This is mostly to elaborate on the temperament issues with my dog.
Most people who meet my dog would say she is friendly and she IS friendly, but she is also unconfident. This is not typically exhibited when she is NOT being touched. She will lay quietly while I talk to someone. She will look calm and self composed.
And she is.. until anyone goes to pet her. Lay a hand on her, and the lack of confidence and weakness in nerve leaks out like a filled water bucket full of holes!
First she wiggles and spins.. which is often misinterpreted as being excited. OK.. some of it IS being excited about getting attention but the spinning is very rapid and there is a level of avoiding any calm petting. She ducks her head and avoids contact initiated by the person.. and insteads rubs on them. She will vocalize, howling and and so forth and THAT is no longer excitement, but her unconfidence 'leaking.'
At the same time she starts to flick her tongue and to lick the person petting her with an obsession. If it stayed licking it would not be a problem, but she gets her teeth in there and pinches and she CAN break the skin. Her eyes roll and you can see the whites of her eyes.. which is another indication of unconfidence. Her ears are down and close to her head in a very submissive posture. She almost looks like she is apologizing for being a dog.
She is in total conflict. She wants to be friendly and is driven to be friendly while at the same time she is really a good bit scared and unconfident. If she was completely governed by fear she would not seek petting or contact and would either run away or try to and might bite if not allowed to move away. It she was totally confident she would act excited for a little bit and then calmly allow herself to be handled and petted.
If she did this only with strangers it would seem somewhat reasonable, but she does this with me and she LIVES with me. This conflict is genetic and it comes out in other ways as well.
If you are playing tug of war with her, and you pull her in close, instead of growling (like most dogs), she whimpers. Less with me than with others.. but again, her weak nerve shows up. When she alert barks it is rarely a full deep bark.. most often it is a higher pitched bark.
The problem with all this is that in some situations it means she is a bit unstable. Unstable can lead to dog bites and that is what everyone wants to avoid.
On the protection field, she cannot wait to get out there and work.. but once she is on the sleeve she whimpers and whines instead of growls. She will yap and bark.. and her bites and work is variable. Some of her strikes are solid... others not so much. Some of her barking almost starts to be guarding but then she loses the rhythm and it becomes a bit crazy sounding and non rhythmic. She wants the work but is afraid of the work at the same time. Again, this is genetic.
Only time will tell if she can over come this conflict enough to actually get a Title. All we can do is try and we will, as long as she is having a good time and wants to work.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Questa was purchased as a quality puppy with the intent of using her in the future to breed. She has a pretty impressive lineage.
However, there is more to breeding than lines and lineage. The individual dog also needs to exhibit the qualities you want in an animal that is passing on her genes. Under the German System, the dog is not allowed to be used for breeding and have registered puppies unless the dog achieves her Schutzhund 1 title or her Herding title and is breed surveyed and her hips and elbows pass the x rays. The dog cannot compete for her Schutzhund 1 or herding title until she has passed the German Temperament test (BH). In the AKC system any dog with papers can be bred and produce papered puppies.
Right now, there are too many dogs out there. There are people who breed and sell puppies and never title the parents and never do any health certifications. They breed two AKC registered parent dogs (of the same breed), make puppies and sell them to make money.
A responsible breeder is looking to improve not only on the dog being bred, but to retain and improve on the standards of the breed. This, to my thinking, includes temperament, health and working ability along with conformation. This means the dog is out either actively doing a job (successful herding dog, successful K9, successful Guide dog etc.) or the dog is titled in both working and conformation.
Questa was in her first dog show as a puppy in the 4 to 6 month old class. It was a small show under a German Judge and she placed first in a class of two puppies. This is not a title and did not count toward her titles for breed survey, but it was fun and she was cute and the judge really liked her.
When she was 16 months old she was entered in the National Seiger show in Virginia (2011) where she placed 13 in a class of females aged 12-18 months old. She had been to two other shows in between.. in one she placed 2nd out of 6 dogs her age and in another she placed 6th out of 6 dogs. In all the shows the judge gave her an SG rating "Sere Gut" or Very Good. A dog cannot get an excellent (V) rating until the dog has been titled and breed surveyed.
Questa entered "protection" training with an eye to a title. She has already started tracking and was showing real talent there. Her obedience was coming along. At first she seemed interested in the "helper" and wanted to work. However, her attention and her focus was off. She would sniff the floor and sometimes even stand behind me conveying that she really did not want to engage the "big scary guy."
