An Alternative to an "E-Collar"

 We've all seen it, the dreaded "cone of shame" that pets have to wear after surgery or an injury to prevent them from getting to the wound, otherwise known as an E-Collar. The big plastic cone that you tie around their neck that bumps into everything, prevents them from reaching their food or water, that makes them walk funny or not at all, and most of all, makes them look at you like "WHY?!"  Dogs hate it. Cats hate it. Owners hate it.

When my friend had her Dalmatian spayed I called for an update. When I asked how she was doing with the E-Collar she replied "She HATES it!" I laughed because I totally expected that answer so I suggested a solution to replace the dreaded cone. I told her to go the store, get a pool noodle, cut it into segments and either loop them around her collar or use some type of rope or string to fasten around her neck. As soon as we got off the phone she ran to store to complete her project and reported back with this picture:

The E-Collar that was provided by the vet was thrown in the trash and this new version kept her puppy away from her wound but allowed regular movement and a much happier dog and owner. I keep a picture of this at home and show it to my adopting families and was told that I should share it with everyone, hence this blog. 

Before you get your pet spayed/neutered or have any other surgical type of procedure done I would suggest constructing a similar collar or ordering alternatives online. There are several inflatable types of collars that can be found along with other types of onesies, suits, socks, etc. that help prevent your pet from reaching their wounds. (Onesies are great for use after your dog is spayed.)

Shipping your Puppy via Flight Nanny Services

 Due to constant changes in airline policies we no longer ship our puppies via cargo. I realize that is a major inconvenience to many of our out of state customers but we do have a few alternatives to help get your puppy to you! 

As always you are more than welcome to come to our home and pick up your puppy in person. We have had many families from out of state make the trip up here and they always say the drive is beautiful! If you are not within what you would consider driving distance there are still a few flight options. Our two local airports are Appleton, WI (ATW) and Green Bay, WI (GRB.) Surprisingly, there are a few airlines that do fly direct to them including Southwest, Allegiant, American, and Frontier (check the airlines directly for current information.) If you are willing to fly here we can certainly meet you at the airport with your puppy. We have also had families fly into Milwaukee, WI (MKE,) rent a car, and come here to pick up your puppy. Delivery to MKE could possibly be an option for a fee, but please check with us first to make sure we are available or can find someone to hire.

If flying here doesn't suit you then a Puppy Nanny service may be a better option. If our schedule allows, either myself or my husband, may be available to personally fly your puppy to your airport of choice and meet you there. The buyer would be responsible for the cost of the flight, airline pet fee, soft crate and health certificate, plus a $300 travel fee. We would fly out of Appleton or Green Bay, WI and if there are not any flights available for our return on the same day the buyer would be responsible for an additional hotel fee of $150. Once you pick out a puppy we could look into specific costs of available flights and dates. Once we figured out a flight that fit everyone's needs we would need to be paid in full, via Paypal, and would then book it. Flights are non-refundable so if we book a flight and you then cancel on a puppy your payment to us for the flight would not be refunded.

If we are not available to fly a puppy to you there are professional Flight Nanny services that you can hire. Just doing a simple Google search brought up several companies and there are a few things I would double check before booking with them. I noticed that some of the nannies only fly stand by, meaning that they work for the airline and can fly for free on stand by, but the flight is not guaranteed and this could cause some issues with everyone's schedules. Other companies offer stand by flights or purchased flights which are guaranteed so I would double check to see what they offer and which you prefer. Some companies only flew to larger airports and did not offer ATW or GRB as a destination so definitely double check where they will fly. I also noticed that some offer soft sided crates that they reuse while others required you to purchase one. In general most charge a standard fee plus the cost of a ticket if you're not flying stand by, and additional fees charged by the airline. Airlines charge a pet fee usually between $95-200. If it were my decision, I would work with a service that lets you purchase a ticket because flying stand by isn't always available, especially to the smaller airports that are near us. Definitely do your research, and if you decide to use a service, we will work with them to get your puppy to you. 

