Still I get a cold chill down my spine when I recall a term that was explained to me very many years ago; before I was even a dog breeder. The term, or more accurately the phrase, was 'they bucket them'. An experienced show breeder explained to me that it was common practise for puppies not meeting 'breed standards' to be dispatched at birth. Obviously this is hearsay … [Read more...]
Double dapple danger
Double dapple coats can be stunning - until, that is, you realise 'at what cost'. When you know this cost, it's surprising how quickly those coat patterns and colour become highly unattractive Double dapple (also known as 'double merle' in other breeds) results from a dapple dog being crossed with another dapple. So, as the name suggests, they will produce puppies that are … [Read more...]
Dog speak – it’s tonal
Although I have never formally trained my dogs, I have no trouble in communicating with them. In fact I talk to them a lot and we seem to understand each other quite well. With this in mind I was interested to learn, on a recent one week visit to China, that many Asian languages are 'tonal'. That is, meaning is attached to the pitch or intonation of the words spoken. … [Read more...]
House training – breeder can make or break
If you’ve ever had great difficulty house training a puppy, chances are you’ve both been ‘up against it’. Fact is that house training starts from birth, with mum doing her bit for the first three weeks and then the breeder doing their bit for the next five weeks. If a breeder does not take due care during this time, then puppy misses out on crucial development phases … [Read more...]
Inviting disaster – off lead parks & doggy daycare
By Fiona Douglas Dogs randomly frolicking around off-leash is a heartwarming scene to most people. But not to me, nor other breeders I have spoken to. To us, it's a disaster waiting to happen and it's stressful to watch. Our knowledge of dogs tells us that the calmest and happiest environment can - in a snap - switch to uncontrolled violence of … [Read more...]