Jack x Sienna Puppies

These puppies are bred and owned by Deb St Myers, Agate English Cocker Spaniels. The sire of the litter is CH Calypso's Fortunate Series Of Events, Jack, and the dam is Quinlan's Burnt Sienna RN OA OAJ OF, Sienna. The black boy, Jasper, is available to a home that will show him in conformation. He is located in Northern California. You can visit the Puppies page on my website for more information.

Injustice

I got this poem as a forward, but thought some of you might enjoy reading it...

Injustice To Our Ladies
Author Unknown

You've bred a bitch, a winning thing,
And make her a Champion of the ring.
She's sound, she's lovely, a joy to see.
You want to breed her carefully.

Taking lots of time, you look around.
The stud must be both typey and sound.
You study pedigrees till you're blind,
Faithfully building the litter in your mind.

Several possibilities appear,
You write to all, and wait to hear.
Some write back, "My dog's the best".
You never hear from all the rest.

You choose the one you hope is right,
Although the stud fee's out of sight.
You breed your bitch...the die is cast,
The next nine weeks don't go by fast.

Of course, the lady whelps in the middle of the night
With luck and care, all comes out alright.
The next eight weeks you fret and strain,
Feed and scoop and try to train.

You take such care with home they get,
This one a show dog...that one a pet.
The new owners call with problems dear,
You're on the phone for half a year.

At last, the grand moment you've longed to know,
Your lady's pups have come to their first show.
They all look fine, not one a dud,
Then from behind you comes, WOW...nice pups...who's the STUD!"

Pregnant Sienna On The Beach

Here is Sienna (owned by Deb St Myers) snoozing on the beach when she was 7 weeks pregnant. She is due any day. She was bred to Jack, Ch Calypso's Fortunate Series Of Events.

Puppy Socialization / I Miss Baby Puppies

While browsing the Puppy Prodigies site, I found this great page about puppy socialization: http://www.puppyprodigies.org/Socialization.htm

I absolutely, wholeheartedly, agree with everything written on this page about socializing puppies. The point of socialization is for puppies to be introduced to new things in a POSITIVE way. It is not socialization if your puppy is not willingly participating. Use a lot of praise and treats while socializing your puppy.
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On another note... you may have noticed my recent preoccupation with puppies (or may have heard about it if you talked to me recently!!) I miss puppies!!! Deb, if you are reading this, I might have to drive all the way to CA for a dose of puppy breath once Sienna's puppies arrive (-:

I miss having tiny baby puppies in my house. I miss playing in the yard with little four week old puppies who are walking all over their ears and bunny hopping across the yard. I don't miss the puppy clean-up, LOL, but I really miss the puppy breath and all of the "puppy's first" experiences that are so fun with each litter.

Puppy Prodigies Video Clips

http://www.puppyprodigies.org/VideoClips.htm

Take a look at these video clips. I found them fascinating. I will have to see what types of tricks I can teach my next litter of puppies. Sit, down, and roll could be taught to an eight week old puppy pretty easily, but I am interested to try targeting, speak, give five, and turn/twist with a puppy that young.

Disappointed

Well, I am very sorry to say that Taffy is not pregnant. I have guessed that was the case for a while, but as today is Day 57 and there is no tummy growth, I am sure we are not expecting puppies. This is so sad as I was very much anticipating this litter. We did a surgical insemination with fresh chilled semen which was shipped here from Indianapolis. The prospective sire, BISS CH Jerabee Hoosier Sunset "Sunny", is an older dog who has made some lovely puppies in the past. I am sure the litter would have been lovely, healthy and sweet tempered. Anyway, breeding has it's ups and downs and this has certainly been a down.

If you have inquired about a puppy recently and did not receive a reply, I am sorry that I have not responded. I was not sure whether we were having puppies or not, so I have put off responding to inquiries until I could be sure one way or the other. You might try visiting www.englishcockerspanielbreeders.net to see if you can find a breeder near you who is expecting puppies. We will not have a litter arrive until perhaps late summer.

