Inside Story
We give a 2 year written genetic health guarantee with our pups.
____________________________________________
Why Crossbreeds?
For centuries, people such as farmers, horticulturists and breeders have learned that by breeding or pollinating one type or breed to another, will result in a healthier, hardier and in most cases a more beautiful creature. I have experienced this first hand growing up on the farm. We always had better meat from our hogs and better producing cows when we crossbred. The outcome is about the same with dogs (not for meat or milk). You get the best of both breeds, and diminish any negative traits from either breed increasing health and integrity. So to put in english you have a dog that is healther; bigger gene pool makes it less likely for genetic health problems, hardier; more resistant to illness and diseases like allergies and cancer. Often these crossbreeds learn more quickly and are smarter than the parent dog.
Crossbreeding is not just putting dog A with dob B. It is as exact of a science as with creating the next champion dog. Our crossbreeds are carefully planned breedings. They are based on a close study of health, temperament and standard of each potential parent animal and subsequent offspring for several generations. To us crossbreeding requires the study and knowledge of the pure breeds being used and close record keeping of the puppies produced from each breeding. Any breeder who is not breeding for these purposes is not responsible.
Hybrid Vigor- how wonderful it would be if the simple act of just cross-breeding any two pure-bred dogs could automatically ensure hybrid vigor. Hybrid Vigor is a misleading term. Carefully planned breedings should be based on a meticulous study of health and personality histories for several generations. Cross-breeding requires in depth knowledge of the pure breeds being used and a constant study of the resulting puppies. Anything less is not responsible.
And after our pedigree research is satisfatory we have to be sure the match is right. That our dogs not only have close personalities but that our dogs compliment each other to create a better next generation dog. By matching our dogs based on the above factors we can get a good idea as to what the offspring will be like.
Aren't crossbreeds just muts? A mut is defined by a dog with unknown parent history and could possibly have multiple breeds within it's history making it dificult to determine size, coat and charater of the dog.
_______________________________
Hypo-Allergenic
There are many breeds that will claim their dogs to be hypo-allergenic.
Fact: nothing is completely hypo-allergenic. Any doctor will confirm that a persons tolerance to allergens is as individual as he/she is. While our schnauzers and schnoodles have been specially bred for low dander non-shedding coats and are successfully placed in families with allergies, no dog in itself is hypo-allergenic.
Puppy Socialization
We put a lot of time and energy in making sure our pups are well socialized.
For the first to weeks, we only handle the pups when necessary; i.e. weighing, pics, tail & dew removal and bedding changes.
It is important for the dam to recognizer her pups and create her strong bond. It is also important to keep the dam relaxed. Disturbing her den and countineuous handling of her offspring is stressfull to the dams whether we notice it or not. If the dam is happy, then the pups will be happy.
At 14 days the eyes are opened and ears are starting to open. At this age sight limited. Basic shadows is all they can really see. They can also hear but it is not as acute as an adult.
At 2 weeks I will start to observe the pups. I let them crawl on me and I get to know each personality and start to take characteristic notes.
At 3 weeks I will start pack introductions and allow the rest of the family to quietly come and sit in the whelping rooms. This step introduces new scents to creat curiousity without loud noises. If the pups become frightened, it will set their development back. We have found that this step starts to develope their selve confidence.
At 4 weeks we start letting the pups explore out of the den. We bring in new scents to think about. We also start adapting them to new surroundings. Food is introduced in this week. We start taking them outdoors (weather permiting) at this age.
At 5 & 6wks we introduce them to all sorts of toys to play with. We also bring in new obsticals to crawl through, over and under for. We also start some basic training at this age; sit and fetch. Our training is nothing serious. To them it's another game to play. We also introduce gun shots at this time. At 6wks most of the pups just love to be outside and it will become our daily workout to get them all back inside. The pups will get their first introduction to the vet's office and their first official health exam.
At 7wks the pups are just about completely weaned. Our experienced dams will wean their pups without interuptions from us. At this age most of the pups have already gotten the hang of going outside to use the bathroom. The pups are now able to keep up to a slow walk so we start lettting the pups run and play on the trails.
At 8wks the pups are pretty much going out on their own to go to the bathroom. All of them know the sit command. Most of them know the retrieve, the one's that don't, they get the idea and just need a few more lessons. At this age they are well adjusted to other dogs, cats and children. At this age, they are ready for new homes.
_______________________________
Can over vaccinating harm my dog? All of our research has paid off. Our dogs are genetically sound in both mind and body. They are exceptional hunters. They do well in new situations. Most importantly they are great family companions.
Vaccinations as the experts say are necessary. But new research has proven that vaccinations are not necessary for pet health.
Fact. Vaccines have been linked to auto-immune disease and allergies. Vaccines may also be linked to the rise in cancer.
Fact. Weimaraners are on the auto-immune difficient list.
Vaccines are important in preventing some diseases that still occur today. The 3 most common are Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper and Rabies.
When puppies are born their immune systems are not mature enough to make antibodies until approximately 8 to 12 weeks of age. Nature provides for temporary immunity in the form of colostrum, which is very rich in antibodies. Babies who fail to suckle colostrum in the first few days of life will be extremeley susceptible to disease until their own immune systme matures and makes their own antibodies.
Early weaning can leave pups vulnerable to disease and early vaccinations can also be harmful to young pups.
The below is the vaccination schedule that we follow:
8, 12, 16wks - Distemper, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza & Hepatitis
14wks- Rabies (check your state regulation. MN is at least 12wks). Leave 2wks between shots.
1st Year- Distemper, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza & Hepatitis.
2nd Year-Parvovirus
3rd year- Distemper
Repeat.
