"vom Tempelgarten" and "Windstar's" family member

Sometimes I just love to browse our pedigree :) Here are some impressions I would like to share!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these pictures.

Final days FAQ's

I know you are all getting ready for the big day, so I wanted to share these FAQ's with you. This should answer some of the questions you might have right now.

What and how are the puppies currently being fed?
We currently feed Purina ProPlan puppy kibble along with fresh raw meat. Once a week the puppies receive greek yoghurt mixed with honey and egg. Once a month we also add food grade fossil shell flour (diatomaceous earth) to their food, to prevent internal parasites and for a calcium boost. Changing your dog's diet should occur over a period of time to prevent your dog from developing gastrointestinal upset and vomiting.
The puppies have access to kibble 24/7. We usually offer our dogs access to food at all times until the age of 8 months, and then start feeding them 3 times a day at first. Around 11 months of age we change to 2 meals a day.

How do I go about potty training my puppy?
From six weeks of age and on our puppies usually got the idea of where to eliminate, and that it is sometimes necessary to hold it. For example, we currently have a 1.5 hours rest period during noon in which the puppies only have a nest, but no potty or play area. After the rest period we would take them outside to eliminate. We didn't have an accident during the rest period in over a week. I personally like to crate a puppy in order to help with the potty training. If the crate is set up as the resting space, the puppy will wait until he leaves the crate to eliminate. Here are some rules:

• take the puppy outside to eliminate every 30 - 60 minutes. 
• take the puppy outside immediately after he finished a meal or drank water
• always take your puppy to the same potty spot, so he understands what you expect him to do
• do not play with the puppy during potty breaks, as it will distract him
• praise your puppy once he eliminated

A lot of people say that a dog with 8 or 10 weeks should be potty trained. That is non sense! Most puppies do not have proper control of their bladder or bowels until the age of 12 weeks. While they are old enough to start understanding the concept of potty training, their bodies are not yet capable of holding it for very long. Potty training usually takes 4 - 6 months. 

How do I crate train my puppy?Luckily, we start crate training our puppies from 4 weeks and on by giving them a big kennel as their nest during the day. This helps tremendously with getting them used to the kennel itself, and they actually enjoy sleeping in such a protected environment. Once they turn 7 weeks old, we start putting 2 puppies in one kennel at night (if number of dogs in litter is even...). We also give each puppy a few minutes of individual time in the kennel each day until they are 8 weeks old. Once your puppy arrives at your home, he or she will recognize a kennel and accept it as a retreat. Important: no food or water should be inside the dogs kennel. It interferes with potty training.

What should I prepare for my puppy?
Food (preferably Purina ProPlan), kennel with bedding, small bones, a toy and paper towel ;) Your puppy will comes with a puppy collar and matching leash, so you won't have to be concerned about that until your puppy is a little older. Preferably, you try to make as much time for your puppy as possible. Your puppy spent the last 8 weeks with his mother, siblings, other dogs and our family. He or she really needs you know, in order to replace all of what he had to leave behind.

Also, please puppy proof your home! One of the most important things is to prevent the puppy from chewing on electric cables!

What should I bring when I pick up my puppy at your home/the airport?Two or three soft towels so you can wrap your puppy up and make him feel secure. Wipes to clean up accidents, and a soft voice so you can whisper in his ear that everything is going to be fine. 
IMPORTANT: Please protect your puppy from canine parvovirus and do not stop for potty breaks unless absolutely necessary. If you have to stop, take the puppy to an area that is not frequently used by other dogs or has a lot of foot traffic. 

What shots will the puppy have?
Combination vaccine (DHPP) to protect from: canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus infection. The puppy will also be dewormed and microchipped.

Do you give your puppies the shots/microchip?
No, we leave all this as well as the deworming to our veterinarian. 

Will the puppies be health tested?
Yes, each puppy has to undergo a health screening, no matter if the puppy gets shipped or picked up. The vet will take a look at the overall appearance of the dog, and pay special attention to their heart, eyes and ears (deafness). You will receive a document with any sort of issue the vet might have noticed.

  

Free play in the evening :)

The AKC paperwork has arrived!

