Importance of socializing your puppy.

Another helpful blog entry from our guest blogger/dog trainer CeCe:

Hello everyone thank you for stopping by! I apologize for it being so long to write a blog but as you know I have been very busy! I have actually started school full time again so please bare with me! I hope you all had an amazing and safe Holiday! As you know I have been working with Emery with her basic obedience and working on training her to be my service dog as well! I would like to start by saying she has been doing amazingly well for a now 4 month old puppy! She can sit, stay, lay down, come (on command), heel, and walk nicely on a leash! I have also been socializing her at the dog park with other dogs and people!

First, socializing Emery is one of the most important things I can do for her! The reason why it so important to socialize during the growth and a maturing puppy is because it builds confidence to any situation that may happen preventing the puppy to become fearful of people, dogs, sounds, etc. When you have puppy that is fearful it can lead to fear aggression which is one of the most leading causes of dog bites.

Since I have been socializing Emery her confidence with people and other dogs have been fantastic. Since we have been socializing I have been bringing her with me into public places for practice. When I have her in public with me I have her stay at my heel and when I stop she has to do an automatic sit. She gets the opportunity to encounter people in motorized wheel chairs, shopping carts, and anything that is unusual to her day to day sights and gets her used to seeing these items so that she is not startled by them. When they pass by us I make sure I reward her for stopping and sitting to wait for them to pass by! I have found though that while it's great for her to be socialized with a service dog in training there is a time and a place! I have a lot of people in the stores that will stop and ask if they can pet her which is very difficult because I have to say no. But it's important for me to explain to them why they can't otherwise they just think your mean! So I am going to explain why (some) service dogs cannot be pet. When you see a service dog with a harness that says do not pet it's by no means because they are aggressive or that the handler just doesn't want their dog pet. It is because when you have a service dog they are working at the time they have a purpose and when people come up to pet or talk to the animal and can be very distracting and can possibly keep the dog from doing what they are meant to do. So If you happen to see a service dog make sure you ask first if you can pet because sometimes you may be able to pet them! Also, if you have children it is beneficial to explain to them that that is a service dog and they working so they shouldn't go up and pet them. I had a young daughter and her dad come up to me and ask if they could pet her and sadly I had to decline because Emery was already distracted. But the dad explained to her daughter why she was in the store and that she was working and the little girl seemed very interested so they asked me questions about her and I was happy to answer them! It was really a breath of fresh air because I have adults that just walk up and pet without asking first! But as Emery and I practice she gets better and better each and every day. She loves to be with me and never leaves my side except when we are at home but I am never out of her sight!

Today I am going share a video of when she was much younger when I working with her basic obedience. I am going to try to post more video's of her working as I can. But the main message of the day is Socialize your dog or puppy and if you every come upon a service dog make sure you ask about them first before you try and pet them and also educate your children about approaching strange dogs! Well that's it for today. Next blog I will be posting a video of Emery working in the store. So be sure to join in next time.

http://youtu.be/wTjJsZPalG0

CeCe's Kool K-9

www.ceceskoolk-9.com

ceceskoolk9@gmail.com

Rosehall Shepherds has been given permission by CeCe's Kool K-9 to post to their websites.

 

It's Friday . . . Eliot here & its time for our second post from our guest blogger Cecilia, dog trainer and owner of . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CeCe's Kool K-9. . .

 

Last week we went over choosing the right breed for your family and slightly touched on when it is ok to start training your puppy. Today I am going to go more into when to start training your puppy and what to train them when you first bring them home.

 

Last week I had mentioned that the time to start training your new puppy is right when you walk into the door of your home! It is important to start setting boundaries for your new puppy as soon as you bring him/her home. If you do not set the boundaries and let your puppy get away with things they normally wouldn't get away with when they are bigger it will be more difficult for you to break them of it! For example,  if you bring your new puppy home and it has been a day since they have been in their new house and they begin chewing on your nice shoes that are sitting at the front door it may seem cute at first but not correcting that behavior right when it happens will let them know that it's ok to chew on shoes. Instead, correct it with a vocal correction such as (ah ah) and then hand them an acceptable toy to chew on. It will save your shoes later on when they really start teething and tearing things up. And that goes for anything you do not want your puppy chewing on. Rule of thumb is practice makes perfect so if you allow them to practice bad behaviors chances are they will get really good at it thus making it hard for you to break. So set your boundaries early with your pups!

