# Chilled Semen breedings- Success stories?



## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

I've just bred my malinois bitch using cooled semen on Sunday. This is my second time using chilled semen in 20 years of breeding Malinois and Beauceron. My first attempt was with a Beauceron bitch recently and it resulted in the bitch not getting pregnant :-( . My confidence is not high right now on shipped semen breedings. We did the ultra sound on the Beauce bitch on the same day as we did the A.I. breeding on the malinois. 

In both the Beauceron and Malinois breeding, the stud dog sperm was excellent quality on arrival at 95% live. 

I'm wondering what other breeders have experienced as far as successful pregnancies cooled semen or frozen. :?: 

Debbie Skinner
Les Ombres Valeureux
www.pawsnclaws.us
951 551 3879 cell


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## Tasha Pluim (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm wondering what other breeders have experienced as far as successful pregnancies cooled semen or frozen. :?: 



Hi there,

I have just done one frozen. Results was no pregancy ](*,) 
The male lives in Australia, so this is the only way that I will be able to use him.
Timing was perfect on the bitch, and the semen was high quality, so who knows.

I will try again though, just at a later time.

Tasha


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## Mary Lehman (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi Debbie. Here is my experience with my male GSD when shipping cooled semen. It hasn't worked. 

Ok, to get a little more in depth here, the procedure was done vaginally without positive results, three times - different females. Sperm was extremely viable/high motility. However, the breeder has done surgical implants with cooled semen with 100% success on other females. 

This time (yesterday) she has decided to bring my male to her place in CA for live cover breeding since there is more than one female to take care of. Gives me a break of about a month or so from having 2 males in the house.


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## Amber Scott Dyer (Oct 30, 2006)

a breeder friend of mine has done two frozen semen breedings on her old bitch. Both took and produced 7 puppies in the first litter, 12 in the second. Both were surgically implanted, though, not vaginally.


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## Amber Scott Dyer (Oct 30, 2006)

also adding that considering the cost of shipping chilled or frozen, i think most people do progesterone tests instead of more typical cytology smears in order to better estimate the fertility of the bitch. i would recommend finding a fertility specialist. 

i hope you have luck. i've only had the privilege of seeing two mals from your kennel in person, and both were really unbelievable dogs. keep doing whatever you're doing!! :razz:


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I know of two frozen semen breedings that resulted in pregnancy. In both cases, progesterone testing and surgical implantation were done.


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## Sue DiCero (Sep 2, 2006)

Definitely would do progesterone plus the sugerical.

Some dogs show ready at the smear (we have one) but not ready per the progesterone until a few days later.


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

I've been using Dr. Vanderlip who is a reproductive specialist. We do all the Prog. Tests and don't rely on smears. With the Beauceron, the sperm was shipped from OK cooled and was great quality. The insemination was done vaginally and the timing was "perfect" and no puppies  

For years I was against trying frozen and cooled with no personal experience, but because other breeders telling me of their bad experiences. I decided to become "progressive" and try the cooled semen. 

My vet had said there isn't a reason to do surgical unless the quality of sperm is low so I'm not sure.. I have done a 2 A.I. natural breedings that have produced 9 and 8 puppies each time with the same bitch. This was done because both times the males were old and couldn't breed naturally.

I can say that I'm not confident right now with my recent cooled semen breeding and will run in for an ultra sound on my bitch as soon as she's far enough along. Once I added up just the costs of vet costs on both ends (FL & CA) and Fedex (for chilled kits) I was into the breeding for over $900 just in these fees. In hindsight, I should of flown to Miami with my bitch and did the breeding naturally. A round trip ticket would of been around $350 and I would be more confident in the breeding "taking" if I see the dogs breed! I've found that I have a high level of stress whenever I try a chilled breeding too because there are so many things that can go wrong that I have no control over: lining up a good vet for the stud owner to go to, organizing the vet appointment on the stud owner's end, the FedEx shipping of the semen, etc. 

I'm hopeful that this breeding took, but if not the next attempt will be with me and Saida on a plane to Miami to visit Master! 

I will be going back to natural only breeding like I've done for years if this breeding doesn't take as I'm thinking if I fly my female to the male at least I have a nice trip out of state or to France or Belgium for my time and $$ !

BTW, which dogs did you see?

Debbie Skinner
Les Ombres Valeureux
www.pawsnclaws.us


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

So far it's been my experience too as I've had 1 cooled semen breeding = 0 pregnancy. In a couple more weeks I'll know about my second attempt. Hey I'm all for the dogs traveling and not the sperm at this time. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. My malinois breeding was just done on Oct 5th and according to the vets it's text book. Lab Prog spot on. Sperm at 95%. Bitch's last litter was 11 pups, etc..


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

I'd been told that surgical was better and I did ask my vet and she said that in my females (the Beauce and Malinois) it wasn't necessary. I will say that the vet would of had to really give me some excellent reasons for surgical implantation for me to have it done on one of my females because I worry about the risk on the female. One thing about the female Beauceron is that she has not been bred before the A.I. so is "unproven" and I guess still a virgin too!


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## tracey schneider (May 7, 2008)

Ive done chilled only as the stud owner.

Very first time 6 puppies vaginally. second time, 4 with 3 surviving, i think surgical (cant recall), only this one was done on the last day. Personally I will never do a 'last good day" again with ai the timing has to be perfect. 

I also use a reproductive specialist the frist breeding was with a female who also had one. Second was a goat vet or something lol. i would never do it again unless the vet was a repro specialist on both ends. 

timing............cuirous if anyone recalls the progesterone test levels that gave the best results. 
t


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

OK as in Oklahoma????? Just drive there. I was thinking some fancy dog from east wherever. 

Chick breeders :roll: :-D


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Don't lie, Jeff. We all know how much fun you guys probably enjoy collecting a male. :mrgreen: At least you don't have to wear a helmet with a male dog like you do a stallion! :-o 

BTW, in our therio class in vet school (which I believe is next fall), like 3/4 is large animal, so that's probably why most of the therio/repro vets are food animal/equine folks.


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## Debbie Skinner (Sep 11, 2008)

Maybe fly because I'm in California and the dog is in Florida...


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