Over a few weeks, the only way she would engage the helper was in defense. When she went into defense, she was not targeting the toy and playing... she was defending her self and was very unstable in her bites. She would have bitten the helper anywhere she could reach. He tried and tried to engage her prey drive. She sniffed the ground and refused to engage except in the destabilizing defense mode.
I was asked to try a different venue.. and different helper and training group. Finally I took her there and while she did do some avoidance, she also did engage in prey drive. She was actually a little better when she came in heat. Sometimes, while biting on the pillow, she would whimper.. as it all of her drives were telling her to bite and her courage was failing because she was really a bit scared while working.
After a few weeks of going to the different helper and training group, and talking to the trainer there, I decided to spay Questa. I had her thyroid tested first and it was normal (it is on OFA). There was a lot of conflict in me over this decision.. and certainly Questa's breeder objected. She is a very pretty dog and has great size and athletic ability.. but without strong 'nerve' and 'courage' she lost her breeding privilege card.
However, there is more to breeding than lines and lineage. The individual dog also needs to exhibit the qualities you want in an animal that is passing on her genes. Under the German System, the dog is not allowed to be used for breeding and have registered puppies unless the dog achieves her Schutzhund 1 title or her Herding title and is breed surveyed and her hips and elbows pass the x rays. The dog cannot compete for her Schutzhund 1 or herding title until she has passed the German Temperament test (BH). In the AKC system any dog with papers can be bred and produce papered puppies.
Right now, there are too many dogs out there. There are people who breed and sell puppies and never title the parents and never do any health certifications. They breed two AKC registered parent dogs (of the same breed), make puppies and sell them to make money.
A responsible breeder is looking to improve not only on the dog being bred, but to retain and improve on the standards of the breed. This, to my thinking, includes temperament, health and working ability along with conformation. This means the dog is out either actively doing a job (successful herding dog, successful K9, successful Guide dog etc.) or the dog is titled in both working and conformation.
Questa was in her first dog show as a puppy in the 4 to 6 month old class. It was a small show under a German Judge and she placed first in a class of two puppies. This is not a title and did not count toward her titles for breed survey, but it was fun and she was cute and the judge really liked her.
When she was 16 months old she was entered in the National Seiger show in Virginia (2011) where she placed 13 in a class of females aged 12-18 months old. She had been to two other shows in between.. in one she placed 2nd out of 6 dogs her age and in another she placed 6th out of 6 dogs. In all the shows the judge gave her an SG rating "Sere Gut" or Very Good. A dog cannot get an excellent (V) rating until the dog has been titled and breed surveyed.
Questa entered "protection" training with an eye to a title. She has already started tracking and was showing real talent there. Her obedience was coming along. At first she seemed interested in the "helper" and wanted to work. However, her attention and her focus was off. She would sniff the floor and sometimes even stand behind me conveying that she really did not want to engage the "big scary guy."
Over a few weeks, the only way she would engage the helper was in defense. When she went into defense, she was not targeting the toy and playing... she was defending her self and was very unstable in her bites. She would have bitten the helper anywhere she could reach. He tried and tried to engage her prey drive. She sniffed the ground and refused to engage except in the destabilizing defense mode.
I was asked to try a different venue.. and different helper and training group. Finally I took her there and while she did do some avoidance, she also did engage in prey drive. She was actually a little better when she came in heat. Sometimes, while biting on the pillow, she would whimper.. as it all of her drives were telling her to bite and her courage was failing because she was really a bit scared while working.
After a few weeks of going to the different helper and training group, and talking to the trainer there, I decided to spay Questa. I had her thyroid tested first and it was normal (it is on OFA). There was a lot of conflict in me over this decision.. and certainly Questa's breeder objected. She is a very pretty dog and has great size and athletic ability.. but without strong 'nerve' and 'courage' she lost her breeding privilege card.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Socialization.
This is something most beginner dog people do not understand well. Socializing your puppy in puppy class is not about letting the puppies all play together or even letting everyone in the class handle your puppy. It is not about letting your puppy be petted by every Tom, Dick and Harry when you go out in public. Socializing a puppy means taking your dog everywhere you can to expose him or her to a variety of situations both with and without dogs present. It is about getting your puppy to focus on YOU in the face of distractions. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes consistancy.
The time frame when a dog really soaks up socialization is very short. This period is from about 10 weeks old to 16 weeks old. In that time you want to expose your puppy to all kinds of things in a non threatening manner. She should see other dogs and people.. walk on different surfaces.. see puddles and water and learn that these things are not dangerous.
Socialization is about building confidence in your dog. It is about building trust between you as the dog handler and the dog.
