27 July 2010
- How to make all-natural treats for your dogs:
Cheri's Liver Brownies

INGREDIENTS:
•1 Pound liver
•1 Teaspoon Pureed Garlic (you can get this in the produce department of your grocery store)
•1 Package LIPTON DRY SOUP MIX - either Onion, Onion-Mushroom, Beefy Onion (whatever)
•2 eggs
•3 Cups Oatmeal (any brand will do)
•Garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
1.Puree liver in a blender or food processor. If you use a blender, LISTEN carefully because it can get wrapped around the blade and wreck the unit.
2.Add eggs and blend some more.
3.Add garlic. If your dog is a hard sell at baiting, add more.
4.Add LIPTON dry soup (or any comparable flavoured dry soup) and blend some more.
5.Find a BIG bowl. Dump liver mixture in bowl.
6.Slowly add the 3 cups of oatmeal (if you do this enough, you will stop measuring the oatmeal because you'll have a feel for it).
7.Grease a BIG cookie sheet (or whatever) and dump mixture on it. Spread it around. It's like the consistency of brownies, sort of. You can decide on the thickness of the brownie by how you spread it around. About 1 inch thick is right.
8.Cook at about 300* for one hour. CUT IMMEDIATELY, stick in plastic sealing bags - sprinkle with garlic salt, seal and freeze.
If you've got someone really sensitive to liver, you can add more oatmeal to dilute the effect of the liver. You can't make it with anything but oatmeal or it will disintegrate in your pocket. One pound of liver goes a LONG ways with this. I'd guess those of you who are BARF fans could add other stuff too -- veggies and whatever. Play with it.

 1 July 2010
- A tip in order to get cropped ears to stand: by massaging the inner ear until it gets warm you make the blood flow better and the ear to produce calcium to help them stand.

 28 June 2010
- I just received an email from one lady asking why we breed vWD-carriers.
There are only 25% of all dobes that are clear. But breeding only clear to clear we significantly lower the gene pool thus inbreedings are eminent which will eventually lead to more serious health issues.
Here is a good quote from an experienced American breeder: "If only 25% of the gene pool is CLEAR - and you breed ONLY those specimens to one another - you risk creating many other problems, not the least of which is the demise of hybrid vigor and the solidification of numerous other faults/health issues that may be inherent in that small 25%. Imagine this: imagine what it would be like if we were only "breeding" 25% of the human population - what would you have in the way of GENETIC DIVERSITY? Where would you go for hybrid vigor? You might have hundreds of thousands of people with genuis level intelligence that didn't have the common sense to look both ways before crossing the street (so they'd all be run over by cars!) and/or - the manual dexterity to tie their own shoes. For EVERY "action" there is an OPPOSITE BUT EQUAL REACTION. It's the law of nature".

 27 June 2010
- Heart Problems

In heartworm disease, adult worms lodge themselves in the right half of a dog's heart. Only when the dog is heavily infested will the worms move over to the left side of the heart. Heartworms are spread by biting insects. Preventative tablets should be given to dogs that live in areas prone to heartworms (such as the continental United States).

Myocarditis is when the dog's heart muscle becomes inflamed. This can result as a side effect of a previous illness such as Lyme disease. Bacterial endocarditis is a disease that causes the heart valves to become inflamed. This is caused as a result of an infection. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the dog's heart muscles. The cause is unknown, but does appear in some breeds more than others. The most common dog heart disease is chronic valvular disease, which occurs mostly in small dogs. The cause is unknown.

A heart murmur makes a noise similar to a murmur because of a disturbance in the blood flow. Many dogs have a murmur, but not all murmurs are signs of a serious heart condition. Dogs can live all of their lives with a heart murmur and not have it affect them. Murmurs still should be monitored through regular veterinary check-ups, however, and the dog's weight kept in check to prevent any chance at developing a canine heart disease.

Heart problems in dogs tend to manifest in similar symptoms, no matter what the cause. Dogs will tire more easily, faint, collapse and pant more often. Many dogs develop a cough. Dogs also can develop circulation problems, which appear as bluish colored gums and/or tongue.

 16 June 2010
- A study conducted several years ago with a reply rate of over 800 Dobermans found the average longevity to be about 9 1/4 for males and about 9 1/2 for females. That study was the basis for the DPCA's longevity program setting inclusion in the program at 10 because if they lived to 10 and beyond, it was further than the average as evidenced by the study.

 15 June 2010
- Running Dobermans - beauty in action!

 3 June 2010
- Germany (and all FCI members) does not recognize either fawn or blue as allowable colors. They may not be shown (or registered). Germany originally did recognize blue--black was the only color allowed in the first German standard but the following year blue and brown (red) were added. About 15 years ago the German standard was revised and blue was removed as an allowable color. Fawn has never been allowed.