Screening A Breeder - A guide for prospective puppy buyers.

We have puppies due here next week, so I once again have been screening potential homes and communicating with new prospective puppy parents. I find that many prospective puppy buyers do not understand the significance of the way that a puppy is raised. Knowing how much early socialization matters when considering the future temperament of the puppy, I personally find the lifestyle that a puppy is raised in extremely important.

To prospective puppy buyers!!!

Please realize that all breeders are not created equal. Some breeders care for each of their dogs as individuals, as pets, and others keep their adult dogs in kennel runs and do not bring them in to the house. Some breeders have a clean and sanitary living environment for their dogs and other do not. Some breeders have more dogs than they can care for properly. Puppies can also be raised in a wide variety of places; from a kennel in the back yard to a living room or bedroom in the house. Some breeders live in a reclusive manner and do not often take their puppies places or have visitors. Some breeders are part of the dog community and will have a lot of visitors and puppies will be handled regularly.

As a prospective puppy buyer, please attempt to do these things:

1. Read the book, Before You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar. Here is a link to a site where you can download it for FREE! http://www.jamesandkenneth.com/new_puppy.html

2. Don't be afraid to ask breeders questions!!

3. Ask where the puppies are raised, how many dogs the breeder has, etc. Expect the breeder to also have questions for you!!

4. Expect to be allowed to visit with the puppies once they are at an appropriate age, to see where the puppies are raised and to meet the breeder's other dogs before taking your new puppy home.

5. Take the purchase of your new puppy very seriously. This is a 12-17 year commitment with an English Cocker Spaniel. Do your homework and find a puppy you will be happy with. This is not the time to save money. I promise you, if you go with a "discount" breeder and save a bit of money on the purchase price, you will later pay that and more. Yes, you can get a puppy from a breeder that does not do health testing and have him/her be super healthy with a great temperament, but you are playing a game of "beat the odds" when you buy from a breeder that does not do health testing or properly socialize their puppies. Please do not gamble with a 12-17 year "contract."

6. Think about whether the breed you have chosen is honestly a perfect match for you. This is a big commitment. Most "good" breeders will be very honest with you if they do not feel you are a good match for the breed. I, myself, have told a few prospective puppy buyers to get a stuffed animal or a goldfish instead of a puppy (-:

7. Plan to spend the eight weeks after you get your puppy socializing, socializing and more socializing. I believe birth-16 weeks in a critical age for raising a puppy you want to live with. Do NOT take a puppy home before eight weeks of age, as the birth-eight weeks stage is best spent with litter mates and with mom. Also, puppies are so fragile at this age. I cannot tell you how many friends I know who have taken home a young 6 week old puppy (not from me!!!) and had him/her end up in the veterinary hospital for an illness within a few days. Most breeders, myself included, have a hard time parting with puppies at eight weeks. Trust me, that is very young and the youngest I would take a new baby home. I will personally keep puppies until nine or ten weeks if I do not feel they are emotionally or physically mature enough to leave at eight weeks. I have the best interests of the puppy and his/her prospective family in mind when I make that decision.

8. Trust your instincts. Buy a puppy from a breeder you honestly *like.* I personally consider all of my puppy owners part of what we call our "doggie family" and I think other good breeders feel the same way. I expect puppy owners to stay in contact at least yearly and to e-mail or call with questions and to share pictures (-: I send out a Newsletter twice a year with news about my dogs and what we have been up to and I, of course, keep my website up to date. On a day when I am feeling that this hobby may not be worth it (it is expensive and time consuming!!) I will get a cute photo through e-mail from one of my pet owners that will completely cheer me up. I love puppy owners who keep in touch and share those special and cute traits about their new puppy with me. I am also here to answer questions and help with any problems or concerns you run in to while raising and training your new puppy.