 

Next, there are a few methods of potty training your puppy. My favorite method and the most affective method is crate training. Not only are you potty training your also allowing them to get used to being in their crate when you are not home so that later on they won't have a hard time going into their crate when they are told to do so! The crate will become their safe zone and feel comforted inside of the crate. When potty training your puppy it is important to really use that crate and set a schedule that will work for you and your family. For example, you have an 8 week old puppy and their bladder isn't fully developed yet which means more potty breaks. An 8 week old puppy should be taken out to potty every hour & a half to 2 hours no longer than that otherwise you will end up cleaning a lot of messes. So, make sure you can work your schedule to fit that. In the AM as soon as you wake up make sure your puppy immediately goes out to go potty. I would recommend picking them up and taking them outside to the area you want them to go to so that there are no accidents inside the house before they can make it outside! Once they have gone outside they can have 15 min to eat and drink water and once that 15 min is up the food gets picked up and they go right back outside to use the bathroom again. Let them stay outside for at least 20 min because that is about how long it takes for them to go after they have had their meal. If you have to go to work put them in their crate. If you can't take a lunch break to let your puppy out be sure you have a plan so that they can get let out after 2 hours. Once you get home they should immediately go outside again. If they have not gone potty after being taken outside then they have to go back to their crate until the next time they get let out. Then you can allow them to play outside or inside the house,  but make sure you are always watching them when they are not in their crate so that there no mistakes being made when your not watching. If you can not watch them because you have things to do it's ok to put them in their crate during that time.  In the PM when they get fed again their food gets put down for at least 15 min just like the AM. It's important to know that at bedtime before going to bed they should not have food or water at least 2 hours before bed. That will reduce the amount of times they will have to go potty at night giving you more time to sleep and then water can resume in the AM. Keeping track of the puppies food and water intake will make it easier for you to control their potty habits making it easier for them to learn to go outside when it's time to go potty. Once they get older the amount of times they need to be let outside will become greater. For example: 8 weeks they need to be let out every 2 hours, when they are at 10 weeks 2 & a half to 3 hours, 15 weeks 3 to 4 hours and so on. Eventually they will be able to hold their potty for 8 hours. Crate training your puppy also teaches them independence so that they do not develop separation anxiety so it is ok for them to be in their crate even when you are home. A lot of people ask me how will they bond with their puppy if they are in their crate. The answer: keep their crate in the room that you're in most of the time i.e. your living room. Dogs are pack animals and need to be with their pack so keeping your puppies crate where you are at most of the time so they can see and hear you will still allow them to bond with you. You can even keep them in your bedroom inside their crate and still bond with them while you sleep. Your puppy will fall asleep listening to you breathing and they will bond with you that way as well! Just make sure your puppy is getting plenty of exercise and play time with you as well. Going on walks is a great way to bond with your puppy while also teaching them to walk nicely on a leash!

 

During your playtime with your new puppy you can use that time to teach them new commands such as sit, down, stay. Puppies can learn those commands as early as 5 weeks. So don't be afraid to begin teaching them when you bring them home!

 

Well that's it for this week! Next week I will talk about the importance of diet and what foods to look out for when feeding your puppy or your adult dog. I hope you have enjoyed this weeks information and be sure to tune in next week. 

 

CeCe's Kool K-9

www.ceceskoolk-9.com

ceceskoolk9@gmail.com

 

 

Rosehall Shepherds has been given permission by CeCe's Kool K-9 to post to their websites.

Rosehall welcomes new guest blogger

Hello! . . . Eliot here . . .  let me introduce you to a new guest blogger here.  Cecelia is a professional dog trainer and will be writing about training issues for your puppy/dog.  She welcomes your questions directly to her business e-mail (listed below.) Cecelia is busy with her work so may not get back to you immediately and reserves the option not to answer directly but address your question/issue in an upcoming blog . . .

 

Hi my name is Cecelia Kuhn and I am the owner of CeCe's Kool K-9 Dog Obedience Training.  I have been training for 5 years now professionally and I absolutely love it!  I also train service dogs for people with disabilities who already have dogs with the ability to be a service or therapy dog.  I am currently waiting to pick up my new German Shepherd puppy who is  a Sophie/Huey pup from Rosehall German Shepherds.  I will begin to train my puppy to be my own personal service dog.  I will be doing my best to write weekly blogs about training dogs and my experience with my new puppy while we begin the obedience and service dog training and much more.  But before I do that I would like start from the very basics! I would like to be able to help answer any questions you may have about training because it is very important to understand the importance of training your new puppy!