I'm sure there are lots of companies out there, here are a few that I saw while spending a few minutes on Google:

Fuzzy fur Babies: https://www.fuzzyfurbabiesflightnanny.com/

TLC Flight Nanny: https://tlcflightnanny.com/

In Cabin Puppy: https://incabinpuppy.com/

Paws on a Plane: https://pawsonaplane.com/

Pet Commute: https://www.petcommute.com/

(I'm not affiliated with any of the above companies and am not reimbursed for mentioning them.)

Puppies and all travel fees need to be paid for in full via Paypal or a Cashier's check before the date of travel. If using Paypal their fee will be added onto the balance due. 

What Does My Puppy Come With?

 A lot of people ask me what their puppies will come with when they go home so I've written a short summary to explain what you will get during pick up.

When I hand you your puppy if you ordered a blanket they will be wrapped in it and I will also give you a packet of paperwork which will contain:  1.) a copy of your puppy contract,  2.) a health record, 3.) a letter from my vet confirming that they have been vet checked,  4.) a weight sheet showing how much your puppy weighed at the vet, 5.) a CVI- Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that again confirms that your puppy was vet checked,  6.) information on how to register the microchip, 7.) and a sample of NuVet Vitamins along with information on how to order them. (All customers receive the above paperwork with their puppies.)

1.) Puppy Contract- The microchip # of your puppy will be filled in on the bottom of the second page of the contract, you will need this number to register the chip with Avid.

2.) Health Record- Give this to your vet when you take your puppy to their first appointment! The front page will contain the name of the parents of your puppy, the birthdate of your puppy, their gender, and color. The inside pages will contain the date that your puppy was vet checked, their microchip number, the dates/types of de-wormer that they received, and the date and labels of the vaccines that they received. Your vet will read this and get you on a schedule for future vaccines and de-wormings.

3-5.) Vet Letter, Weight Sheet, and CVI- Give this information to your vet when you take your puppy to their first appointment. The letter from our vet will confirm that your puppy has been vet checked, the weight sheet will show how much they weighed at the appointment, and the CVI again shows that they were vet checked (state required form for licensed breeders.)

6.) Avid Microchip registration- You will need to register the microchip # with your information or it will not work! I will write the Microchip # on the bottom of the puppy contract and also in the health record of your puppy. In order to register the Microchip you can call Avid at (800) 336-2843 or by going on their website at: www.avidid.com Please do not forget to do this, if you forget and your puppy is lost or stolen the microchip information will be blank.

7.) NuVet Vitamins- I will give you a sample packet of NuVet Vitamins along with information about them and how to order them. Puppies under 5 pounds can have half a tablet a day, puppies over 5 pounds can have one full tablet a day. I personally like to break them up and use them as treats or to crumble them and put them in their food. You can visit the NuVet page on my website for more information on how to order them: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/nuvet

Payment: For final balances I will only accept cash or a cashier's check made to Cute Cockapoos. I will email you your balance before you come, please bring the exact amount, I will not be giving out change. If paying via a Cashier's check please double check the spelling, I have had people bring me checks made to Cute Cockatoos and we don't raise birds :)

                                                               Extra Options

Scented Blanket: I make blankets for the puppies that have scents from their parents and siblings on them so that they can take something familiar to their new home. There is an option on the bottom of your puppy contract to order one but if you forgot, or later decide that you want one, just let me know and I will have one ready at pick up and add it to your balance due.

Food: The puppies are eating Diamond Naturals Small & Medium Breed Puppy food that is in a Blue and White bag. I have information about their food posted on the FAQ page of our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/faq

If you were unable to get the food before you come and need to purchase a bag from me please let me know in advance and I will add it to your balance due.

Collars: I have collars available that will fit your puppy for $6, if you would like me to have one ready for you at pick up please let me know in advance and I will add it to your balance due.

