Great Dobermans are produced by responsible breeders

and developed by dedicated owners

A word about Value

It is my opinion that you really do get what you pay for in a dog. When you purchase a car, they are priced (through honest people anyway) according to their overall mechanical and cosmetic condition, how they have been cared for, what features they have etc. Thankfully when buying cars there are buying guides to help determine the worth. In Dogs there is no guide to go by. Often I am asked why there is such a difference in the value of my pups, and not only my pups, but between my pups and someone else's. It really comes down to value, what are you getting for your dollar, and naturally the environmental factors such as supply and demand influence it as well. I have seen Dobes for sale in today's market for as low as $300. I have seen them as high as $75,000. I have also seen people turn down $300,000 or more on really outstanding dogs. The differences break down roughly like this. Most important is the one thing most first time buyers overlook, that is the "quality" of the breeder. Do they have an understanding of the breed, genetics, and health? Do they have clear breeding goals that they are trying to achieve? Do they have experience? Was this a planned breeding with a goal to get closer to their model of perfection? Most importantly, are they going to be there for you after the purchase? It is my opinion that $300 pups come from accidental breeding or deliberate breeding between two dogs that happen to be Dobermans. Usually the breeding goal is cash. Generally it will be a first time breeder with little or no experience or education. Again this is just my opinion. Generally you will find that the pups will be worth what their parents were worth. It is very rare to find a a world champion quality pup from two $300 dogs. This type of breeder generally has not had any health testing, and likely doesn't have a good vet for regular check-ups and help along the way. This kind of care is very expensive, and the cost must be recouped somewhere. I admit 15 years ago, I raised $300 pups. I learned a lot over the years and developed my program and my education. I have learned that I would lose a great deal of money if I were to breed great quality dogs, from outstanding parents, care for them right and place them in their new homes for $300. It can't be done. Most importantly, I have learned if you have a problem with your $300 dog a year later, the breeder can not be contacted, cannot remedy the problem, and won't answer your calls about health and training issues. They only answer calls asking about their puppies for sale. Breeder support is more important in many cases than the pup you choose. They have been through it all, they can answer most of your questions, and if you stump them, they know where to go to get the answers. More importantly, they are willing to do all of that. Naturally that time and dedication has value, and has real costs associated with it. Start there first when determining value, then consider the face value of pup. My pups are available at a dollar amount according to what I think their potential is. Some dogs will be better athletes than others. Generally those traits are highly heritable, meaning if mom and dad are great athletes their offspring should be as well. Some dogs have better conformation than others making them ideal for show. those traits likewise are highly heritable. Some dogs are lucky enough to have both great conformation and athletic ability. Also important is their genetic potential which becomes a deeper genetic study that I can explain if you want to understand more. Pedigrees are important to some people and that to can influence price. Based on which female produced the pups, we know what to expect from those litters, and that is how we price our pups. What will the demand be for this bloodline, this conformation type, their temperament, the accomplishments of their ancestors as well as their own etc. We only produce pups that will meet our program goals, if they don't we don't continue breeding those females. We have given up many wonderful dogs that did produce great pups this last year because we can only feed so many, and the current girls are that much better. Determine what is important to you with your dog, what you want to accomplish, and then see if that type of dog will fit your budget. If you want to win an international championship, expect to pay more for your pup. If all you want is a great pet, pick one from a breeder with great support, and great health programs and a replacement policy. We want you to get the dog that best meets your needs, and we want you to know you got your money's worth.

    Deposits: A Deposit holds your place in line for a particular litter. It is also 100% transferable to another litter. In the event you opt not to take the pup, and we were able to provide that pup, the deposit is 75% refundable.