 2 June 2010
- What I Learned at the Dog Show
I spent this weekend at the Myrtle Beach kennel Club’s all-breed dog show in Florence, South Carolina. The club invited me down to talk about the threats its members are facing from the Humane Society of the United States and the rest of the animal rights movement. Since I had never been to a dog show, I said yes. (I grew up thinking that “fancy” was an adjective. Silly me.)
I’m not a big fan of people who pooh-pooh things they’ve never tried or seen up-close. If one of my children says she “doesn’t like” something on the dinner table before taking even a tiny bite—well, let’s just say that doesn’t wash in my house.
And I’ve always thought the whole “dog show” community was rather mysterious, a kind of benevolent secret society with its own rules, customs, and vocabulary. Sorta like Deadheads, but with a lot better grooming and a lot less fleas.
Truth be told, the dog breeders I met this weekend do have their own peculiar ways of saying and doing things. But they’re really just ordinary people with a shared hobby. They’re really into what they do. And they taught me a lot in just a Saturday. Here’s some of what I learned.
-------
When you go to a dog show, bring your own chair. But don’t be surprised if someone offers to lend you theirs. (I’m typing this in someone else’s customized, embroidered lawn chair.)

Dog shows are competitive, but the people involved are remarkably supportive of their human opponents. I heard a steady stream of “congratulations!” offered to blue-ribbon holders from handlers who were trotting away empty-handed.

If you’re a first-timer who asks “what kind of dog is that?” too loudly, somebody might look at you funny.

These people treat their dogs like royalty. It was 90 degrees in the shade on Saturday, and the dogs had shade, electric fans, and cold water—even if their owners didn’t.

Judging from this weekend, the typical show-dog handler isn’t a stuffy Brit wearing Saville Row tweed. She—yes, she—is an energetic 40-year-old married mom whose husband packs up the kids and brings them along on the trip.

Sometimes the kids strut the dogs around the ring. The under-18 handlers even have their own judging category in which their skills are being judged, not the qualities of their dogs.

The name of the game is “conformation” (not “confirmation,” as I used to think). Dog show breeders are trying to breed animals that “conform” to a set ideal of how a breed can look, “gait,” and behave if they do everything right. (I read an article in Wired this week about how Cheetos in the factory are checked every 30 minutes against a “reference sample” from Frito-Lay headquarters, just to make sure the ideal color, texture, and crispiness is being matched. It’s kinda like that, but it takes years for these folks to make a single Cheeto. And Cheetos don’t pee on you.)

Watch where you step in the parking lot.
If this particular dog show is any indication of what’s typical, the “dog fancy” is a lot of fun for a lot of people who contribute a lot of money to the economy—and aren’t hurting anyone. “If we’re not having fun here,” one judge told me, very much off-the-cuff, “we shouldn’t be doing this.”
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the Humane Society of the United States has such a visceral hatred of everything they stand for.
I think what’s going on is that HSUS, PETA, and other animal rights groups are conflating breeders whose main goal is to sell puppies with those who just happen to really love Pomeranians, Pinschers, or Poodles. This latter clique of people (far larger than the former) shows their favorite animals because they’re proud of them, not because they believe it will make their next litter worth more money.
It’s not hard to understand HSUS’s stated motivation for attacking people who breed dogs. The group wants everyone to believe that rampant pet overpopulation in America is all their fault. But personally, I just don’t see it.
I didn’t meet “puppy millers” this weekend. I met hobbyists, just like if I were at a model railroad convention, an antique fair, or a swim meet. They ask after each others’ kids. They visit each other in the hospital. They have knitting circles where the dogs watch approvingly. They’re 50 percent garden club, 50 percent church pot-luck. Zero percent animal abusers.
I asked one breeder how much money she had spent raising her champion dog, a mammoth Anatolian shepherd. “Who knows?” she answered. “I never really added it up. If you’re pinching pennies you probably aren’t treating the dog right.” In addition to the two purebred dogs she was showing, she had “two rescue mutts at home, and they have the same food, supplements, and everything else my show dogs get.”
And when I asked one of the veteran breeders how many of her peers raise dogs so they can sell the litters commercially, she looked at me like I was from Mars. “We all sell dogs, son,” she told me. “But none of us make a cent doing it. And I know where all my dogs live. If anyone can’t provide for them, we take ‘em back.” And then, almost as an afterthought: “I sure don’t want any of mine going to the pound or a rescue.”
Everyone I asked about this had the same kind of answer. If they found out that any of their puppies wound up in a shelter, they’d sure do something about it.
So why all the hostility from the Humane Society of the United States? Why did I hear from North and South Carolinians who had beaten back attempt after attempt from HSUS to have them taxed, registered, regulated, raided, and otherwise priced out of their hobby? What is it about these men, women, and children, so passionate about running up and down a concrete floor with their pets, that demands intervention from activists who think they know better?
Maybe it’s that HSUS thinks the only way to shut down “puppy mills” is to paint every dog breeder with the same broad brush. Maybe. I haven’t yet really wrapped my mind around why HSUS is opposed to everything I saw this weekend. I just know that it is.
As with pretty much every group of ranchers, dairymen, biomedical research scientists, and chicken farmers I’ve met, the breeders I spoke with this weekend had varying levels of awareness about the looming political threat from HSUS. Some of them can’t be bothered to be bothered. Others are fired up at the mere mention of Wayne Pacelle’s name.
“Somebody has to take that guy on,” one 50-ish man barked when I brought up the name of HSUS's CEO. “That whole movement is nuts. After I showed up to lobby against HSUS’s last North Carolina breeder tax, I started getting calls in the middle of the night, untraceable phone calls, from these people saying they were going to come on my property, take my dogs, and burn my house down. I told ‘em my new rifle has an awesome night scope. That pretty much ended it.”
I spoke to the crowd after the Best In Show was awarded, in this case to a fluffy pekingese named “Noelle.” I told them that their problem is the same as the one faced by pork producers, egg farmers, dairymen, and even cancer researchers. But it was up to them to reach beyond their circle of friends—outside their comfort zone—if their kids and grandkids were going to keep being Junior Handlers and continue to raise the dog breeds they’ve come to love.
At the end of the day, I have to be skeptical of HSUS's blanket condemnation of pet breeders. I'm confident that there are some horrible ones out there, as there are with any group of people (including animal activists...), but any legislative or cultural movement that lumps the people I met this weekend in with the bad actors is just plain wrong-headed.
Because the dogs I met in South Carolina were among the best-cared-for animals I've ever seen. Anyone who's truly interested in animal welfare would want to make sure more dogs—not fewer—are treated this way. So how 'bout it, Wayne? Why aren't you promoting dog shows?
Probably because you've never been to one.
- Julie Hagen