Common Issues with Young Puppies

 Every responsible breeder out there goes out of their way to ensure that they are creating and raising healthy puppies. Part of making sure that your litter is healthy before they are sent home to their new families is getting them vet checked. Every breeder dreads hearing bad news from their vet. No one wants to be told that their puppy has an issue, and no one wants to have to report to a buyer that there is an issue with their new puppy. Let's face it, when dealing with a live being some things are out of your control and everyone raising any type of animals will deal with a health issue at one point in time.

Since I have been raising puppies for quite awhile now I wanted to shed some light on common "issues" that may arise with puppies. I want to stress the word "Common" because the things I am going to touch on are exactly that, common, and can and will most likely arise with anyone that raises puppies.

Umbilical Hernias: An umbilical hernia is a protrusion of the abdomen where the belly button is located, you may have heard of the term "outie belly button." When a puppy has this you will feel a small bump on there belly button and often times it can be pushed back in. There is no exact cause for an umbilical hernia, they don't cause any pain or pose a health threat, and they are easily repaired when your puppy gets spayed or neutered. 

Here are a few good links for additional information on umbilical hernias:

 https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hernia-umbilical-in-dogs#:~:text=An%20umbilical%20hernia%20is%20caused,barking%2C%20crying%2C%20or%20straining.

https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/hernias-puppies-what-you-need-know

Heart Murmurs: One of the things included in a vet check is for our vet to listen to the puppies heart for any signs of a murmur. What is often referred to as an "innocent heart murmur" can be quite commonly diagnosed amongst young puppies, usually between the ages of 5-8 weeks, and is usually gone by the age of 4-6 months. When a puppy is diagnosed with this the vet will make a note of it and tell you monitor it as your puppy grows. If a heart murmur is detected that is not considered "innocent" your vet will recommend further testing and treatment.

Here are some links for more information on heart murmurs:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/heart-murmurs-in-dogs#:~:text=It%20is%20very%20common%20for,type%20of%20murmur%20is%20benign.

https://myvetanimalhospital.com.au/heart-murmurs-in-puppies-and-kittens/

Cherry Eye: A cherry eye is an inflammation in the tear gland of the third eye lid and will cause a red swelling or bulge in the corner of your dogs eye. These can occur in any breed but seem to be more common amongst breeds that have more of a droopy eye such as Cocker Spaniels, Bull Dogs, Beagles, etc. When a cherry is diagnosed by a vet they may at first prescribe anti-inflammatory drops and then surgical repair. 

Here are some links for more information on heart murmurs: 

https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/seeing-the-signs-what-to-know-about-cherry-eye-in-dogs/

https://www.smalldoorvet.com/learning-center/medical/cherry-eye-in-dogs

Ear Infections: Floppy ears are adorable but they are also a big cause for ear infections. Bacteria, fungus, and ear mites are all common causes for ear infections and it's important to keep an eye on your pet to see if any of these issues arise. If your dog is scratching at their ears or shaking their head they should have their ears checked by your vet. If their ears are red, inflamed, or smell bad they also should be checked out by your vet. There are many different types of ear meds out there so the vet will prescribe the proper med once the cause of the infection is determined. If you have a dog with floppy ears it's important to keep their ears clean and dry and to check them often.

Here are some links for more information on ear infections:

https://www.thomasvillevet.net/site/blog/2021/01/15/signs-ear-infection-dog

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/how-treat-and-prevent-dog-ear-infections

Worms: There are several types of worms that are common in dogs, and because of this, it's important to start de-worming puppies at two weeks old and to continue de-worming them for several weeks after. Different types of wormers kill different types of worms and more than one dose is needed to kill the current infestation and then future hatching eggs. It's very common for a vet to request a stool sample which will identify if your dog has worms and what type they are so that a treatment plan can be made. It's important for a buyer to continue de-worming their puppy after they are brought home from the breeder. 

