As breeders, we are very conscientious about the puppies we produce. We select breeding stock with care, emphasizing dynamics as health clearances and temperament. We socialize our pups and feed them quality food with the proper nutrition to both the dams and pups. Yet some often overlook the importance of a key period in puppy development. The "Perinatal Period" from conception until birth, is a time when puppies undergo dramatic neural and immune development. In fact, this period sets the foundation for every dog’s lifetime health, mental stability, and longevity. Read More...
We introduce the mother to her whelping box at least a week prior to her scheduled birth due date. We stay with the mother or continually check on her during labor. We have been fortunate not to have yet experienced any major problems or the need for an emergency Caesarian Section. Upon the birth of each puppy, we immediately thoroughly examine each puppy after the mother cleans them. If a puppy is struggling for life, we will call our veterinarian for guidance. We then determine the sex, place a different colored collar for individual identification, weigh each puppy, and keep a clipboard handy to record all information. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has informative information about litter gestation...
In the first day of their life we will make sure each of the puppies get Colostrum. Colostrum is milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals (including humans) in late pregnancy. Most species will generate colostrum just prior to giving birth. Colostrum contains antibodies to protect the newborn against disease. In general, protein concentration in colostrum is substantially higher than in milk. We usually give the puppies temporary nicknames and identify each puppy with a colored collar.
We will monitor the mother and her puppies every few hours each day for the first week. We are fortunate to be only a short distance away from our Veterinarian, and a 24 hour Emergency Animal Clinic if any newborn puppies are distressed. The first week is critical for puppies! We will rotate the smallest puppies to make sure they are getting enough breast milk from their mother, but most of the time the mother will do this on her own. Then the daily routine of checking on the puppies at least 3 times a day, and weighing each individual puppy for record keeping is continued until puppies are ready to be placed in their new homes. Our dogs are "home raised with love" socialized at an early age and well cared for in a clean, healthy, physically and mentally stimulating environment.
Canine Enrichment may be defined as, any additions to dog's environment when the animal voluntarily interacts and experiences improved physical fitness, increased working ability, mental and/or psychological health. Canine research has demonstrated that stress levels decrease when enrichment is provided to dogs. French's German Shepherds believes preparing puppies for their homes is as important as breeding good puppies. We have implemented most, but not all of "Puppy Culture Program" to improve the outcome of the puppies we breed. We breed Watch Puppy Culture Videos... Our dogs are not simply purebred "Show and Performance Dogs," they are "High Drive Working Protection Dogs" which require different training techniques. Read 97 Ways To Create Great Puppies...
We conduct
Early Neurological Stimulation on our puppies between
ages day 3 and day 16 on healthy puppies. Both experience and research have
dominated the beneficial effects that can be achieved via
early neurological stimulation, socialization and enrichment
experiences. Below is a
YouTube video with Dr. Carmen Battaglia giving an
explanation of Early Neurological Stimulation.
A puppy's eyes will begin to open at approximately 2 weeks. Human socialization increases at this time. During the first 3 weeks, the mother will keep puppies clean and do almost all the work. The newborn puppies will develop their very sharp milk teeth. We register the litter with the American Kennel Club (AKC) so that new owners will have registration papers for their dogs. To complete this process, the owner of the Sire or "Stud Dog" also must sign off.
After the 2nd week, we begin deworming the puppies with Pfizer NEMEX-2 (Pyrantel Pamoate) Oral Liquid. The puppies usually are dewormed at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks. For immunizations, we generally follow the 2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines. We ensure all our adult dog's vaccinations are kept up to date, and vaccinate all puppies preferably at 6, 9, and 12 weeks using the core Nobivac Canine 1-DAPPvL2+Cv (Galaxy DA2PPvL+Cv) sometimes at 6, 8, and 10 weeks. At 10 or 11 weeks we also give the non-core Bordetella Vaccine, and the Canine Flu Vaccine, because of reoccurring flu outbreaks. Even though this is expensive, we want to ensure the health of each puppy, save the new owner veterinarian costs and to prevent sick puppies. Sometimes a small lump will appear from the vaccination and is generally quite common.
We give the owner all health records including vaccinations and immunizations for their puppy. Owners take their puppy for their Rabies Vaccinations to the veterinarian of their choice between the ages of 4-6 months. Their veterinarian can administer a Lyme Disease Vaccination if determined necessary, and start them on monthly heartworm medication. We use Tri-Heart Plus by Merck for heartworm medication. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has published information about First Year Puppy Vaccinations.
Do not over-vaccinate your dog! There are tests to tell whether a vaccine booster is needed or not. A simple blood test, called a titer, can tell if your dog is protected or whether he actually needs another vaccine. Vaccines can both save lives and take lives. So the idea is to give as few vaccines as necessary to protect your dog from infectious disease and hope he doesn’t develop autoimmune disease. Dog vaccinations can often be just as harmful as the disease they’re meant to protect against. Vaccination can cause a wide range of health problems that range from minor fever to anaphylactic shock and cancer. So it’s vital that we vaccinate our pets only when necessary. Unfortunately, many states do not recognize titer tests...