Breed Type

I have been re-reading the book Solving The Mysteries of Breed Type by Richard Beauchamp this last couple of weeks. This is a wonderful book which I really recommend to any serious breeder or person interested in breeding or judging in any breed. This book has really made me think in detail about breed type, especially what and why it is in English Cockers in particular. One main point in the book is that you must know the origins of a breed in order to really understand what and why the standard, which is the blueprint for breed type, was written the way it was. This has, of course, made me dig out my English Cocker jubilee books, which are a history of the English Cocker Spaniel in the US. I bought these books before I bred my first English Cocker litter and read them then, but I have been re-reading them now in a more thoughtful manner after reading Richard Beauchamp's book. I think, based on my reading, that many of the original English Cocker fanciers in the US would be pleased with many things about the breed in the US today and less pleased with other things such as the tremendous amount of coat that we grow on our show bred ECS now. I think that the essence of an English Cocker is found in these things: 1. Headpiece. 2. Short loin with good spring of rib. 3. As much bone as possible without being coarse. 4. Muscular body with sound movement and excellent reach and drive. 5. Cheerful, merry, tail-wagging temperament. There is much more written in our standard, of course, but it seems to me that this is what early breeders focused on and what must be focused on even now in order to get a truly good English Cocker. If you do not like to read you might enjoy attending one of our breed seminars. I have attended a couple of them and enjoyed them thoroughly. The ECSCA holds one at our National Specialty each year and generally at other shows as well. If you would like to attend one of these educational seminars, you might try contacting someone at www.ecsca.org to find out if one will be held near you. You can also order the Jubilee books and other good books through the ECSCA.

Puppy Toys, The Good, The Great, The Dangerous

The photo is of Finn (Marcus and Taffy's litter brother) with his weim friend.

Well, my thoughts are still on puppies (it is all I think about right now!!)

I have a collection of toys that I rotate in and out of the whelping box/puppy pen. I have ordered most of them online, been given some, and others were things I saw at pet stores and thought would be great for my puppies. I think puppy toys are a great way to help socialize puppies. I work very hard to give my puppies as many experiences as possible that will bring out a slight startle reflex followed by a quick recovery. I think this helps to create fearless, outgoing, happy, friendly English Cockers. With very young puppies, I give these experiences mostly by taking them to new areas of my house and by giving them new toys to explore and play with.

My favorites:

The Babble Ball- This is a ball that makes noise each time the puppy touches it. It is soooo hilarious. It says many things including: Come along little doggy, here doggy doggy doggy, ouch don't do that, oh you got me, hot diggity dog, grrrrr. http://www.petqwerks.com/babbleballs.php

Fat Cat Mini Big Mean Kitty and also their Crackler series of toys for cats. These are tiny little toys that my four week old puppies can carry around and they make a crackling noise when mouthed.

Toys with a noise box that make an animal or other type of noise or toys with a loud and sensitive squeaker.

Nylabones- The smallest size.

Petstages: They make so many neat little toys that make puppies think, I can't mention them all. http://www.petstages.com/

Ruff Doggie Puppy Teether- These really do help teething puppies feel better!http://www.ruffdoggie.com/index2.html

The Dangerous: Any toy that a puppy can get trapped in or under requires supervision and can be very dangerous!! I bought the neatest little cat bed for my puppies recently. It is one of those tunnel style beds and it makes a crackling noise when walked on or layed in (I *love* noisy toys for puppies as I am sure you have noticed.) Well, I heard some crying from the puppy pen and found two puppies trapped in the bed by other puppies who were sleeping across the opening, locking the first two puppies inside. I no longer give beds like these unsupervised.

Please note: These toys are recommended for puppies only and most are not appropriate for older puppies and adults. Pet owners, I will make a list for you soon of my favorite toys for adult English Cockers!