Here are some links for more information on worms in dogs:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/worms-in-dogs-prevention-diagnosis-treatment/#:~:text=There%20are%20five%20main%20types,hookworms%2C%20whipworms%2C%20and%20heartworms.

https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/deworming-dogs-puppies

Parasites: Coccidia and Giardia are the two most common parasites diagnosed in puppies because they are literally everywhere and very easy to pick up and spread. When you take your puppy to the vet they will ask for a fecal sample to test for worms and parasites and it's very common for puppies to test positive for giardia or coccidia (no matter who you bought them from.) Symptoms of the parasites can include diarrhea, loose or watery stool, bloody stool, and dehydration. Some puppies can test positive without ever having any symptoms and some of the tests used for detecting Giardia are known to have false positives and negatives. We are not "cage breeders," we don't believe animals should be raised or confined in cages and we feel it is vital for puppies to get life exposure at a young age. When the weather is nice we take the puppies outside to bask in the sun, roll in the grass, take in the fresh air, see the blue sky, and just to run around and be puppies. We feel that socialization and life experience far outweighs the risk of getting a common parasite that can easily be treated. Taking a puppy outside runs the risk of exposure, not only to parasites, but to diseases, especially if you are in a strange place or high traffic pet area. It's important to socialize your puppy but also to take them to safe places to help ward off some disease so be diligent about where you take them before being fully vaccinated, and know you run the risk of exposure to parasites. Due to Giardia being so common and prevalent we treat our puppies with Panacur before they come home to you and it wouldn't be a bad idea to have some on hand incase your puppy gets exposure. Panacur can be bought over the counter and online without a RX.

Here are some links for more information about Giardia and Coccicia:

 https://www.petsandparasites.org/dog-owners/coccidia/

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/puppies/puppy-health/giardiasis-and-coccidiosis-in-puppies/

Owning a puppy is expensive, especially the first year when you have to get prepared for their arrival and also pay for medical expenses including vaccinations, spay/neuter, heartworm, rabies, de-wormers, etc. I highly suggest looking into a health insurance plan for your pet or putting away some money for unexpected expenses to ensure your puppy gets the care that they need.

If a puppy is diagnosed with any of the above things I mentioned the vet should make a note of it and the breeder should inform you of what they were told. Most often a breeder will fix the things that they can such as an ear infection, cherry eye, or worms, but things like an innocent heart murmur need time and an umbilical hernia is repaired during the spay/neuter surgery. I know some of these things can sound scary but please don't judge a breeder based on an issue. I have mistakenly gone down that deep, dark hole of the internet and read horrible posts from puppy buyers instantly calling breeders names, writing bad reviews, and being bullies over little things that they don't realize can be so common. Puppies are living beings, issues happen, and it's important to understand that they can easily be treated.

 

2022 Cute Cockapoos Update

 It's February 1st, 2022 and we have babies on the way this month so I thought I would post an update for this year. 

Shipping. Due to the Coronavirus we stopped shipping our puppies via cargo because most airlines cancelled their pet travel programs, and due to all of the delays and changes with flights, we no longer felt safe putting them on a plane alone. In late 2021 we started to allow sales to people who were willing to fly here and back with their puppies as long as they booked a flight that allows puppies onboard at 8 weeks of age. When the virus hit airlines were all over the place with their rules and some companies changed the age of pets onboard to 16 weeks while others switched it to 10 weeks, and others kept the standard age of 8 weeks. Since our puppies generally all leave at the same time we want puppies that are flying with their families to leave at 8 weeks as well. If you are from out of state and are interested in flying with a puppy please check with us first and definitely check the rules of the airline you want to book with before purchasing a ticket so see what age they require for pets. We are able to meet people at our local airports located in Appleton, WI (ATW) and also Green Bay, WI (GRB.)

Also consider hiring a Flight Nanny service to pick up and deliver your puppy to you. From what I have seen, their prices are similar to what it would cost to ship your puppy via cargo. If you need some names of companies feel free to ask us. 