After this time frame you can still socialize your dog (and you should!) but it may take more effort. The worst thing you can do is to keep your puppy at home and never take him or her anywhere.
There is some concern about vaccination and disease. A puppy does not have immunity from vaccinations until 16 weeks old, when the last set of shots are given. At that age the Mother's antibodies should have cleared the puppy's system and the puppy's own immune system should be fully developed and capable of mounting its own immune response to the vaccines. It is important to not take your puppy to dog parks or places that have dogs that may be unvaccinated until 16 weeks old. Talk to your vet about this. Vaccinations is not a reason to NOT socialize your puppy in spite of the timing conflicts!
To that end, Questa was in puppy class when she was around 12 weeks old (class required all puppies be vaccinated and healthy). I took her all over the place with me. She learned to ride nicely in the car or truck. She rode on the seat and I put a harness on her and attached it to the seat belt so she would not go flying if we were in an accident. She also rode in a crate in the back seat of the car.
She went into stores (Pet Smart is a great place to train after a puppy is 16 weeks old!) and she actually has a "fan club" in the local towns. I took her to get soft ice cream (vanilla.. chocolate is poisonous to dogs). When she is eating her ice cream (taught her to politely lick) she is totally focused on the ice cream experience. I believe a bomb could go off next to her and she would not notice. I took her in the Feed Stores and Tractor Supply. Since I live in a rural area, I took her for walks in the city and on bike paths. She walked on board walks and grass and concrete and gravel. She walked on plastic and through puddles. I showed her the creek and she got to go wading (on a line).
She went to the Nursing home as soon as she had her Rabies shot to visit my Dad.
She learned to walk on a leash. She learned to lie down. She learned to come when called. She learned to sit. She learned that it is not acceptable to run up to other people and dogs (we work on that one to this day.. some lessons are harder than others).
I still take Questa with me when I go places.. her fans ask for her! She is usually well mannered and rides well in the car. It took effort and time to get this, but it was well worth it. The result is that my dog is welcome most places we go.
This is something most beginner dog people do not understand well. Socializing your puppy in puppy class is not about letting the puppies all play together or even letting everyone in the class handle your puppy. It is not about letting your puppy be petted by every Tom, Dick and Harry when you go out in public. Socializing a puppy means taking your dog everywhere you can to expose him or her to a variety of situations both with and without dogs present. It is about getting your puppy to focus on YOU in the face of distractions. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes consistancy.
The time frame when a dog really soaks up socialization is very short. This period is from about 10 weeks old to 16 weeks old. In that time you want to expose your puppy to all kinds of things in a non threatening manner. She should see other dogs and people.. walk on different surfaces.. see puddles and water and learn that these things are not dangerous.
Socialization is about building confidence in your dog. It is about building trust between you as the dog handler and the dog.
After this time frame you can still socialize your dog (and you should!) but it may take more effort. The worst thing you can do is to keep your puppy at home and never take him or her anywhere.
There is some concern about vaccination and disease. A puppy does not have immunity from vaccinations until 16 weeks old, when the last set of shots are given. At that age the Mother's antibodies should have cleared the puppy's system and the puppy's own immune system should be fully developed and capable of mounting its own immune response to the vaccines. It is important to not take your puppy to dog parks or places that have dogs that may be unvaccinated until 16 weeks old. Talk to your vet about this. Vaccinations is not a reason to NOT socialize your puppy in spite of the timing conflicts!
To that end, Questa was in puppy class when she was around 12 weeks old (class required all puppies be vaccinated and healthy). I took her all over the place with me. She learned to ride nicely in the car or truck. She rode on the seat and I put a harness on her and attached it to the seat belt so she would not go flying if we were in an accident. She also rode in a crate in the back seat of the car.
She went into stores (Pet Smart is a great place to train after a puppy is 16 weeks old!) and she actually has a "fan club" in the local towns. I took her to get soft ice cream (vanilla.. chocolate is poisonous to dogs). When she is eating her ice cream (taught her to politely lick) she is totally focused on the ice cream experience. I believe a bomb could go off next to her and she would not notice. I took her in the Feed Stores and Tractor Supply. Since I live in a rural area, I took her for walks in the city and on bike paths. She walked on board walks and grass and concrete and gravel. She walked on plastic and through puddles. I showed her the creek and she got to go wading (on a line).
She went to the Nursing home as soon as she had her Rabies shot to visit my Dad.