A word about Age

An adult dog can shortcut many problems and steps in dog ownership, but can come with it's pitfalls as well. Young adults and older pups can also be great choices for some situations. Talk to us about your situation and expectations so we can make sound recommendations. Most all books will say it is irresponsible to let pups go before 8 weeks of age. In fact the book I send you says that as well. But when you read training books from top trainers, and animal behaviorists, you will find a different story. Dogs learn many things from the mother and the littermates, some of them vital to survival, others interfere with further training. Dog on dog aggression for example is learned by roughhousing with litter mates too rough too long. At the same time, it builds confidence and teaches them what is acceptable interaction. Here are some excerpt from some of my favorite books.

        The first 16 weeks of a dog's life are a period of tremendous development. For the first 21 days the mental capacity of a puppy is zero. During the 21st through 28th day, the senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, and first emotional and social stress within the litter) begin to develop. At this time, the puppy first starts to learn and should be introduced to gentle socialization. On approximately the 28th day of life, the puppy's brain "turns on." From the 28th to 49th day, his nervous system and brain develop to adult form. The seventh week of life is most critical. This is the best time to wean a puppy from the litter so that he develops an attachment to his new owner. The seventh to twelfth week should introduce gentle and playful early obedience (such as kindergarten puppy training). A dogs character is set by what he learned up through the 16th week of life.

            -Search and rescue dogs training the K9 hero second edition

"...So what is the ideal time for your puppy to make the transition to it's new home? All the behavioral studies that have been done recommend the 49th day give or take a day or two. These studies have also shown that dogs begin to learn at 3 weeks of age. At 7 weeks old their brains are neurologically complete, and all the circuits are wired. Their mind is a blank page, and all you have to do is fill it with the right information. They won't forget what they learn in the next few weeks. If you wait until your dog is older, he'll probably have picked up several bad habits, which means you have to erase the page and start all over, a much more tedious job than starting when he is a puppy.

            -dog training for Dummies 2nd edition *This book despite the title is my favorite book

You can see why it is important to place the dog on time, and if that is not possible or wanted, the puppy must be raised "under foot" at that point to ensure proper development. Whether you get one of our dogs or someone else's, make sure you get the pup at the proper age, or from someone who will bring the pup up properly so it will reach it's full potential.

A word about Gender

Nearly half of our clients ask us "Which is better a male or a female?" That is a loaded question if I have ever heard one! I follow it up with questions about what it is you want your dog to become, what do you expect it to do, what do you expect to do with it. Males and females are different but not better or worse. Just like people in some ways. Women typically care more about relationships, family, etc whereas Men want to talk about jobs, hobbies, accomplishments etc. I will speak about some generalizations because generally they are true, however there are many exceptions. Male dogs tend to be more independent, more concerned about hierarchy, more territorial such as they want to protect "their" property. In case you didn't already know, we live in their homes, they allow us to sit on their stuff etc. Females tend to be more people oriented, less interested in hierarchy, and possessive of their people, not their property. They own us we don't own them in their minds. A male dog wants to keep strangers out of the yard, females want to keep strangers away from their people. Now when you spay and neuter it changes everything because behavior and temperament are driven by hormones. A neutered male is the calmest most easy going dog, followed by spayed females, then intact females, then intact males. So ask yourself how you want the dog to behave, what you want it to do, and then ask me my opinion. We want to help you get the right dog for your needs. The right dog is never the wrong color or gender.

