Whippet Studs: Everything You Need To Know

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If you’re a regular reader here then you’ve probably heard the term whippet stud being used, but you may not be familiar with what it actually means.

In a nutshell, a whippet stud is a male whippet that is being used to intentionally impregnate a bitch in order to produce a litter of beautiful whippet puppies.

The owner of the bitch is likely looking for a whippet stud that has a strong background, whether that be in hunting, racing, eye-colour, genetics, the list goes on.

That being said, there is much more to learn about whippet studs, so stick around to find out everything you need to know.

In this post, we’re going to go through everything you need to know about whippet studs so that going forward you’re well equipped to hold conversations about studs and understand the term.

Let’s get to it…

What Is A Whippet Stud?

As mentioned above, a whippet stud is a male whippet that is being used to impregnate a whippet bitch. This could be for various reasons, but likely because the bitch owner wants to breed the whippet and have or sell the puppies.

This will usually come at a fee, with the whippet stud owner charging for the service. The stronger genetics and background of the whippet stud, the more the stud owner can charge.

If the whippet stud is from a strong racing heritage then the fee can be substantial, likewise if the stud has some unique features such as blue eyes or a white coat.

The reason for this is that the likelihood of the puppies also having this unique appearance or genetics is increased, making the litter of puppies more valuable.

If you’ve never put a dog up for stud before, it may be wise to speak with some breeders before doing so. This gives you the opportunity to see how everything will play out so you know what to expect.

The main reason behind studding your whippet should be to improve the breed. Spreading great genetics across the breed is hugely rewarding for whippet owners across the globe.

This stops the spread of unhealthy whippets and ensures that the breed is as healthy as it can be.

If you know you’ve got an amazing and healthy whippet, you’ll likely want to keep a puppy for yourself.

So why not put him up for stud and keep a puppy, this way you’ll always have part of that dog with you and the genetics will be passed down onto other whippets, helping keep the breed strong.

Whippets are becoming increasingly popular, and the demand for whippet pups is at an all-time high. This means breeders are always on the lookout for a whippet stud to help keep up with the demand.

What Is The Best Age To Stud A Whippet?

Most whippet studs are required to be around 12-months to 24-months old. This gives your whippet enough time to mature and be ready to impregnate a whippet bitch.

The age of studding a whippet is lower than breeding a whippet bitch because the males simply need mature sperm to get the job done.

Whereas whippet bitches need to be able physically mature to look after their litter.

It’s hard to know when to stop breeding your male whippet, some breeders say to stop after the age of seven whilst some say they can be bread all the way up to twelve.

Consult your veterinarian to find out when to stop studding your whippet as they’ll know your dog on a more personal basis and be able to give you more accurate advice.

If you do decide to stud your whippet when they’re a little older, you should take into account their fertility, and the chances of them being successful will decline significantly as the years go on.

This means pregnancy may not occur, and you could be wasting your time, as well as the breeders.

Selecting The Right Bitch

It’s not suitable to mate your whippet stud with any old whippet bitch. You’ll want to ensure that the dogs are the right fit for each other before doing so.

Breeding your prime whippet stud with a bitch that is not suitable may have an impact on the puppies produced as well as your reputation as a whippet stud service.

It’s crucial that you take the time to do your due diligence before allowing your whippet to mate with any dog.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that the mating is justified and is going to be a positive mark on the breed.

The two dogs must be fit, healthy and of suitable age to breed first and foremost. You’ll also want to ensure that the breeder isn’t a puppy farm or someone who is simply in this for the money.

There are enough bad dog breeders out there and we don’t want to be adding to the problem, especially not with our own beautiful whippet studs.

How Does It Work When You Stud Your Whippet?

When putting your whippet up for stud, the first thing you need to ensure is that your whippet is mature enough and has a clean health sheet.

Always get your whippet screened before putting him up for stud, breeders will likely want to see the results before they let your dog impregnate their bitch.

Your whippet stud should be as fit and healthy as possible. It’s wise to keep your whippet at home during the breeding process to avoid any external stress factors and to ensure optimal comfort.

As mentioned above, it is your responsibility to ensure that the bitch your stud is going to impregnate is a suitable fit.

The bitch should be mature enough to carry a litter of puppies and should also be in a healthy condition, as well as being young enough to breed.

