Just curious when breeders stop using studs/shipping chilled. I have contacted a breeder in the past about a nice boy on her stud section and she said she only used him for AI's where female was present. She sharply noted his age to me.

So before I make the same mistake - what age is too old to ask for chilled from a nice boy.

Depends on the dog - some boys extend better than others, especially as they age.

It depends on the stud dog and quality of the semen. I did a chilled semen breeding to D Arnold when he was 11.5 y/o and had 10 puppies.
I would ask the stud dog owner when was the last time she shipped him. It sounds like he doesn't collect well without a bitch in season not necessarily that he doesn't ship well. She could always collect and extend his semen then ship it to a vet or another breeder to see what it looks like

It's variable. Just because sperm are motile doesn't mean they are capable of penetrating an egg and you can't determine that with a light microscope. If you use an older stud fresh is best, not chilled but your best odds are with a younger stud.

I used a male at 12+ and again at 13+ (chilled/shipped) and had litters of 8 and 7, respectively, so my answer would be as long as they are offering and the goods are "good"!!!! :)

That's just it, you won't know if the goods are "good" and the odds are against you with an older stud. For every success story you hear remember there are many many more stories of failures or small litters.

The cause is not always the stud-dog or his age. There are lots of reasons for misses and small litters besides the semen. Breeding too early, too late or semen that's delayed arriving or exposed to prolonged heat. There are many other reasons that don't include the age of the stud dog.

How many times do you hear of a stud-dog going sterile at a young age? I've heard many and always wonder why it happens. Age is not always the cause and the stud-dog is not always the cause. It takes two to tango. Ever think it could be extender, the bitch or both bitch and stud-dog?

If you have a minimally acceptable sperm count, which the stud owner should check prior to shipment, I thought that the bitch determined the number of pups in her litter, not the male. I recently had a litter of 11 from an older stud. One shipment looked great and the other not so great.

I think alot are fine at 10 years and have sure heard of 12 year olds. I do know stud owners who know the dog does better with the female right there and so I would listen to the owner.

Doesn't the AKC have some requirments concerning the age of stud dogs? Something about after age 12? the dog must be collected by a vet and the semen evaluated at that time? Isn't there a letter on file that must be renewed every 12 months? Maybe I'm crazy but I vaguely recall something along this line being in force.

IX. OVERAGE/UNDERAGE SIRES
AND DAMS

Chapter 3, Section 5 of the Rules Applying to
Registration and Discipline reads as follows:

“No dog or litter out of a dam under eight (8)
months or over twelve (12) years of age at the time
of mating, or by a sire under seven (7) months or
over twelve (12) years of age at the time of mating,
will be registered unless the application for registration
shall be accompanied by an affidavit or evidence
which shall prove the fact to the satisfaction of The
American Kennel Club.”

"If you own an overage male and you intend to use
the dog at stud, we recommend that you have a sperm
count done by your veterinarian. If the veterinarian
finds that the male is capable of siring a litter you
should make several photocopies of his findings, which
can then be submitted in the future with applications
for litters sired by the dog. We would also recommend
that you have a sperm count done every six (6) months
thereafter."

The majority of misses are due to incorrect timing, no doubt about that! Male's peak hormonally at 3-4 y.o., sperm peaks when 18 mo. to 3 years and is the best time for freezing. Medium breeds, 40-80 lbs. have the longest lifespan for breeding in males, toys and giant breeds the shortest.

Sperm number and motility can be seen on a microscope slide but you can't see life span and you can't see acrosomes. Ask your repro. vet what age they recommend for the best success, you might be surprised.