 28 May 2010
- Warning to all people traveling through the states of Georgia, N. Carolina and S. Carolina. The above states will confiscate your dogs if traveling through them and they stop you and you can't show proof of vaccination for rabies. Also, the state of Georgia can euthinize immediately.
Always have a shot record with you!

 22 May 2010
- Here is a fine example of the American type. A true Doberman lover can see beyond types and differences, beyond tails and ears!

 6 May 2010
- All-natural diet ideas:
1. A wide variety of foods: beef, bison, chicken, turkey, fish, beef heart.
2. Veggies: no less than two to three different colors in each meal like, green beans, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, kale, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, etc.
3. Fruit: add a large apple to each meal. Bananas, pears, peaches, blueberries, cranberries, kiwi, melons, apricots,etc...
4. Herbs, rosemary, sage, mint, fennel, cinnamon, parsley, etc.
5. Dairy: eggs, yogurt, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese.
Basic rule: 85% meat, 10% veggies and 5% herbs, friuts and dairy.

 5 May 2010
- Some vets believe that "...dogs are more aggressive than they were 20-30 years ago..." and "dogs are dying at young ages, 2, 3, 4, 5 year old dogs are dying of old age dog diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, and autoimmune diseases. . . ." and the vets attribute this to poor diet, over vaccination, side effects from topicals such as flea/tick repellant, and side effects from chemicals in heartworm prevention medicine. These are all controllable things that we are doing to our dogs.

 4 May 2010
- I like posting what people of the Doberman community think about current problems of a modern-day doberman. Quite educational for the reader. "Cardio is such an insidious disease permeating all lines. It is the bane of Doberman existence. Yet we still have people telling others that they have none in their lines (NOT) and that they won't breed to a dog who has it in the first 3 generations. So they breed to someone who meets THAT criterium only to find themselves with CVI, auto immune problems, and temperament/personality problems. And let's not forget structural deficiencies that make the dog look like a caricature of the breed. Having a wonderful dog that is a joy to live with die suddenly earlier than expected is devastating because the loss of a wonderful companion. Having a dog who is a constant medical challenge with iffy temperament live to a ripe double digit age, is disabilitating for conscientious owners. It's a double-edged sword.
Once again, I ponder just what will happen when the marker is found. Just how much breeding will be done then?
Owners of the giant breeds have to contend with dogs who die regularly at approx. 6 years old. I was shocked to read recently at the estimated longevity of some other breeds. (They have a shorter life spans than our dobes on the average)". (by Penny Cary)
Penny Cary

 3 May 2010
- A good quote on vWD-carries. Well written and self-explanatory:
"Regardless of the fact that breeding only carriers will reduce the occurrence of vWD in the population - vWD is a small fish in the pond of Doberman malady. If a breeder wants to breed only clear dogs that's fine, as long as the breeder isn't fixating inappropriately on vWD. In other words, if a logical and rational breeder spends one minute worrying about vWD, he/she needs to spend - oh - 100 years worrying about Cardiomyopathy and dysplasia. But if EVERY Doberman breeder suddenly stopped breeding carriers, not only would the gene pool shrink and cause all kinds of other hidden genetic diseases to appear - it would also destroy 100 years' worth of good traits. And the funny thing about the whole Doberman vWD is that it hasn't affected the Doberman. Even Dobermans positive for vWD don't have bleeding problems. And how could they? Puppies get their tails docked and usually get their ears altered. Other dog breeds do suffer serious bleeding problems from vWD. But the Doberman community only worries about the possibility that it one day will. So let's all be steady and sure - just like our dogs - when we talk about vWD and realize that it's just good practice to avoid breeding Dobermans positive for vWD, and breeding carriers is fine. And if we're talking about a pet - well - there's no reason. There is nothing wrong with a carrier. If I were choosing between two Dobermans and the breeder informed me that one was a carrier and one was clear - it wouldn't affect my decision in any way".