Once dogs become over the age of eight years old, the risk of problems increases. However, the breeder shouldn’t be breeding the dog if it’s unhealthy or not in a fit state to do so.

You should have your whippet stud health screened and signed up to a stud service, as well as being signed in to a Kennel Club.

When you’ve found the perfect bitch for your whippet stud and the breeder is happy that the two dogs are the right fit, you’ll typically sign a stud dog contract which sets out any compensation or stud fee’s that you’ll receive.

It’s optimal if you let the two dogs see each other before the mating day and allow them to build up a small amount of report for maximum comfort come the day.

This doesn’t need to be for long, even 10-minutes or so will help with the dogs being comfortable with one another.

At this point, you and the breeder will agree on a day on when the two dogs will mate.

When the mating day comes, contrary to what many believe it’s best to let nature taking its course. Constant interference with the dogs only hinders the experience and increases the chances of an unsuccessful day.

Give the dogs enough space to do what nature intends, and once complete don’t have around too long as this could also cause disruption in the breeding process.

What Is The Average Whippet Stud Fee?

It’s tricky to put a price on a whippet stud fee as there are no rules, laws, or regulations on how expensive or cheap the fee should be.

It’s totally down to you as the stud owner and the dog breeder. That being said, the rule of thumb is that the stud fee will typically be around the price of one of the puppies produced.

Often many people will put their whippet up for stud simply to have a puppy, and instead of taking a fee, they will take a puppy instead to keep their beloved pet running in the family for generations.

Depending on the relationship you have with the breeder they may even give you the first pick of the litter, meaning you get the first choice of the pups before they go up for sale.

Stud fees for whippets can range anywhere from £150 – £5000, it all depends on the dogs that are breeding and the historical background and genetics.

Excellent racing or working whippet studs will be able to charge a much higher premium than an average whippet, as the chances of the puppies being of high quality significantly increases and the breeder can charge more for the pups.

Likewise, if the dog is a champion or a winner at Crufts, you’ll also see some higher stud fee’s as the bloodline of this stud is prized.

If the whippet stud is “unproven”, this means that the dog is inexperienced and has not yet had a chance to impregnate a bitch.

This will typically mean the price is discounted or sometimes halved, as there is a risk that the mating day may not be successful.

Your Responsibilities As The Stud Owner

As someone who is putting your whippet up for stud, you do have some responsibilities that you’ll want to keep in mind throughout the whole process.

Firstly, as the stud dog owner you a responsible for producing the stud dog contract. This will detail the amount that you will be paid for providing the stud dog, whether that be in pounds and pence or in the value of a puppy.

You’ll also be responsible for supervising the actual mating experience to ensure everything goes smoothly. If this is your first time, then you may want to take someone who has done this before with you.

Ensuring that no dog is injured in the mating process, keeping a watchful eye on the tie to ensure everything goes smoothly and naturally is essential.

Being will to help with any problems that arise is crucial, don’t be passive and expect the breeder to deal with any problems. You must show willingness and be on hand to help at an instant.

Remember this is your whippet that is mating, so you’re fully responsible for how they handle the process. In this unlikely event that your whippet becomes aggressive or agitated, you must take full control of your dog to ensure no person or dog is injured.

As a stud dog owner, many breeders will likely expect you to have done this before unless prior states. This is why if it’s your first time putting your whippet up for stud I highly recommend taking a friend or family member with you who has done it before.

They will keep you on the right track and ensure everything goes smoothly. However, if this is not an option, don’t worry.

Try to build a relationship with the breeder so that you can explain that it’s your first time, you’ll likely not go far wrong.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two about whippet studs in this post and now know a lot more than you did when you first arrived here.

Whippets studs are dogs that are put up for service to impregnate a bitch whippet, with the intention of producing a litter of puppies.

Remember, this experience is all about benefiting the breed and ensuring that the best dogs possible mate to have the strongest litter of puppies.

Always do your due diligence on the whippet bitch before allowing the dogs to mate. The bitch must be healthy, old enough to breed, and have no history of health conditions.

They’ll also want to be Kennel Club registered with no endorsements. It’s also a good idea to ask the breeder how many previous litters the bitch has had, to get a sense of whether the bitch is being overly bred.

Ensure the breeder is happy with your stud dog contract and check over the bitches health screening to ensure there are no issues beforehand.

After reading this post you should now be in a much better position to put your whippet up for stud service. I wish you the very best of luck!

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