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Post by dobermoms on Mar 26, 2014 19:47:04 GMT -5
Great question about the crate. We have a 42" wire crate in the house, another in the truck, and one in our home at The Bend. It's been a great size as Kazi is the dog which is crated, and she's 90lbs. When Kazi came home, she was in the crate which was on my side of the bed, and since then each dog sleeps on 1 side of the bed. She has graduated to sleeping on a kuranda bed now in the bedroom, and the crate is in the dogs room on the main floor, which is usually where they are when we leave the house. I agree with what Dyanne said about using the crate on night #1 as it so important to establish their place in the hierarchy right away.
Monica will be sending each dog home with a "puppy manual" outlining all the does and don'ts, a stew recipe, what toys to buy, etc. She will also give you an idea about the puppies shots so you won't be too overwhelmed. I remember though to wait until your puppy has had all of it's first shots before taking it to a dog park, or from having interactions with strange/unknown dogs as you don't know their "shot history". Even at this time of the year as we approach spring, remember that the sidewalks have served as "pee and pooh depositories" all winter for animals, so you don't want your puppy sniffing or licking anywhere near this yet until they are fully vaccinated. Gotcha worried yet???....lol. Don't worry as Monica will go over everything with you before you take your little one home. As for vaccines, we try not to over-vaccinate our dogs. They get their rabies shot every 3 years approx., and they get their kennel cough yearly and also heartworm. With our own vet, we had to have the 3 yr. rabies vaccine shipped from Monica's vet to ours as he didn't carry it, and still doesn't choose to carry it.
For those that are thinking of having a pet insurance plan for their dogs, now is the time to research that also. There are different plans which are geared to a monthly payment plan for every budget. With any visit to the vet, it seems to always be in the $300-$500 range, so it's always nice to know that some of that money will be coming back to you if you have insurance. What kind of food will you be feeding the puppy? It's helpful to continue the kibble which Monica will be feeding your pups so the transition into your home is a smooth one. So get a bag of it before the puppy comes home so you're ready to go. Make sure you have a good leash, a flat collar .... oh I'm starting to draw a blank now...lol.
Well that's enough for now I think....
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Post by pdubois64 on Mar 26, 2014 20:30:44 GMT -5
For pet insurance I had a plan with Trupanion. I went with them because they have no yearly maximum and pay 90%. Every other company I looked at only paid 80% and had yearly limits. The premiums were all pretty much the same. I had a couple of claims with them and they paid promptly.
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Post by Lisa on Mar 26, 2014 21:54:07 GMT -5
Paul our vet gives 3 years vaccinations incl. rabbies if you need it.
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Post by pdubois64 on Mar 26, 2014 22:12:12 GMT -5
Paul our vet gives 3 years vaccinations incl. rabbies if you need it. I'd rather do every 3 years or do titers but unfortunately some boarding facilities still require every 2 years. I hate to over vaccinate and recent studies even show that the vaccine for distemper only needs to be given once in the dogs life. ETA: I just checked and the kennel I used to board Dillon at now accepts the titre test results for proof of vaccinations. Looks like people are finally getting with current protocols.
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Post by tiffymurmur on Mar 27, 2014 5:36:00 GMT -5
Great question about the crate. We have a 42" wire crate in the house, another in the truck, and one in our home at The Bend. It's been a great size as Kazi is the dog which is crated, and she's 90lbs. When Kazi came home, she was in the crate which was on my side of the bed, and since then each dog sleeps on 1 side of the bed. She has graduated to sleeping on a kuranda bed now in the bedroom, and the crate is in the dogs room on the main floor, which is usually where they are when we leave the house. I agree with what Dyanne said about using the crate on night #1 as it so important to establish their place in the hierarchy right away. Thanks for all the info! We have the crate on order and a nice spot on my side of the bed So excited! Monica will be sending each dog home with a "puppy manual" outlining all the does and don'ts, a stew recipe, what toys to buy, etc. She will also give you an idea about the puppies shots so you won't be too overwhelmed. I remember though to wait until your puppy has had all of it's first shots before taking it to a dog park, or from having interactions with strange/unknown dogs as you don't know their "shot history". Even at this time of the year as we approach spring, remember that the sidewalks have served as "pee and pooh depositories" all winter for animals, so you don't want your puppy sniffing or licking anywhere near this yet until they are fully vaccinated. Gotcha worried yet???....lol. Don't worry as Monica will go over everything with you before you take your little one home. As for vaccines, we try not to over-vaccinate our dogs. They get their rabies shot every 3 years approx., and they get their kennel cough yearly and also heartworm. With our own vet, we had to have the 3 yr. rabies vaccine shipped from Monica's vet to ours as he didn't carry it, and still doesn't choose to carry it. This a very helpful! I did not know about the puppy park, I am really glad you mentioned that. Here on Base, right before winter they redid all the water mains and it seems like all the side walks have turned to mud. All the more reason to stick to the roads and trail when going for walks (Short walks for new puppy joints ) For those that are thinking of having a pet insurance plan for their dogs, now is the time to research that also. There are different plans which are geared to a monthly payment plan for every budget. With any visit to the vet, it seems to always be in the $300-$500 range, so it's always nice to know that some of that money will be coming back to you if you have insurance. What kind of food will you be feeding the puppy? It's helpful to continue the kibble which Monica will be feeding your pups so the transition into your home is a smooth one. So get a bag of it before the puppy comes home so you're ready to go. Make sure you have a good leash, a flat collar .... oh I'm starting to draw a blank now...lol. Well that's enough for now I think.... We have contacted our insurance company for quotes, they have 3 decent plans. Just waiting to hear back from them. But thank you again for giving me an idea of the general cost per visit. And for food, we plan on keeping pup on the same food until after our next posting, and then we will be looking into the Raw diet when we are in our extremely long term home (I have been reading the thread on the Raw diet ) We are also researching puppy training classes in our area. There are a few places in the Barrie area. But If anyone is familiar with a certain place, I am up for more suggestions! Thanks again for your help!
