Standard Poodles Lifelong Love

CH A P T E R S I X –

   D NA A N D TE S T I N G

Chapter six will be the warning and DNA and Test chapter. I will include the DNA from my males so you can at least know what the results look like. When you get the chart back on the puppies the puppies will contain DNA from both parents. You will be able to see what they got from each parent. It is nice to see that and see what you like and don’t like about that puppy then look at the chart to see where it came from. It would be nice to have a program to keep track of this for you and there may be one out there now, if there is please contact me and let me know about it. It not you computer experts get to work on one please, it will be a great tool of the future in producing the desired results in future litters. It is a full time job to stay on top of all the new developments in all area’s of dog care and breeding. The research is going at a fast pace now, especially in behavior and breeding cycles. Don’t worry if you don’t understand the DNA charts most breeders don’t, at least you will know what they look like. I did want to include them as they are required by AKC on all breeding males of three or more litters in one year and seven litters in a lifetime. The kits are free and easy to do. There is a fee to have the test done. It still amazes me to see the DNA going through the generations. The eye can see it, but to see the chart show it is so amazing to me. You can figure it out by the look of the pups and compare to the chart after awhile. A certain shaped head will have a certain DNA profile and you will know if the female or male is coming through in the pups the strongest. It is fun to watch and do. ANOTHER WARNING I decided to include some warnings to help avoid some serious problems. After the puppies are born NEVER, NEVER leave water bowls in the whelping box. Puppies as young as one week can climb into the water dish and drown. If the food is dry it can be left in the box just watch that a puppy doesn’t get stuck in the bowl and miss a feeding. This becomes a real danger during the second and third weeks as the puppies begin to see and explore their area. They will climb on top of mom and in and out of any dish in the box. It is challenging to keep up with them at this time. It is the time that most puppies are lost through accidents, so watch them carefully. At three and a half weeks your litter is ready to wean. It will be messy and you will put the food on newspaper place the puppy’s one at a time in the food dish. You will have to hold the nose down and dip it into the milk. Do not put the nose in the milk or you will drown the puppy. Just put his mouth in far enough to taste the milk. It takes some puppies a lot longer than others to get the hang of eating. Some usually the larger ones dive right in and eat with no problem. Place the puppies with the front feet inside the food dish it will be a flat plate with a small rim to hold the milk and food, remember the food is mostly milk at this point. The puppies will lick the milk off their feet and the feet of their litter mates. They don’t control their heads at this age very well and if the front feet are in the food it is easier to lower the head into the food. Do not leave them unattended while feeding they must be placed in and then out of the food dish as a puppy could drown. After it has eaten some remove it from the dish and try to get each puppy to eat some. It only takes a very few tries until they will attack the dish as soon as they see you start to put it down. So here is how we do it. We keep a box big enough to hold all the puppies next to the whelping box and we remove all the puppies put them in the box. We clean out the whelping box and put clean fresh papers on the floor and place the food pan in the center of the floor. Then we take one puppy at a time and place them around the feed pan, you do not put the feet into the pan after the second feeding. We use pans especially designed to feed puppies they have a ring for food and a center that will hold water. We always place the smaller puppies at the food pan first so they get a chance to eat before the larger stronger ones come and push them around. They are so funny they figure out every step of the way what is happening and they start to fight for positioning in the box to get picked up first to get to the food first. It is funny to watch. At this point individual personality begins to immerge. It may surprise you that the most dominate may be the smallest and if it is female sometimes all the others will scatter if she gets upset. I laugh to see all these huge males run for cover when a little female gets upset. Kind of like real life huh? Reminds me of people. After the second week the female will want to spend more time away from the puppies and they will go longer between feedings. Ours lie around the kitchen or go for a run outside like a free spirit, but never stay long. Usually they stay real close to the box and listen for sounds from the puppies. When a puppy needs to potty she will go in and potty the puppy and leave again. Young from birth to about two weeks can’t potty on its own it has to be licked by the Mom to potty, if the Mom doesn’t do this then you will have to. To potty a puppy keep

large cotton balls on hand, run a cup of very hot water I use the throw away cups. Dip the cotton ball into the hot water the air will cool the wet pad when it is warm, lightly run it over the sex organs. You can see the cotton turn yellow as the puppy pees. I must stress lightly or you will make the puppy sore. Think of a feather tickling someone a light touch like that. Then do the same over the anus opening, very lightly. The puppy will then potty. It will be yellow in color most times. The potty is somewhat like cottage cheese in texture. If it is runny in any way give the medicine I told you about earlier. And check it the next feeding. You can tell the health of the puppy by the bowels. They will never be hard at this age so don’t expect that. Sometimes the potty will be green even and may indicate a small problem, infection or cold. Check with your veterinian if this occurs. The Mother usually does all of this so you don’t have to. In most breeds as soon as you feed anything the Mom will stop potting the puppies, but in the case of Standard Poodles they will usually continue until puppies are older. When the litter is five to six weeks and the first shots are given the real house breaking begins and they will get their first shot and three days later go outside to play and potty in a small kennel usually four feet high by