Usually during the 3rd week, we will start weaning the puppies. Weaning the is transitioning puppies from their mother's milk to solid food. At some point in a puppy's nursing life, milk will begin to fall short of the calories and balance they need for growth. The puppy then starts trying mom's food if they have access. When this starts occurring, we help them by offering a gruel (puppy mush). We use a blender and grind the dry puppy food to a powder. We mix powdered puppy milk with the powdered puppy food to make a Gruel mixture. We make the initial Gruel very runny and begin to increase Gruel thickness and consistency as time goes on until they are completely on dry puppy food. By the 3rd week we will add a water dispenser in the whelping box. As their sharp milk teeth grow and sharpen, they can chew the dry puppy food. It will begin to hurt the mother to breastfeed her puppies. At that time, stool from the puppies begin to firm and the mother will stop clean the puppies. The puppies should be weaned by 6 weeks, although the puppies will continue to try to nurse from their mother. Making the weaning transition without slowing puppies' growth is the goal. Read About Puppy Feeding and Nutrition...
Potential owners will want to visit the puppies. We encourage visitors because we encourage human socialization with the puppies. This also give the opportunity to for owners to meet us, interact with the mother and the puppies, and see the environment in which they are raised. Usually the first question asked by potential owners is the price of our puppies. While we can give a ballpark figure, we usually do not give a firm price until the individual puppies complete an aptitude test, visit a vet for initial health checks, and are professionally appraised. If one of the parents is a genetic Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) carrier, we will conduct DNA Tests on each puppy in the litter. If both parents are DM Clear, there is no need for the DNA test for DM. Much of a dog’s temperament is genetically based. Additionally, health care, training, conditioning and human handling, socialization to everything else that the puppies will be exposed to. This even includes experiences while the mother is pregnant!. A mother is far, far more than an incubator!
Potential owners will often want to pick their puppy immediately, but we discourage this until the puppies are tested. Puppy testing are not new. Puppy testing became well known after the publication of Clarence Pfaffenberger’s book “The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior.” Pfaffenberger’s new methods raised the success rate from approximately 9 percent to about 90 percent for service dogs! Other authors include Susan Clothier who wrote a puppy testing booklet. Carol Lea Benjamin also published a test. William Campbell’s book “Behavior Problems in Dogs” includes a puppy temperament test. Wendy Volhard developed one of the best-known tests, the "Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test" that we ourselves use.
We have a stranger to the puppies conduct the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test 49 days after their birth. This is because the ideal age to test the puppy is at 49 days of age when the puppy is neurologically complete and contains the brain of an adult dog. With each passing day after the 49th day, their responses will be tainted by prior learning. We share individual puppy scores with potential owners. We pride ourselves on assisting potential owners in making good matches. However, sometimes the owners want to choose a puppy themselves. Sometimes, a certain puppy will be attracted to a person or child and choose their new owner! Below is a YouTube Video of a puppy given the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test.
By the 9th week we take the puppies to our Reproduction Veterinarian for a "Well Puppy" health check. This health check is also needed before we can ship any puppies to their new homes by air cargo. We will have the puppies professionally appraised as to their value, quality and worth before they are placed. As part of their contract, we require new owners take their dog to their own veterinarian of choice.
Puppies pass through a sensitive stage during when
it is critically important they be well socialized to other dogs,
humans, and a wide variety of stimuli in their environment. During
this important period, generally agreed to be from around 2½ to 3
weeks through 12 to 14 weeks, a puppy's brain is primed to accept
new experiences with minimal fear. The experiences the pup has
during this sensitive time actually have the capacity to modify the
brain. What your puppy experiences (or doesn't experience) during
this stage of development has a profound impact on his adult
character, temperament and behavior. Since part of a pup's
socialization is learning appropriate dog-to-dog interaction, it is
in the best interests of puppies to remain with the mother and
littermates until they are at least 8 to 8½ weeks old. In many
states,
this is often mandated by law.
Taking a puppy away from
its mother in the transitional stage (2-4 weeks) can create a number
of problems for later life. A separation before 8 weeks even, may cause problems so that a puppy is pre-disposed to
become fearful of other dogs. Ideally the whole litter should be
kept together until at least 8 weeks. Puppies removed from their
mothers even at 6 weeks, exhibit appetite and
weight loss, increased distress, higher mortality rates and higher
susceptibility to disease. Bite inhibition needs to be learned
from other siblings and the mother. Bite inhibition cannot be
learned if puppies are removed too early. Dogs will not learn
that they cannot play too rough when removed from their mother and
their siblings too soon.
