As a dog breeder, I assess each litter with a trained and practiced eye in choosing correct breeding stock.
We watch the litter for 6 weeks looking at temperament, coat type, and conformation. When I choose my stock, our first screening is to assess correct dental bite. While underbites and base narrow canines are determined by most vets to be cosmetic flaws, it is never our intent to continue the recessive gene that can affect bite. We also check for any form of hernia (intestinal or umbilical) and then assess the puppy based on conformation. I like a straight top line, square and stocky body type, saber tail, and square toe set up.
My personal preference on faces are a large blocky head with bright eyes, level ears that are neither too high, too long or short, and even in placement. I am not as particular about coat as I believe a good breeding program should have wool and fleece coats distributed throughout their pedigree. I do find that if a fleece coat is too straight and bred to another straighter fleece coat that those coats have a greater propensity to shed and our goal is for a nonshedding coat. Periodically we do have throwback coats but that would never be a goal of our breeding program.
When I have singled out the pick of the litter aesthetically, I then have our dog trainer assess the litter based on temperament. As you may have read before, we use the Wendy Volhard assessment tool. We have had great success with this tool. Our goal is for a happy go lucky puppy that is attuned to the tester and has a natural intuition to seek humans. If Imy goals were for a hunting dog, I would look for one with a strong prey drive and retrieving capabilities but my goals are for companion pets. As many of our dogs are placed in homes with special needs children, I am also always looking for a puppy that will be easily trained and will adapt well in a home with children.
At that time, we combine our two lists and the puppies that meet the top criteria on each list are assessed for keeping as breeders. There are times when I still do not feel that a puppy or litter has the “look” and “feel” of a puppy for a breeder. I truly only want to continue the best of the best and for each future litter to be an improvement on the parents. Breeding is a passion for us and a reflection of our breeding eye.
After a breeding prospective makes the initial cut, we raise the puppy until 16 weeks offering basic obedience training and socializing in our home. At 16 weeks, we have a puppy’s eyes tested by a certified canine opthamologist and CERF certified. The puppy will have this test completed every 18 months until their retirement from breeding. We will then have a puppy’s hips tested. We prefer the Orthopedic Foundation of America and have a hip of assessment of Excellent, Good, Fair or various levels of hip dysplasia assessed. We will breed puppies that “pass” the hip test. If there is a concern or question or we would like another view of the hip we might have Penn-hip tests performed, too, or send the xrays to a qualified canine radiologist, too. Our goal is that not one of our pet families suffers the pain of a pet being diagnosed with a life inhibiting disability.
If after these initial tests are passed, we will then raise and train the puppy either here in our home or in a guardian home and monitor its maturement. If at any time we have a concern on health testing or temperament, the puppy might still be neutered or spayed and placed in a permanent pet home. Only the best of the best continue in our program.
We are proud to announce our new little stud, Colonial Village Hudson. He has passed our stringent testing requirements and we are looking forward to three litters from him this January and February. We affectionately call him Hud the Stud and he carries himself like he is King of the World. More on Hudson to come tomorrow!
