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Post by dobereyna on Mar 30, 2013 11:44:59 GMT -5
I found this link about socializing puppies: www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/socializing-your-puppyI'm sure Monica will chime in here about proper procedure. Some of the info on the link listed above I don't necessarily agree with (ie I didn't let random strangers touch Reyna before she had all her shots... friends and family yes after they washed their hands hahaha! see? crazy new puppy mom...), but there are some good points. I wouldn't see why puppies from the same litter couldn't play, as we would both be taking similar precautions with our babies.
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Post by Andreina on Mar 30, 2013 16:38:39 GMT -5
Welcome Korina!!! I have Scarlet from Cajuns first litter with Argus, she will be two in a couple of weeks. So you will get her half sibbling yay! How exciting it is to bring a puppy home. I remember Julian and I picked Scarlet up pretty late on a weeknight, and got home close to midnight. We brought this little puppy home... (Who by the way, slept the entire 2 hour ride - should have been our first clue she was lazy LOL) ...anyways, brought this puppy home, went into the kitchen and just looked at each other like, what do we do now? this little 13 lb reindeer looking animal who we knew nothing about, and she knew nothing of us, where do we go from here? It is definitely a surreal experience. Not sure if this is your first dog or not, but it was a first for us... And I cant ever imagine not doing it! I cant imagine life without my little scar-bear! You're going to have so much fun shopping for your puppy, and socializing, and of course, coming out to walks with all of your Dobereich friends haha. Best of luck to you! I cant wait to watch this litter grow... Oh and feel free to start your own question thread, anywhere really.. General, puppies, etc.
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Post by hooligan on Mar 30, 2013 18:07:40 GMT -5
2 questions re: that time before they have all their shots: - what about socializing? I thought we wanted to socialize the puppy as early as possible? Can you have other humans over to visit?? - also, can you make playdates for your puppies from the same litter during that time period? . . . I would talk to Monica and to your vet. Jack came home at nine weeks, and when we took him to our vet two days later, we had a long talk about the whole socialization–shots business. Our vet emphasized the importance of striking a balance. That nine-to12-week period is so important for socialization and yet it's also risky from a health POV. So we didn't take Jack to local parks or places like PetSmart, where we knew he would encounter unkown dogs, but we did take him for walks around the block and to meet LOTS of people: neighbours, folks at the café patio where we had afternoon coffee, etc. And my sister, whose two dogs were perfectly healthy and UTD on their shots, also came for visits. Our vet said one thing that really struck me: "Think about the critters who visit your backyard, which you probably consider a safe place." And yes, our city yard is home to all kinds of wildlife — raccoons, skunks, squirrels galore, rabbits, etc., all of which could carry diseases. So to keep Jack absolutely safe, we would have had to keep him locked in the house during that critical period. So I think it's important to be careful, but it's also important not to go overboard and miss that hugely important socialization window.
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Post by hooligan on Mar 30, 2013 18:16:23 GMT -5
Awwww, I missed the part of this thread that talked about natural ears, but I can't resist backtracking a little to post a pic of our Big Ol' Fred. He was Jack's predecessor and not a Dobereich Dobe. He was picked up as a stray whose origins remained a mystery. But he was a wonderful guy who sealed the deal on Dobes for us. I think you can train natural ears to sit nicely like Gino's and Asha's. But when Fred first came to us, his left ear stood and his right ear was at half-mast. As he aged, though, his right ear straightened up until he looked like this (pretty goofy — he was 14 when this picture was taken). Attachments:
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kobe
New Member
Posts: 14
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Post by kobe on Mar 30, 2013 18:30:54 GMT -5
thanks for all the responses everyone... I think I'm starting to get a sense of how to balance socialization and vaccines... Yes - I have a backyard visited by squirrels, raccoons and neighbourhood cats (i bet the cats won't come around as much any more though!!). I'm wondering if washing puppy's paws after each outing would be helpful too? I was planning on getting her used to having her paws wiped down anyway no matter how dry the weather. I have a bike trailer that I would like to get her used to as soon as possible and am thinking that this might be a nice way to cart her around (I would be pushing the bike - don't worry people!) and keep her relatively safe. I can't see myself carrying around a growing dobe puppy for longer than a week or two!
Yes -this is my first dog ever - so although I've been reading everything I can get my hands on, and trying to prepare as much as I can in advance, I will definitely be relying on whatever tips everyone would like to pass on.
I will start a new thread soon with a bunch of general questions as a new "parent".
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Post by dobereyna on Mar 30, 2013 19:42:54 GMT -5
Oh Fred looks so cute with his big goofy ears! Bet he was a wonderful boy. He certainly doesn't "look" 14 in this pic either!
I agree on the balance of socialization vs risk as well... excellent points!