A word about registration

All Family Dobes are placed with limited AKC registration, and sometimes that may take some time due to the foreign transfers etc, but papers are guaranteed. Full registration is only available on performance or co-ownership contracts just to make sure you have good mentors along the way to help you make good decisions and get your health testing done. All dogs will still be eligible to compete or anything else, you just won't own the full breeding rights right away. This really is a safeguard to help you not make some of the mistakes I made along the way because no one would mentor me. I say often education and information are free, but sometimes they can't come all at once. I can't make anyone a responsible breeder overnight, but given some time and help and encouragement, the breed can really benefit. Many people ask what is the difference? Registration terminology: The AKC has several types of registration we will only discuss the most important two. If your dog or the one you are looking at does not fall into these two categories, don't by them. Other registers are also no good if they are not recognized by the AKC. For example our dogs we bring in from Europe can be registered with the AKC, and we do that. Dogs with UKC/ACA,CKC etc may or may not be able to get papers with the AKC. In America as much as the AKC frustrates me, and they do have their weaknesses, they are still the American standard. You can likewise enroll your dogs with the United Doberman Club if you are interested in the Schutzhund sport or foreign dogs. AKC offers full registration which means the dog is eligible for all AKC sponsored events and programs such as the "Canine Good Citizen" Which I encourage all of you to get. It is easy enough anyone can get it if they set a goal and pursue it. It also exposes you to the world of competition which you may decide you like or not. Full registration most importantly gives you the right to breed the dog and register their offspring with the AKC. Limited papers mean you can still compete/show and everything else you just can not register the offspring if you bred them. The only event they can not compete in is conformation as it is reserved for breeding animals. For that reason, limited dogs are usually spayed and neutered. It is also possible to change limited papers to full, so some people do not "fix" their dogs right away.

A word about Spaying or Neutering

We recommend not "fixing the dog" until 18 months of age anyway because of health issues such as bladder control. Females that are altered before 18 months old generally have trouble with bladder control later on. Your vet will tell you to spay early to prevent things like ovarian or testicular cancer, that will work, but removing the ovaries or testicles at 4 years old will prevent it as well, they are gone! At any rate have a good working relationship with your vet, and make a decision together that you feel comfortable with when it comes to altering your dog.

A word about ears

There are a lot of good reasons to crop ears, and a lot of good reasons for floppy ears, you need to decide what you think is best. Dobermans with floppy ears look less like Dobermans and therefore less intimidating. Dogs that will be used as therapy dogs or SAR dogs, generally are more accepted by people with floppy ears. Cropped ears have the Doberman deterrent look to them. I have some of each. Cropped ears need less cleaning, stay dryer and have fewer infections. Floppy ears are cheaper, and you don't have to worry that your investment will be lost if they fall. Whatever you decide, your puppy will come to you floppy eared. Many breeders have vets that will crop ears at 5 weeks old to help make the pups more marketable. At five weeks of age, the ears are no bigger than my thumb nail, and the head is as small as an apple. It is very hard to do a good crop that way. At 12 weeks of age the ears and head are balanced in their growth and a very successful crop can be achieved by a good Vet. Ear cropping though is an art not a science, and you have to trust the artist to some extent. I always ask to see pictures of previous crops the vet has done. Any artist that is proud of their work will keep a scrapbook or have dogs available to be seen. If you like how they turned out, then trust the artist if they want to do the ears early. We can have our vet do the ears for you, Dr Carl Pew is renown for his cropping, the only drawback is you don't get any of the follow-up care from the artist that did the work. You also don't establish a relationship with a vet near you to help with re-posting the ears. If you haven't done ears often, the re-posting can be a bear. It isn't good to have a cropped dog with floppy ears, if you aren't dedicated enough to make the ears stand, don't go down this path. Dr' Pew is willing to crop at 8 weeks old.

Guarantee

At Family Dobes we have often said we have a health and temperament guarantee. What we really have is a refund or replacement policy based on certain conditions. I can guarantee parentage, and the condition the pup leaves my care, but I can not guarantee how it will turn out in the future; health or otherwise. We say Guarantee to re-assure the buyer, and add credibility. You will receive a copy of our refund/replacement policy upon purchase which basically lines out that we will refund or replace the puppy if it is affected by certain genetic disorders, or does not work for it's intended purpose.    

Health Policy as follows: Family Dobes guarantees the pup to be free of Hip Dysplasia (when raised on approved feed requires receipts for verification), hypothyroidism, von Willebrands disease (must be verified with Vetgen DNA test, and be “affected” and have active bleeding issues), wobblers syndrome, and progressive retinal atrophy or other genetically inherited problems that will cause early death to the age of  24 months. Other diseases not genetically inherited and will not be covered. We recommend having a very good relationship with your veterinarian and following appropriate wellness and vaccination schedules. Any health claims must be accompanied by certification of abnormality from two accredited veterinarians. Breeder may refund purchase price or replace with similar animal at the breeders discretion when the original animal is returned to us. All shipping, travel and vet expenses are the responsibility of the buyer.