She learned to walk on a leash. She learned to lie down. She learned to come when called. She learned to sit. She learned that it is not acceptable to run up to other people and dogs (we work on that one to this day.. some lessons are harder than others).
I still take Questa with me when I go places.. her fans ask for her! She is usually well mannered and rides well in the car. It took effort and time to get this, but it was well worth it. The result is that my dog is welcome most places we go.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
One of the things that worried me when I got Questa was her first heat.. and bitches in heat as a subject weighed on my mind. I read everything I could and asked not only Questa's breeder but a lot of other people about what it was like to own an intact female dog. Most pet dogs in the US are spayed (if they are owned responsibly) but most pet dogs in Europe are NOT spayed. I found that interesting. I had never owned a bitch that was intact and came into season.
One of my biggest concerns was my house being under seige by many intact male dogs.. an issue my Father described when he was a child in the 30's and they had an intact Doberman bitch (they never bred her). He had told me how awful that was. Dogs all over the place for many days.. fighting and marking. I surely did not want that going on here!
Female dogs can have their first heat anytime after the dog is 6 months old. This particular dog's female family has a history of coming into their first season at 12 months old, but I knew better than to assume anything about dogs coming into season. At 6 months old, I began to check Questa daily for blood. White paper towels work well for this.
A bitch is in season for 3 weeks (on average). Physical symptoms start by bleeding, and as time goes on the dog's vulva swells and eventually they stop bleeding for a few days and then bleed again. After this the vulva shrinks and the dog is out of season. Pre bleeding the dog is typically not fertile yet and while males may be attracted, she is not ready to be bred and will drive the males back and will not stand still for breeding. When she stops bleeding, she is about to ovulate. Even then she is not quite ready to conceive, though she may stand still and allow breeding. To conceive she must ovulate, and the ovum needs to mature a bit and then she will conceive. After the period when she can conceive, she will "bleed off" and then go out of heat. NONE of this is to be trusted if you do not want her to be bred. From the first day of season until the last, she needs to be on leash or indoors and never left alone unless crated and in the house.
In addition to all the stories about male dogs hanging around the house, there are numerous other stories about male dogs breaking through various barriers and getting to the female and breeding her. Dogs are smart and breeding is a very very strong 'instinct' in most species.
Questa had her first heat when she was 13 months old. I was prepared. I had a stock prod (in case any male dogs showed up at the house and I had to make them back off), I had a heavy duty long leash, I had two collars on the dog at all times with ID. I was PREPARED. Questa was inside in a crate with an attached "kennel" in the furnace room with papers down when I was at work (I had heard that bitches in season need to pee more often.. and mark.. ). I had clean up materials. I had things for her to chew on to alleviate boredom.. and I dead bolted the door. I closed all the windows and locked them. NO male was going to get to MY DOG.
All that.. and not a single male showed up at the house. Nothing. No dogs at all.
Later I figured out some things. First of all, in this modern time (as opposed to my Dad's experience in the 1930's) we have leash laws and most dogs are neutered. I live in a rural area and rarely do I see a male dog, or any dog, loose and running around. Second of all, while there are stories of dogs traveling miles based on their excellent noses and the smell of a female in season, that is laregly untrue. The reason dogs show up in the yard is because you take YOUR female in season for a walk.. and they track her home. I did not do this. I kept her 'sequestered' for the 3 weeks.
I spoke with one person who goes a bit further. She takes her female, puts her in the car, drives to another location, takes the dog out on leash to do her business and then loads the dog up in the car and drives back home. ALL the marking and scent is 2 miles from her house! Must be interesting for anyone with a male dog that goes for a walk there!
My concerns and research were a good thing because I learned a lot and I did not end up with a problem or an inappropriately pregnant bitch.
Today Questa is currently in the standing phase of her second heat. I have a fenced yard (put that up last spring.. as part of the concerns about having an intact female dog). I have taken her for walks elsewhere where she does eliminate but she eliminates in the yard as well. I have not seen any dogs here this time either. I still use the indoor kennel arrangement in the furnace room (and she has only used the papers ONCE). I have not leat my guard down, but I am not so concerned.
Other than the length of time a bitch is in season, it is pretty obvious that if you pay attention, use common sense, and keep the dog in sight, on leash or confined securely, managing a bitch in season is very doable. At least it is very doable here.
One of my biggest concerns was my house being under seige by many intact male dogs.. an issue my Father described when he was a child in the 30's and they had an intact Doberman bitch (they never bred her). He had told me how awful that was. Dogs all over the place for many days.. fighting and marking. I surely did not want that going on here!