 2 May 2010
- European vs American ears
Most European countries banned ear cropping decades ago. Although this hurt the popularity and image of the breed, a true Doberman lover can see beauty beyond long ears and a funny tail. In the US, here and there, congressmen sometimes propose a crop&dock ban. The American Veterinary Association issued a statement that they do not support cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes. But what do you do with a man-made breed that was created to look as it used to look before all these bans? Dobermans traditionally had cropped ears and docked tails. That's how the breed creator saw it and utilized it.
Another thing. American showing is all about glamor. Tiny toe nails, conditioned coat, laser treated teeth, shaved ears. Ears not done the expected way - no chance to win. European exhibitors are so far from this.

European ears -

 1 May 2010
- WHAT IS AN OBEDIENCE TITLE REALLY???
Not just a brag…not just a stepping stone to a higher title…not just an adjunct to competitive scores…a title is a tribute to the dog who bears it. A way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain on record and in memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better.
And though the dog doesn’t know or care that his/her achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A title says your dog was intelligent and adaptable and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that pleased you…however crazy they may have seemed.
And a title says that you loved your dog…that you loved to spend time with him/her because he/she was a good dog…that you believed in him/her enough to give him/her yet another chance when he/she failed and that, in the end, your faith was justified.
A title proves your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, THIS DOG with a title was greatly loved and loved greatly in return.
And when that dear, short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials after the name.
An obedience title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received and permanently recorded.
Printed with Permission
SandyMowery - 1998

 20 April 2010
- This is primarily a result of work completed by Michael O?Grady, DVM, MS, ACVIM (Cardiology), at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. Dr. O'Grady is reporting:
1. Dobermans, free of heart disease, have hearts that are normally weaker than those of other dogs.
2. Dobermans are affected with dilated cardiomyopathy more than all other breeds combined.
3. At least 28% of all apparently normal Dobermans will develop DCM.
4. Both males and females appear to be equally affected.
5. Dobermans that appear to be healthy but demonstrate even ONE premature ventricular contraction (PVC) detected on a routine electrocardiogram (EKG) and cardiac ultrasound results consistent with DCM can be expected to die within 1.5 to 2 years if left untreated.
6. Sudden death (death within 5 minutes of onset of visible symptoms) is the first and only physical sign in 17% of the Dobermans with DCM.
7. There is no cure at this time, but therapeutic measures are possible.
The pattern of inheritance is not known.

 15 April 2010
- VCA and Banfield are large corporate interests inhaling veterinary clinics - buying them out - by the hundreds in recent years. When a business model defined above all else by profits and financial proceeds replaces an operational hospital model of attentive, compassionate patient care, our animals WILL suffer the physical fallout and our hearts WILL suffer the resulting fallout of such a paradigm shift. When your beloved dog, friend, family member is no longer seen as such but is considered instead- yeah, really- an ATF (Average Transaction Fee), trust me, believe me, I can tell you from *the inside*- YOUR DOG IS IN TROUBLE. (quoted)

 7 March 2010
- So, here I am at Tractors Supply. Their selection of dog food brands inspired me to write this post. I am very well versed in what ingredients are considered best in a dog food formula. Here is my analysis.
1. 4Health. Probably best ingredients for a relatively low price. Large Breed Formula: $30. 2 first ingredients - chicken. Awesome! Then some grains but no corn which is great too. 23pc protein. Chicken and rice. 30$. Same thing. 26 percent protein. Will definitely try it on my dogs as it is very similar to Authority that you can only get at Petsmart.
2. Taste of the Wild. With BISON and VENISON. A bit expensive $43. But the ingredients are worth it. No corn. No cheap meat, no by-products. High meat content. But very high protein - 32percent. Not for couch potatoes.
3. Blue. $47. 2 first ingredients - chicken. No corn. Good food.
4. Science Diet. $40. Large breed puppy. First and third ingredient - corn. 2nd - chicken by-product meal. I don't know about you but I don't see my dog growing up on corn. Not for this money.
5. Proplan. $41. 26percent protein. 2 corn ingredients. By-products.
6. Nutro. $40. Lots of rice, one corn ingredient. All of this outweighs chicken meal as the 1st ingredient.
7. Eukanuba. $40. A whole bunch of grains and by-products. Uhm, no!
8. Nature's recipe. $45. Very good content. A bit pricey. 25 percent protein
9. Diamond. Revised formula. $28. Great ingredients for the money. 26 percent protein.
10. IAMS. Caused massive diarrhea in my dog. Will pass that one.

