Puppy Shots

Today the puppies are scheduled for their first set of puppy shots. Ideally it would be closer to their 8 week old birthday, but making arrangements with the local wholistic veterinarian and having people pick up their puppies made the timing difficult. Linda did much research on the latest in vaccination protocols and then luckily our local vet had the recommended vaccine available. The Merck 3 way combination shot that cover the core diseases. There should be a minimum of 3 weeks, preferably 4 weeks before the next shot is given. Rabies should be given separately, at least 4 weeks after any previous shots Remember, rabies should NEVER be given in conjunction with another vaccination.

These puppy shots are crucial steps in assuring it will have a healthy and happy life.

The protocols for what to vaccinate for and when to administer the shots are very controversial. Many vet practices are still administering vaccines that are designed to cover a wide spectrum of diseases. Many people are now questioning the frequency of vaccination, some safety vs. efficacy concerns, whether to vaccinate at all, and what does the vaccine actually contain. So when you ask your vet when to bring your animal back for its next shot, be aware there is no one correct answer.

Core vaccines are designed to protect against diseases that are more serious or potentially fatal. These diseases are found in all areas of North America and are more easily transmitted than noncore diseases. The AAHA guidelines define the following as core vaccines: distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and rabies. All puppies should be vaccinate these diseases.

Noncore vaccines are those reserved for patients at specific risk for infection due to exposure or lifestyle. The AAHA guidelines classify kennel cough, Lyme disease and leptospirosis vaccines within the noncore group.

Optional or “noncore” vaccines are those that should be considered only in special circumstances because their use is more dependent on the exposure risk of the individual animal. Issues of geographic location and lifestyle should be considered before administering these vaccines. In addition, the diseases involved are generally self-limiting or respond readily to treatment. This group of vaccines comprises distemper-measles virus (D-MV), canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), Leptospira, Bordetella, and Borrelia.

Lyme disease vaccinations give highly unreliable protection, and can cause arthritic disease Neither Lyme vaccinations or leptospirosis vaccinations should be given close to the time that any other vaccinations are given.

Another source of controversy is the recommended frequency of vaccinations. Although yearly boosters are recommended by most vets, for many diseases the yearly booster really is not obligatory. However, a yearly checkup is necessary for the same reasons you would have one yourself. For the low-risk pet, once the initial puppy series is completed, a booster at one year and another at three years should suffice until your dog's senior years.

Temperatment Testing

A couple of my favorite pictures of Carina - whose puppy temperament test 7 years ago was "It's all about me". Work, training, socialization, and persistence paid off!

Yesterday we had our very good friend Marie Gagnon come over and temperament test the puppies. Marie has been doing this on all our litters for many years. Because we spend so much time ever day with the puppies we have a pretty good idea of their temperaments, but it is very helpful to have a set of “fresh” eyes evaluate the litter.

Marie makes sure the puppies are in a new place and she is a new person. Seven years ago Marie tested Carina, the puppies’ grandmother, as having great obedience potential, if convinced she had to. Carina tested independent – that the world was all about her. To this day that is Carina. And my whole training has been about working with her individual personality and developing her working for ME! One of the puppies tested the same way – we’ll see if Amy is up to the challenge!

The puppies tested pretty much as expected. This test give us, and the new owners, an idea of the puppy’s individual personality and what areas could use work to develop them to their full potential. While not perfect, it does help us gain insights into a puppy's character.

One VERY important factor to keep in mind is that the puppy's behavior as an adult will depend on many factors, including his life experiences and the socialization and training he receives from his owners. Exposure, socialization and training can not be overemphasized. The best natured puppy will develop severe issues if kept home and never exposed to the rest of the world. And a shy puppy can blossom into a social butterfly with positive experiences and socialization. Adult dogs with temperament issues USUALLY were not given a solid socialization start in life.

There are five general tests that were performed on puppies that test 1) dependence versus independence, 2) submissiveness versus dominance, 3) prey drive, 4) retrieval drive, and 5) sensitivity to sound.

Two other tests were also done: 1) touch sensitivity, gently squeezing the puppy's toes to measure if he yelps and jerks his foot back wildly, pulls his foot back calmly, or growls and tries to bite. Of course the preferred response is that he pulls his foot back calmly while giving kisses. 2) Prey drive, testing how likely the puppy is to chase moving objects – which could include things like cats and small critters.

Because we know what characteristics that owners want in a puppy, these tests help us line us the puppies wiht their new owners.

Just remember that in new situations dogs may act timid and submissive, but it does not necessarily mean that is their normal temperament. It just means that the dog needs more socialization. These tests are not definite, but they give us some idea as to the general temperament of the puppy.