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Post by tiffymurmur on Mar 27, 2014 5:41:36 GMT -5
For pet insurance I had a plan with Trupanion. I went with them because they have no yearly maximum and pay 90%. Every other company I looked at only paid 80% and had yearly limits. The premiums were all pretty much the same. I had a couple of claims with them and they paid promptly. Thank you for sharing! I have started researching Trupanion also
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Post by dobermoms on Mar 27, 2014 20:04:09 GMT -5
Also check out the following for pet insurance: CAA, SPCA or OSPCA, PC pet insurance...there are many options out there. Just be careful and ask questions such as how much their rates have increased in the past 3 years. When Dante was a puppy his monthly fee was approx. $45, and when Kazi came into the picture 3 years later he was up to $90 per month. Obviously we switched providers, but that's my advice to anyone else looking: ask questions before you commit.
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Post by dobermoms on Mar 27, 2014 20:18:42 GMT -5
If you are within a 2 hour drive to Monica's house, she also offers obedience training. And lets face it, there is NO ONE BETTER out there who understands Dobermans than Monica. Many "claim" to be excellent trainers, but if you don't breed the dog how do you really understand them?
If you include a stop for Tim Horton's, we are a 2 hour drive from Monica's house ( we live in London ), and we have trained with Monica. And also, the hour classes you have with her end up being longer as she doesn't teach her class using a clock. If you need extra time to understand what you're learning, then you get it. There are other Dobermans also in the class, so you can see the same temperament/quirks in other dogs as in yours. She is a calm teacher who doesn't use force, or harsh tactics===but let's face it, she doesn't need to. Every dog respects her as alpha, and she will teach you that you don't need to raise your arm or your voice to teach your dog to respect your command. She will teach you how to be the leader so that your dog will want to please you. Enough from me...talk to her if you are interested. I just want to plant the bug..sometimes what seems like a long drive ends up being shorter "if" you don't find the right trainer.
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Post by tiffymurmur on Mar 28, 2014 8:32:34 GMT -5
If you are within a 2 hour drive to Monica's house, she also offers obedience training. And lets face it, there is NO ONE BETTER out there who understands Dobermans than Monica. Many "claim" to be excellent trainers, but if you don't breed the dog how do you really understand them? I completely agree! We will be talking to Monica about training. I will also look into the other Pet insurance places you recommended. Thank you for your help!!
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Post by dobermoms on Mar 28, 2014 20:10:09 GMT -5
That's what this forum is all about...happy Dobereich owners sharing our love of the breed with new owners, and sharing what we have learned along the way as we progress on our own journey with our dogs. There are a few of us who monitor this forum so if anyone needs advice that Monica would be better answering, we will always let her know so that you get the answers you need. You don't need to rely on "google advice" for your answers..
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Post by Dobereich on Mar 30, 2014 5:06:40 GMT -5
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Post by susanw on Mar 30, 2014 8:38:22 GMT -5
No need to apologize Monica - you must be exhausted. But the little guys look adorable.
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Post by tiffymurmur on Mar 30, 2014 8:43:03 GMT -5
Yes, No need to apologize! I Am loving the pictures! they look content thanks for sharing!
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Post by dobermoms on Mar 30, 2014 9:50:35 GMT -5
Awww...the puppies look so cute! They are turning into little Dobermans...I'm guessing that they haven't opened their eyes as of yet as they look squished-closed.
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Post by dobermoms on Mar 30, 2014 20:15:48 GMT -5
I'm thinking that Monica is probably sending the new puppy owners updated pictures of all the puppies as they grow, and I would love to suggest to save them for future reference....Kerrie made a folder for the dogs, and there is nothing more amazing than to watch a slideshow of all of the dogs pictures as they grow over the years...amazing!
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