 27 February 2010
- Learn to enjoy simple things. Your dog will help you. Go hiking. Mountain climbing. Bicycling. Picnicking. Go visit dog-loving friends. Attend a dog class. Go sightseeing. Traveling. All with your dog!

 26 February 2010
- Would like to share a very interesting post - a great insight into Doberman's health and breeding. Posted by: Lori Ringelberg.
"Here, Here! It is exasperating. I have been looking for a stud for my bitch for half a year and of course I start at dobequest looking for cause of death history. I lost my male to cardio last year, my first dobe. You come into the breed being told of the devastation that cardio ravages on the breed, but they are just words, until you actually live it, now I am stonewalled. I read a post on cyberdobes a long time back. They were throwing around cardio. I read that a breeder shouldn't breed a bitch or a male if cardio has shown up anywhere three generations back. Try working with that, especially if you are starting with an older male (eight years or older) just because you figure it is still breathing, good sign, and the health records will cover a greater period of time. It's like writing your own epitaph even before you start. Danny, the omissions of cause of death on the records, is nothing short of fraud. The DPCA Code of Ethics ask the members to support them and their concerns over the health issues in the breed. It also asks its members to breed only with the intent to better the breed with health, structure and temperament in mind. It is hard to live up to this code when so many don't disclose. As Mommy always preached when growing up, "to not admit the truth is the same as telling a lie". I think Dr. Phil says something like that too.
I have spent 6 months looking at pedigrees. There is more omissions to cause of death than carter has liver pills. Many of these dogs on dobequest were breeder's show stock or breeding stock and to believe that they had no idea what they died from is ludicrous. Some lines never acknowledge cause of death (unless it is an occasional cause of bloat, torsion or cancer). In my exasperation when I see a line of animals that have left this earth and travelled to the great beyond in the unmarked coach car, I either think the breeder was so callous and irresponsible to the breed that they didn't give a rat's ass what demons they had in their lines or they knew, and then of course, were just deceitful. Just for fun, I pull off the pedigrees and write cardio beside every dog that has passed on without any comment from the breeder. Doesn't leave much to work with. It would be nice to even get (it was a complete surprise but didn't bother to do an autopsy for cause of death, or didn't even bother to take it to a vet when it was failing to see what was off so I could hazard a guess).
It is the big "hush" "hush" game. You don't rattle my world and I won't shake a rattle at yours. There is an insider crowd that secretly knows the ghosts in each other closets, but they are part of that society and the code word is "shush". So we stumble along, repeating each others mistakes, again and again at the expense of our animals, even profiting from realized mistakes, but doesn't that litter look good!!! We are racing into the tunnel that Peta and AR groups have painted for us. Purebred dog breeders breeding sick, inbred mutants. Damn the purebred! Hail the Mutt! Buy a rescue! The media is painting purebreds in a very negative light. The Canadian Veterinarian Medical Association has identified certain breeds for "recommenced discontinuation" due to genetic health problems. The doberman and cardio is one such identified breed. That rather puts the onus on us to clean house, pull up our socks and do better. It must be us. I don't know who else it would be.
Taking the search to the next level and fine tuning your information with the owner of the stud, sometimes doesn't get much better. If they fail to answer any of the questions I send them, that wasn't an accident, it becomes an instant character assassination and I move on. Many stud owners are wonderful, truthful, answer all questions, even if the answers aren't perfect. To me that is essential. It is their obligation if they offer their dog out as stud to fully inform and disclose all information requested by the buyer. No one dog is perfect, it is merely a game of weighing the facts against what you have and finding a balance, but you cannot due this without information."

 22 February 2010
- Just got back from Germany. Story coming...

 18 February 2010
- Pinkie sleeping in a box with baby clothes! This dog manages to sleep in the weirdest places!

 10 February 2010
- When you are searching for a sport dog. The dog needs many drives to be successful in the sport. The dog should be balanced in conformation and health so he is physically able to reach the heights and demands for the sport. The scaling wall is vertical. A dog with too straight a front, front assembly to far forward, will have difficulty climbing this wall, with the added weight of a Schutzhund dumbbell. Same for any extremes. Longevity for the sport is compromised. Tracking requires another drive, that should be maintained throughout the pedigree. Hunt drive is often neglected in breeding decisions. It's difficult to train a drive that is not genetically sought after. Bite work requires a strong , confident dog. These dogs must still engage with the helper as the stick hits continue. There is a lot of pressure from the helper. Even in watching AKC obedience. You can see some of the dogs with a weaker nerve , unsettled by the judge moving into his space. Physical soundness affects mental soundness as well . You are fortunate if you have the mental and physical soundness, with the balances of drives, health, and conformation needed for the sport. That also will determine the dogs working longevity. Being true to the Dobermans heritage as a working breed, these balances should be sought for in breeding decisions.
By pamtotaldobe@aol.com

 9 February 2010
- A few years back, Darlene Young wrote a very informative article on dentition with photos: http://www.dobequest.org/dentition.php

 20 January 2010
- The day you pick your puppy has arrived. Please come prepared. With a leash and a collar and paper towels and a doggy blanket.
Also, you need to be able to examine your pup right there:
- Clear eyes, clean ears. Some wax is normal. But look for the redness and odor.
- Bite
- Touch your puppy all over, look for hard spots or sensitive areas.
- Testicles if buying a show/breeding potential.