 

The first thing you should know when you are planning on bringing a puppy home is to figure out if that breed is right for you!  For example if you like the Boxer breed but like to be a couch potato then the breed would not be right for you because it is a very active breed that needs a lot of exercise!  So before you decide on bringing home a puppy make sure you do your research on that breed because every breed has different qualities and characteristics and decide which breed will fit best in your family.

 

Second, once you have picked out the puppy you want to add to your family and you are ready to bring him/her home make sure you are prepared.  Just like when you bring home a baby you want to make sure you have your house puppy proof. Just because they have paws doesn't mean they can't get into trouble!  So be sure small objects are put out of reach.  Also be sure you already have what you need for your puppy.  (i.e. crate, puppy food, bowls, appropriate chew toys, harness, leash, etc.)  When picking out a crate make sure you have the right size for your puppy. If you are planning on crate training your puppy make sure that the crate is just big enough for your puppy to be able to stand and turn around.  But it should not be too big where your puppy can just go lie down in the corner if he/she has an accident.  A question I get ask a lot as a trainer is "when should I start training my puppy?"  Well the answer to that question is as soon as you bring your new puppy home!  You can never start too early! 

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and that you continue to tune in each week to learn something new. Next I will be getting into the importance of training and the basics of training a puppy once they are in your home!

 

 

 

Cecelia Kuhn

CeCe's Kool K-9

ceceskoolk9@gmail.com

 

 

Given permission to post on Rosehallkennel websites. 

Simple Bonding

A dog, like many other things, can give you great pleasure. But like many other things, your dog requires an investment of your time, time that is often very difficult to spare. Investing a half hour of undivided attention twice a day with your puppy every day will result in an adult dog that is well disciplined and a joy to have around. Your puppy would love to have ALL of your time, which (obviously) is impossible to do. There is an easy way to give your puppy a LARGE block of time that will not be terribly disrupting to your life. We think of our sleep time as time that we can accomplish nothing else but actually it is a great opportunity for you puppy to bond with you. NO, I am not talking about letting your puppy sleep in your bed. I know that many people do that but not me!  

If you will move your new puppy's crate into your bedroom so that the pup has a 'den' right beside your bed then the pup will know that you are close throughout the night. Your puppy will take comfort in hearing your breathing (yes, even your snoring) and will actually be growing more attached to you as you both sleep.  This is a multiplying factor for your twice a day training time because in the dog's mind you have spent ALOT of time with him or her through the night. As your puppy outgrows the small crate, if you have room you can switch to a larger crate. If there is not room for you growing dog to have it's own den within your bedroom you can fasten a sturdy eyescrew into the baseboard of the wall close to the bed. Make a six foot tether that fastens to the eyescrew and has a snap for the dog's collar. When you go to bed, attach your dog to the tether so that you will not lose sleep wondering if the young dog is wandering off and getting into trouble in the night. By the time she or her has reached 12-15 months old, they should be accustomed enough to their sleeping place and mature enough to be trusted to be free through the night.  This is a great way to build the dog's relationship with you while you sleep . . .  a 'two-fer' (two for one . . .  sleep & dog bonding) or a 'three-fer' if you consider your dog's presence as a security factor in the night.

Until next time . . . .   Eliot     www.rosehallkennel.com

Boy or Girl . . . what does it matter

Most people have their mind made up about the gender of the puppy that they want.  All too often they have made their decision with incorrect information about the differences.  There are many more people who desire to have a male dog than a female. One of the most common reasons stated is that they want a 'BIG' dog for protection,

'BIG' dog is a relative concept.  Rosehall GSD's males run between 90 and 140 pounds . . .  not those are BIG dogs! . . .  but not like some of the Great Danes or other huge breeds.  Rosehall females run between 70 and 90 pounds with some reaching 100 or more pounds when mature (lean.) That is still quite a large dog . . . larger than the standard male German Shepherds.  So you can have a BIG dog and have a female.

