Exploring the Vast Prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
We at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels only allow our German Shepherd Dogs to breed with our oversight and under controlled conditions. We do this to protect our stud dogs and our breeding females. German Shepherd Dogs are very vulnerable to bites and physical injury during the act of breeding because they do lock-up, which is known as a “tie”. This is especially true when, we are breeding an outside virgin female that is possibly scared because this is the first time that she may have been away from her owner and home.
We provide stud services at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels, and because we stud out our males, we assist them in breeding by actually putting the German Shepherd Dogs together. We do this to ensure a tie when breeding customers’ German shepherd Dog females. Also, some prodigious anatomical differences exist between different German Shepherd Dog types along with size differences, and without assisting; we would never get a tie on these females. For example, it is very difficult for a large male to breed a small bitch. In addition, virgin bitches due to the lack of experience often times will not stand for the male or may snap at him with her teeth as he tries to mount her.
Controlled Breeding With a Heidelberg German shepherd Dog Virgin Female
In addition, we have learned to trust our stud dogs to let us know when a female is actually ovulating and ready to breed. Our males may mount a female that is in season, but is not quite fertile. However, our German shepherd Dog studs will not really try to get a tie unless the female is ovulating. When we notice this behavior, we put the dogs back up in the kennels and try again the next day. Once we get a tie, we only allow our males to breed every other day. This ensures the maximum amount of mature, viable sperm at each breeding.
When breeding German Shepherd Dogs, the owners should always be present to protect both the male and female from injury. We recommend that you keep the female tied up to the fence so that she does not drag the male all over the place and potential cause injury to his penis.
Heidelberg’s Samantha’s First breeding Under Controlled Conditions
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
We feed our weaned German Shepherd Dog puppies twice a day approximately 12 hours apart from between 7:00 and 8:00 am and then again between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Once our German Shepherd Dog puppies become six-months-old, we have noticed that they will not finish one of the twice daily feedings. When this happens we switch to once a day in the evenings. This decrease in appetite usually corresponds to a decrease in their rapid growth rate. Young puppies seem to grow significantly fast from weaning until six-months-of-age. All one has to do to observe this is to go out-of-town for a few days, and upon returning it is almost unimaginable how much larger the German Shepherd Dog puppies have become in only a couple of days.
Hey Is It Dinner Time Yet
For our adult German Shepherd Dogs, we feed once a day in the evenings. They seem well adapted to this and rarely appear to act like they are starving. We have tried morning feedings only, but our German Shepherds appear to be extremely hungry the rest of the day and act famished by the time we have fed them again the next morning. Anecdotally, I am quite comfortable skipping breakfast and even lunch sometimes, however, if I eat a large breakfast it seems as though I am hungry all-day-long, and actually will eat more through the day.
I also, believe that since, we feed in the evenings and our German Shepherd Dogs are less active after feeding that this allows them to digest their food better and may actually help prevent bloat also known as torsion. Bloat is where the stomach twists over itself and becomes a life or death situation requiring immediate medical care from a veterinarian. Albeit, some German Shepherd Dog nutritionists and veterinarians recommend feeding two smaller meals twice a day to decrease the potential for bloating.
In the wild, a more natural situation for a pack of wild dogs may be to eat every other day or third day depending on when the pack makes a kill or finds a carcass. Upon feeding they gorge themselves, thus eating several pounds of food at a given feeding. Then the pack would lounge for a day or two around the kill site to digest their meals.
Relaxing After Dinner
Nobody is positively sure about the best way and the correct timing to feed German Shepherd Dogs, and more research is needed in this area not only to reduce the risk of bloat, but to maximize the health of our German Shepherd Dogs. Until we learn differently, we at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels will continue to feed once a day in the evenings.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
I am going to discuss a paradigm that I have observed regarding the inability of veterinarians and breeders to work together. To me the relationship between vets and breeders should be the perfect match from a business perspective. The breeder has a lot of dogs and in my case German Shepherd Dogs that need the rabies shots, at time veterinarian services for illnesses, etc. However, the breeder to survive in the dog raising business has learned to take care of much of the health care needs for his own dogs unlike the average pet owner. This care includes heartworm treatment, annual shots, nail clippings, wormings, etc.