 17 January 2010

- Finding the right breeder:
1. Check the breeder's expertise in breeding and raising puppies.
2. Don't be afraid to contact a show breeder. Not every puppy is born a champion.
3. Field trials, obedience, shows - the more the better!
4. Health is important!
5. Plan, visit, talk.
6. The breeder has to be experienced enough to be able to select the right puppy for you depending on your criteria.
7. An ethical breeder will not trash another breeder but will ethically try to educate you which breeders are not considered reputable AND why.
8. Intuition.
9. Quality of dogs used in breeding.
10. Quality of past dogs, puppies and breedings.

 16 January 2010
- Kaysar - if this is not a picture of perfection, then what is?!

 10 January 2010
- Happy New Year everybody! All the best to you and your canines! We've been busy with our little ones, but now we are back!

 15 October
- If your dog has kennel cough. First of all, it's a combination of various viruses and Bordetella bacteria - all of them cause similar symptoms but they are actually different in nature. Bacteria is easily treated with antibiotics. While viruses cannot be treated the same way. Only the immune system can fight off a virus. A virus can also cause a secondary infection which needs to be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics, in their turn, kill the immune system. As you see, it's like a cirlce. So, the best thing is to provide a lot of immune support. Herbal remedies should not be overlooked. They take longer but they are very effective in the long run.

 10 October
- On my front page I talk about what an ideal doberman should be like. A friend. A protector. Just wanted to share one story which describes what our dogs are like IN REALITY.
So, my parents quite often spend time in their country house. One night dad was walking one of our dogs, Kadir z Padoku that was. All of a sudden Kadir froze and started growling at the trees. Then my dad heard threatening voices telling him to keep his dog away or else. Shortly after, one huge guy showed up yelling at my dad. Kadir was where he was to begin with - right between dad and the drunk guy. Growling, hair up, standing on the tips of his toes, not moving. Right behind the drunk guy, was standing another big guy, both threatening dad. Kadir was still there, frozen, growling. His whole look was so fierce that the only thing the guys were capable of was yelling threats. They were too afraid to confront a growling doberman! I would be too. LOL. That's the kind of dogs we have!

 3 October
- Happy Birthday to our G litter!
Happy belated Birthday to our D litter!
Many happy and healthy years!!!

 21 September
- Dobermans and kids. Can they co-exist? Pics...

 19 September
- I am in Russia

 10 September
- Our Canis Maximus Dea Dorres flew to Austria to be bred with multi-CH, IPO-3 Titus Tarantula v. Jahrestal.

 9 September
- It finally happened. Our new litter arrived today! So thrilled...
So sleep deprived

 22 August
- IDC - a magic word to any Doberman fancier in Europe. It's a Doberman mecca! IDC stands for the Internation Doberman Club. The Nationals of all nationals. The most important and prestigious Doberman show in Europe. Being in the top 5 in any class is an honor. This year there are over 600!!!! registries!!! Can you imagine the size of this show? Over 600 dobermans in just 3 days!!! The best of the best and not so best are all united during these magical 3 days in the beginning of September. Unfortunately my Birthday constantly falls on the IDC weekend. But one day I'll give myself the best gift ever - a trip to IDC!

 21 August
- Is there a difference between a German doberman and a European doberman. - Not really. Unless you are talking about a pure working German breeding. Dogs of such breeding usually lack in conformation but prove to be some of the best working dobermans.

 20 August
- Not all vets are as competent as we wish them to be. It's a fact. Accept it. I have enough experience to be able to say so. Two different vet on two different occasions, after reading the hip xrays, concluded that the dogs' hips were bad. Well, the OFFA said otherwise. Just recently we received an upset call from our buyer whose vet was yelling at her for wasting money on a dog that couldn't be bred and wasn't show quality because... "something was wrong with his eye"... ???? .... and he said it was genetic... well, if it were genetic and something was really wrong, then that something had to have an official medical name, right? When I asked the buyer if the vet named that 'something' anyhow, if it were a 'cherry' eye, she replied that he didn't and it wasn't a 'cherry' eye... but the vet sure took liberty to yell at the poor woman. As per my advice, she took the dog to a new vet and the new vet didn't see anything bad in his eye. It looked more like irritation after a long flight, and a couple weeks later, whatever that 'something' was, it went away by itself.

