How many bulldogs are too many?

Just ask Daisy Mae, featured in an ABC News story afte giving birth to a litter of 21 (yes, that’s twenty-one) pups!  And you though Octo-Mom had problems!

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Interracial Puppies?

As a white mother of a black child, this story from Doncaster, England  really caught my eye.  What happens when you breed a white female poodle with a black male poodle?  In this case, ALL EIGHT of the offspring turned out black, a genetic rarity.  Together they make quite a picture!

 Sukanto My Fair Lady (otherwise known as Rosie), who lives with John & Carol Marsden, went into labor unexpectedly, and Mrs. Marsden actually got to deliver the first three pups before the breeder got there to take over.  Over the course of seven hours, all of the puppies were born healthy and happy.  Good thing Mrs. Marsden is a retired nurse! 

 To keep her strength up while caring for the newborns, Rosie is being treated to a liter of goat’s milk every day from the Stone family farm, just down the road from the Marsdens. 

 The father is Kertellas on Easy Street at Montravia, but goes by the much less-of-a-mouthful name of Alfie.  He lives with Marita Rodgers.  No word on what he thought of his octuplets.  (Should I say “typical man”?)

 Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Sunday Survey: What to do with unwanted puppies?

We’re shaking up your weekend a bit here because Saturday was just a crazy day for me, but here is your survey for this week.

Let’s say your dog unexpectedly turned up pregnant.  After you got over that sick feeling in the pit of your belly, what would you do with the puppies?  I’m assuming here that it is beyond your means or desire to keep all of them, and that if you are reading this blog you have too much respect for canines to drown them in a burlap sack.

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Puppy Mills on The Dog Whisperer

Sorry for the short notice – Cesar Milan is going to visit puppy mills on his show, The Dog Whisperer, tonight.  Tune in to The National Geographic Channel at 8 pm Eastern and find out more about this important topic.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Anti-Puppy Mill Rallies

Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, had a blog post yesterday about the progress being made in trying to eliminate puppy mills.  You can see the blog post here, but one of the things I found most exciting is that rallies are being organized for THIS WEEKEND across the nation at Petland stores, where puppy mill puppies are still being sold.  Click here to find a rally in your area.  What better way to spend the day before Mother’s Day than advocating for the four-legged babies who can’t fend for themselves?

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Origins of Dog Names

Did you ever wonder about the meaning of a certain name?  For example, “Beth”, as a shortened form of Elizabeth, is from a Hebrew word meaning “God’s promise”.  It was not used before the 19th Century, and was popularized by Louisa May Alcott in her book, Little Women.

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Choosing a Dog Breeder

I had a question come in via e-mail that I thought a lot of people might be interested in, so the writer, Colleen, very graciously allowed me to post it.

Hi Beth,
My husband and I are interested in purchasing a dog from a breeder. What are some of the things we should know before hand. The breeder is registered with AKC. What are some of the questions we should ask the breeder?
Thank you

At a minimum, you should ask to see the parents.  Sometimes they will not both be on-site, but at least the mother should be.  The purpose of seeing the parents is that you can get a general sense of their health.  If you are lucky, the breeder will take you to the kennel area when showing the parents, which means you can check out the living  conditions.  Run, don’t walk, away if the conditions are not clean, adequately heated/cooled, and humane.  You can also see whether they breed several breeds or specialize
in just one or two (which is usually better).  Check to see how many dogs they have who are pregnant or still nursing.  Ideally, they will space out their litters, especially for each mama, rather than breeding each dog every time she comes into heat.

Ask to see the vet records for the parents, including an OFA certification for hip dysplasia and a CERF record for eye problems.  Also, make sure that the parents are up-to-date on their shots and that initial puppy shots and worming have been done on the puppies.  If you are buying a breed with a docked tail or other alterations, you might ask if the breeder does these procedures himself, and ask to see where, so you can make sure the facility is clean.

Depending on whether or not you plan to show the dog, you will want to discuss the breed standard, and how the breeder tries to further the quality of the breed. Ask to see breeding records so you can see that he is making an effort to prevent in-breeding and to try to bring out certain traits or suppress others.

Follow your instincts.  If you get a bad feeling about a breeder,it is probaby best that you don’t buy there.  A good breeder will also want to ask you questions to make sure his dog is going to a good home.  He may also have a waiting list, indicating that he doesn’t overbreed just to make money.

Thanks for writing, a good luck!  Let me know when you get your little bundle of joy – I’d love to see pix.

P.S.  Do you mind if I post your question and my response on the site for others to see?

Thank you so much and yes feel free to post my question. May I ask one more how do I determine what price is appropriate for the breed?

The way I’ve always done it is to check with several breeders and see what they charge.  I rarely take the highest or lowest price.

One other thing.  Once you have several breeders’ prices, you may be able to negotiate with the breeder you have chosen for a puppy you really like, telling him that you can get a similar dog at a lesser price and would he be willing to come down some?  Also, some (but by no means all) breeders will give you a price break if you are buying with no intention of breeding your puppy.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!

Saturday Survey: Name the First Dog

As promised, we have closed the survey we used as the initial phase of voting on a name for the Obama family’s soon-to-be-adopted dog.  Below are the top five answers from the survey, and we need your votes to find the winner!  Thanks to all who submitted ideas.

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Pennsylvania Puppy Mill Laws

Good news!  Pennsylvania, often called the Puppy Mill Capitol of the Eastern United States, has finally passed tough new laws that limit the ability of puppy mills to keep their breeding stock locked up in small cages under inhumane conditions.

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The Stairmaster

Is your dog afraid to go down the steps?  This is a fairly common thing among dogs, who we all know are just big chickens most of the time, anyways.  Sometimes its due to a medical problem, but more often than not, it’s just fear that keeps your dog out of the basement.

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