On the matter of protection . . . usually the matter is deterrence, rather than 'attack' capability. The male dog generally will make a better personal protection dog for someone who has the dog traveling with them.  The males tend to be somewhat less territorial and more loyal to an individual.  The female has a natural 'nesting' instinct that makes them generally more protective of their 'home turf' and therefore more likely to be the protective 'watch' dog at home.

When things go 'bump' in the night around here . . .  it's me and our 115 pound girl Essie that go and investigate!  I have no doubt that she will 'watch out' for me should the need arise.

Wow! How they grow!

Healthy puppies with a healthy mom grow at an almost amazing rate early in their lives.  Tacie's pups were born a week ago. The 5 pups ranged from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each at birth. A short 7 days later they are all over 2 1/4 pounds . . .  each gaining about a pound during the week  (thats a little over 2 ounces per day!)  Tacie is producing an abundance of milk and the little puppy bellies are staying full and round.  Mom is doing a great job of keeping the pups clean and keeping track of them as they've become rather mobile, squirming around and occasionally getting behind her.  Emily keeps close tabs on them by frequent visits into the nursery and monitoring by way of a closed circuit television camera with a microphone that picks of the tell tale sounds of a pup when it's unhappy.  Emily sleeps (or doses off an on) next to the pups each night all through the first week and mostly through the second week too to reduce the risk of a pup getting hurt by getting stuck between mom and the wall.

Regular doses of calcium supplement are a precautionary measure for momma to reduce the chances of her contracting 'milk fever' . . .  a condition caused by low calcium from the tremendous strain of the puppies' requiring nutrients from mom before birth as they developed bone and muscle and now from the demands of nursing and milk production.  The nursing mom gets a carefully balanced high nutrition feed mix eating as much as she wants during this stage and drinks water seemingly by the gallon!  It's no wonder that the pups grow so fast during this stage. 

These pups that were a little over a pound at birth last week and over two pounds today could be between 15-20 pounds by the time they are picked up at 8 weeks old. That means in the next 7 weeks they will average over 2 pounds of growth per week!  They will begin nibbling on puppy food in a couple of weeks and then the puppy food will begin to disappear.  Mom will wean the pups sometime around 5-6 weeks (rarely a mom will nurse steadily until 8 weeks.)

This week we will be watching for eyes to open (Tuesday or Wednesday) although it takes many more days for vision to begin to get clear and focused.  Hearing comes after seeing but the pups develop fast and before we know it we will begin to see little puppy personalities developing.  Each pup will 'come ito it's own.'  This is a fun season but VERY busy for all of us here at the kennel.

Fresh pics are posted regularly on our web site and on our Facebook Fan Page. . .  follow along and watch the puppies grow before your eyes!

Until next time . . . .   Eliot

www.rosehallkennel.com

What's in a name?

This photo is of our retired girl 'Parah' who has stayed on the farm with us.  Her full name is Royalair's Parah Karat. That's the name on her AKC registration papers and the name that shows on all the pedigrees of all her progeny.

It used to be that a kennel had the right and responsibility to assign the name to every puppy that was born to their breeding dogs.  When I was very young my grandparents had a Springer Spaniel that I knew as 'Prince.'  I was surprised to find out that his name was something entirely different.  While I don't remember Prince's registered name I'll probably never forget that part of his name was Bojangles.  I thought that was very funny at the time.  I was never given a good answer as to why we knew him as Prince and that name was in no way related to his 'real' name. 

What we call a dog is known as the dog's 'call name.' (Makes sense.)  And the dog's call name need not have any resemblance to their registered name.  In our kennel all our dog's call names have some resemblance to their registered names.  The registered name most usually includes the name of the kennel where the puppy came from somewhere in the name . . .  begining or end or wherever the kennel chooses to ask for it to be.  So our dog Parah came from Royalair kennel in Iowa.  Dogs that were born at our kennel have 'Rosehall' in the front such as Rosehall Esther's Poolos . . .  who we call 'Polly.'   You can tell from her name that she is a Rosehall bred dog and in this case that her mother is our Esther who we call 'Essie.'   Essie is really Royalair's Esther Haddasah . . .  yep, another breeding girl that we purchased as a puppy from Royalair Kennel.