Even with well-bred litters from titled parents, not every puppy is destined to be "Conformation Show Quality." Yet, such puppies can compete in all other sanctioned events and receive titles and certifications. Almost every breeder will at sometime have "Pet Quality" puppy available at a discounted cost. While each puppy always receives half of its genes from the father and half from the mother, it does not mean that each puppy will get the same set of genes. It is a genetic fact that every living thing is the sum of all its collective ancestors, both good and less than desirable. The most common "Pet Quality" puppies we have are our coated puppies or those that have a lazy ear, detention, or other minor or aesthetic issues which may be considered a faults in American Kennel Club (AKC) Conformation Competition only, but do not impede the dog's ability to be functional and productive. Coated German Shepherd Dogs have become very popular and may be removed as an AKC fault in the future. The United Kennel Club (UKC) allows Coated and Altered (Neutered or Spayed) Conformation Show Competition. The German Shepherd Dog Club of America also has a Coated Competition Class. The United Schutzhund Club of America also allows Coated German Shepherds.
We then sign over ownership, registration pages, and require signed contract with a written money-back health guarantee for the purchasers of our dogs. We generally require obedience training as a condition of receiving a dog from us. Puppies usually are placed at 10 weeks of age. We screen and zealously vet potential owners because our German Shepherd Dogs are not a good match for everyone. Dogs then are microchipped before leaving us and released to their new owner/s. We do not ever want our dogs to end up in rescues or dog pounds and will take back our dogs should owners be unable to keep them.
Feed your puppy "Puppy Food" that is formulated for a large breed puppy. As an owner, there is not much you can do about hereditary factors, aside from selecting a puppy from a responsible breeder and only breeding healthy dogs, but you do have control over growth rate, exercise, and nutrition. We recommend consulting with your veterinarian when to start your puppy on adult food. Growing too quickly is not healthy for large breed puppies. Excessive growth has been linked to Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD), which covers a range of conditions including: Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy, Osteochondrosis, Retained Ulnar Cartilage Core, Panosteitis, Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia. Over-nutrition plays a large role in excessive growth, which is why it is important to feed your large breed puppy a diet specially formulated for large breeds. These diets differ from regular puppy diets in four ways: Lower in Fat, Lower in Calcium, Lower in Phosphorus and Lower in Vitamin D.
We are often asked how much exercise should a puppy get? The general rule is five minutes of exercise per month of age twice a day. This means a four-month old puppy should get about 20 minutes of exercise at a time. Short walks, brief training sessions and play with other pups is often sufficient for young pups. Too much exercise at too young of an age may cause harm.
Don't over-exercise your puppy. As a general rule of thumb, the U.K. Kennel Club recommends five minutes of exercise per month of age twice a day. This means a four-month old puppy should get about 20 minutes of exercise at a time. Short walks, brief training sessions and play with other pups is often sufficient for young pups. Some veterinarians may further recommend supplements (glycosaminoglycans and chondroprotective agents) for high-risk breeds to help prevent damage to the growth plates. Sex hormones signal growth plates to close, so sexual maturity is an indicator of when to consult your veterinarian before beginning strenuous performance. Read Impact of Exercise on Puppy Growth Plates and View a helpful puppy exercise chart...
Many owners have never dealt with Ethical Breeders who have signed a Code of Ethics. As people of faith, we conduct ourselves with honesty and integrity. Our word is our bond. We have pleased and satisfied owners who gladly provide references as to the quality of our dogs. Our dogs usually sell themselves. Our customers and other breeders often refer other buyers to us. Owners of our dogs are often complimented by strangers when they are in public with their dogs. There are few greater joys as breeders than having happy dogs and proud, happy owners!
Perhaps one of the best dynamics of getting
a dog either from or through French's German Shepherds, is
because we are a small group of Reputable Hobby Breeders.
We always a phone call or an email away to answer questions.
We take responsibility for the dogs we breed and provide support
for them because we love what we do. As members of
the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, we have access to
the most knowledgeable people in the world for German
Shepherd Dogs. If we do not have answers to questions, we
can contact someone who does!
We donate German Shepherds to veterans
struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other disabilities. With
the help other likeminded ethical and quality owners of stud
dogs and breeders,
we also provide Service Dogs for Persons with Disabilities and
Emotional Support and Therapy Dogs!
French's German Shepherds proudly donates dogs and provides support for the non-profit
Seal Dog Foundation.
Fun Facts: Canine Movie Star "Strongheart" is the German shepherd Dog who was a canine superstar of American Cinema. He was born and raised in Imperial Germany,
where he was trained to be a police dog and assigned to the German military during World War I. Strongheart's actual name was "Etzel von Oringer." He was born on October 1, 1917 from a carefully bred line.
Trained as an attack dog, the 125-pound (57 kilograms) Strongheart was fearless. American director Laurence Trimble, who was famous as an animal trainer, and his wife, Jane Murfin,
a screenwriter, had been searching Europe for a dog that could appear in motion pictures. When Trimble came across the three-year-old Strongheart in 1920, he knew he had the makings of a canine star.