Colors. We are constantly asked what colors we are going to get, and honestly, we don't know until the puppies are born. I can tell you that we have downsized a bit and most of our dogs are Red, Buff, or Apricot so should produce similar colors. We do still have three dogs with dark coats and dark colors within their bloodlines that can produce dark colored puppies, but we won't know until the babies arrive. 

Merles. We used to get a lot of Merle puppies because we had a Merle stud who produced a lot of gorgeous babies but he has since been retired so we don't get as many as we had before. We have three dogs that have the Merle genes but currently only one of them has produced one Merle puppy so they may be few and far between for now. Because of this, I do not take deposits in advance for Merle puppies. 

Puppies. When will your next litter be born? We are going to have puppies born this month, February, and will have them throughout the year as usual. We do have a waiting list started and are usually always accepting deposits for it. If you're not ready to join the list please keep an eye on the website, our Facebook page, and Instagram accounts, I am pretty good about posting updates and the website is always current.

Thank you to everyone that gave our 2021 puppies homes. In 2020 when we stopped offering shipping I was pretty nervous because we did a lot of business on the East and West coasts (I miss you guys,) but I was happy to see that many people were willing to drive and fly here for their puppies! 

2021 Puppy Colors!

 If you have visited my website you will have most likely seen that I have a page showing the various colors we get with our Cockapoo puppies:

https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppy-colors

All of the pictures posted on that page, and throughout our website, are actual puppies that we have made and raised. 

You may also have noticed that I have an "Available Adults" page on my website that shows available adult Cocker Spaniels, Cockapoos, or Miniature Poodles that we have available for adoption to pet homes only. 

https://www.cutecockapoos.com/available-adults

The reason that I occasionally have adults available is because we only breed our dogs for a few years, and they then are spayed/neutered and retired to homes where they can be couch potatoes with their forever families. (If you're interested in an adult please watch this page and contact me.)

Retiring adults within our breeding program means changes in the colors and amount of Cockapoo puppies we have available each year. In the past we usually had every color under the sun available but as time has gone by, we have started to narrow down our color palette based on what is most desired and what color adults we are raising. For example in 2019 we retired our Chocolate Merle Cocker Spaniel stud which temporarily put an end to having any Merle Cockapoos. In 2020 we bred our last two Chocolate Females who usually produce Chocolate, Black, or dark Parti puppies temporarily putting an end to dark colored Cockapoo puppies within our breeding program, etc. As of 2021 we have narrowed our colors down to mostly Buff, Apricot, Red, or light Parti colored Cockapoo puppies.

Sometimes I have people wanting to get on the waiting list for a very specific color/sex combination and I will either tell them yes or no based on my breeding program and what I think I will have for colors in the future. I always tell people that I don't know what colors we will get until the puppies are born, but if I don't have any dark colored dogs or Merles currently active in my breeding program the odds are high that I won't have those colors in my litter.

Things will change again for 2022! We have been raising some Cocker Spaniel puppies with a wide variety of colors within their bloodlines. I am happy to say some of them are Merle, some of them are Red, and one is a Chocolate and Tan parti that also carries the Merle gene so hopefully they will once again produce a wide variety of colors in their future litters. Stay tuned, each litter is a beautiful surprise.

 

If you're interested in adopting a Cockapoo puppy from us please visit our website:https://www.cutecockapoos.com/

I Have Left the BBB

 In 2012 I got accredited with the Better Business Bureau. I don't remember if they contacted me or if I contacted them but I figured it would be a good way to show to my customers that I was a real, legit business and give them a sense of trust. 

I'm sure almost everyone on the planet has heard horrible stories about people being ripped off by fake breeders, unknowingly buying from puppy mills, getting a pet from a pet store only to realize who they are supplied from, etc. so I figured having an organization like the BBB verifying my information was a good way to get my name out there and also give people a chance to post reviews about my puppies and their interactions with me. 