Grand Champion, Champion and BIS Winner Heidelberg’s Oklahoma Natashac (Kay)
Somehow it appears that some small animal vets resent that breeders have taken responsibility for much of the care of their dogs, and this has resulted in a reflexive disdain for breeders. The veterinarians are never going to provide the expensive full service care for the breeders’ dogs as they may do for the average pet owner. Rather than recognizing this and being happy with a portion of the breeders business, in my experience, vets become hostile toward the dog breeder and unwilling to work with them, thus losing the breeders business.
For example, I called a vet to schedule two rabies shots. I had started using this vet on a somewhat regular basis, and the vet was very aware of my German Shepherd Dog kennel. They insisted on charging me an office visit and vet exam fee. Therefore, these two rabies shots were going to cost me over $100.00. I explained that if I could come in at their convenience, I would be bringing in 30 or more German Shepherd Dogs in the next couple of weeks for rabies shots, but I could only pay for the shot. They refused to lower their fee to $15.00 for the rabies shot. I told them that I would have to go to a rabies clinic. This greatly offended them and they hung up on me.
Grand Champion, Champion Heidelberg’s Kodiak v Queridad (Kodi) Full Time Service Dog on His First Jet Ride
From a business perspective, they just lost all my future business for C-sections, injuries, etc., and they also lost my immediate business of 30 rabies shots for a total of $450.00. More than this and almost never considered by veterinarians is they also lost 40 to 70 customer referrals every year from me.
Almost every German Shepherd Dog puppy customer asks me for my recommendation for a veterinarian. Obviously, not all my customers would go to the vet that I recommend, but a certain percentage would and it would not take too many years for that veterinarian to build up a very successful business based on my breeder’s referrals.
I do not understand why it seems that most vets cannot see the advantage of working closely with a breeder and to take advantage of all the opportunities that breeder could provide their veterinarian business. If I were a vet and a medium to large scale dog breeder came into my office for services, I would bend over backwards to make them happy, albeit, I am not a veterinarian, but rather an experienced business man. Maybe, they should require a few business classes in Veterinarian College.
The above is not meant to be an attack on vets, but hopefully the start of a discussion that will provide a new perspective on this ongoing vet and breeder relationship paradigm. I have great respect for veterinarians and what they have gone through to become a licensed vet. As a research scientist in my previous life, I understand the demands and sacrifices required for a non-terminus graduate degree. Many close acquaintances that I have had over the years have been vets, but unfortunately none of these were practicing in small animal medicine.
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Yesterday, we were inspected by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and we passed with perfect scores, but that is not what I wanted to share. AKC is asking kennels to develop Emergency/Disaster Plan for evacuating and/or protecting their dogs if there is a natural disaster such as a tornado, fire, earthquake, hurricane, etc. They are not asking for a detailed plan that requires an inordinate effort to complete. Rather, for people to take some time and think about what would be the best way to protect, in our situation, our German Shepherd Dogs. What is decided should be written down so everyone involved has access to the plan and could implement the plan if necessary.
For us, tornadoes are a real concern, and we realize given the short warning before tornadoes hit, we would be unable to evacuate all our German shepherd Dogs. Therefore, we have prioritized those dogs that are to be loaded in our vehicles and driven to safety. During tornado season, we will keep dog crates ready in our vehicles and when tornado warnings are given, we will load the German Shepherd Dogs so that we are ready to leave immediately if conditions warrant an evacuation. For the remaining German Shepherd Dogs, we will let them out of their kennels and let them go on the back of our property where they can find low spots to find protection form the tornadoes.
Prioritizing, the German Shepherd Dogs that will be loaded in the vehicles in preparation for a possible evacuation by having ready a list of their names and kennel locations will save precious time. Posting this list in prominent place in the house with simple directions on what to do would be invaluable to family or staff members in case I am not here during the disaster.
Even if you only have one German Shepherd Dog, it is good idea to take some time to think about how you would evacuate your family members and animals for each potential natural disaster.