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Post by Lisa on Mar 30, 2013 22:48:06 GMT -5
Dyanne I am a bit confused your vet mentioned other critters. We all know that parvo is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog or indirect contact with their feces. It's not known to be spread from other critters. Maybe your vet meant other infection diseases that not life-threatening? Then I would not worry about it too much....
Definitely socializing a puppy is very important. You may set up play dates with other puppies or adult dogs if they have all vaccinations. I always take my puppies for a short walk in the street to meet people and observe cars, bikes, etc.... but dog parks is a big NO. There are too many dogs and their doggy crap. Your puppy will be safe there only after the third shot.
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Post by Lisa on Mar 30, 2013 22:51:41 GMT -5
Fred is cute! I have never seen natural ears like that... very cool. I did not "train" Gino's ears. They were always correct. Asha turned into flying nun when she was 3 months old... actually she was very cute with one ear up but I was going to show her and had to correct it.
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Post by hooligan on Mar 31, 2013 10:18:11 GMT -5
Dyanne I am a bit confused your vet mentioned other critters. We all know that parvo is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog or indirect contact with their feces. It's not known to be spread from other critters. Maybe your vet meant other infection diseases that not life-threatening? Then I would not worry about it too much . . . Hey, Lisa, I wasn’t thinking of any particular disease, but if one comes to mind, it’s leptospirosis. This disease was pretty much non-existent in our urban area for a long time, but in recent years it has become more common (blame climate change?). When our Big Ol' Fred got it some years ago, it was the first case our vet had ever treated. We have no idea where Fred picked it up, but he was deathly ill and barely survived. Since then, she has treated a number of cases every year, some of them in small dogs who rarely, if ever, go beyond their own backyards. Because of our previous experience, I am paranoid about lepto and Jack was vaccinated against it as soon as advisable, even though there are various strains and the vacc doesn't cover all of them.
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Post by Lisa on Mar 31, 2013 18:31:17 GMT -5
I have never heard about leptospirosis... thanks for sharing the info. My dogs may enjoy cow or horse poo and drink from paddles. I am lucky they never got infected. I guess it's more risky for puppies as their immunity is weak. Korina if you walk your puppy on the leash and don't allow to sniff and lick she should be OK. I always watch my pups in the backyard to avoid bad habbits like digging, eating plants or foreign objects (sometimes it is dangerous!), etc. A ball game with a pup or play date with other dog is the best spent time
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Post by Andreina on Apr 1, 2013 16:22:57 GMT -5
thanks for all the responses everyone... I think I'm starting to get a sense of how to balance socialization and vaccines... Yes - I have a backyard visited by squirrels, raccoons and neighbourhood cats (i bet the cats won't come around as much any more though!!). I'm wondering if washing puppy's paws after each outing would be helpful too? I was planning on getting her used to having her paws wiped down anyway no matter how dry the weather. I have a bike trailer that I would like to get her used to as soon as possible and am thinking that this might be a nice way to cart her around (I would be pushing the bike - don't worry people!) and keep her relatively safe. I can't see myself carrying around a growing dobe puppy for longer than a week or two! Yes -this is my first dog ever - so although I've been reading everything I can get my hands on, and trying to prepare as much as I can in advance, I will definitely be relying on whatever tips everyone would like to pass on. I will start a new thread soon with a bunch of general questions as a new "parent". you will also learn a lot as you go.... and there are a lot of people here for support! I dont know what I would have done without this group while raising a puppy, everyone was/is so helpful! ;D
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Post by dobermoms on Apr 6, 2013 20:44:50 GMT -5
Well, as most people now know, Cajun gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies....5 black females and 3 red males. What a beautiful mix of puppies. I can't wait to hear how their little personalities come out in the next few weeks.
Monica, please keep us all informed as we are all anxious to follow their upbringing.
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Post by hooligan on Apr 6, 2013 21:52:37 GMT -5
Well, as most people now know, Cajun gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies....5 black females and 3 red males. What a beautiful mix of puppies. I can't wait to hear how their little personalities come out in the next few weeks. Monica, please keep us all informed as we are all anxious to follow their upbringing. Oh, how exciting! Can't wait for pix.
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Hajduk
New Member
Winston
Posts: 22
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Post by Hajduk on Apr 7, 2013 8:26:22 GMT -5
Monica Winston wants to say "Congratulations on your first litter of 2013 mommy!!!" They look beautiful. New Dobereich owners get ready for the puppies because you will love them!!!
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Post by susanw on Apr 7, 2013 11:35:11 GMT -5
Congrats to Monica and of course lovely Cajun for a beautiful litter. Looking forward to seeing more pictures of the little munchins. I know all of you prospective parents will be so excited to meet them in person and it will be hard to be patient.
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