The AKC paperwork has arrived! To my surprise, they have finally changed the European bloodline (Domino) entries from registration numbers to names. Domino's pedigree had to be imported into the AKC files, and it was obviously done on a Friday, 5 minutes before close of business. This is what it looked like last year:

3rd generation in numbers
(yup, that's me in the reflection)

3rd generation names and even a few of the many titles

original pedigree
red underlined are the most prestigious European titles

Who knows, maybe next year they will finally have added all the titles to the pedigree :) I will prepare the paperwork tonight, because we really need to get ready for the dogs departure. Less than 2 weeks and I am already sad! Now that the puppies are in their 7th week, we started something called "individual snuggle time". I sit in the middle of the puppies and each one of them gets 5 minutes of individual snuggles, belly rubs, ear rubs, neck scratching and love overload. Since those snuggles are limited, it gives the puppies a good idea about the value of their masters love and attention. At the end of the week we will start with the crate training, as the flight kennels should arrive any day now. The flights will get scheduled tonight, and I am happy that we only have to ship 4 dogs this year. Shipping dogs is so much work, and booking flights can sometimes take  h o u r s.

Less than 2 weeks to go :)

Please excuse the orange noses... we have been digging up the backyard...

LEO
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Leo should have been named Tigger, as

he looks like a tiger and really likes to bounce

around! A beautiful red fawn coat with an even

black brindle and a pretty black mask. From all

the puppies he is probably the most attached to

humans, and actively seeking our company. He 

is also very athletic and escaped pretty much

every boundary we have set for the pups ;)

HEMINGWAY

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Hemingway is a big boy with a kind soul. His 

coat is extraordinary and his facial symmetry 

sure stands out. This young man is a future

athlete.

JANE

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My beloved Jane with her blue fawn and 

blue brindle coat! She has one of the prettiest 

faces I have ever seen, and her gender

sure jumps right out. She is the smallest

one in the litter, and sneaks into our living room

unnoticed, just to take a zZz close to her family.

TWAIN

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Twain is a very playful and gentle young 

man with a beautifully even brindle and 

such a nice marbled face. He enjoys to

take a zZz in the sun belly up :)

GINGER

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Ginger loves to play with her sister Bex

and often times drags her by her tail.

She is very brave and shows an excellent

frame and another pretty facial symmetry.

OLIVER

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Oliver is a little buddha belly just like his

brother Hemingway. He is quite dominant

among his siblings, but gentle and curious

about humans. Look at that beautiful half

split mask!

LEVVY

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Levvy could run and play all day long!

Her coat reminds me of a marble loaf

cake as her brindle is so incredibly smooth.

She is very curious and playful.

PRESLEY

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Presley is the shy one in this litter, but 

that won't keep her from playing and dis-

covering together with her siblings. The fawn

in her coat has turned almost to a cream 

color, and she has tons of black brindle.

BEX

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There is always that puppy which takes

forever to get a fully pigmented nose. This

year it is Bex :) She loves to play with Ginger

and is very playful in general. She has a beautiful

wide split in her mask, which will make a very

pretty face once that nose is black!

PENELOPE

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Penelope is a sassy little girl with a kind

and joyful soul. She loves to chew on my 

shoes and toes. Her face is very pretty and

everyone can tell that this is a real girl!

Puppy's love their bouncy seat :D

We love being outdoors!

Leo and Presley are enjoying some nursies :)

Hemingway being all handsome

Levvy

Bex  l o v e s  the baby's bouncy seat

Penelope and Ginger did not want to participate
in today's outdoor fun :/

Jane is the smallest of all puppies, and extremely
gentle and loving

Twain

Levvy

Oliver

Twain (right before he attacked the camera)

Oliver trying to find another milk source 

Oliver about to fall in a drainage ditch :)

Presley, Leo, Hemingway, Oliver and Jane
Please compare the size of Oliver's bum and Jane's
bum... Oliver is about twice the weight of Jane

Leo, Presley, Oliver, Jane

Twain, desperately searching for teats

Ada is explaining to the puppies that she has no milk!

Presley

Penelope with the blue ball she loves so much

Ginger.. still not participating

Presley and Penelope

Presley and Leo

Handsome Leo

what a beautiful frame :)

once more looking for milk :)