GCh. Ch. Heidelberg’s Kodi and Heidelberg’s Zoya Watching the Weather
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hello Everyone,
When my Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog puppies turn 3-weeks-old, I begin the weening process by soaking in water our Victor Super Premium Dog Food (Beef Meal & Brown Rice for All Life Stages) formula. I wait until the dry-food is turned into a mush consistent with oatmeal, and then I mix into the mush a heaping table spoon of Dannon plain white yogurt. I will then let mom outside and introduce each individual puppy to this mush. The puppies will usually lap at this mush for a while and then fall asleep. I then will let mom back in to finish off the mush. The puppies learn to eat this mush by watching mom eat it. I feed the puppies this mush twice a day.
A Three Week Old Heidelberg German Shepherd Sleeping After the First Meal
Victor Super Premium Dog Food Beef Meal & brown Rice For all Life Stages
I will feed this mush for four days before adding cooked eggs. I prefer scrambled eggs with the eggs cooked in extra virgin olive oil. Never feed raw eggs to German Shepherd Dog puppies or adults because of the risk of salmonella and e coli. After the second day, I will add a table spoon of our Pure Total Vitamin Supplement, packaged and available here at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels.
Add Eggs After Few Days to Puppies Mush to Help In Weaning
After three to four days of adding the eggs and vitamins to the puppy mush, I will pour the juice of a can of mackerel on their food for one day. The next day, I will add the mackerel. By now the puppies are acclimated to eating adult food. However, I will not feed them our evening diet, which includes cooked vegetables for another two weeks.
Starting at five weeks I will start separating mom from the puppies for longer stretches during the day. Towards the end of their fifth week of age, I will only place mom with the German Shepherd Dog puppy litter at night. When the puppies turn six-weeks-old, I separate mom from the puppies for a week to let her milk dry up.
The first night, I separate mom, I do not feed her, and while this may seem cruel, it actually helps prevent mastitis and makes mom more comfortable because she will produce less milk if she does not eat. After her milk has dried up, I will supervise play time with mom and the puppies. Once I am sure that the German Shepherd Dog puppies will no longer nurse, I allow mom and the puppies to spend considerable time together until the puppies are nine-weeks-old. The German Shepherd Dog dam teaches her puppies manners and how to exist in a social pack.
A Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog Mom Playing With Her Puppies
A Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog Mom Visiting Her Puppies
Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge
Hi Everyone,
Over the years, I have found that the most efficient and effective way to whelp a litter is to place the German Shepherd Dog bitch in a crate while she is whelping her puppies. To provide some comfort to the Dam, I will cover the crate with sheets leaving the front open so that I can observe her progress and immediately intervene when she drops a puppy. Puppies seem to be delivered in the middle of the night and labor can take several hours in some circumstances. Therefore, to stay awake and keep myself entertained while waiting for the puppies to be delivered, I will place the crate in such away that I can see everything that is going on and also be able to comfortably watch television.
A Heidelberg German shepherd Dog Bitch in Labor
Once mom drops her puppy, I will clear the airway and allow her to eat the placenta and cut the cord. Once she has cut the cord, I will clean and dry the puppy off and make sure it is breathing well. Once I am confident that the puppy is doing well, I will place it in a whelping box under a heat lamp. As soon as I am sure all the puppies are delivered, I will place mom in the whelping box to care for her puppies.
Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog New Mom Feeding Her Puppies After Delivery
Some new moms may not take cut the cord and clean their puppies immediately after delivery. If so, I will remove the puppy’s sacks, cut the cord, and then I will clean the puppy. Again, once I am sure the puppy is doing well, I will place it in the whelping box under the heat lamp.
Since I have started using the crate to observe mom during deliver, I have lost very few puppies to drowning due to them not being removed from their sacks soon enough, Sometimes new moms get so busy with their new puppies that they stop pushing and allow puppies to drown inside them. By using the crate method, mom is not with her puppies until all the puppies are delivered, therefore, I no longer lose puppies that die in the birth canal. Try using a crate method to deliver your German Shepherd Dog puppies, you will find it efficient and easier on you and the dam.
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