update-on-puppies

As I announced in March, we have 4 applicant homes, kids of friends and family who have been promised a free pup, so we bred. We have two pups available, a male and a female, absolute show quality, the combined characteristics of Anubis & Nifi: size, head, chest and personality. A litter of 6 pups total.

Very large pups (the advantage of controlling the litter size. If you leave to the nature as most breeder do, you would get a 12 to 14 pups litter of compromised quality and less than a healthy start. The female's special supplementary diet prior to mating plays a major role in her ovary function. As well, the male's supplementary diet plays a role in sex selection but the main role is the ovulation timing, the depth of A.I. penetration deposit and the acidity control, I explained that to breeders via the library page.

The pups are true show quality with perfect large head and chest. And, with the supplementary diet of the parents and the pups - as I explained under diet - you are assured of the Dane's long healthy life. This is a major difference and a major factor, the diet.

Please note that our supplementary feeding is an extra in addition to nursing.

Mother's milk has an optimum value for the first few days of nursing in providing the pups with antibodies.

After that, and for about a week, the milk is a main source of nutrition.

After 7 days, mother's milk is not sufficient in any way to establish

a healthy foundation at a very critical stage. And, after 3 weeks, mother's milk has no further value and in fact most females would not continue to nurse after 4 weeks.

Once again, those who think you can leave it to nature seem to forget that it would mean ending up with the problems you get if they were raised in the wild. No wonder many Danes end up with hips and shoulder problems. Please review my research on this issue.

As I also said, providing supplementary feeding is a very critical element and most breeders who are often blue collars or house wives cannot and must not attempt it as they may cause more harm than good.

I mentioned that one breeder argued as to why worry about providing glucose and chondroitina since the balanced dog food has them. What she didn't realize is that the Dane pup would need to eat 2.5 kg of dog food daily to get what the Dane pup needs at the early stage.

Ironically, a family who had obtained a pup from her called me with horror stories about the terrible health problems they have experienced with their Dane as early as age 1 year and, the Dane died at age 3 years. It is very frustrating when ignorant breeders instead of shut up, listen and learn, they argue to justify their commercial and irresponsible approach to breeding.

It would surprise any of you to know how many cases of terrible experience I hear. Well, the point is, there is a reason why very few Danes such have a long healthy life.

The educated care given to the mother pre and during pregnancy and given to the pup (supplementary feeding) makes all the difference.

And again, I would be more than happy to work with any breeder.

I have addressed this issue under the diet and health section of this site's library.

Now;

here are a few shots of this litter

(a 7 pups litter, 4 of which are given away for free to friends & family and 2 are spoken for).

My son is shown here feeding the pups before and during being nursed by their mom.

I prepare the formula for the pups which is designed for giant breeds, mainly Danes, hound and mastiff.

(Yes, general use of dog supplementary products is not good enough for Danes. In fact, in Europe, Danes, Hounds and Mastiff have specialized vet clinics, not just special food products).

Paul Gouda