 17 August
- One breeding pair of dogs and their offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years. Every year nearly 30 MILLION cats and dogs are born in the US. Only 10% will find safe and loving homes. Every year 6-10 MILLION are killed. Most are adoptable but can't find homes. Euthanasia is the single largest cause of death for cats and dogs in the US. Nearly 65% of animals in shelters are killed. The single biggest cause of animal overpopulation is people who do not sterilize their pets. Nationwide the costs of trying to manage animal overpopulation may be 2 BILLION dollars. SPAY AND NEUTER! Not everyone is born a breeder and not every dog should be bred!

 16 August
- Tethering is disgusting and degrading to human nature. Persistent chaining of dogs causes mental, emotional and physical problems. If you see a chained dog, here is what you can do: find out if there are anti-tethering laws in you area, report, or ask your local humane society for help. Donate to organizations that work on such legislations.

 15 August
- While browsing through the shelves at Petsmart, I stumbled upon a catch tag saying "New" pointing at the new looking Authority dog food. It was a few dollars cheaper than what my dogs are eating right now - ProPlan. Usually cheap doesn't mean the best. But something made me turn over the bag and look at the protein % and the ingredients. Turns out it's the same - 26%. Just what I consider the right amount. And then the first two ingredients out of 3 (first 3 comprise the greatest part of the food) were chicken and chicken meal. What could be better?! I keep looking and I find myself thinking that I like what I am seeing. And so 5 bags land in the cart. Even such well established brands as Science Diet, IAMS, ProPlan cannot boast 2 first ingredients being of high grate meat or poultry!
So, we started yesterday. There is no transition in my pack. It's normally: "Okay, guys, we are switching to Nutro today!" Today I discovered more solid waste than after months of feeding Proplan. Will keep you all posted!

 12 August
- We plan on moving end of August.

 10 August
- Gortenzia is pregnant. We are eagerly awaiting our first '09 litter.

 1 August
- A lot of buyers ask me what the best time to start training their dog is. The best time is NOW. You start small. Potty training. Talking. Basic gesture commands. Basic commands: sit, down and come. Your dog has to listen to you and respect you. You are the pack leader. Before you start serious training, you need to accomplish two things: the dog has to be controllable (without fear), and your need to get to the point when your dog becomes either food motivated or toy motivated (fixated will be a better word here). Add praise, and you are off to a great start!

 25 July
- I love dogs that are not afraid of water. Swimming provides a lot of exercise and fun time. Here is what you need to know:

1 Use a dog life jacket
2 Be in the water with your pup
3 Start small
4 Keep it short
5 Make it fun!

Instructions:

1) put a well fitting harness on the dog,
2) attach a long floating rope or leash to the harness,
3) play fetch with the floating toy on the shore at first,
4) When the dog is happily playing fetch then start throwing the toy closer to the water,
5) Then throw it into the water at least five or six feet,
6) Gradually increase the distance of the throw,
7) If your dog is still reluctant to go after the toy get out the other dog who does love to swim,
8) Continue to play with the fetch toy near the water and in the water until the dog is venturing into the water and swimming out to retrieve the toy,
9) practice this until the dog is swimming easily without lots of splashing and thrashing.

 20 July
- The critical time frame for socialization is from around 8 to 16 weeks of age. How to socialize your puppy:
1) Invite a range of people and friendly, healthy pets to visit your home and visit their homes with your puppy.
2) Enroll your puppy in a puppy training class or kindergarten.
3) Introduce your puppy to noises that she'll encounter throughout life. Be very careful with fireworks.
4) Take your puppy to the vet's office. 5) Expose your puppy to unusual things.
6) Go places!

 18 July
- The general principles recommended by OFA for breeding away from
HD (hip dysplasia) are:

1) Breed only normal dogs (meaning, not dysplastic) to normal dogs.

2) The normal dogs should come from normal parents and grandparents.

3) The normal dogs should have over seventy-five percent normal siblings.

4) A dog with excellent hips from a litter having more than twenty-five percent dysplastic pups is a worse breeding choice than a dog with fair hips from a litter experiencing less than twenty-five percent dysplasia.

5) Choose replacement dams that have better hips than their parents and the breed average.

 15 July
- Got an email: "Have a 1 year old black/tan male. Not fixed. Registered. Will you be interested in using him?" NO! First of all, I want to keep my breeding choice solely mine. I pick studs keeping in mind their conformation, show and working titles as well as health test results. And this male, sight unseen, without anything behind his name... why should I use him? Just because he is a doberman and has two testicles?! Please, DO NOT email me with your stud offers.

 11 July
- We DO NOT give other breeder referrals. Do your homework and search online for a breeder or a dog you like. There are hundreds of breeders in the US - do we have to keep up with what they are breeding and selling thus taking away time from our own dogs and pups?