Temperament Policy as follows: Family Dobes will Guarantee said animal to have sufficient temperament to be a working family companion when approved training schedule and program are followed and documented. Documentation of schedule, activities and progress must be submitted weekly to validate said guarantee. If animal proves insufficient as evaluated by at least two accredited trainers, breeder will either refund purchase price or replace the animal when the original animal is returned to us. All Shipping, travel and evaluation expenses are the responsibility of the buyer.

This certificate is only valid for said animal to original buyer. Guarantee requires presenting certificate to breeder

 Puppy Health Caution

I am writing this message with a heavy heart, and wishing things went well always. We have traditionally administered the first puppy shot before the puppy leaves our care using the solojec 7 way vaccine. Some people are anti vaccination, and I can understand their concern, they need to get with me ahead of time to plan the health care for the puppy. As tragic as the pet food recall was for many people (not our family dobes extended family as we all feed Royal Canin right?) imagine this pain. As with the pet food recall, those people who lost their pets were doing what they thought was good and right, they wanted to care for them. All the while they were feeding them poison that killed them. I had a puppy that we placed at Christmas time just pass away and naturally the family was very upset as I can imagine. Turns out after all the tissue cultures were completed at Cornell, it was determined that the cause of Death was distemper. Now I had vaccinated the puppy when it left, and the owners had given the boosters twice as they should. Next they gave another booster at the Vet office, and one week later the puppy died of the very disease it had been vaccinated against. This is called vaccine break. Again you are doing what you believe is best for the pet, and it causes a tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go out to this family and we are trying to help them get another pup to help them grieve and move on. One thing I have learned studying this case and consulting with several vets is that Pfizer and Interjec guarantee their vaccinations to be effective. If the dog contracts the disease while under their approved vaccination schedules, they will cover all the costs of care! We are switching to Pfizer for this reason. A second problem is fresh in my mind and has me very upset. I placed a pup from my last litter that left here with a vaccination, and today is in the clinic suffering from Parvo. I do not know if the booster had been given, but there are some important things to understand. If you vaccinate, primary immunity is not usually obtained until the third shot, and it still needs a booster as the puppy grows. As you start caring for your new puppy, it really is best not to take them anywhere other dogs could have been. Parvo can lay dormant for up to seven years. that means if a Parvo dog eliminates on your lawn, six or seven years later your dog could come down with Parvo. It is tragic and hard, and has a high mortality rate. The best strategy, is to vaccinate effectively for Parvo, and keep the dog secluded until immunity is reached. A titer test is the best way to determine this. Remember even going to the Vet is a risk, but one we have to take, where does someone with a parvo dog go? To the Vet naturally. Although they do their best to keep things sterile, parking lots etc can be very contaminated. Crates are best for puppy visits to the Vet. Keep them in it and be wary about who you let poke fingers etc in.

Health Testing

You will notice in all my ramblings that I don't put all my stock in health testing, especially for things like Thyroid. All it tells you is the condition of the animal the day they are evaluated. We don't yet understand genetics completely enough to take any strand of DNA, map it and all it's combinations out and identify all future problems. There are many things that are strongly influenced by genetics, but they all have counterparts that go into the equation as well. Mainly those are exercise and nutrition. Just the same as it is with us. I don't purchase my breeding stock based on "tests" though they do have some importance in my mind, evaluate the animal you are buying, and after that, it's ancestors. Don't get too much peace of mind from a single test, do your own testing and prevent problems first. If one comes up then correct it. I just want to be honest with my buyers. The tests give buyers and artificial sense of security. However... A breeder who does health testing, and gathers all the information they can to make their decisions has shown that they are more responsible and educated and that has a lot of value to me even if the test results don't. Let that be a guide for you as well is my recommendation.