Toys and Puppies

Raising puppies can sometimes be very humorous. Each canine mom has their own opinions about what is allowed in with their puppies and what is not. I have a digital thermometer that has two units, one that goes into the whelping box to read the temperature and the other unit I carry with me so that I can see what the temperature is wherever I am in the house. My red girl, Mandy, who is now retired was so funny about that thermometer. My alarm would go off on the unit I was carrying and I would rush to the whelping box, only to find that Mandy had removed the thermometer from the box and placed it as far away from her puppies as she could. She considered that thermometer a huge threat and I was never able to use it as she wouldn't allow it to remain in the box for more than a few minutes. I tried to talk to her and explain that it really was not a threat, but she was stubborn and not at all sure I was telling the truth. Mandy also would remove all squeaking toys from the proximity of her puppies. I am not sure if she considered a squeaker the sign that the toy was still alive?? She was quite happy to remove the squeaker (and the stuffing) while away from her puppies and then happily trot back to the whelping box to give the newly killed toy back to her babies.

The reason I bring this up is that I have two litters right now and each mom is completely different in what they feel is appropriate to have near their puppies. Bella is quite the minimalist (maybe she doesn't want her puppies to be spoiled?) and removes all toys of all kinds from her puppies' pen. She just picks them up and drops them over the side of the x-pen until she has emptied the puppies' area of any and every toy. On the other hand, she will carry to them anything and everything she thinks is edible and leave it for them to enjoy. Anything I feed her is fair game and she always tries to save a bit to carry in to the puppies.

Sophie spends her free time finding the very best toys in the house and carrying them to her puppies. Her whelping box was always filled with more stuffed animals than there were puppies! If this spoils a puppy, I am sure hers are doomed. Each new toy that enters our house finds it's way in to her box sooner or later. Sophie has not yet tried to share anything edible with her puppies... those things quickly find their way in to Sophie's stomach.

Health Testing, the TRUE test of a Good Breeder

I was reading a post on a dog blog this evening talking about websites like PuppyFind.com and similar sites that are for the sale of dogs over the Internet. Several pet owners were talking about whether or not breeders who sell on Internet sites like those are reputable. As these pet owners discussed what made a breeder reputable, they mentioned things like meeting the breeder and the sire/dam of the puppy in person, how many breeds the breeder was breeding, and whether the puppies were vaccinated. The did NOT mention health testing.

To me, health testing is one of the key things that separates a reputable breeder from everyone else. Yes, you should try to meet at least the dam of the puppies, yes you should look for a breeder who is not breeding many breeds as that is often a sign that they are breeding purely for profit, and yes you should look for a breeder who provides puppies with good health care.

You should ALSO look for a breeder who does health testing on the sire and dam of the puppies and who ALSO has an extensive knowledge of the health history of the sire/dam. The test results on the sire/dam are important, but it is also important that the breeder know the "lines" they are working with, meaning they know health results on several or more generations in the pedigree of the sire/dam. In many cases, the cumulative information that is gained from studying the health history in a 5 generation pedigree can give a breeder a much clearer idea of which sire to choose to use with their prospective dam. If someone purchases a dog from a breeder, does not get information about what health issues are in that line and then goes on to breed that dog, they are really breeding almost blindfolded, even if they do health testing on that dog. For example, if a dog is OFA Excellent, but has a dysplastic sire/dam he is more of a risk for breeding than a dog who is OFA Good, but has two OFA Good parents. This is the reason that finding a breeder who is very involved in their breeding program, very informed about the breed in general and involved in the dog community is important. Dog shows/events are not just a place to walk in the ring and show a dog, they are also the place where breeders are able to meet and talk about the breed and about their dogs. I am personally quite grateful to several English Cocker breeders who have helped me to learn much of what I know about the breed. I do read dog related material constantly, and learn through experience, but advice and knowledge shared by other breeders is invaluable.



Here is the health testing that I personally recommend for an English Cocker before breeding:

OFA Hips
CERF Eyes
Optigen Test for PRA

Optional but preferred:

OFA Elbows

OFA Patellas

For parti-colored English Cockers also add these to the necessary list:

Baer Test for Hearing
FN test for Familial Nephropathy.