Rabies is a seperate schedule according to state regulations. It is best to leave 2 weeks between the rabies shots and the other booster to prevent vaccine reactions.
________________________________________
The Importance of Genetics
Genes are one of the most important factors that we strive for in our breeding program. We put alot of training, expense and time into our dogs so we do all that we can to ensure that are pups are of sound genetics before we purchase.
It can take us months or even a year to search for the right dog. More importantly we search for a good breeder. A breeder, like myself, that will strive for breed health and integrity. One who uses the breed as it is intended for, is breed knowledgeable and can easily answer my questions. A good breeder will know their own dogs inside and out and will have in depth knowledge of the pedigrees they use. Listed are some questions that we ask all breeders:
We have owned most of the dogs on our pedigrees. The dogs we don't own we know personally and have worked and hunted with.
Our genetic research started when we purchased our first pup. We did everything that we thought we were supposed to do; OFA, hip, elbow and eye certified dogs, hunters, well socialized and of coarse health guarantee (only 1 year, though).
At 18mos of age a limp started. Followed by slowness to rise and lay down. Then not wanting to climb stairs or inclines. Long story short, vet report came back with an early stage of hip dysplasia. We were devistated. We had already invested lots of time and money into the training, now all for nothing. Of course the surgery would be expensive and the stress of hunting and working would be to much.
It's just my luck that the guarantee is up. But the parents were OFA good and excellent. How could my dog be dysplastic? So...
The breeder was contacted and through many calls it was discovered that there were many instances throughout the pedigree of hip problems.
What did we learn? Just because the parents are certified doesn't mean that it is not in the lineage. If it's in the pedigree there is that chance that it could surface again in future generations.
Of course a suitable home was found for our fury friend. She lived out her days with her new family and lived to be 12.
___________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ______________________________
Why we microchip all of our puppies free of charge.
Accidents happen, and in a busy household, can happen frequently. While the first time may end quickly and painlessly, a child, or unwary visitors open the door and Barko runs free, only to be found at the next door neighbor's front yard, what about the second time? Or the third? What if you weren't home when Barko made his bid for freedom? What if he had already been gone for hours by the time you realized it?
My dog has a collar tag so why should it be microchipped?
By law all dogs have to wear a collar with a tag showing its owner's name and address. But collars can break, identification tags fall off and get lost. Microchips identify your pet permanently and harmlessly.
Can a tattoo be as effective as a microchip?
Tattooing is a painful way to identify your pet. Tattoos will fade over time making re-inking a must. Some states have already out-lawed the act of tattooing animals. The most effective way to tatto an animal is on the inner thigh. There are many cases of stolen dogs and other animals having the ears cut off to erase ownership.
A microchip is recommended as an effective way of permanently linking pets to their owners, increasing the chances of them being reunited if the animal is lost, stolen or strays.
Thousands of pets are lost every year and many are never reunited with their owners. The best way to ensure a lost pet is found is to have it microchipped - implanted with a special microchip tag.
1 in 3 lost pets never return home. Most shelters on average hold a lost pet for 7 days. After that the animal is put up for adoption, given to rescue organizations or euthanized.
How does microchipping work?
Once an animal has been microchipped it has its own unique code number. The owner's details and the code are put on to the national PetLog database. If a lost or stolen animal is found, the code will be revealed by passing a scanner over the microchip. Then it's just a matter of matching the code with the PetLog database.
How can microchipping help find my dog?
The PetLog scheme provides a fast, fool-proof way of identifying your dog, wherever it is found. Many animal welfare organisations, vets and dog wardens, have scanners which can read the microchip's details.
Why should I worry about losing my pet?
Even the most reliable and well-cared for animal can get lost or stolen. Home-loving pets are most at risk because they don't know their way around the local area.
We use avid microchips in all of our dogs and puppies.
To ensure that our puppies are registered immediatley the registration form is filled out and mailed before our pups leave for new homes.
Food and Nutrition
We reseach dog food, treats and dog food companies continiously. The foods that dogs eat change contineously and we like to stay current with nutrition for our dogs.
So, what kind of food should you feed your dog? It's not a matter of what type of food to feed but what's in the food. The best food to feed is the raw food diet. There are many sites that list the types of meat and veggies to use for this diet.
If the raw food diet is not for you, here is some nutrition information that you may want to consider when you purchase Barko's food.
Eagle Pack, Eagle Pack Naturals and Eagle Pack Holistic-www.eaglepack.com. This is the food that we feed our hungry pack of canines, raise our pups on and recommend to our clients.
We found that these are excellent dog foods that will not leave our wallet starving. Dealer locators are also available through the sites listed above. We tend to use these dog foods because they are tested through breeders and owners of working dogs. Not tested in laboratory settings.
Natural Parasite Control
Currently cancer is the #1 cause of all non-accidental dog deaths. Cancer and our children are why we did our homework and use only natural products to repel parasites on our dogs.
Sprays, dips, drops and collars all leave the chemical sitting on the skin/coat of the dog where it is exposed to our children.
Pills are ingested but this does not repel the flys and ticks so another product would have to be used. Is using chemicals a healthy choice for our pets?
Chemicals to repel parasites can also cause allergic reactions, sickness or death.
Have you ever wondered why we give these chemicals to our dogs but at the same time these products are toxic to humans? Dogs are much more sensative to chemicals that we, the humans are. Each year there are more cases of reactions, sickness and death but these products are still being used.
We use only natural and holistic products to combat parasites on our canine friends. These products are all natural, safe for our pets and they will not harm the humans either. They are even much more economical than chemicals. Website and more information on the products we use are included in our puppy packet.