Vaccination

I have always told folks, to wait until the pup is seven weeks old to receive it's first vaccination. SoloJec 7 is now approved for use on puppies 6 weeks old. The best schedule is to give first shot at 6 weeks, then every 2-4 week intervals thereafter until 18 weeks of age for a total of up to 7 shots. Interval should be determined by you and your vet based on exposure risk etc. I prefer two week intervals. After that you will give them an annual shot. I try to accompany it with their Rabies Vaccination so it is easy to remember when they come due. Our pups receive their first shot at 6 weeks, but primary immunity is not acquired until they receive at least two doses .

Update:

I have to tell you the “new” thing is to avoid vaccines altogether, but I don’t agree with that. I am too concerned about Parvo and Distemper. I did have one of my clients lose a pup to Distemper just last month, and it was one week after it got it’s last shot, so I have really been studying vaccines. Here is what I found, stick with Pfizer vaccines or interject, but Pfizer is still preferred. They not only guarantee the vaccine to be effective, (in adults up to 3 years sometimes) and they will pay vet expenses if the animal contracts the disease. I guess I am done with soloject vaccines. My Vet recommends (and I do agree) First shot at 6 weeks, then every three weeks after that until 16 weeks to guard against Parvo in high risk dogs (dogs that go where other dogs have been). If the dog doesn’t go out in public (right like that will happen) then every four weeks is fine. It is a delicate line to balance between enough protection, while keeping risk minimal. I hope this helps. The other thing is to be careful of deworming too much as it has been linked to blindness and hearing loss. Pumpkin seed and Tobacco are natural de-wormers for the holistic approach, I prefer Ivermectin still just used with care and prudence.

Ear Cropping

It is getting harder to find vets that are qualified and willing to do ear cropping as many of you have already found. It is no longer taught in Vet school and can only be learned by assisting a vet who already has the art. Most vets still tape ears around “posts” which range from popsicle sticks wound with gauze and tape, to tampons to plastic formed posts. After the ears are cut, they are sutured or glued at the edges and taped or otherwise braced in the upright position. There are many different lengths and styles to choose from, most likely your vet will recommend the one they are most comfortable with. Depending on the length and shape of the crop they may be in tape from 2 weeks to 1 year. Show crops are the hardest to get standing, but look amazing when they do. Medium is what I recommend for most pet dogs, they stand easily and take the least amount of time. I do not recommend military or guard dog crops for anyone, I find them ugly. Look at lot’s of pictures to decide what it is that you like the best, and discuss it with your vet. Then after surgery they will need taped and re-taped often while they heal. After a few times you get the hang of it and can re-tape on your own, though most vets will include several re-tapes with the surgery. The most important thing is to keep them clean and dry or they can get severe infections. This means no baths, no rain or snow storms. Second is trying to keep the dog from damaging their own ears, next keeping other dogs from damaging their ears. Dogs love to chew on each others ears and it seems they enjoy it even more if you have spent a lot of money on them and taped them nicely in the erect position! It is the hardest thing to go through when the pup s at the age they are just a ball of energy and you have to keep them quiet and interested in other things. Some get to wear lampshade collars to keep them from bothering their ears, and that is an experience in itself! But most of you will decide to crop, and will be happy that you did. Floppy ear Dobes are cute as well, and much less work and money, but don’t have the same look about them.

Here is a list we are compiling of Vets that do ear cropping, if you have had a good or bad experience, send in that Vet's info with pictures and your Story:

My favorite Vet and some pictures of pups he has done: Pew, Carl L DVM (801) 225-5395  525 S State St Orem, UT 84058-6303

Dr Pew is the best there is period, He is an AKC Judge for the Doberman and Showed and bred dobes for many years with his perfected crop. If you are within travel distance, see Dr. Pew!

