carefulbreeders

Careful Breeders Let Littermates Learn From One Another

By Gina Spadafori
Pet Columnist
http://www.veterinarypartner.com

I've just spent the better part of a week with a litter of 6-week-old puppies. I've played with them, let them untie my shoelaces again and again, taken pictures of them, and just plain enjoyed being around them.

Maybe it's not your dream vacation, but it certainly is mine.

The pups belong to my friend Linda, who breeds some of the best Rhodesian ridgebacks imaginable, dogs with near-perfect appearance for their breed and great temperaments for any breed. She doesn't have puppies in her home that often, so enjoying these five was a rare treat. A glimpse at future champions, too, if breeding has any say in the matter: The mom is a sister to a dog who won big at Westminster, and the dad has a best-in-show win on his resume. The waiting list for any of Linda's puppies is years long.

Puppies are puppies, though, and these fat little babies knew nothing about their pedigrees, nor cared. Their carefulbreedersvp1

days were spent wrestling, playing and exploring. Gentle introduction to new experiences is important, and Linda knows it. Her pups are constantly handled, given lots of room for safe exploration, and introduced at an early age to such horrors as nail trims and grooming.

Some of the most important lessons they learn, though, come from their mother and from each other. And too many puppies don't get a chance to learn all they should before they go to new homes. Despite all the research on the importance of staying with littermates longer, some breeders can't seem to get rid of their puppies fast enough, sending them out the door the minute they're weaned, as early as 5 weeks of age.

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Many experts believe pups shouldn't go to their new homes until they are 7 weeks old, at least, and Linda keeps hers even longer, placing them at 9 weeks. Puppies learn some valuable lessons in the weeks after weaning, including how to get along with other dogs, and that biting hurts. These are lessons, all learned in puppy play, that no dog should be without.

Every litter I see is educational for me as well. Dogs are born knowing more about canine behavior than I'll learn in my lifetime, which is one of the reasons I love to watch puppies. Within a few minutes the personalities of any litter of puppies become evident to the careful observer. Linda's puppies are all called by their collar color until placed -- red, green, yellow, purple and blue.

In this litter the pushiest is a pup called Green. He is always on top in every wrestling match, and first into every new experience. When my dog Benjamin, who loves puppies, went into the pen to play, the puppies scattered in fear -- but Green was chewing on Ben not a minute later. Following Green's example, the rest were soon climbing on Ben, to the delight of the big retriever.

The night before I was to head home, Linda and her husband, Craig, took me out to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We encountered a fellow who was selling puppies, Labrador and golden retrievers, out of the back of his pickup truck -- a situation that couldn't be more different from that of the puppies back at the house.

We said little, but managed to talk a waitress out of buying a pup on impulse. Who knew where these puppies came from? We warned her about congenital defects and explained to her about socialization. I doubt the lost sale slowed the puppy man down at all. The weather was beautiful and the seaside town was packed with tourists. The puppies were likely sold before the end of the next day. carefulbreedersvp3

I can only pray they found good homes and will be healthy and emotionally sound. My bigger wish, though, is that someday everyone will understand the risks they take with such a seller.

With shelter pups and older purebreds and mixes just begging for homes, you needn't limit your search to purebred puppies. But if you must, you're better off finding a breeder like Linda, who breeds the best and knows how to raise a puppy right.

Gina Spadafori is the award-winning author of Dogs for Dummies, Cats for Dummies and Birds for Dummies. She is also affiliated with the Veterinary Information Network Inc., an international online service for veterinary professionals. Write to her at petconnection@gmail.com.

Copyright 1991 - 2007, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.
This work was originally published by Veterinary Information
Network, Inc. (VIN) and is republished with VIN's permission.

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