Playing with Mom

While Maeve is no longer actively nursing the puppies, she is still given lots of access to them.

From their sixth through eighth week the puppies learn many lessons about discipline and learning to play nicely. Maeve will play games of tugger and play fights, and be very, very gentle. BUT, let one of the puppies get too rough or bite too hard and she will be quick to discipline. The lesson here is that she will play nice if they place nice, they bite too hard, and she will make them cry. NEVER any damage done, just a quick, firm "I'm in charge". This is such an important part of their lives and why puppies need to spend these important developmental weeks playing and interacting with their mother.

They are learning to accept discipline, admit that the world is NOT about them, and then get on with just being a puppy. These basic lessons in life will make training your puppy so much easier.

Puppy and Bones

While the puppies continue to receive a standard dog "kibble" once a day, they are getting two meals that are a more natural raw diet. And, to help them grow strong bones, they are getting bones. Here are a couple of pictures of them eating raw beef bones. Of course, for those who decide not to feed raw the puppies are currently getting Merrick Puppy food - a brand we would recommend for puppies and dogs alike. Their canned varieties are even great for raw feed dogs on on road trips where taking frozen food it troublesome.

Puppy Photo Shoot

Today the puppies had a big adventure. They went to the New Gloucester fire station for a picture taking session with a professional photographer, Angela Schwartz. She is doing the photography for a fundraising calendar to benefit the fire department. She will be posting some of the photos on her website/blog at http://www.angelaschwar tzphotography.com/.

There were many, many pictures taken with the firemen and a 1928 fire truck. The puppies

were great ambassadors, giving kisses to anyone who wanted to hold them. Trying to get active puppies to actually stay in one place was quite an undertaking, but everyone was patient and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the pups. The puppies' father, Corey and grandmother, Carina were also active participants in the process. It was so nice to see how gentle Corey was - this was his first opportunity to see and play with the youngsters. Carina offered her many tricks, and was also very good with the little spots.

There should be some great shots - I can't imagine how many pictures Angela took in the 2 hour session. The shot above shows how tired the pups got - and what happens when puppies play hard and long!

OUR STARS

The puppies are going to be used in a photography shoot tomorrow for a fundraiser calendar for a fire department. This is not the first time that our Dalmatians have been stars. Over the years our Dalmatians have been used in movies and various photo shoots for educational purposes as well as for fund raisers.

They were featured in the movie, The 12 Dogs of Christmas which was produced in Bethel, Maine. You can see more about this movie at http://www.12dogsofchristmas.com/ .

The photo above is of our puppy Lucy. She has been photographed for Fetchdog.com's corner dog bed. You can see her in the red dog bed at their website http://www.fetchdog.com/pet-supplies/dog-beds/donut-dog-beds/spacesaver-corner-bed/H10048 .

Our dogs have also participated in educational events related to the release of the Disney movies 101 Dalmatians. The purpose of these meet and greet events were to educate moviegoers about Dalmatians.

Of course, our dogs and puppies are always in demand for photo opportunities at fire stations and departments. Pictured below is Bridgetown Nova Scotia Fire Department mascot, "Spencer" with owner Janice Dorey at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new fire station.

Gate Respect

While there are still people who think you can't teach puppies until they are several months old, they really start to learn from the day they are born. One lesson we are working on is respecting pens and barriers.

Go to an agility trial and you will see many, many dogs waiting patiently inside 24 inch high wire "exercise" pens. Yet when brought out for their turn these same dogs sail over jumps with room to spare. The difference is taught at a very young age. Corey will drape himself over the porch railing while I'm in the yard, but knows the consequences if he should jump out.

As the puppies clamor up the side of the pen they are learning whether climbing is acceptable or not. While it is cute that they want to be with us, and watching them learn to climb is interesting, the long term effect is that they know they CAN and then they WILL climb and escape from everything.

We start by simply tapping their toes, forcing them to pull their paws back in off the fence. Not enough to hurt - but enough so they don't want it to happen again. Within 3 or 4 times they will back off, sit in the middle of the box and think about what just happened. Our next step will be to rattle the pen, causing them to "drop" off as they climb up. The catch here is that no words are spoken or verbal correction given. We want them to think the correction comes from the gate/pen, not from us. I want them to respect the gate even when I'm not around. Doesn't usually take many lessons to get the point across. Wait and I will open the gate, jump on it and it will be uncomfortable. Pups are sure quick learners and these lessons will last their lifetime unless you specifically "untrain" them.