Good California Vet: Dr. LaBounty in Studio City, CA (just North of LA) (818) 762-1491

Dr. Weaver at Squaw Peak Animal Hospital.  His number is 602-553-8855 Phoenix Az

Rob Graham, CVT

Practice Manager

Animal Health Services of Cave Creek

37555 N Cave Creek Rd
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
(480) 488-6181

Dr Holt is not only a very concerned and good vet, but seems to be rather good at this. Cooper came home with very clear instructions on care and also 2 weeks of antibiotics and pain meds for the 1st few days.

Dr Holt runs Jenison Animal Hospital at  648 Chicago Dr. Jenison, MI 49428   616-457-9200. The ear crop was $218.00. Microchip was $35.00. Not a bad price.

Dr Truesdale at 455 Central Ave Seekonk MA 508-761-8525

Animal Care Center

Dr. Tim O'Rourke

1005 E. College Way

Mt. Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 848-0180

VON WILLEBRAND DISEASE

Did you know it affects humans as well as dogs? No it is not contagious, it is genetic. It is believed to affect 2.6 million people in the US!

vWd is the common abbreviation, it is a disorder that can be quite common in Dobermans depending on the lines they are bred from. What is it exactly? It is a genetic defect that causes abnormal blood clotting. dogs can fall in one of three categories, affected, carriers or clear. Affected dogs may have a hard time recovering from surgery, injury or even normal biology such as menstruation. This is not the only bleeding disease affecting dobes. Vetgen has a test for vWd and it can tell you what precautions to take in your breeding program, and how to prepare for the future. Not all dogs with vWd will die from it, but some die either directly from it or as a result of it complicating other problems. Here is one of my favorite articles:

Hips and Joints

All large breed dogs are concerned with hip and joint health. There is nothing more difficult than helping your companion get up just to go out to the bathroom, so they don't go where they lie. Gretta my first Dobe, got to the point she couldn't move to take care of herself. Her kidneys were not doing well anymore, and I had to make the hardest choice I had made up to that point in my life. She was suffering deeply, she didn't enjoy her life or time with me. Like me she wished we were hiking in the mountains or playing fetch, even just going for a car ride. Is good joint health important to me? You be it is, I lost a dear friend much too soon because of it. There are a lot of breeders out there who try to build buyer confidence with OFA certifications etc. Yes Hip and bone problems are genetic, yes OFA is important and should be done as soon as the animal is two. Other things to remember are injury, and excessive use at a young age also cause later problems. One of the lesser known problems is Nutrition. It was once thought that we should slow the growth of large breed dogs to curb future problems. They believe that this gives the bones and joints time to develop sufficiently to support the weight of the large animal. Many Large breed formulas such as Science Diet and Iams still hold this philosophy, which is why I no longer feed them. you can see this isn't what nature had in mind, and in nature, animals make it to maturity healthy and strong. This is why I feed Royal Canine Maxi Puppy. They really should sponsor me somehow for as much as I recommend them to all our new homes and everyone I meet. I don't get anything from them though, and that adds credibility to my recommendation. You see in nature, Large animals such as Timber wolves eat a diet very high in protein, (read the labels of whatever feed you choose to begin to understand) and fat. They get grains, greens etc as a byproduct, not directly. Wolves don't run into a corn field and eat the corn, they run in and eat the pheasant. I once believed Dogs to be strict carnivores for this reason. finally one study helped sway my opinion a little. Strict Carnivores, only masticate (chew) vertically (up and down), with sharp pointed dentition. Strict Herbivores have different dentition (teeth) to grind and their jaws move in a side to side type of movement. A true Omnivore then must be able to bite and tear with sharp front teeth (like we have) and chew both vertically and horizontally with some kind of a rear grinding surface (like people). This study showed that although dogs don't have a flat Molar in their mouths for grinding, they do chew both directions. So then I started to think they are omnivores by accident. When they eat the pheasant, or other critters, they are eating the whole animal including it's stomach etc. and all it contains. This is how they do get some grain and roughage in their diet. The diet then is very high in protein and fat. When the mother of wild dogs brings them food to eat, she brings a whole rabbit, she doesn't ration it out on a limited protein and fat system to slow down their growth. So how does nature allow for good skeletal development? They ea the whole rabbit, bones and all. They get tendons, joints and all important parts. What do joints contain in healthy animals? Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate. People have just now clued in to what nature provided all along. By supplementing the "joint fluid" in their diets, they can develop at a normal pace and still be healthy. They can run and play, but don't work on high jumping type exercises until they are fully developed. If you get them the proper nutrients, their bodies will do wonders, and they will have good joint health. In addition, verify that the lines your new pup comes from are genetically prone to good hips and joints. Interested in stem cell research? Consider that carnivores consume a large amount of living bone marrow in the wild with every meal, from many species. Makes you wonder huh?