For several years I was happy with their service and felt good about being accredited on their site but over time things started to change. Being a member of the BBB is not cheap, they charge a yearly fee, and over time the fees started to go up significantly each and every year to the point where I felt like I was being priced out. 

On top of the rising fees, the BBB started to make some changes that I was not happy about. One of the things that really bothered me the most was when they started to erase reviews after three years claiming that they were outdated. I have (or had) several positive reviews posted that were erased and I don't see any reason for customers to not see a longstanding history of happy customers and positive reviews, no matter how old they are. 

Another change I was unhappy with was when they started to allow people "who had contact with your business" start posting reviews online. Previously they had only allowed people who had done actual business with you to post. So then it went from actual customers posting to anyone who wrote you an email or called you, etc. I didn't feel that was the point of the membership and review process. I personally have only had customers write reviews but I still didn't appreciate the change.

Because of the changes and price increases I had gone back and forth about continuing my membership for the last few years. Part of me felt I was paying way too much simply for a space for people to post reviews while another part of me still felt it was good for people to verify that I was real. The final straw was when I got my bill in 2020. In a year of a horrible pandemic when businesses, especially small ones, were struggling and on the verge of collapse, the BBB had raised their prices again!!

I was really shocked to see that they had increased my fee again this year, and not by a little bit, they wanted an additional $75 bringing my yearly fee to $500 which can go a long way towards many other things. 

After considering cancelling my membership I still went back and forth about it. Is this a waste of money? Do people even check with the BBB anymore? I've been in business for a long time, do I still have to prove myself? Will someone pick another breeder over me because they are accredited and I won't be, etc? To help make up my mind I turned to my customers and followers and asked what their thoughts were on my Facebook page and the consensus was that I was wasting my time and money.

 I was surprised to hear that the majority of my customers didn't check the BBB before purchasing from me. I was even more surprised to hear that a lot of people thought that you could buy your score from the BBB. My score was/is an A+ so I had never been contacted to pay to raise my score so I honestly don't even know if it's true but that's not a good reputation for the organization to have. A lot of my customers explained that my online presence (website, Facebook, Instagram,) and word of mouth was way more important and helping to spread the word about the work that we do. Others also said that the BBB was outdated and that you can read reviews pretty much anywhere online these days.

There were a few posts from customers that did check with the BBB before doing business with me and my membership helped them make their decision but the majority felt that it is an unnecessary and outdated site.

The combination of rising fees, changes I didn't like, and very good feedback from consumers helped me make my decision to cancel my membership. 

When I called to cancel my membership the first thing the representative asked me was why? I explained the three reasons above, price, erasing reviews, and changes on who can post. When I told her that I was shocked about their price increase during a pandemic she responded that invoices had been sent out at the beginning of the year before the pandemic and they are offering a discount of $100 to help out. I explained that my invoice was sent out in October, well after the pandemic began, and asked why I was not told about the $100 discount. She replied that only people who called and asked about the price were offered a discount! 

When I told her I didn't like it that they were erasing reviews after three years she said it's because of all the changes like staffing that businesses have over time. I explained that I don't have employees, just my family and I raise our puppies and run our business, so that explanation doesn't apply to us and was a broad generalization that may be affecting those of us that are really small in a negative way.

When I told her I didn't like it that non customers can now post reviews she replied by telling me I can just not pay my invoice and my membership will be canceled. 

The conversation with the representative really made me feel good about my choice to leave the BBB, clearly they were not supporting my business and its individual needs so therefore I don't need to support their business financially.

My fee for 2021 was due the end of November and I am going to happily spend that money on Christmas presents for the dogs, they most definitely deserve them!

If you're interested in more information about our Cockapoo puppies please visit our website at:

 Male & Female Cockapoo Puppies for Sale in Wisconsin Cute Cockapoos