Female dogs can have their first heat anytime after the dog is 6 months old. This particular dog's female family has a history of coming into their first season at 12 months old, but I knew better than to assume anything about dogs coming into season. At 6 months old, I began to check Questa daily for blood. White paper towels work well for this.
A bitch is in season for 3 weeks (on average). Physical symptoms start by bleeding, and as time goes on the dog's vulva swells and eventually they stop bleeding for a few days and then bleed again. After this the vulva shrinks and the dog is out of season. Pre bleeding the dog is typically not fertile yet and while males may be attracted, she is not ready to be bred and will drive the males back and will not stand still for breeding. When she stops bleeding, she is about to ovulate. Even then she is not quite ready to conceive, though she may stand still and allow breeding. To conceive she must ovulate, and the ovum needs to mature a bit and then she will conceive. After the period when she can conceive, she will "bleed off" and then go out of heat. NONE of this is to be trusted if you do not want her to be bred. From the first day of season until the last, she needs to be on leash or indoors and never left alone unless crated and in the house.
In addition to all the stories about male dogs hanging around the house, there are numerous other stories about male dogs breaking through various barriers and getting to the female and breeding her. Dogs are smart and breeding is a very very strong 'instinct' in most species.
Questa had her first heat when she was 13 months old. I was prepared. I had a stock prod (in case any male dogs showed up at the house and I had to make them back off), I had a heavy duty long leash, I had two collars on the dog at all times with ID. I was PREPARED. Questa was inside in a crate with an attached "kennel" in the furnace room with papers down when I was at work (I had heard that bitches in season need to pee more often.. and mark.. ). I had clean up materials. I had things for her to chew on to alleviate boredom.. and I dead bolted the door. I closed all the windows and locked them. NO male was going to get to MY DOG.
All that.. and not a single male showed up at the house. Nothing. No dogs at all.
Later I figured out some things. First of all, in this modern time (as opposed to my Dad's experience in the 1930's) we have leash laws and most dogs are neutered. I live in a rural area and rarely do I see a male dog, or any dog, loose and running around. Second of all, while there are stories of dogs traveling miles based on their excellent noses and the smell of a female in season, that is laregly untrue. The reason dogs show up in the yard is because you take YOUR female in season for a walk.. and they track her home. I did not do this. I kept her 'sequestered' for the 3 weeks.
I spoke with one person who goes a bit further. She takes her female, puts her in the car, drives to another location, takes the dog out on leash to do her business and then loads the dog up in the car and drives back home. ALL the marking and scent is 2 miles from her house! Must be interesting for anyone with a male dog that goes for a walk there!
My concerns and research were a good thing because I learned a lot and I did not end up with a problem or an inappropriately pregnant bitch.
Today Questa is currently in the standing phase of her second heat. I have a fenced yard (put that up last spring.. as part of the concerns about having an intact female dog). I have taken her for walks elsewhere where she does eliminate but she eliminates in the yard as well. I have not seen any dogs here this time either. I still use the indoor kennel arrangement in the furnace room (and she has only used the papers ONCE). I have not leat my guard down, but I am not so concerned.
Other than the length of time a bitch is in season, it is pretty obvious that if you pay attention, use common sense, and keep the dog in sight, on leash or confined securely, managing a bitch in season is very doable. At least it is very doable here.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
At 4 months old he have "ears up!" The left is a little leaning but within a week of this photo, it had straightened up.
In the end of October, Questa was entered in the Northeast Regional Conformation Show (United Schutzhund Clubs of America) where she received a first place finish and a rating of "very promising" under the German System. There were two puppies in the class. Both were class acts.
By this time Questa had been in Puppy Class and was entered in Beginner Obedience. She did well in class although she showed a tendency to fixate and bark at other dogs. I would step in front of her and face her.. and step quickly into her space to let her know this was not hers to handle. In retrospect the behavior was very reactive. Sometimes she had her "ruff up" and I believe she was showing insecurity. We repeated Beginner Obedience NOT because she did not 'pass' but because she was not ready for more intense work. I do not believe in introducing corrections of any sort until a puppy is over a year old.
She also was starting tracking and I started to look at Schutzhund work. I found that Questa could not get her conformation Championship under the German System until she had attained a Schutzhund 1 title. This title requires the dog to receive a passing score in Tracking, Obedience and Protection phases. The dog also be breed surveyed which includes various aspects including judgement of protection work and an endurance test of 12 miles trotting next to a bicycle.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
And there are those EARS.. German Shepherds need upright ears.. and there was a bit of concern for awhile...
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