A few years ago the A.K.C. changed the rules on naming dogs and clearly and specifically gives the naming right for a puppy to the puppy's new family.  As part of our sales agreement  we ask that the buyer include the Rosehall name at the front of the registered name but that agreement is between us and the buyer . . . we can in no way prevent the buyer from using whatever name they choose when registering with AKC.  And now AKC has a procedure by which a current owner can request a change of registered name for their dog. By using several names in the registration name a family can claim the puppy's kennel heritage, their own family name and the call name if desired.  One of our very popular stud dogs is named Royalair's Duke of Rosehall. . .  yep, another breeding dog that we purchased as a puppy from Royalair but this one also shows our kennel's name in this stud's full name.  His call name is 'Duke.' He came from Royalair but Rosehall's name will show on the pedigree of all his progeny.

So there usually is some method in what appears to be the madness of assigning a dog such long and complicated names.  My girl Mia's full name is L'MiaMelas Rosehall von Benedict. In this case the kennel asked that her name begin with 'L.'  Tradition in many kennels is that all pups from a litter have names starting with the same letter and each litter uses a successive letter in the alphabet.  The 1st litter would be all 'A's' the second all 'B's' etc.   So Mia was from the kennel's 12th litter (or 38th litter if they'd already been through the alphabet once.)  We put the Rosehall name in because we hope she will prove to be a breeding girl for us and our name would then appear in the pedigrees of all her progeny.  The kennel that she came from doesn't use their kennel name in thier naming scheme but instead uses 'von Benedict', indicating the name of a famous sire in her direct line.

So when we are out playing in the fields and I call 'Huey' . . .  he comes.  He knows that name and has no earthly idea that he is really 'Rosehall Parah's Eschatos Huios.'  Maybe someday I'll write the story of some of our dog's 'weird' names . . .  for example Parah Karat comes from words that mean 'Fruitful Covenant.'   Each one has a special meaning to us, often a character trait we observed in the young pup or a quality or hope that we want to bless that pup with.

until next time . . .   Eliot.

find us at www.rosehallkennel.com   follow Mia's kennel stories on Twitter  @MiaRosehall.

Big? . . . How big?

'Over size,' 'Old fashioned,' 'original style' . . .  all labels thrown about by various GSD kennels to describe certain various forms of the German Shepherd Dog.  Some seem straight forward but there isn't really a standard terminology and so the words can generate some confusion.

My understandings of the origins of the German Shepherd Dog is that there was not a lot of uniformity in size, color, pattern or even shape of the foundation stock of what became known as the German Shepherd.  The important qualities that were chosen were their herding and guarding skills.  As time progressed and certain shapes and forms became prefered over others the now familiar shape and general conformation of the GSD developed.  By the 1940's and '50's the 'champion' GSD's were large, blocky, straight backed, broad shouldered with big heads and erect ears.  (This is what we at Rosehall Kennel refer to as the 'Old Fashioned' style GSD.)

As time passed, the conformation judges' preferences changed little by little so that in present times the 'champions' have a much different look.  They are smaller with significant angulation of the back.  There are all kinds of health related arguments for or against either style and this isn't the forum to debate those.  Today I merely point out that the breed standards change over time and that in any given season there will be people who prefer the current standards and then there are others who better appreciate the form and size of the 'champions' of another era.  No one need be 'RIGHT' or 'WRONG' on this issue.  We breed what we breed because we are partial to them.  We are careful in our breeding program and strive to produce healthy, well formed, strong animals.

Look for a dog that appeals to you . . .  size, color, coat, temperament . . .  but search well for a dog that is carefully bred so that it is healthy and sound, no matter the other traits.

Until next time . . .   Eliot

take a look at our upcoming litter plans at: http://www.rosehallkennel.com/PuppyDreamPage.htm 

It's puppy week!

It's puppy week!  Boy were we surprised . . .  Tacie's 'due' date was to be this coming Thursday (Jan 12) . . .  that's 63 days from the 1st breeding.  The pups are actually fully developed and 'safe' to enter the world at 58 days and various mamma dogs will whelp on different days (although they most usually are predictable for their own term once they have had a litter or two.)  One of the tricky parts about a girl's first litter is that we have no experience whelping with her so we don't know what HER term is.  In this case Tacie proved to be 5 days early giving birth to a fine litter yesterday, on Sunday January 8th.  As of 6 PM Sunday she had birthed 5 pups. We went back and re-examined her x-ray from Friday and decided that what we thought was the 6th pup was actually a shadow behind the colon and our wishful thinking.  We are accustomed to larger litters and that had something to do with our interpretation as well.  They are all white and she has had 2 males and 3 females.  They are all over 1 pound 4 ounces with two of them weighing as much as 1 pound 8 ounces . . .  big pups!  Almost as big as Dr. Will joked about (as big as full grown Yorkies), they are big and healthy pups which gives them a 'head start' on life.  The down size of such large puppies is that it can be hard for the mom to birth them.  In Tacie's case she did great. A couple of the pups were difficult but she came through each of the deliveries well and is doing a great job of caring for her newborns.  I expect to be able to post a litter picture and provide an update with our next post on Wednesday.

