 and we have not neutered him - for a couple of years the breeder was still collecting him, and at this point I am not in favor of unnecessarily anesthetizing him unless it becomes medically necessary. He is very well-mannered, but he was also only collected - never did live cover.
It is a single dog household so I have no recommendations regarding the intact female.
[QUOTE=Houndhill;8600886]
My intact breeding males have been lovely house dogs- maybe depends on the breed.[/QUOTE]
My intact breeding male is my best dog ever, but I don’t have any unspayed females. If I did, I’m not sure I would want to have them both in the house (e.g. might have to board one or the other during breeding/heat cycles). I can imagine my male might have very strong opinions about trying to get to her. One of my friends has found that her male is still very attracted to her female even though the female has been spayed for over a year now. (They are father and daughter, so never bred to each other; but obviously he was used for breeding.)
I do have a friend that has both intact males and females and their dogs are so well behaved they can have them in the same room (with the bitch in pants and with them supervising) and they are both very polite. I’m not sure how common that is, though.
[QUOTE=Houndhill;8600886]
My intact breeding males have been lovely house dogs- maybe depends on the breed.[/QUOTE]
My intact breeding male is my best dog ever, but I don’t have any unspayed females. If I did, I’m not sure I would want to have them both in the house (e.g. might have to board one or the other during breeding/heat cycles). I can imagine my male might have very strong opinions about trying to get to her. One of my friends has found that her male is still very attracted to her female even though the female has been spayed for over a year now. (They are father and daughter, so never bred to each other; but obviously he was used for breeding.)
I do have a friend that has both intact males and females and their dogs are so well behaved they can have them in the same room (with the bitch in pants and with them supervising) and they are both very polite. I’m not sure how common that is, though.