 8 July
- I received an email from one of the people interested in one of our dogs. Just wanted to quote it here to describe what can be considered a total ridicule. Not that the person was completely wrong but rather overbearing in demands. NONE of the tests listed will tell you if the dog is going to be your soulmate for many years to come, if the dog is going to fit in and be of sound mind. The email showed no trust and concern for the breeder. And this is not a way to build a trusting relationship for the dog's lifetime. A normal vet check-up would reveal more than an xray or blood work on a little puppy! Enjoy: "What my vet recommended and I concurred with is that we did not want the vet that knows the dog to perform the pre-purchase examination. We wanted to know the area you lived in and pick a vet of our choosing that had no previous contact with the dog. I always do that or have my vet handle the pre-purchase exams on any horse I am thinking of buying (though we are talking a lot more money for the animal). My vet wanted to tell the vet exactly what tests he wanted performed, x-rays to be taken, blood tests to be done, ultra-sounds, etc. This way we have a pre-purchase exam that we feel comfortable with."

 1 July
- You can't have a BMW for the price of a Toyota. A $2000 pup will not and should not cost less. " hi im tiye i would like to buy ur puppy but im affaid that i dont have enough money the MOST i could spend is $450-500 plzz i realy want him."

 26 June
- The stench of garbage, urine and feces is unbearable. Ammonia hangs heavy in the air, and flies are everywhere. Dim lighting and the constant barking of dogs in distress create a sense of chaos. Row upon row of stacked cages hold dogs matted with feces—some too sick to move. This is the world in which a puppy mill dog lives. MORE - http://www.aspca.org/news/national/06-26-09.html#1

 24 June
- Breeding ethics of European breeders is so different! Traveling thousands of miles to go to a stud deserves admiration. Traveling on buses, trains, plains for hours, borrowing money to just get to the annual IDC show, not to win but to just participate - this is the true spirit of a European breeder. No wonder that with such dedication you won't find puppymilling an issue in Europe. A few years ago we traveled to the World Dog Show which was held in Argentina that year - we had our Daphne, thin wallet, I was pregnant, Argentina was a day of flying away... and yet we went. This will remain one of the fondest memories of our family life until we die.

 15 June
- Sometimes I hear people ask for a discount or a price reduction due to the slow economy. Well, the economy doesn't give us discounts, why should we? We spend just as much and sometimes even more on airfare, travel, stud fees, show fees, training fees, vet bills. The demand is high, the supply is low. We don't have enough litters and pups for everybody interested. So, as you see, the economy is not that slow after all.

 3 June
- I haven't had puppies since November 2008 and I am SO EAGER to have a new litter that I can't wait for one of the girls to come into heat. We plan exciting litters! That just adds to my impatience. A gorgeous male in Austria, a huge, powerful male in Russia, and our Delux - these are the candidates.

 2 June
- Hip displasya is an inheritable disease BUT there is another factor which can cause it as well. Overfeeding and underexercising.

 1 June
- To breed or not to breed. If you can come up with 5 good reasons why you should breed your dog (reasons like making money, "my dog is so..." and seeing the miracle of life do not count), then maybe you should...

 29 May
- When to fix the dog? I'd say that males have to wait until they are a year old to reach full size. With females it'll be best if she is spayed before her first heat. Spaying/neutering is beneficial health-wise, no doubt. But if you have a dog, let's say a male, who's got behavioral issues, like being male aggressive, fixing him won't solve the problem.

 28 May
- AKC registration of a foreign-born dog is not hard, folks!

 21 May
- Male or Female? I hear this question all the time. I think I am a male person but I still enjoy the company of female dogs. Males are more independent, quite often more stubborn. If in tact, they'll take their time marking all visible bushes before they are done. And can run away. Some males can be male dog-aggressive. Males are bigger and stronger. And look more intimidating. Females seem to be better with kids and other dogs. Male-female combination usually works best for those who want more than 1 dog. In tact females have heats 2 times a year. This can get slightly messy. They can also have false pregnancies. Alpha females need to be the only females in the house. Training-wise it does't matter what gender you decided to go with - it will all depend on the temperament of each particular dog.

 19 May
- Are dobermans good with kids? Depends. We've had dogs that were awesome with them and we've had those that barely stood them. We've got three little kids of our own but you never know what kind of personality the dogs are going to develop. In any case, kids have to be taught how to handle dobermans, and vice versa. And kids have to be supervised at all times.

 18 May
- The pups are doing fine. Eventhough we had a bunch of inquiries about the two remaining, they are still waiting for their special one. We never hurry this process. The yellow-collar is gorgeous conformation-wise. He's got everything I'd like to see in my dobermans. Love his angulation! Love his chest! The no-collar male is a total sweetheart. After a vet visit, he decided that was a bonding experience for him so now he follows me everywhere. Sneaks up on me and puts his paws on me. LOVES eating. He's got a very compact body and totally outstanding head, strong, long, powerful with strong jaws.

 12 May
- Three pups arrived from Europe. They come from Zhemchuzhina Chernozemya kennel. A great kennel dedicated to quality breeding. Many champions came out this kennel!

 10 May
- I decided to start the blog because I quite often have great ideas regarding breeding, dogs, Dobermans, showing, dog problems, and writing a whole article is too time-consuming, thus having a blog will suffice greatly.

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