until next time . . .   Eliot    www.rosehallkennel;.com 

The pup is EVERYONE'S business . . .

The puppy in a family envronment must become EVERYONE'S business.  What I mean by that is that the German Shepherd puppy is going to grow up to be a large adult dog and a part of the 'family circle' . . .  or in doggy terms . . .  'the pack.'  While it may become primarily one person's responsibility to see that the puppy (later, the dog) is fed and watered and taken on it's walks, the puppy must learn how to relate to, respond to and . . .  yes . . .  even obey every member of the family's command.

This, of course, means that everyone in the family must be on the same page in terms of dog discipline and, even to some degree, language.  A smart German Shepherd dog is able to learn a fairly large vocabulary so you don't have to be too conscious of everyone using the same exact words or phrases in the training although it is certainly easier for the young puppy not to have to learn too many words for the same task all at once.

Each member of the household should invest one-on-one time everyday with the puppy from the begining.  Younger children should have close supervision but they should still have brief times working with the puppy in training exercises.  Not only are you training the puppy to respond to the child but this is good opportunity for parents to train the young children how to properly work with the puppy.

There is a place for a ONE-PERSON dog . . .  that place is NOT in the family environment.  The dog from a very early age knows and understands 'Pack order'  and that puppy needs to know where it fits in the family (pack.)  The puppy finds it's security in this social order.  If you as a family do not clearly demonstrate the household order to the puppy, the puppy will seek to establish it's own sense of order amongst the humans.  Unwanted behavior on the part of the puppy could be a result and can be difficult to correct.  Don't leave the puppy in charge!

The best time to think through this matter is before your new puppy arrives in the home.  If you already have a pup or young dog but have overlooked this important aspect of your relationship with the pup . . . have a family meeting TODAY and begin to work out your strategy to help the puppy know it's place.  Make a commitment that the pup is EVERYONE'S business. . .  let the puppy become part of the whole family.  The puppy will be easier to handle, much more secure and you will be a happier family for it. . .     Eliot

www.rosehallkennel.com   also find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RosehallLargeGermanShepherds

"Pick of the Litter"

"I want the 'pick of the litter!'" . . . Yep, we all do. When we purchase a puppy from another kennel, we want the very best of the litter to be our new family member. So let's consider what's involved in picking our puppy from a whole litter of puppies.

First, remember that you have already done a lot of deciding before you get to the picking of the individual puppy. You have done extensive reasearch and narrowed your choices of quality kennels down to one from the many you have checked out. That is a significant process on it's own. You've chosen the kennel for it's blood lines, for it's responsible breeding program, for it's careful animal health regimens, for the love and care that are shown to the dogs and puppies, for it's reputation, for the warranty offered, for the helpful way their information is presented to you and for the respectful way the kennel people have treated you in answering all your questions.

Secondly, within the chosen kennel you have studied the available moms and dads and the breeding options that are coming up in the time frame that you are wanting to add a puppy to your home. You have considered color, coat, size and personality desired and with the help of the kennel people you have picked a particular pair of dogs and have waited patiently (or not so patiently) for the puppies to be born.

So from all the possible puppies in the world, you have drastically narrowed your choices down to a single litter even before the puppies arrive! But now you are faced with a litter of 6 or 8 or maybe even 10 puppies . . . one of them will be yours but which one? You paid the kennel your deposit early and possibly paid a premium to reserve the "PICK OF THE LITTER" or the first choice from all the pups available in that litter. In the case of Rosehall Kennel you have made an additional choice before making your deposit because you have chosen the puppy's gender as you reserved either the first pick male or the first pick female. So your choices have been narrowed down to possibly one of 3-6 pups (more or less depending upon the gender mix in the litter.) Unless you are fortunate enough to live fairly close to your kennel of choice, you probably won't be able to make weekly visits to the kennel to watch the puppies grow. (Even if you live very close to the kennel, responsible kennels do not allow visitors into the nursery until the pups are old enough develop immunities to potential diseases that they might be exposed to.)