Cardio

just as in people, if you come from a family full of heart problems, you are likely to have heart problems as well, it is the same for your dogs. There are many types of heart problems in dogs, and generally the words get very long and hard to understand. What you need to know, is things that deviate from normal are not good. Hearts that are too big, too small, or have irregular beats or valve problems are not good. Only a Vet who specializes in cardiology can help you know and understand all of this. There are many tests and opinions out there on cardio health. My opinion is an ultrasound to determine structure, size etc is important as well as an EKG to determine rhythm etc. A Holter Monitor test may be the single most important test as it shows things otherwise unseen. I also believe in researching pedigrees to identify health risks. Again, bad hearts are genetically influenced but can come from poor diet and exercise just as happens in people. A well fed active dog can live a very long happy life even if he was predisposed to poor cardiac health, just as it is with us. Feed them right, and exercise them, select them from the best lines possible, and you and your companion will make far more happy memories.

Eye health

There are as many eye problems as there are cardiac problems in dogs. Again the names get very confusing and people are just now trying to understand it all just as with people. Certain kinds of blindness or vision problems can be influenced genetically, as well as nutritionally or due to injury. Very few vets specialize in ophthalmology, and very few people enlist their help and opinions. Again many breeders try to build buyer confidence with evaluations and tests, that I believe have some value, but don't just assume that because a dog has had it's health tests performed that it will produce perfect puppies. Some things are genetically influenced, but we don't have a genetic "test" for eye trouble, and if we did you should test the puppy not the parent. What the "tests" consist of are evaluations of the eye structure, at the time the dog is examined. This is good information, but does not guarantee the offspring will never have eye trouble. Again, feed well, exercise the eyes while they develop by walking in all kinds of lighting conditions including nighttime, and have the dog evaluated if you notice problems.

First Aid

First Aid is exactly that, the first thing you do until you can get help or get to a Vet. Many vets will teach a basic first aid class to your training clubs or groups if you just ask them, they are pretty good about that. There are also a lot of great books and articles to read, and you could even volunteer at your local vet. Everyone will need a basic kit, and there are many out there to choose from. Most important is that you know how to use what you have. All the fancy kits in the world won't help at all if you don't know how to use them. Spend some time learning the important points that you are qualified to take care of. You will need to know how to stop bleeding in different areas, how to immobilize broken bones, treat for shock, dehydration, blood loss, insect, animal and reptile bites. Learn about allergic reactions etc. I could type all night on what to do, but it is best to attend a class put on by your vet so you can do what it is they want you to do on the way. Here is a link to some of the better kits I have found. I like the pro kit, but don't bother getting it unless you really know how to use all of that stuff. If you can't see yourself using sutures or staplers on open wounds, why have them? Unless you are going to be around others that do know how to use them. The other thing is, don't be afraid to use the stuff in your kit, it can always be replaced and replenished, always have extra gauze, tape, and vet wrap around, you will use a lot of it! http://www.outdoorsafety.net/sportingdogkits.htm

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