During the first several weeks you eagerly await each new posting of photos of the litter and then photos of the individual pups. You wonder . . . which one shall it be? Some of the choices are easy early on . . . I want a traditional black and tan . . . that eliminates the white one and the sable one. Choices in coat . . . short coat, plush coat, long coat . . . take a little longer to make as sometimes it's not clear what a pup's coat will develop into until several weeks after birth. But the big event you are waiting for is the 'Temperament Test' which is done at 6 weeks of age. It is really remarkable that a fairly simple test of 9 responses can give a very reliable idea about what kind of temperament a puppy will have as it matures. While the temperament test indicates the potential of a puppy, whether the puppy develops that way is dependent upon the environment that the pup is raised in and the discipline of training that the puppy receives.

Once the Temperament Test has been done, the kennel posts a description of the pup's personalitly and potential. The kennel begins consulting with the buyers in the order they appear on the 'Pick List,' helping them with their final decision as to which pup they will take home when the puppy reaches 8 weeks of age. The goal is the perfect match . . . gender, color, coat, size, temperament . . . all perfectly matching the dreams the family has for their neww puppy.

Sound too good to be true? After all, if I don't have 1st pick, I have to take what's left . . . right? Well we have been pleasantly surprised over the years in which we have been buying puppies for the kennel, how many times we ended up having to take 4th pick in a litter from a very popular breeding only to find that the three picks before us were all looking for different qualities than we were . . . in other words . . . we got the pup that we would have chosen if we did have 'Pick of the Litter!' We also have found that to be true most (not all) of the time with people buying puppies from us. Because every family is different from all the others, everyone has a different dream puppy. That is how so many people actually end up with their 'Pick of the Litter.'

Our policy at Rosehall Kennel is that should you not be pleased with any of your available options, you can move your deposit to another upcoming litter . . . you may sacrifice the 'when you want it' but you can have another chance at the 'what you want.' . . .

So 'Pick of the Litter' is really more possible than many people think! . . . Check out our 'Puppy Dream Page' that show our plans for breeding in the near future. Dream along with us of your perfect puppy and get your deposit in for the litter of your choice!

www.rosehallkennel.com/PuppyDreamPage.htm until next time . . . Eliot (find us on Facebook too)

Questions, questions, questions . . . why all the questions?

When you begin seriously communicating with Rosehall Kennel about adding one of our pups to your family there will be LOTS of questions that you will have for us . . .  and rightly so.  As a prospective buyer of a Rosehall puppy you should want to be assured that we are indeed a quality breeder taking great care in not only our breeding program and facilities but also devoting quality time and attention to the parent dogs and the pups to assure that they are well socialized and ready to easily become part of your family.

But you may be curious as to why we have so many questions for you!  As a quality breeder, it is very important to us (and our pups) that you have a successful experience with us and your new puppy.  Since we obviously know our dogs better than you do, we make efforts to find out from you about your lifestyles, personal preferences, etc. so as to make a good puppy match with you.  By getting to know you through email and phone calls (and your visits to our farm when possible) we can help guide you to a puppy that will be a great part of your family.  We can also steer you away from poor matches.  You may really like the looks of a particular puppy but you must live with more than just the puppy's appearance. . .  cute only goes so far!

As a quality breeder, we are also concerned that our pups go to homes that are well suited and prepared for the large German Shepherd dog that the puppy will become.  We ask questions to get an idea of what kind of conditions the puppy will be raised in, how much time and attention the puppy will get in training and socializing within the family and what kind of exercise options will be available, especially as the dog becomes full grown.

Questions, questions, questions . . .  your questions and our questions.  Together they work for your benefit and ours as well as the puppy and the dog it shall soon become.  We love to answer your questions . . .  it's how you get to know us.  We hope that you will be pleased to answer our questions so that we can get to know you too.

Eliot . . .  find more photos and information on our web site and our Facebook fanpage.

 www.rosehallkennel.com   and    https://www.facebook.com/RosehallLargeGermanShepherds